Open Society Institute - Assistance Foundation Study, Practice, Write George Bishop, Jr. James A. SolanINTRODUCTION TO ACADEMIC WRITING & Reapinc had gone to'Nabran with my younger sister 10 Test- after our difficult final exams. J often get astonished at people's reactions.in different situations If you have trouble falling asleep at night, there are a number of steps you can take'to help you + r My favorite‘town is Shusha. | Perhaps the most famous and best-loved historical site in Baku is the Maiden’s Tower. | ‘i i From Sentences to Paragraphs George Bishop, Jr. James A. Solan Baku - 2005ISBN: 9952-28-001-07 Foe 0-05 026 No part of this manual may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher. Copyright by OSI-AF, Azerbaijan, 2005 All rights reserved Published in Azerbaijan RepublicTABLE OF CONTENTS ACADEMIC WRITING & READING TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS pasnsvagantions: ae INTRODUCTION ........2..--4+ sea th v UNIT 1 WHAT IS ACADEMIC WRITING? .........cc0ccceeccsstereresnesteteeees 1 UNIT 2 WHAT IS A PARAGRAPH? .......... Ais, Sis. ae. 9 UNIT 3 SENTENCE PRACTICE ........-.:-es0essssssssses ee te UNIT 4 EFFECTIVE TOPIC SENTENCES ...........2.000000000+ a 21 UNIT 5 DESCRIPTIVE WRITING . 29 UNIT 6 STEP ONE OF THE WRITING PROCESS: PRE-WRITING 41 UNIT 7 WRITING TOPIC SENTENCES 49 UNIT 8 STEP TWO OF THE WRITING PROCESS: ORGANIZING 56 UNIT 9 STEP THREE OF THE WRITING PROCESS: ROUGH DRAFT a 67 UNIT 10 STEP FOUR OF THE WRITING PROCESS: REVISING . 82 UNIT 11 STEP FIVE OF THE WRITING PROCESS: FINAL DRAFT ..........0.0. 87 UNIT 12 READING: “A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE” .. te 93 UNIT 13 EXPLAINING A PROCESS Psst cae 97 UNIT 14 SENTENCE COMBINING .........0.000000000+ ee ee UNIT 15 NARRATIVE WRITING ............00000:00005 mys ceaienentsos att a UNIT 16 NARRATIVE WRITING: PART TWO . 132 UNIT 17 READING: “A SHOCKING EXPERIENCE” ..... 5 142 APPENDIXI RULES OF CAPITALIZATION . 146 APPENDIX II RULES OF PUNCTUATION . 147 AUTHOR CREDITS 148 iiiACKNOWLEDGMENTS = INTRODUCTION TO ACADEMIC WRITING & READING ACKNOWLEDGMENTS We would like to thank all of our colleagues at the Azerbaijan University of Languages, especially the English language teachers listed below who took part eer Academic Writing & Reading Teacher Training Program. Without their hard work and dedication, this book would not have been possible. Many of the exercises and paragraphs in this book have been taken or adapted from writing they did in their training sessions. ‘Thank you to Samed Seyidov and Natiq Yusifov, Rector and Vice-Rector of the University of Languages, for their continued support of the Academic Writing & Reading curriculum. Also, thank you to the United States Embassy in Baka and the Soros Foundation’s Open Society Institute in Baku for backing our efforts and activities. Finally, we owe a debt to the following books: ENGLISH SKILLS WITH READINGS: Third Edition, by John Langan (McGraw-Hill, 1995); INTRODUCTION TO ACADEMIC WRITING, by Alice Oshima and Ann Hogue (Addison Wesley, 1997); and WRITERS AT WORK: A Guide to Basic Writing, by Jill Singleton (Cambridge University Press, 1998) George Bishop, Jr James A. Solan Baku, 2004 English Teachers at Azerbaijan University of Languages Who Contributed to this Book Aynur Abazarova Zulfiya Khaligova Kenul Agayeva Saadat Mehdiyeva Zarina Aslanova Gulnara Memedova Keklik Gezalova Sevil Memedova Aygun Hajiyeva Nargiz Muradova Leyla Hajiyeva Reyhan Quliyeva Kamila Huseynova Irada Vahabova Vafa KazdalINTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION TO ACADEMIC WRITING & READING INTRODUCTION university in the United States or Great Britain. You have filled in ell che necessary information on the application form: your name, address, age, citizenship, and so on. On the last page of the application form, you find tai te for @ minute that you are applying for a scholarship to study at a In five hundred words or less, explain why you would like to study abroad. How would you begin to write this essay? How would you gather ideas, organize your information, and then finally compose an essay that would Persuade the university to give you the scholarship? This book will help show you how to do that. Whether you are applying for a scholarship at a university, drafting a report for your boss, or writing a letter to a friend, all of these tasks require skills that you will practice in Academic Writing & Reading. What is academic writing? As you will learn in this book, academic kiting means writing clearly and effectively according to certain standardized forms and conventions of language. Today more than ever, the ability to write Clearly and effectively is a requirement not only in education, but also in business, government, law, medicine—in short, in almost any field that you may choose to enter. More and more, the language used for this kind of writing is English. One fundamental assumption of this book is that the ability to write well is not a magic power that some people are born with and others are not, Rather, just like playing football or playing the piano, writing is a skill that con be learned through careful study and practice. The second assumption is that writing is a process that involves several steps. This book will introduce these Steps (pre-writing, organizing, rough draft, revising, and final draft) and allow you ample opportunity to study and practice them. Accordingly, the units in this book are divided into three sections, Study, Practice, and Write. By studying the explanations and models of good writing, and then practicing the forms yourself, you will become a better writer,WHAT IS ACADEMIC WRITING? INTRODUCTION TO ACADEM! 1 WHAT IS ACADEMIC WRITING? TING & READING 5-0: UD / Academic writing is writing completed in a college or university for an academic audience consisting of professors, instructors, and students. Good academic writing has four main characteristics: unity, coherence, support, and strong sentence skills. Keep these characteristics in mind, as we will refer to them often during our study and practice of academic writing. 1. Unity. In good academic writing, all the elements work together—are unified—to achieve a single purpose. The writer carefully chooses and organizes all of his or her information in order to make one main point. 2. Coherence. Good academic writing is well organized. The writer follows a clear, logical plan that can be easily understood by the reader. 3. Support. Good academic writing offers convincing evidence to support ideas. For convincing evidence, the writer uses specific details, examples, and facts to support his or her main point. 4, Strong sentence skills. Good academic writing follows the standard rules of grammar and punctuation. The writer demonstrates control over the language and uses a wide range of vocabulary. Writing versus Talking When we are talking with friends in a café or by phone, we make all kinds of points or statements. We may say, for example, “I love my English class’; “Esmer is a really kind person”; or “That new action film Final Prayer was great.” Sometimes we may also express our opinions about more general topics: “Smoking cigarettes is bad for your health”; “We need to solve the Nagorno Karabakh problem peacefully”; “Turkey is an important friend for Azerbaijan.” When we are talking with people, they do not always ask us to give reasons for our statements or opinions. They may already know why we feel as we do, or they may already have the same opinion as we do. If they want to, however, people can interrupt us while we are talking and ask questions. TheyWHAT IS ACADEMIC WRITING? INTRODUCTION TO ACADEMIC WRITING & READING can ask why we think something, or they can ask us to explain ourselves, For fxample, if we say, “I love my English class,” our friend might ask, “Oh, really? Why?" If our friend still does not understand us, he or she can ask even move questions. Also, in talking we may repeat ourselves, interrupt ourselves, not finish what we are saying, or abruptly change topics.’ We may use slang expressions, or we may not speak in complete sentences. In talking, we do not often worry about making our speech perfect. On the other hand, when we write, we cannot assume that our readers know what we mean or that they agree with us. If we want to communicate effectively and persuasively with readers, we must provide solid evidence for any point we make. Also, our readers cannot ask us questions if they do not understand what we have written. We must anticipate any questions our readers might have; in writing, we must explain ourselves completely, Finally, in good academic writing we are expected to present our thoughts in an organized way. We use well-crafted sentences and formal structures to make our meaning as clear as possible for our readers. ~ So, important differences between talking and writing can be summed up as follows: Talking Writing do not always need reasons _ must provide good reasons or evidence for opinions and evidence for opinions listener can interrupt reader can not ask questions; to ask questions writer must anticipate questions can repeat, ramble, must be clear and organized use slang and use correct language Genre, Audience, and Purpose Genres are types or categories of literary composition. There are many different genres of writing, for many different audiences and purposes. Some examples of genres are essays, letters, film scripts, songs, novels, and advertisements. Different genres have different rules and conventions. To become a better writer and reader, it is important to learn to recognize different genres and to become familiar with their different rules and conventions. For example, the Tules for writing a short e-mail message are quite different from the rules forWHAT IS ACADEMIC WRITING? INTRODUCTION TO ACADEMIC WRITING & READING writing a book report for a literature class. How many different genres of writing can you name? When we speak about the audience for a piece of writing, we mean the readers. For a.writer, an awareness of audience is important because it helps him or her choose forms and vocabulary most appropriate for that audience. For example, a writer would not write in the same way to a ten-year-old girl as to a fifty-year-old science professor. Who is the audience for your writing in this course? ‘The purpose is the reason for a piece of writing. To determine the purpose of a piece of writing, ask yourself, “Why has the author written this?” Is it to inform? Persuade? Entertain? An awareness of genre, audience, and purpose will help you to become not only a better writer, but also a better reader. Careful, analytical reading with an awareness of genre, audience, and purpose is known as critical reading.WHAT IS ACADEMIC WRITING? INTRODUCTION TO ACADEMIC WRITING & READING PRACTICE Practice Activity 1: Academic Writing Read the two paragraphs below. Which one is better academic writing? Based on what you learned in the STUDY, explain why one is effective academic writing and the other is not. Paragraph is better academic writing. Why? Paragraph A My name is tom. Ilive in Chicago | want to talk about my father. He is strict with his children especially me he is strict with me too. He won't let me out of the haus unless | done all my homework. He is tall and skin some people say he handsome. | guess my mom thinks he is handsome or else why did she marry him. He works at the oil co. He’s 38. In our framily we are four me. my father, my sister, and my brother. My brothers is mike he goes to college he likes football and hockey. My sister is Carol, she wants to be a nurse. Another thing, my father likes to eat. He can eat all day and night, he never stops eating. His favorite food is pizza. He was born in Madison, Wisconsin, and on holidays we sometimes go there to visit his family. Madison is generally colder than Chicago. Paragraph B My father is a very strict man. First of all, our home is filed with many rules, all invented by my father. For example, | can't put my feet on the sofa. | can't watch TV after ten o'clock at night. | must turn off all the lights when | leave a room. | must never, never put a wet glass on the coffee fable.’ There are so many rules at home that | have trouble remembering them all, my father is the genius of rule-making. Also, my father rarely lets me go out in the evenings with my friends. He thinks it's not safe for young people to go out at night. It's better, he soys, if! stay home and study. When my father does let me go out, | always have to be home before dark. Finally, when | tell my father | will do something, | know | had better do it. If | promise to pick up something at the store for my mother, for example. | know | must not forget to do it, or else he will get very angry at me. If! tell my father | will do something “tomorrow,” according to my father, that means tomorrow—not in two days, not in three days. Tomorrow. My father says he does all of these things because he loves me, and he wants me to be a better person. | believe him, but | still wish that he were not so strict.WHAT IS ACADEMIC WRITING? INTRO! TO ACADEMIC Wi READIN Practice Activity 2: Critical Reading Practice your critical reading skills. Look at the following pieces of writing below and then answer the questions. 1. Identify the genres of writing. Which piece is from a: a. business letter b. newspaper editorial (opinion piece) c. newspaper article d. textbook . story 2. Who is the likely audience for each of the pieces of writing? Consider age, sex (male/female), profession, education level, and cultural background The audience for: A: B: Cc: D: 3. What is the purpose of each piece of writing? Which ones are written to: a. inform (2) b. persuade (2) c. entertainWHAT IS ACADEMIC WRITING? INTRODUCTION TO ACADEMIC WRITING & READING Paragraph A Photosynthesis occurs in green plants, seaweeds, algae, and certain bacteria. These organisms are like sugar factories, producing millions of new glucose molecules per second. Plants use much of this glucose, a carbohydrate, as an energy source to build leaves, flowers, fruits, and seeds. They also convert glucose to cellulose, the structural material used in their cell walls. Most plants produce more glucose than they use, however, and they store it in the form of starch and other carbohydrates in roots, stems, and leaves The plants can then draw on these reserves for extra energy or building materials. Each year, photosynthesizing organisms produce about 170 billion metric tons of extra carbohydrates, about 30 metric tons for every person on earth, Paragraph B A British company. Halli-Burton-Cheney, wants to build a new factory near our city. While we fully support business projects such as this, we also believe that more research needs to be done. before we allow this factory to be built. What will be the impact of the factory on our environment? We should know exactly how much Pollution it will cause to our air, water, and soil Also, will this new factory hurt our trees and forests? Our trees and forests are one of ‘our most important natural resources, and we must be sure to protect them. Finally, what about after this factory closes? What will happen to it then? We only need to look at the ugly remains of old factories near our city, with their surrounding acres of ruined landscape, to realize that the real impact of any factory far outlives its productivity. Do we really want this new factory to add to our “industrial wasteland"? Economic growth is good, but economic growth without careful planning can lead to environmental disaster. Paragraph C On Tuesday, the United States government made plans that would impact the importing of beluga sturgeon and its caviar. A new law could go into effect in as little as six months, possibly resulting in a reduction or even a complete banning of such products being brought into the country. In 2002, the United States imported 60 percent of the world's beluga caviar, down from 80 percent two years earlier.WHAT IS ACADEMIC WRITING? INTRODUCTION TO ACADEMIC WRITING & READING Paragraph D Now it was winter and everything had changed. The flowers and leaves had all gone. and the earth was bare and cold. Every place | went reminded me of the happy times when | had walked or sat talking with Laura. | remembered her warm smile and her lovely voice, and the conversations we had as we got to know one another. But now there was no Laura, and only a frozen emptiness remained. Paragraph E | am wrifing in response to your advertisement for a computer programmer in the “Help Wanted" section of the January 5 Chicago Daily News. As you will see from my enclosed CV, | have had three years experience as a computer programmer with Dot.Com, Inc., an internet provider service here in Chicago. Before my work with Dot.Com, Inc., | was a student at Illinois State University, where | graduated with honors in math and science. Now| am looking for a challenging job in a fast-paced corporate business environment. Your company, TeleStar international, fits this bill exactly.WHAT IS ACADEMIC WRITING? INTRODUCTION TO ACADEMIC WRITING & READING WRITE Classmate Profile You are going to interview one of your classmates and then write a brief profile of him or her based on notes from your interview. 1. Before you begin your interview, make a list of questions you want to ask. Prepare the questions using forms of the different verb tenses: present, past, and future. Write three or four questions for each tense. For example: Present tense (3-4 questions) What's your name? How old are you? Etcetera. Past tense (3-4 questions) Where were you born? Where did you grow up? Etcetera. Future tense (3-4 questions) What would you like to do after you graduate? Etcetera. 