Academic Writing II
Spring 2013 Meet twice a week Monday, Thursday
Time: Monday 8:00-9:50 (3-106) Thursday 10:10-12:00 (1217)
E-mail: austinkc@hotmail.com
Phone: 134 3922 0499
Website: http://austincasey.yolasite.com/
Office Hours: (ICB 319)
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Today:
Introduction & syllabus
Short writing task
Review thesis statements and essay structure
Homework: Journal 1 – Due in 1 week
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Academic Writing II
What will you learn?
IELTS practice, vocabulary, grammar, essay writing (2)
What will you do?
You will write 2 essays from different genres.
You will read and analyze your classmates' writings. Peer Review: Rubric
You will learn how to write more professionally (MLA references)
Again, don't lose any assignments I hand back – Don't throw them away!
You will read various writing samples
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Goals:
> Select a topic you are interested in..
> Discuss the topic in an organized way. We grade on structure
> Choose your audience – Who are you writing to?
> You must have a goal or purpose in your essay supported with evidence and
examples.
> You must use thoughts and ideas of others to support your essay (MLA
references).
> Show depth in your essay – Explore, explain. KEEP IT INTERESTING!
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Required Textbook
FOV2 (Focus on Vocabulary 2 –
purple book)
Writing Academic English (brown
grammar book)
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Essay Types:
You will write 2 essays and weekly journals
1. Remembering an Event (550-650 words)
Something that happened to you. An interesting event that you remember clearly.
2. Writing a Profile (550-650 words)
You will describe something or someone.
3. Proposing a Solution (550-650 words)
You will discuss a problem and explain how to fix it
6. Journal Entries
These will be given by the instructor. They will cover various topics.
Very similar to IELTS Task 2 questions
7. Vocabulary Quiz
A weekly quiz on the target words
Grading:
The point percentage is:
Class attendance & participation – 10%
Writings, quizzes and homework – 30%
Midterm exam – 30%
Final exam – 30%
Points:
The 2 essays are worth 100 points each
Journal entries are worth a total of 10 points
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What is a good essay?
Structure is more important than content
> The structure is correct
> At the end of the introduction (the thesis), the reader knows the essay topic
clearly.
> The main topic is clearly expressed.
> The main topic is creative and new. It stands out.
> The main idea is well developed. You have already considered any problems that
may come up.
> The transition is smooth and logical.
> Each paragraph has a clear relation to the main topic.
> There is evidence and examples to support your essay.
> There are good vocabulary words and sentences.
> The conclusion is done correctly.
> Research is correctly documented. Cite your sources.
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This semester
Focus on IELTS
We will have practice tests
You will drop your lowest score so only
your top tests will count towards your
grade
This semester
4 parts:
Vocabulary
Grammar
Writing
Reading
Vocabulary
We will continue the FOV2 book from
Chapter 6
Same format as before (word lists with
weekly quizzes)
Grammar
We will continue the AW book from
Chapter 10 (actually we will review
sentence structures first – not in the
book but ppts)
We will learn some basic grammar and
have a few quizzes
Writing
We will continue the weekly journals
We will write 2 academic essays with
MLA references
Reading
I will assign a reading
You will get a reading handout to answer
the questions
Rules:
Attendance Policy:
–
–
You may have 1 unexcused absences. After this, each class missed results in a
one-third reduction for the final course grade. For example a B- becomes a C+
with 4 unexcused absences.
Being late to class two times (more than five minutes late) is the same as one
absence.
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Rules:
Late Work:
You will get -10% for each day that the assignment is turned in late.
Plagiarism:
–
–
You must do your own original work.
If you do not have the correct references you may get a 0 for the essay
–
–
Plagiarism is very serious and you will be reminded about it in this course.
If you plagiarize something, you may fail the course.
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Short Writing Task
What did you do this winter holiday (New Year and
Spring Festival)
Write 150-200 words
Try to use descriptive words and explain more. (use
details)
While you are writing I will come around and take a
conversation. Tell me your IELTS score if you have
taken it this winter.
Hint: Where did you go? What did you do? Who did you
meet? What did you eat? Anything special? Did you set off
fireworks?
