Writing Skill, 10 English, 2015 - 2016
WRITING PROCESS No. 1
Exercise 1. Choose three topics from the list. Narrow each of the three down to a paragraph topic.
then compare with a partner.
a. festivals
b. friends
c. my country
d. dancing
e. cars
Exercise 2. Work with a partner or small group. Choose one of these topics. List as many ideas as
you can in five minutes.
a. teenage fashions
b. things to do at the beach
c. driving a motorbike
Exercise 3. Work alone. Choose one of the three topics you have chosen for Exercise 1 and list as
many ideas as you can in five minutes.
Exercise 4. Choose one of the narrowed down topics you thought of for Exercise 1. Practise
freewriting for five minutes. Remember, do not stop, erase, or go back. Just write as much as you
can.
Exercise 5. Choose another narrowed down topic you thought of for Exercise 1. Make a map in five
minutes. Share your map with a partner. Explain how the circles are related to each other.
Exercise 6. Crossword puzzle
Each paragraph has only one topic. If the topic is too (1) n____________, you will not be able to write
enough about it. On the other hand, if the topic is too (2) b____________, you will have too many ideas
for just one paragraph.
After you choose a topic, you will need to (3) b___________ some ideas to write about in your
paragraph. One way to do this is to make a (4) l____________. Another way of brainstorming is (5)
m__________. After you have written down many ideas, you can go back and decide which ones are the
most interesting and the most (6) r____________ to your topic.
(7) F_____________ is a useful way to help you write more easily and naturally. In this kind of writing,
you are working on (8) f_____________, and not (9) a____________.
Exercise 7. Choose the group of sentences that makes a good paragraph. Why are the other groups of
sentences not good paragraphs?
A.
My best friend has many different hobbies, such as skiing, cooking, and playing the piano, and she is
very good at all of these activities. For example, she has played the piano for ten years and has won
three piano competitions. She also likes to spend time traveling, and she has been to many different
countries in the world. She grew up speaking Spanish and English, but now she can also speak French
and Italian. I like my best friend very much.
B. Classes in literature are useful no matter what job you intend to have when you finish university.
Books are about life. People who study literature learn the skill of reading carefully and understanding
characters, situations, and relationships. This kind of understanding can be useful to teachers and
business people alike. Literature classes also require a lot of writing, so they help students develop the
skill of clear communication. Of course, a professional writer needs to have this skill, but it is an equally
important skill for an engineer. Finally, reading literature helps develop an understanding of many
different points of view. Reading a novel by a Russian author, for example, will help a reader learn more
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Writing Skill, 10 English, 2015 - 2016
about Russian culture. For anyone whose job may bring them into contact with Russian colleagues, this
insight can help encourage better cross-cultural understanding. Studying literature is studying life, so it
is relevant to almost any job you can think of.
C.
One good way to learn another language is to live in a country where that language is used. When you
live in another country, the language is around you all the time, so you can learn to listen to and speak it
more easily.
Exercise 8. For each of these paragraphs, choose the sentence from the list below that would make
the best topic sentence.
A.
______________________________________________________________________. When Ken
wanted to enter a good university, he studied hard to pass the examination. The first time he took the
exam, he did not do well, and he felt very discouraged. But he knew he wanted to study at that university,
so he studied more. The next year, he tried taking the exam again. The second time, he did very well, and
now he is studying engineering. I believe Ken is a good role model for me, and he has taught me that
never giving up is the best way to succeed.
1.
One of my closest friends, named Ken, is a person I can trust.
2.
My friend Ken is a very successful student.
3.
I admire my friend Ken because he doesnt give up.
B.
________________________________________________________________________. Many
children begin learning to play football when they are very young. You can often see them playing at
school or in the streets around their houses. At secondary school, students may play football in a team
and compete in championships. If a player is very good, he might go on to play for a professional team.
People in my country love watching football on television and also go to matches whenever they can.
Many people have a favourite team or player, and everyone loves to talk about matches and
competitions. Football is really like a national sport in my country.
1.
I love playing football, and I hope I can become a professional player one day.
2.
There are many popular sports in my country, but the most popular sport is football.
3.
Football is a difficult sport to learn to play well.