2. Interview your classmate, asking him or her your questions. Record the answers. Do not write full sentences; only make notes. When you have finished, switch roles and let your classmate interview you. 3. Introduce your classmate to the rest of the class. Use your notes as a guide for what you will say 4. Now, based on your interview, write a short profile of your classmate. As you write, keep in mind the characteristics of good academic writing: unity, coherence, support, and strong sentence skills. Also, consider your genre, audience, and purpose. What type of writing is this? Who is it for? What is its purpose?(TIS A PARAGRAPH? INTRODUCTION TO ACADEMIC WRITING & READING WHAT IS A PARAGRAPH? ae Sq TiaD: wy: “A paragraph is a group of related sentences in which a writer develops a single point or idea. The first sentence usually states the main idea of the paragraph. The rest of the sentences in the paragraph support the main idea. A paragraph is most often seen as a subdivision of a longer written composition. For this class, we will focus on individual paragraphs (Note: While in professional writing a paragraph can be any length, from one word to one page, for this class your paragraphs will be about ten to fifteen sentences long, or about 150 to 250 words each.) A paragraph begins with an empty space called an indentation. The indentation shows the reader where the paragraph begins. In a composition with several paragraphs, each new paragraph begins with a new indentation. Each paragraph contains only one indentation. This is what a paragraph looks like on the page: Topic Sentence In academic writing, every paragraph generally begins with a topic sentence that briefly expresses the main idea that the writer is going to discuss. In other words, the topic sentence serves as a guide for the reader. The topic sentence tells the reader what the paragraph is going to be about. Study these examples of good academic writing. The topic sentences have been underlined. See how the topic sentence clearly tells you what each paragraph is going to be about.WHAT IS A PARAGRAPH? INTRODUCTION TO ACADEMIC WRITING & READING Paragraph A Zulfiva, one of the teachers in my department at the University of cnavades.looks more like a young student than a professor. First of all, she Hes Darra head with dainty, gitish features. Her nose is small, ike a girl's nose Dark eyebrows highlight her narrow, curious eyes. Also, her hair lends to ney youthful appearance. t's cut short and parted to one side, and then tucked Behind her ears, like a schoolgin's. When she's working in. the office, roncentrating seriously over her papers, she sometimes puts a cut! of her holr per mouth and chews on it. Finally, Zulya always dresses simply. in very young fashions. She prefers biue jeans and sweaters, like students wear, Sho one prefers tennis shoes instead of the high-heel shoes that older women generally rerapt CoC. it You saw Zulfiya in the hallway at the university, you would Probably be surprised to learn that she is a teacher and not a student Paragraph B Fou have trouble falling asleep, there are a number of steps you con take to help vou. First of all, remember that before going fo sleep, you should Potatoes! indigestible food. Foods containing fat and protein, such os meat, Potatoes, bread. and eggs, are considered heavy. Such food i not Foe ceed {0 those who have problems with faling asleep. Second, i you Paragraph C Lost night | had a terrible time trying fo fall asleep. | went to bed at ten o'clock. Soon after | lay down, | heard a buzzing noise. It was a mosquito. My window doesn't have a screen on it, and the mosquito must have flown in 10WHAT ISA PARAGRAPH? INTRODUCTI DEMIC WRITING & READING PR ACCUrr CE Read the following short essay. It consists of five paragraphs: an introduction, three descriptive paragraphs, and a conclusion. The paragraphs, however, have not been indented. First, identify and underline the topic sentence for each of the five paragraphs. Write them below. Then, decide where each paragraph should be indented and mark it with a § paragraph symbol. (Remember: A paragraph is a group of related sentences that develop one main point. The topic sentence states the main point of the paragraph. ) Finally, try to determine the genre, audience, and purpose for this piece of writing. Where might you find this composition? Who is the likely audience? What is the purpose of this composition? Historical Sites of Baku Baku is an ancient city with a number of popular historical sites that are well worth seeing. Most residents of Baku, naturally, are familiar with the historical attractions of their city. Visitors to the city, however, may not know some of these sites, or they may not be aware of their cultural significance. Following is a brief guide to some of the most famous sites of Baku. The most ancient of these sites is the fortress, or the old town, called icheri Sheher. The first historical reference to the unique wall of the fortress, most parts of which survive until now, date back to the eleventh century. Within the walls of the fortress, the old town is highly picturesque, with its maze of narrow alleys and ancient buildings. For this reason, Icheri Sheher is one of the most popular tourist attractions of Baku. Another famous historical site in Baku is the Palace of the Shirvanshahs. Located within the walls of the old town, this ancient palace is named after the Shirvanshahs, the dynasty of rulers who made the city their capital in the twelfth century. The Shirvanshahs' Palace is one of the most striking exomples of medieval architecture in Azerbaijan. This grand complex contains a two-story palace, a burial vault, a mosque with a minaret, a divankhana (the main audience room), Seyid Yahya's mausoleum, a bath, and Murad’s Gate, which ilWHAT ISA PARAGRAPH?. INTRODUCTION MIC WRITING & READING dates to the sixteenth century. Now the Shirvanshahs' Palace is a state museum open to the thousands of tourists who visit Baku every year. Finally, perhaps the most famous and best-loved historical site in Baku is the Maiden’s Tower, or tower of Gyz Galasy, also located inside Icheri Sheher. The Maiden's Tower is o grandiose eight-storied construction, with an interior height of 28 meters and an exterior height of 32 meters. The strong, round walls are five meters thick. As you slowly climb the spiral staircase inside leading up to the eighth tier of the tower, you can see interesting exhibits of wooden utensils and ancient weapons. You can also find out about some of the colorful legends concerning the tower. In conclusion, every resident or visitor in Baku ought to take the opportunity to visit each of these famous sites at least once. These remarkable examples of ancient architecture serve today to remind us of the magnificent accomplishments of our ancestors. They are the “living history” of our city. For both their beauty and their cultural significance, these historical monuments deserve to be carefully preserved, so that they may continue to be admired by people for generations to come. Topic sentence Topic sentence 2: Topic sentence 3: Topic sentence 4: Topic sentence 5: 12SENTENCE PRACTICE et INTRODUCTION TO ACADEMIC WRITING & READING SENTENCE PRACTICE Remember from our definition of academic writing the four characteristics of effective writing: STUDY Unity Coherence Support Strong Sentence Skills In this section we will review the last of these, sentence skills. Subjects and Verbs As you know, every English sentence has a subject and a verb (also called a predicate). A sentence with one subject and verb group is called a simple sentence. A sentence with more than one subject and verb group is a compound sentence or a complex sentence. Identify the subjects and verbs in these sentences. Underline the subject once and the verb twice, and mark them S and V. The first one has been done for you, ae ae many famous historical sites. She enjoys walking in the park on Sundays. | have never been to Spain. Einar and Telli visited Moscow last summer. Studying English has many practical benefits for Azeri students. 13.‘SENTENCE PRACTICE. INTRODUCTION 10 ACADEMIC WRITING & READING ) Fragments Every sentence must have both a subject and verb. If a sentence does not have both a subject and verb, it is called a fragment. “Fragment” means “broken Piece.” A sentence fragment is only a piece of a sentence; it is not a complete sentence. A fragment is grammatically incorrect in academic writing. A fragment commonly has one of three problems: 1. No subject Also interrupted my speech. 2. No verb She shorter than her sister. 3. No subject or verb Those wonderful winter nights. /; Run-on Sentences As we saw above, a simple sentence has a subject and a verb: Yusif is. a sweet little boy. When you write a new subject and verb, you must begin a new sentence: Yusif is a sweet little boy. He really loves animals. If you do not begin a new sentence when you write a new subject and verb group, you will have a run-on sentence. A run-on sentence is two sentences that are run together. Run-on sentences are grammatically incorrect in academic writing. Some run-on sentences have no punctuation in them: Yusif is a sweet little boy he really loves animals. Some run-on sentences are divided by a comma (This type of run-on sentence is known as a comma splice): Yusif is a sweet little boy, he really loves animals. 