Next Task
Write an outline for what you did this winter break
You are not going to write and essay, but if you
had to write an essay what would your thesis
and outline be?
Review: Thesis Statement
A thesis statement is the main idea of an
essay.
It is often a point you want to argue or
support in an essay.
So:
The thesis statement explains to the reader
the main idea of the essay, and the writer’s
opinion on that idea.
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Review: Thesis Statement
A thesis statement is only one
sentence.
It is always in the introduction of an
essay.
A thesis statement is an opinion (It
can be argued).
A good essay must have sentences
to support your thesis!
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Review: Thesis Statement
A thesis statement needs a topic
and an opinion.
Topic: what you want to talk about
Opinion: what do you think about
the topic
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Review: Thesis Statement
first person (I believe, In my opinion...)
unclear language (It seems, etc.)
2 ideas
facts - A thesis is something you plan to make an
argument about.
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Review: Thesis Statement
Don't be too general:
Pets are good.
Be specific:
It is healthy to have a dog because you can
exercise together and you will never be lonely.
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Thesis Statements Examples:
Thesis statements are important for academic writing,
TOEFL, and IELTS writing.
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Example Thesis Statements
1. Our cafeteria would be greatly improved if several
changes were made.
2. Celebrities are often poor role models because of the
way they dress, talk, and behave.
3. My first night as a security guard turned out to be one
of the most frightening experiences of my life.
4. SUVs are inferior to cars because they are harder to
control, more expensive, and dangerous to the
environment.
5. The twentieth century produced three inventions that
dramatically changed the lives of all Americans.
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Example Thesis Statements
6. Stress in the fast-food workplace has led to serious
physical, psychological, and emotional problems for
employees.
7. Advertisers target young people in order to market
cigarettes, alcohol, and adult movies.
8. Living in a city has certain advantages over living in
the suburbs.
9. Before moving away from home, every person should
have mastered certain key skills.
10. Independent “mom and pop” stores are superior to
larger chain stores for a number of reasons.
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Let's Make a Thesis:
Topics: Beijing, My hometown, Education, Pets, A trip that
you took (Example: Hainan is the most____ because
______)
1 topic + 1 opinion
Hint: You want to teach me something or recommend
something to me.
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More Hints:
Try to exaggerate ideas to make it more interesting.
Ex: I like movies = I am a movie fanatic
There are many people at the theater = the theater is too crowded
I want to eat the snacks = it is impossible not to eat the snacks
There is no parking space = it is impossible to find a parking
space
Don’t start the sentence with I or You every time. Try to use different
ways.
Ex: Start the sentence with a verb. Parking my car at the movie
theater is impossible!
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Short Assignment:
Take out a piece of paper. Write down an interesting event in your life. It can be
anything you like. You can choose something super happy, or even something
sad or something that made you very very angry. Have fun with it!
1 paragraph = 150-250 words (about half a sheet of paper)
Try to make a thesis and underline it
Hints:
What made you so happy? When was the angriest time of your life? What was the
biggest adventure that you had with your friends when you were small? What
made you so sad?
Try to think of something interesting. You can use this topic for your first journal.
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This is a heading:
Your Name
My Name
Class Name
Date
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Thesis Statement
Important:
thesis statement: must be an argument! Write it as if you were
recommending something. It is your life experience but you must have
learned something.
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Make an Outline:
Topic Sentence 2
a. Evidence
b. Evidence
c. Example
Introduction with hook &
thesis
Topic Sentence 3
a. Evidence
Topic Sentence 1
a. Evidence
b. Evidence
c. Example
b. Evidence
c. Example
Conclusion
Journal 1
Different Shops
Write an essay comparing and contrasting the
experience of shopping at two different kinds of
stores. Use specific reasons and examples to
illustrate the stores' similarities and differences.
Use 4 vocabulary words from Chapter 6
Journal 1
I want you to write your own IELTS Task 2 type
question and answer it. Remember choose a
trend or a problem. Then use the format “what
are your opinions on this”
Use 4 vocabulary words from Chapter 6