Exercise 9. Write a topic sentence for these topics.
a. a favourite place to relax
b. a grandparent
c. a pet I have known
d. a favourite food to eat
e. playing a musical instrument
Exercise 10. Would you develop each of these topics with details, and explanation, or an example?
Explain your choices. (More than one answer is possible)
a. what freedom means to me
b. an unusual holiday
c. weddings in my country
d. why I dont like swimming
e. the ideal job
Exercise 11. Read the paragraphs below. Is the main idea developed by details, an explanation, or an
example? Is there a concluding sentence? If there is no concluding sentence, write one.
I am too nervous to sing karaoke songs with my friends. The last time I tried was on my birthday, when
my friends took me to a karaoke club. I told my friends I didnt want to sing, but they encouraged me
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Writing Skill, 10 English, 2015 - 2016
until I said yes. When I stood up in front of the microphone, I was so scared, I felt dizzy. It was hard to
hear the music, and my mouth was too dry to make a sound. I just stood there until a friend jumped up
next to me and finished the song.
a.
means of support: _________________________________________________________________
concluding sentence? ______________________________________________________________
I will never eat dinner at The Little French Bistro again. The restaurant is not very clean. You can see
dust in the corners and on the shelves. The food is expensive, but the portions are small. I never feel full
after Ive finished eating. In addition, the waiters are not very friendly. For these reasons, I will not visit
that restaurant again.
b.
means of support: _________________________________________________________________
concluding sentence? ______________________________________________________________
For me, a friend is someone who accepts you the way you are. A friend doesnt want you to change your
personality or your style. I like people who dont care if the people they are with are wearing popular
clothes or listening to trendy music.
c.
means of support: _________________________________________________________________
concluding sentence? ______________________________________________________________
Exercise 12. For each pair of sentences, check () the one that you feel would be most helpful to the
writer. Explain your choices.
a.
This is a weak topic sentence.
Can you make this topic sentence stronger?
b.
Did you remember a concluding sentence?
Why didnt you write a concluding sentence?
c.
You didnt write enough.
Please explain more about your holiday. Where did you stay? What did you do during the day?
d.
Im not sure what this part means.
This must be wrong. I cant understand it.
e.
I think this sentence should come before the next one.
Your organization is pretty bad. Youd better change it.
f.
Why do you keep saying the same thing over and over again?
I think these two sentences are really saying the same thing.
g.
I cant understand why youre talking about your sister.
Your paragraph is about your brother, but this sentence is about your sister. Are you sure its
relevant?
h.
This is a good paragraph. Nice work! I wish I could write as well as you.
I like your topic sentence because it has a strong main idea. Your example is funny. I wish I could
meet your brother.
Exercise 13. Read this paragraph aloud with a partner. Then peer edit it together. Then join another
pair and share your comments.
My father is a teacher. I admire him a lot. I am considering becoming a teacher, too. My older brother
works for a big company. My father really loves learning, so he is a natural teacher. My father always
helped me with my homework. I think I will become a teacher.
Exercise 14. Write a second draft of the paragraph in Exercise 13. Use the comments you and your
partner made. Then exchange paragraphs with your partner. Discuss how your versions are different
from the original. Do you think the second drafts are better. Why or why not?
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Writing Skill, 10 English, 2015 - 2016
Exercise 2.
Paragraph b is the good paragraph. It has a clear topic sentence, it has several supporting ideas that
connect well to the topic sentence, and it has a clear concluding sentence.
Problems with paragraph a:
Not enough supporting sentences to explain the various hobbies mentioned in the topic
sentence;
The sentences about traveling and speaking different languages are not connected to
the topic sentence.
Problems with paragraph c:
Not enough supporting ideas to explain the topic sentence;
No concluding sentence
Exercise 3.
A.
______________________________________________________________________. When Ken
wanted to enter a good university, he studied hard to pass the examination. The first time he took the
exam, he did not do well, and he felt very discouraged. But he knew he wanted to study at that university,
so he studied more. The next year, he tried taking the exam again. The second time, he did very well, and
now he is studying engineering. I believe Ken is a good role model for me, and he has taught me that
never giving up is the best way to succeed.