14SENTENCE PRACTICE. INTRODUCTION TO ACADEMIC WRITING & READING Both of these mistakes are run-on sentences. There are three ways you can correct a run-on sentence: 1. Add a period (. ) Yusif is a sweet little boy. He really loves animals. 2. Add a comma + conjunction (, CONJ) Yusif is a sweet little boy, and he really loves animals. 3. Add a semi-colon (; ) Yusif is a sweet little boy; he really loves animals. Note: Conjunctions will be discussed later in Unit 14. For now, you may remember that the simple coordinating conjuctions are and, or, but, for, nor, so, and yet 15SENTENCE PRACTICE. INTRODUCTION TO ACADEMIC WRITING & READING BR ACE 1nGk Practice Activity 1 Identify sentence fragments in the following examples. First, mark the subjects and verbs. If the sentence is complete, put a ¥ check mark. If the sentence is a fragment, write FRAG and then make it a complete sentence. fraq_1. My wondertullitile cat. My best friend is my wondertul litle cat, Tramp. 2. She has silky brown hair. 3. Never late to the lesson. 4, To live in Sumgayit. 5. He drinks tea every day. 6. My visit to Moscow. 7. At the Embassy of the Republic of China. 8. Riding on the bus. 9. Leningrad, now called St. Petersburg. 10. The best place to go shopping. 16SENTENCE PRACTICE. INTRODUCTION TO ACADEMIC WRITING & READING Practice Activity 2 Look at the following pairs of sentences. In each pair, one sentence is a fragment. First, mark the subjects and verbs. Then, correct the fragment cither by adding something to it, or by joining it to another sentence. There are different ways to fix each fragment. Write only one. s v s 1. My best friend js not a person. He a cat. My best friend is not a person. He is a cat. 2. One night, he came to my door. And cried for food. 3. Affer that first night. Tramp has stayed with me. 4. Tramp is a large, gray cat. With one tom ear. 5. He sleeps a lot during the day. And hunts at night, 6. He tries to catch mice. Too fast for him. 7. My cat and some of the neighborhood cats. They fight sometimes. 8. In the evenings. Tramp watches TV with me. 9. Day and night, he a good friend tome. He keeps me company. 17NTEN ICE INTRE \CADEMIC WRITING & READING Practice Activity 3 Identify run-on sentences in the following examples. First, mark the subjects and verbs. If the sentences are complete, put a ¥ check mark. If the sentence is a run-on, write RO and then revise it to make a grammatically correct sentence or sentences. 10. eee av sv | want to be a teacher some day. | hope to be a good teacher. | remember my third grade teacher, Mrs. Crapshaw, she was a terrible teacher, She had mean black eyes and an ugly wart on her nose, she looked like a witch. She always carried a stick. She loved to hit students with her stick. She never listened to us, she only shouted. Some students she helped a lot other students got no help at all from her. . One day | was late to class, she hit me on the head with her stick. Another time | didn't have my homework, | said my dog had eaten it she phoned my parents. Of course, | didn't have a dog, | had a cal, his name was Tramp. | never want to become a teacher like my third grade teacher, Mrs. Crapshaw. 18CTICE. INTRODUCTION TO ACADEMIC WRITING iG Practice Activity 4 Identify fragments and run-ons in the following paragraph. First, mark the subjects and verbs. If a sentence is a fragment, write FRAG and then correct it Ifa sentence is a run-on, write RO and then correct it. Shusha. Ste V frag frag Shusha is my favorite town. Located in Karabakh. A region Its located in Karabakh, a region known for its natural beauty. There are many mountains, rivers, known for its natural beauty. green fields, and forests in Shusha. Every year, many tourists come to Shusha. To enjoy its wonderful nature. Also popular for its historical attractions. Its most famous historical site, the magnificent Panahabad fortress which overlooks the city. This large. ancient monument is visible for many miles in every direction. Shusha also famous for its culture. The city has produced many talented poets, composers, and singers. People from Shusha can sing very well. Because of the city’s fresh air and cool water. | like Shusha for all of these things most of all | like it because | was born there. Even now when | think about my native town, | miss it. 19SENTENCE PI INTRODUCTION TO ACADEMIC WRITING & READING Mei e Practice identifying and revising grammatically incorrect sentences. 1. On a piece of paper, write four (4) complete sentences, four (4) fragments, and four (4) run-on sentences. Write your sentences in a mixed-up order 2. Exchange your sentences with a partner. 3. Now, identify the sentences your partner wrote as complete (¥), fragment (FRAG), or run-on (RO). 4. Correct the fragments and run-ons. 5. Check your answers with your partner. 20tel PIC SENTENC INTRODUCTION TO ACADEMIC WRITING & READING EFFECTIVE TOPIC SENTENCES ST UeDe ¥ As we saw previously, in academic writing every paragraph generally begins with a topic sentence that states the main idea of the paragraph. The topic sentence may be the most important sentence of a paragraph. It provides focus and unity for the paragraph, and clearly tells the reader what to expect in the paragraph. A good topic sentence: must be a complete sentence has a limited topic and a controlling idea is neither too broad nor too narrow is not simply an announcement should not contain too many ideas ove oe We will look at each of these points in turn, ) A Topic Sentence Must Be a Complete Sentence ee A topic sentence must be a complete sentence. That is, a topic sentence must have both a subject and a verb (predicate). Mark the subjects and verbs in the following topic sentences: lulfiya, one of the teachers in my department at the University of Languages, looks more like a young student than a professor. First of all, she has asmall head with dainty, girlish features . . . IF you have trouble falling asleep, there are a number of steps you can take to help you. First of all, remember that before going to sleep, you should never eat indigestible food. . t night | he terrible time trying to fall asleep. | went to bed at ten o'clock. Soon after | lay down, | heard a buzzing noise. It was a mosquito. 21ERFECTIVE TOPIC SENTENCE: INTRODUCTION TO ACADEMIC WRITING & READING 2 \/A Good Topic Sentence Contains a Limited Topic and a Controlling Idea ‘The limited topic limits the general subject of the paragraph. The controlling idea states some specific comment or opinion about the limited topic. For example: My niece Sona is an adorable littie girl. limited topic controlling idea Qpening a private business in Azerbaijan requires quite a few steps. limited topic controlling idea One of the most memorable experiences in my life happened controlling idea when | was a first year student at the University of Languages. limited topic You will study limited topics and controlling ideas more later on. For now, notice that in the topic sentences above, the writer expresses some point of view about a limited topic, which he or she will then discuss in the paragraph. ( \/A Topic Sentence Is Neither Too Broad nor Too Narrow SS | if the topic sentence is too broad, the writer will not be able to support it adequately with specific details. in only one paragraph. Also, if the topic sentence is too broad, the reader will not be able to tell exactly what the paragraph is going to be about. These topic sentences, for example, are too broad: A mother's life is terrible. It is difficult to enter a university. Many people have problems with transportation. / 22KEFECTIVE TOPIC SENTENCES INTRODUCTION TO ACADEMIC WRITING & READING In the first sentence, “A mother’s life is terrible,” we might wonder, “Whose mother? All mothers?”~Can a writer reasonably discuss all mothers of the world in one paragraph? Also, based on this sentence, it is difficult to predict exactly what the paragraph will be about. Will the paragraph be about the difficulty of raising children? Or about trying to have a job and maintain a house at the same time? For these reasons, we say that this topic sentence is too broad. On the other hand, if the topic sentence is too narrow, the writer may not have anything left to say in the rest of the paragraph. These topic xentences, for example, are too narrow: My mother works from nine until six on the weekdays, and then she cooks dinner and cleans the house when she gets home. In order to pass the entrance examination at the University of Languages, | had to study English grammar for a year with a private tutor. Yesterday, Mirsadiq was one hour late for classes because the bus that he was riding in had engine problems, and he had to catch another one. In these sentences, the writer gives very specific information and explanations—information that would best be given as support later on in the paragraph. For this reason, we say that these topic sentences are too narrow. /\/x Topic Sentence Is Not Simply an Announcement PP A good topic sentence should not just state a fact or make an announcement. Rather, a good topic sentence expresses some point of view about a topic. One way to test if a topic sentence expresses some point of view is to try adding the phrase “I believe” to the beginning of the sentence, as in “(I believe) My niece Sona is an adorable little girl.” These topic sentences below are simply announcements; they express no point of view: 1am going to describe ry mother. The University of Languages is located on Rashid Behbudov Street in Baku. This paragraph will be about Mirsadiq, my friend in the second course. 