Grammar-Quizzes › More Practices › Writing Aids › Writing Process
Beginning–Intermediate ESL, Native Speakers
Before your pen touches the paper or fingers touch the keyboard, do the foundation work:
brainstorm
organize thoughts
write a rough draft
edit 1
redraft
edit 2
write a final draft
Beginning–Intermediate ESL, Native Speakers
Focusing Steps
Take a broad subject and narrow it.
Determine your research question (controlling idea)
Create your thesis sentence (topic + controlling idea)
Intermediate–Advanced ESL, Native Speakers
Your thesis sentence:
focuses and directs the essay
includes the topic and your attitude on it
includes a statement (not a question)
appears at the end of the introduction (usually, but may be anywhere within the introduction)
Intermediate – Advanced ESL, Native Speaker
Practice 1 – identify
Practice 2– complete
Why are 20% of Americans unable to find the U.S. on a map?
"I personally believe that U.S. Americans are unable to do so (find the U.S. on a map) because, uh, some people out there in our nation don't have maps and, uh, I believe that our, uh, education like such as in, uh, South Africa and, uh, the Iraq and everywhere like such as, and I believe that they should...
Intermediate–Advanced ESL, Native Speakers
An introductions should:
introduce the topic
indicate how the topic is going to be developed. (cause-effect, reasons, examples -- Will it classify, describe, narrate or explain?)
contain a thesis statement
be inviting and entice the reader to continue after reading the first sentence
Add entertainment to your writing by considering:
• how you will reveal details
• the order in which you will reveal them
•spatial focus (small focus ⇒ large focus or visa versa)
Strategies:
generate your own work whenever possible
if you need to use work, ask for permission to use it
give credit to the source with a citation
Plagiarism is using the ideas and writings of others and representing them as your own.
Strategies for avoiding plagiarism:
Quote it.
Paraphrase it.
Cite it.
word for word
minor rephrasing
borrowed ideas
spellings from other dialects
sudden style switch
second-hand data
Identifying plagiarized work isn't so hard. See if you can "smell a rat".
Social Media (Twitter, Facebook, Email)
Remember:
Your instructor does not expect you to be the genius who creates all original ideas.
Give credit to the source—scientists, researchers and writers—when synthesizing (putting together) the ideas and data in their work with your work.
Choose a style manual such as MLA, Chicago Manual of Style, Associated Press, or APA with examples for citing your source in a standard manner.
Drag and drop the elements into the correct order.
(Cannot be used on a touch screen.)
Links to other evaluation criteria forms
Apply critical thinking skills.
Examine the following on a web page:
coverage
authority
objectivity
accuracy
currency
Evaluate three web sites as authoritative resources.
Intermediate–Advanced ESL; Native Speakers
Splitting verbs or infinitives
Singular "they" and "their" and many more!
There is a persistent belief that it is improper to begin a sentence with and. But this prohibition has largely been ignored.
This is a rule up with which I will not put!
Less people are using conventional grammar each year.
Workbook for native and non-native speakers. (PDF format workbook licensed by this author for use under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 International)
Cover, Introduction & Sound Symbols (291KB PDF)
Long a /eɪ/ as in cake (1.7MB PDF)
Short a /æ/ as in cat (1.3MB PDF)
Long e /i/ as in tea (1.8MB PDF)
Short e /ɛ/ as in bed (1MB PDF)
Long i /ɑɪ/ as in pie (1.84MB PDF)
Short i /ɪ/ as in pig (1.86MB PDF)
Long o /o/ as in home (1.7MB PDF)
Short o /ɒ/ or /ɔ /as in hotdog (1.8MB PDF)
Long u as in blue (1.6MB PDF)
Short u as in sun (1.65MB PDF)
Lax u as book (1.0MB PDF)
Diphthong oi as in toys /tɔɪz/
Diphthong ow as in cow /kɑʊ/
Commonly Misspelled Words (2.8 MB PDF)
Identify the keyword sound in pictures. (Beginners)
Identify words with the sound. (Beg.–Intermediate)
Complete the word in the sentence. (Beg.)
Review spelling patterns. (Beg.–Int.)
Write the word in the picture. ((Beg.)
Complete words in a sentence or paragraph. (Int.)
Find the misspellings in the paragraph. (Int.)
Change word forms with suffixes. (Int.)
Compare homonyms and words with final "e".
Write visual descriptions of pictures. (Int.)