1. One of my closest friends, named Ken, is a person I can trust.
2. My friend Ken is a very successful student.
3. I admire my friend Ken because he doesnt give up.
B.
________________________________________________________________________. Many
children begin learning to play football when they are very young. You can often see them playing at
school or in the streets around their houses. At secondary school, students may play football in a team
and compete in championships. If a player is very good, he might go on to play for a professional team.
People in my country love watching football on television and also go to matches whenever they can.
Many people have a favourite team or player, and everyone loves to talk about matches and
competitions. Football is really like a national sport in my country.
1.
I love playing football, and I hope I can become a professional player one day.
2.
There are many popular sports in my country, but the most popular sport is football.
3.
Football is a difficult sport to learn to play well.
Exercise 10.
a. what freedom means to me: explanation; example
b. an unusual holiday: details, example
c. weddings in my country: details
d. why I dont like swimming: example, details
e. the ideal job: details, exaplanation
Exercise 11. Read the paragraphs below. Is the main idea developed by details, an explanation, or an
example? Is there a concluding sentence? If there is no concluding sentence, write one.
I am too nervous to sing karaoke songs with my friends. The last time I tried was on my birthday, when
my friends took me to a karaoke club. I told my friends I didnt want to sing, but they encouraged me
until I said yes. When I stood up in front of the microphone, I was so scared, I felt dizzy. It was hard to
hear the music, and my mouth was too dry to make a sound. I just stood there until a friend jumped up
next to me and finished the song.
a.
means of support: _______example___________________________________________________
concluding sentence? ____no________________________________________________________
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Writing Skill, 10 English, 2015 - 2016
new concluding sentence: I will never try to sing karaoke again! (sum up the information)
I will never eat dinner at The Little French Bistro again. The restaurant is not very clean. You can see
dust in the corners and on the shelves. The food is expensive, but the portions are small. I never feel full
after Ive finished eating. In addition, the waiters are not very friendly. For these reasons, I will not visit
that restaurant again.
b.
means of support: ____details______________________________________________________
concluding sentence? ____yes (both sums up the information and restates the topic sentence)
For me, a friend is someone who accepts you the way you are. A friend doesnt want you to change your
personality or your style. I like people who dont care if the people they are with are wearing popular
clothes or listening to trendy music.
c.
means of support: _____explanation________________________________________________
concluding sentence? ______no______________________________________________________
new concluding sentence: Someone who likes me the way I am is a good friend for me.
(restates the topic sentence)
Peer editing
a. many of the comments are statements? How many are questions? 7 comments are statements; four
are questions
a.
Why do you think the peer editor sometimes wrote questions instead of statements? For
example, why did she write Can you make this stronger? instead of Please make this stronger?
Questions are softer and more polite; questions let the writer decide what to do.
b.
Why do you think the peer editor marked the topic sentence and the concluding sentence?
To let the writer know that they could be easily identified.
c.
Do you agree with the peer editors comments?
d.
e.
What do you think the writer will do next?
The writer should read the comments, make some changes, and rewrite the paragraph.
Go back to exercise 4 on page 18 ( Development of a paragraph: means: example) and read
the paragraph about the date again. Did the writer use the readers suggestions?
Yes, the writer did use the suggestions.
Read the statements and decide whether they are true or false. If the statement is false, change it to
make it true.
a. Details give more specific information than the topic sentence. T
b. An explanation tells the reader what something is or how it works. T
c. A detail is usually a short, personal story. F; A detail is a specific description. An example is
sometimes a short personal story.
d. The concluding sentence uses the same words as the topic sentence. F; The concluding sentence
uses different words from the topic sentence.
e. The concluding sentence should finish the paragraph with a new idea. F; The concluding sentence
should not finish the paragraph with a new idea.
f. A peer editor should give some positive comments. F; A peer editor should not mark any spelling
or grammatical mistakes.
g. Peer editing helps the writer, not the reader. T
h. If a peer editor cant understand something that you wrote, then you know he or she isnt a very
good reader. F; If a peer editor cant understand something that you wrote, then you know there
may be a problem with his or her reading or your writing.
i. A peer editor should be able to identify your topic sentence, main idea, and concluding sentence
easily. T
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