23EEFECTIVE TOPIC SENTENCES INTRODUCTION TO ACADEMIC WRITING & READING //- \ A Topic Sentence Should Not Contain Too Many Ideas | Finally, a good topic sentence should not contain tee many ideas. Remember that a good paragraph discusses only one main point or idea. These topic sentences contain too many ideas to be developed in one paragraph: My mother had a difficult childhood, but then she married a wonderful man, and now they have a very happy life together. The University of Languages has many good teachers and students, and it is also quite difficult to enter. Mirsadig is a hard-working, intelligent student whose favorite hobbies are watching football and collecting spiders. Once again, it is difficult to predict from these topic sentences what the paragraphs will be about. In the first sentence, for example, we do not know if the paragraph will be about a mother’s difficult childhood, or about her marriage, or about her happy life with her husband. For this reason, we say that these sentences contain too many ideas to be good topic sentences. Examples of Good Topic Sentences Study the following examples of good topic sentences. Try to identify the five features of good topic sentences in each example: My mother really works too hard. It you wish to enter the University of Languages, there are a number steps that you must take. My friend Mirsadiq had a terrible day yesterday. In the first example, “My mother really works too hard,” we find all the features of a good topic sentence: (1) It is a complete sentence. It has a subject and a verb; it is not a fragment nor a run-on sentence. (2) It has a limited topic, “My mother,” and a controlling idea, “really works too hard.” (3) It is neither too broad nor too narrow to be discussed in a single paragraph. (4) It is not simply an announcement. It gives some point of view about the topic: “(I believe) My mother really works too hard.” (5) Finally, this topic sentence contains only one main idea. Analyze the other two examples yourself to see if they fulfill all of the requirements for good topic sentences. 24HEPECTIVE TOPIC SENTENCES: INTRODUCTION TO ACADEMIC WRITING & READING PRA C.T.1,C 5 Practice Activity 1 In each pair of sentences below, write TB beside the statement that is too broad to be developed in one paragraph. 1 @. My father has a number of bad habits. b. Everybody's father is unique. 2 @. Azerbaijan and America are different in many ways. b. The Azeri and American education systems have a few important differences. .. think computers are good. b. Using computers for teaching school children is a big mistake. 4 a. I don't like American films. b. I didn't like the new James Bond film that | saw yesterday. 6 2. Many families have problems with their children, b. Myuncle has big problems with his teenage daughter. Practice Activity 2 In each pair of sentences below, write TN beside the statement that is too narrow to be developed in one paragraph. 1 @. Yesterday was my unluckiest day for many reasons. b. Yesterday | fell and scraped my knee while running to catch the bus. 2 a. Regular exercise is one of the best ways to stay healthy. b. Every weekend, | go jogging for one hour around the stadium and then do sit-ups and push-ups on the grass. 25EFRECTIVE TOPIC SENTENCES INTRODUCTION TO ACADEMIC WRITING & READING Stacia b. 4 a. b. ‘My father smokes 10 cigarettes a day. There are several reasons why my father started smoking. When | can't sleep at nights, | usually take a short walk around the block and then listen to soft music on the radio. I take specific steps when | can't sleep at nights. . |had delicious chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream at my eighteenth birthday party My last birthday was the most memorable event in my life Practice Activity 3 In each pair of sentences below, write A beside the statement that only announces a topic. i a. The university library is inconvenient to use in several ways. l'll write about the university library. | started learning Spanish two years ago. | decided to learn Spanish for three reasons. A “monolingual dictionary" uses only one language, whereas @ “bilingual dictionary” uses two languages. Monolingual dictionaries have several advantages over bilingual dictionaries for students of languages This paragraph will deal with flunking math. Last semester | flunked math for several reasons. . Baku is the capital city of Azerbaijan, In Baku, the capital city of Azerbaijan, you can find a variety of excellent international restaurants. 26BEEECTIVE TOPIC SENTENCES INTRODUCTION TO ACADEMIC WRITING & READING Practice Activity 4 Look again at Practice Activities 1, 2, and 3. In each pair of sentences, one fentence is an effective topic sentence. For each effective topic sentence, Identify and underline the limited topic and put parenthesis around the (controlling idea) Example: My father has (a number of bad habits.) limited topic controling idea \ctice Activity 5 lere are five groups of five topic sentences. In each group, choose the best pic sentence. Identify and mark the sentences as: Fragment (FRAG), nouncement (AN), Too Broad (TB), Too Many Ideas (TM), or Effective Topic Sentence (TS). —— his year the University of Languages is offering a new class in academic writing. } The University of Languages is one of the best universities in Azerbaijan, and now students can study academic writing there, too. . Universities have many interesting classes. : For students at the University of Languages, studying academic writing has several important benefits. . Anew class in academic writing. 5 My brother's new CD player is a Panasonic. . _. CD players are great. 3 My ‘brother's new Panasonic CD player has a number of wonderful features. 4, My old Sony CD player isn't any good, but my brother's new Panasonic CD Player has a number of wonderful features. 5 My brother's new Panasonic CD player. 27EFFECTIVE TOPIC SENTEN INTRODUCTION TO ACADEMIC WRITING is National Geographic magazine has a long and interesting history, and it also has many fascinating photographs in every issue. = National Geographic, an American magazine, is published every month. | at Some of the best nature photography can be found in National Geographic, a monthly American magazine. | 4 Nature photography in National Geographic magazine. 5. You can find many wonderful photographs in different magazines My friend Leyla. 2. | want to introduce my friend Leyla. S: Friendship is important to everyone. My friend Leyla is really a very clever girl. ss | have a hard time studying for exams, but my friend Leyla is really a very clever gir. te This paragraph is about the time | saw a bear in Guba. 2 One of the most frightening experiences in my life happened three summers ago in Guba. 3. ____ Guba is a very pleasant place to visit with wonderful nature, wildlife, restaurants, and hotels. 4. My frightening experience in Guba. 5. ___ Something always happens to me whenever | go on holiday. 28‘DESCRIPTIVE werrinG INTRODUCTION TO ACADEMIC WRITING & READING DESCRIPTIVE WRITING ‘Ss iu DY hat is descriptive writing? To describe means to represent something in rds. Good descriptive writing creates a “word picture” for a reader. A writer ses specific details and all the five senses (sight, hearing, taste, smell, and ich) to make this picture as vivid and real as possible for his or her reader en a reader can “see” what a writer is describing, the description is effective. In this unit, you will study and practice descriptive writing in preparation writing your first paragraphs. del Descriptive Paragraph tudy the following model descriptive paragraph. Lake Issyk Kul Beach One of the most amazing places in the world is Lake Issyk Kul, a large. deep lake situated in the north of the Kyrgyzstan Republic. Though the location is a bit remote, people come from all over the world to experience its golden sand, crystal lake, and magnificent mountains. Standing on the beach, you see a great contrast between the calm lake in front of you and the threatening mountains on both sides, to the east and to the west. When your bare feet touch the sand, you simply sink init, The warm, velvety sand wraps up your feet, so you hardly feel the ground as you approach the lake. The water is always quiet and smooth as glass. Looking at this pure, clean water, you feel a great desire to plunge in. The water is rather cool. However, if you swim, you''l find it is 2 great pleasure. Floating on your back in the water, you can see the great mountains which surround the lake, as if protecting it from something bad. The mountains are always covered by thick, curly gray clouds, as if a painter took a brush and by means of gloomy and dark colors made some round and thick traces on clean linen. These clouds make the mountains more gigantic and dreadful. The tops of the mountains are covered with snow, which makes them look like great giants with white hats. Admiring all this beauty—the golden sand, the calm lake, the huge mountains—you may never want to leave. Lake Issyk Kul really is a wonderful place. 29a DESCRIPTIVE WRITING INTRODUCTION TO ACADEMIC WRITING & READING / Paragraph Analysis To learn how to write good descriptive paragraphs, let us begin by analyzing this model, First of all, find the topic sentence. Remember that in academic writing, the topic sentence is often the first sentence of the paragraph: ‘One of the most amazing places in the world is Lake Issyk Kul, a large, deep lake situated in the north of the Kyrgyzstan Republic. This topic sentence tells us that the paragraph will be about Lake Issyk Kul (the limited topic). More specifically, the topic sentence tells us that this paragraph will be about how Lake Issyk Kul is “one of the most amazing places in the world” (the controlling idea).| The purpose of this paragraph, then, is to show us why Lake Issyk Kul is one of the most amazing places in the world. Next, look at the details the writer offers to support this topic sentence. The writer carefully chooses certain information to prove her point that Lake Issyk Kul is an amazing place. For example, the writer describes the “warm velvety sand” of the beach; “the pure clean water” of the sea; and the “thick, curly gray clouds of the mountains.” Naturally, the writer does not include information about why Lake Issyk Kul is a bad or ugly place; this would not support the writer’s main point. "Rathet/ all of the details in the paragraph work together—are unified—to support one main point: that Lake Issyk Kul is an amazing place. ‘Finally, notice how the writer has organized the information in this paragraph. It is not a random collection of notes about Lake Issyk Kul. Instead, the writer has organized her description in a way that makes it easy for the reader to imagine the scene. The description begins with the writer “standing on the beach” and gives some specific details about the sand. The description continues with the lake, where the water is always “quiet and smooth as glass.” At last, the description ends with the mountains and their gray clouds and snowy peaks. We see that the writer’s description follows a logical, coherent progression: from beach, to sea, to mountains, In analyzing this model, we can say that the writer’s description is successful because: (1) it is unified around one main point; (2) it offers plenty of support to prove this point; and (3) it follows a coherent pattern of organization. 6, l/ \/ ‘Tips for Writing Good Descriptions Here are some additional tips to keep in mind when writing your own descriptive paragraphs. , 30E INTRODUC ACADEMIC WRITING & READING i. Use specific, concrete language k at these two sentences: My grandmother prepared a lot of food for my birthday party. My grandmother prepared pilaf, chicken kebab, and dolma for my birthday party. é In the first sentence, the writer tells us that his or her grandmother pared “a lot of food.” This is vague, abstract language. What kind of food? low much food? We do not know. We do not have a clear “word picture” of hat the writer means.) In the second sentence, however, the writer lists the specific food that his her grandmother prepared: “pilaf, chicken kebab, and dolma.” This is pecific, concrete language. By using precise nouns and adjectives, the writer ates a vivid word picture for the reader. Here is another example of “% abstract language The sand feels good. Look again at the model paragra.above, “Lake Issyk Kul.” How loes the writer make such a descriptic specific and concrete? . Show, don’t tell: “Look at these two examples: It was a windy day. Street sighs flapped noisily in the wind. In Fountain Square, a café table was overturned, and a girl went running after her hat that blew from one end of the square to the other. The first sentence tells us that it was “windy.” “Windy,” though, may mean many different things to different people. This sentence does not create a clear word picture for the reader.) In the second example, on the other hand, the writer uses active verbs and sense impressions to show us exactly what “windy” means: street signs flapped noisily, a table was overturned, a hat blew from one end of the square to the other. By using precise verbs and adverbs, the writer creates a vivid word picture for the reader. 31=) RIPTIVE WRI IC WRITING & READING Here is another example of writing that “tells” rather than “shows”: Lake Issyk Kul is popular. Look again at the model descriptive paragraph above. How does the writer “show” us this same information? "3. Use clear organization ) If you had to describe the classroom that you are sitting in now, how would you begin? You might, for example, start your description from your point of view as you enter the room. Then, you could continue to describe the room looking from your left to your right. Another way to describe the room might be to begin with the most important features of the room and then Proceed to the less important features of the room. However you choose to describe the room, your description should follow some clearly organized plan. “Clear organization makes it easier for your reader to see your description. “in descriptive writing, we most often use spatial order to organize details Spatial order means that you organize your description according to location in space, moving from right to left, or from top to bottom, or from near to far, and so on. We use prepositions to organize our description according to space Some examples of prepositions of location are next to, beyond, opposite, and near. By using words and phrases to show location, the writer makes it easier for the reader to see the description.) Look again at the model paragraph above, “Lake Issyk Kul Beach.” Find and underline prepositions and other words and phrases the writer uses to show location in her description. "To sum up, as you begin to write your first paragraphs, remember these the three tips: . 1. Use specific, concrete language. 2. Show, don’t tell. 3. Use clear organization. You will find that they are useful not only in descriptive writing, but in most other kinds of writing as well. 32Bkscxerive werrinc INTRODUCTION TO ACADEMIC WRITING & READING PRACTICE tice Activity 1: Use Specific, Concrete Language low are eight sentences that use vague, abstract language rather than cific, concrete language. In the space below each example, rewrite the Sentence, replacing the underlined words with more specific words in order to ate a “word picture” for the reader. , There were all kinds of sweets on the dining room table during Novruz Bayram. ,. The restaurant on the Boulevard was full of people from all over the world. |, My friend Nurana enjoys many different kinds of music.’ 4, | think you're feally pretty. 5. The teacher carried all her things into the classroom 33DESCRIPTIVE WRITING INTRODUCTION TO ACADEMIC WRITING & READING 6 Our company was quite successful last year. 7. My mother has to do g lot of things when she gets home from work. 8. I'm really too busy these days. Practice Activity 2: Show, Don’t Tell Below are five sentences which “tell” rather than “show” information. In the space below each example, rewrite the sentence so that it shows rather than tells the same information. 1. The student was sleepy. 2, The weather was beautiful. 34The little baby boy obviously didn't like the food. The young girl was in love. tice Activity 3: Paragraph Analysis ly the following model descriptive paragraph. As you read, Pay attention to writer's use of vivid details and spatial organization. Then, answer the stions below. Uncle Abdul's Magic Antique Shop My uncle Abdul's antique shop is a magical place. It's located not far from the Maiden's Tower, in the middle of the “Carpet Sellers Alley.” As you open the bright red door and step inside the shop, you feel like you're stepping into the past. The inside is dark and cool because there aren't any windows, Gnd the walls are made of thick stone. When you first look around the shop, you might think there are only piles of junk everywhere. In fact, my uncle's shop is very well organized. To the left of the door are all of his shiny antique samovars. My uncle has almost a dozen samovars for sale. Then, next to the samovars, lined up against the side wall are old pots, or sahangs, for carrying water. They're made of brass or red copper, and they're decorated with fancy engraving. In the far left corner of the shop, opposite the door, is where my 35DES aITING TRODUCTION TO ACADEMIC WRITING & READING uncle keeps the antique lamps. | like these old oil lamps because they always remind me of Aladdin's magic lamp. At the back of the shop are small souvenirs for tourists, things like pointy shoes and felt hats, arranged on wooden shelves. Along the right wall, finally, are all of my uncle's carpets. My uncle is very proud of his carpets. He brings them from all over Azerbaijan, and they're very colorful. He has big carpets, litle carpets, new carpets, old carpets—any kind of carpet you want. Before you leave my uncle Abdul's shop, you will certainly buy a carpet, whether you want one or not. As | said, my uncle’s shop is amagical place. 1. What is the topic sentence of this paragraph? Write it here: 2. Find two (2) senses that the writer uses in describing this scene. Write the words which indicate the sense used: Sense 1: Sense 2: 3. This would be an example of vague, abstract language: “My uncle has lots of different carpets in his shop.” How does this writer make this description specific and concrete? Write it here: 4. This would be an example of telling, rather than showing: “The inside of his shop is old.”. How does this writer show us, rather than tell us this information? Write it here: t 36INTRODUCTION TO A\ IC WRI READING fi ine all the prepositions and phrases that provide spatial organization prep P 8 List them in the box below. Then, add other Prepositions and phrases that ‘show spatial organization to your list. Prepositions and Phrases to Show Spatial Organization not far from Se ee "Jp the midale of ee a How well can you “sce” this writer’s description? On a piece of paper, try to draw a simple plan of Uncle Abdul's Carpet Shop based on the author's description 37(DESCRIPTIVE WRITING INTRODUCTION TO ACADEMIC WRITING & READING WRITE Writing Activity 1 Add descriptive details to this paragraph where indicated. Use specific, concrete language; where it is possible, show, don’t tell. Anar My older brother Anar is my favorite brother. He is a tall, handsome man of 29. . Anar is charitable by nature. He is also a lively man. in his leisure time, Anar listens to music. . His main hobby. though, is football. He's crazy about football. He always buys sports newspapers to get a lot of information about football, and he never missses a football match on TV. All of these things make Anar my favorite brother. t 38YTRODUCTION TO ACADEMIC WRITING & READING Activity 2 Wescriptive details to this paragraph where indicated. Use specific, te language; where it is possible, show, don’t tell. My Dog Benji | like my dog Benji for many different reasons. First of all, | am sure Benji ‘Comfort me. Finally, Benji is a good . When Lam away from home, | always think about my dog, and | feel fine remembering he is waiting for me. | am very lad that | have a dog named Benj 39DESCRIPTIVE WRITING INTRODUCTION TO ACADEMIC WRITING & READING Writing Activity 3 Person, Place, and Thing Descriptions In the next chapter, you will learn techniques of pre-writing to help yor compose descriptive paragraphs of your own. You will write three descriptiv paragraphs: one for a person, one for a place, and one for a thing. To begi with, you will just list some possible topics. 1. Person. Make a list of five people you could write about. They could b relatives, friends, classmates—people who you know fairly well. After yo make your list, circle the one person you would most like to write about. 2. Place. Make a list of five places you could write about. Your list coul include a region, a city, a town, a street, a house, a room—anyplace. Afte you make your list, circle the one place you would most like to write about. 3. Thing. Finally, make a list of five things you could write about. Bi things, small things, concrete things, abstract things, real or imaginar things—it does not matter. A statue. A book. A computer. A season. A idea. A feeling. After you make your list, circle the one thing you woul most like to write about. Save your three lists! You will use them for the first step of the writir process—pre-writing. Pre-writing > Organizing > Rough Draft + Revising > Final Draft 40INTRODUCTION TO ACADEMIC WRITING & READING STEP ONE OF THE WRITING PROCESS: PRE-WRITING sor, Dex, Unit 5, you studied some models of descriptive writing in preparation writing your own paragraphs. What is the best way to begin writing paragraph? When a professional writer sits down to compose a text, he or she 8 not just start with the first word and then write the text straight ugh from beginning to end. Instead, an experienced writer is likely spend. a good deal of time thinking about his or her topic, jotting notes, and then developing a plan before attempting a first sion. After that, a good writer will study what he or she has written, it to friends or other writers, and then rewrite it several times fore he or she is satisfied with a final version. Experienced writers know that writing is best thought of as a cess involving several steps. By dividing your own writing into ps, you will find that it is easier to write, and that your final product lll be much better. el. iteps of the Writing Process We can divide the process of writing into five steps: Pre-writing is the idea gathering stage Organizing is the planning or outlining stage. Rough Draft is the first imperfect version or draft. Revising is the stage of improving the rough draft Final draft is the final, polished version of the work. In this’ chapter we will focus on the first step of the writing process, pre-writing. Vv eee Step One of the Writing Process: Pre“writing As noted above, pre-writing is the first step of the writing process. It is the idea gathering stage. Pre-writing helps us to start writing and to overcome “writer’s block.” In pre-writing, the goal is simply to generate 41Re-wermn TROD TO ACADEI RETIN as many ideas as possible on a topic, without any judgement. Pre- writing is creative, not critical. There are several good techniques for pre-writing that you will Practice now to help you begin writing your own descriptive paragraphs. They are called brainstorming, clustering, and freewriting. 42‘MIEP-ONE OF THE WRITING PROCESS: PRE-WRITING ___ INTRODUCTION TO ACADEMIC WRITING & READING PRACTICE Practice Activity 1: Brainstorming Brainstorming is one pre-writing technique. In brainstorming, you, the writer, create a “storm” of ideas about a topic. The goal is to Generate as many ideas as you can about the topic. In brainstorming, do not worry about whether an idea will actually be used in the final draft of your composition. Also, do not worry about spelling or grammar. At this stage in the writing process, anything goes: words, Phrases, details, thoughts, opinions. You simply put down whatever comes to mind when you think about a topic. Look how this one writer created a brainstorm as the first step in writing a descriptive paragraph about her niece Sona. Sona—Brainstorm little niece 1 brother, | sister naughty Syears old the youngest plays ball sweet loves parents bruised knee smart loves pets goes to nursery school tall for her age bird, "Tweety" red dress and shoes the most cheerful _ funny, plays jokes plays with toys tall and thin talks a lot Barbie doll black eyes white litte teeth curly, dark black hair always running Practice brainstorming as a group. Choose one topic, write it at the top of a piece of paper or the blackboard, and see how many ideas your group can brainstorm. Refer to the following list for possible topics, 43STEPONE OP THE WRITING PROCESS: PRE-WRITING __WWTRODUCTION TO ACADEMIC WRITING & READING General Topics for Pre-Writing Activities People: a famous person, a teacher, a friend, an enemy, a neighbor, a family member, a boyfriend/girlfriend, a Person you see everyday but know little about Places: a university, a classroom, a school, a building, a room, a public place, a city attraction, a restaurant, a town, a city, a country Things: computers, the internet, a form of communication, a_ style of music, a type of transportation, a subject or field of study, a custom or tradition (holiday, birthday, etc.), food, sports, fashion Practice Activity 2: Clustering | / 2.) Clustering (also called webbing, mapping, or diagramming) is another Pre-writing technique you can use to generate ideas for your composition. In clustering, you use lines, boxes, circles, and arrows to show relationships between ideas and details concerning a topic. To cluster, first write your main idea, usually a single word or short phrase, in the middle of a blank page. Next, circle the word or Phrase. Then, using lines and circles, create a “mind map” of associations that you have with that central idea. Write anything that comes to mind. Do not work too hard at this; just put together things that seem to relate. Do not censor yourself, either. Even if. something seems illogical or silly, add it to the cluster. There is no right way to cluster, no formula or correct method. Everyone will cluster the same idea or word differently. Your goal is simply to produce a great many related words or phrases—the more the better. Look at the following example of clustering. For the first step in writing a descriptive paragraph, the writer began with the general topic of “Seasons.” She wrote this general topic, “Seasons,” in the middie of the page and circled it. Then, the writer added her own ideas about this general topic, connecting related words with lines, Notice, for example, how the word “Seasons” led the writer to think of the word «Winter,” which led the writer to think of “snow,” then “snowball,” then (making a snowman.” Each word led to 4 related word or group of words. 44le WRITING PROCESS. PRE-WRITING. INTRODUCTION TO ACADEMIC WRITING & READING Seasons—Cluster gathering mushrooms after the rain pome- \ granates summer holiday no school! swimming ‘making a in the sea snowman the weather gets warmer lying on hot sand favorite holiday wearing light clothes delicious food and sweets‘STB. ONE OF THE WRITING PROCESS: PRE-WRITING INTRODUCTION TO ACADEMIC WRITING & READING Practice clustering as a group. Choose one topic, write it in the middle of a piece of paper or on the blackboard, and see how big of a cluster your group can make. Refer to the “General Topics for Pre, Writing Activities” or think of some of your own. ae Practice Activity 3: Freewriting \/ < Freewriting is the last pre-writing technique we will practice. In freewriting, you simply write as much as you can about your topic for five or ten minutes without stopping. Do not worry about spelling, punctuation, erasing mistakes, or finding exact words. Quantity, not quality, is the goal of freewriting. Write whatever comes to mind, as quickly as you can without stopping. To begin freewriting, write your topic at the top of a blank piece of paper. Then, write as much as you can about the topic in five minutes. Do not stop, do not correct, do not go back and check what you have written. JUST WRITE WITHOUT STOPPING. Look at the following freewriting that one student did to generate ideas for a descriptive paragraph about a place. The writer began with the limited topic of the city of Karlovy Vary in the Czech Republic, He first wrote this topic at the top of the page. Then, he began quickly writing everything that came to mind about this Place. Notice that the freewrite is not at all organized; it consists simply of random associations about the place. Also, you will see that it has many errors of spelling, grammar, and punctuation. For freewriting, that is not a Problem. The important thing is that this freewrite contains a great many ideas that the writer will be able to use later in composing a paragraph, : Practice freewriting yourself. Choose one topic, write it at the top of a piece of paper, and write WITHOUT STOPPING for five minutes. +6OF THE WRITING PR PRE-WRITING INTRODUCTION TO ACADEMIC WRITING & READING ~ Karlovy Vary—Freewrite Karlovy Vary is beautiful. Yep. It's in a river valley. | loved living there because there were so many beautiful old buildings. Like what? | don't know, | guess my favorite was the Zawoliski building. How dou spell that? Zawolinkski. Polish name? | think it was built in 1820. How many years did | live there exactly. Almost six. | used to pass it walking home from work, I'd be really tired, | could look at all the old buildings and feel a little better. Sometimes | really hated teaching children. God, that was hard work. Rotten kids. OK, that's off the topic. What else did | like about KV? The river. The river was one of my favorite things because it divided the city and really made the City feel relaxed. Two rivers in a valley. Didn't | mention the valley Glready? So what. | used to sit by the Tepla River all the time and drink coffee after work. What else nice in Karlovy Vary? KV KV KV KV. The colonnades. Now what? Unusual feature of the city. Two of them—what were they called? Roman and something. Have to look that up. Very nice. The city also has a lot of parks, that's another thing | liked. The flowers in the spring, kids playing. Not all kids are rotten. | remember sitting and reading in the parks all the time, especially Dvorak Park. Nobody ever bothered me there. It was great in the summer because there was always lots of sunshine there. Trees in that park magnificent. | think there must be a lot of different trees from alll over the world there. Many of them very old What else about KV? Dvorak—he was big there. A Czech composer. He lived in New York City for a while but played all the time his most famous symphonies in Karlovy Vary. |s it five minutes yet? My hand's tired. | think this is enough. If | write any more my hand's going to fall off. 47ONE OF PRE: INTRODUCTION To ACADEMIC WRITING & READING WRITE Step One of the Writing Process: Pre-Writing You are now going to do three pre-writing activities like the ones you Just practiced. These you will do by yourself. Refer to your lists of people, things, and places from the previous chapter. Use your choless from these lists for your pre-writing, 1. Person—Brainstorm Write the name of one Person from your list at the top of a blank Page. Below their name, brainstorm a list of words and phrases about this person. Try to make a list of at least 25 things—the more the better. You will use this brainstorm to help you write a paragraph. 2. Thing—Cluster Write one thing from your list in the middle of a blank page. Draw a circle around it, and make a cluster (web) of words and phrases ground your central thing. See how big you can make your cluster, You will use this cluster to help you write a paragraph. 3. Place—Freewrite Write the name of one place from your list at the top of a blank page. Now, do a five minute freewrite about this place. Remember: do not. stop, do not erase, do not correct. Just write as much as you can, nen top, for five minutes. You will use this freewrite to help you write a paragraph. Save your three pre-writes! You will use them for the next step of the writing process—organizing. Pre-writing —> Organizing +> Rough Draft -> Revising > Final Draft 48°SENTENCES INTRODUCTION TO ACADEMIC WRITING & READING WRITING TOPIC SENTENCES S20 DY f pre-writing, you should have a lot of information about your topic. Look at the pre-writing cluster “Seasons” in the previous unit. The writer erated a great many ideas about the different seasons. Of course, it will be ssible for the writer to use all of this information in one paragraph ember our definition of a paragraph: a group of related sentences in which writer develops a single point or idea. In order to write a unified, coherent aph, the writer will have to limit the amount of information to what he or can reasonably discuss in a single paragraph. One good way to begin limiting the information in a paragraph is by iding what your topic sentence will be. As we saw earlier, a good topic tence: must be a complete sentence has a limited topic and a controlling idea is neither too broad nor too narrow is not simply an announcement should not contain too many ideas this unit we will practice writing some topic sentences. ited Topic + Controlling Idea “ / ( Remember that a good topic sentence is made up of a limited topic, which limits the general topic of the paragraph, and a controlling idea, which makes a specific point or states an opinion about the limited topic. For example: Learning English is practical for Azeri students. limited topic + —_ controlling idea In pre-writing, often you may start with only a general idea of what you want to write about. In the “Seasons” cluster, for example, the writer started ” with the very broad topic of “Seasons.” To write a topic sentence, the writer can limit the topic by choosing only one season. Then, the writer should think 49WRITING TOPIC SENTENCES INTRODUCTION TO ACADEMIC WRITING & READING of a specific point he or she wants to make about the limited topic; thfsWill be the controlling idea. Look at the following example of how the general topic of “Seasons” can be limited in different ways: General Topic: Seasons Limited Topics: « Winter * Spring + Summer * Autumn ¥ The writer's point (topic sentence): My favorite season of the year is autumn. 50ENTENCES. INTRODUCTION TO ACA\ PURCA,© 21 Cc Activity 1 are five general topics; each is followed by a list of four possible limited , Choose one limited topic in each group, and then make a point about it Sending an SMS Types of phones How to choose a mobile phone My favorite mobile phone point (topic sentence) Wedding Wedding traditions Wedding party Wedding gifts Cost of a wedding Point (topic sentence) Driver's test Learning to drive *® Accidents *@ Favorite car point (topic sentence) School expenses Ways to make it Ways to spend it ving on a small budget four point (topic sentence): 51