WRITING TUTORIAL 1
CHECKING YOUR WORK
The aim of this activity is to develop your skills in
checking (proof-reading) your written work.
Checking and correcting your text means that the reader
will be able to read it more easily.
The tasks focus on the structure of a text – specifically how
to present your ideas in ‘units’ (sentences) that are not
confusing to the reader.
The first set of tasks focus on typical mistakes with
sentences – length and word order.
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SENTENCES (1)
Read this paragraph from a text and decide what the
main problem with it is.
Maybe you’ll go to university next
year, you may need to move to a
new city and you are considering
the option of sharing a flat with
your friends, before you make a
decision you should know that
not everything is wonderful, it’s
not like you see on TV, but it can
be a great experience, and it will
be fun and you will learn a lot
and make life-long friends.
Go to the next page to see the corrected paragraph.
Compare it with the original. Notice how it is
different.
2
SENTENCES (1)
The correct
The original version
Maybe you’ll go to university next
Maybe you’ll go to university next
year. You may need to move to a
year, you may need to move to a
new city and you are considering
new city and you are considering
the option of sharing a flat with
the option of sharing a flat with
your friends. Before you make a
your friends, before you make a
decision, you should know that
decision you should know that
not everything is wonderful and
not everything is wonderful, it’s
it’s not like you see on TV.
not like you see on TV, but it can
However, it can be a great
be a great experience, and it will
experience. It will be fun, you will
be fun and you will learn a lot
learn a lot and make life-long
and make life-long friends.
friends.
The original paragraph was one long sentence. It
has been split into five shorter sentences.
3
SENTENCES (1)
The original sentence is divided up so that
each new sentence has only one or two main
parts and different ideas are separated into
different sentences.
Maybe you’ll go to university next
1 The first sentence states the main idea. year. You may need to move to a
2 The next sentence contains two ideas and new city and you are considering
they are related to each other.
the option of sharing a flat with
3 A new sentence is needed because a new
idea is introduced.
your friends. Before you make a
4 Note the comma after the phrase with the
decision, you should know that
time expression Before…., not everything is wonderful and
5 We use and to connect the two ideas in the it’s not like you see on TV.
second part of the sentence. However, it can be a great
6 We don’t want to start a sentence with but , experience. It will be fun, you will
so we change but to However, (note the
comma). learn a lot and make life-long
7 Note how we use a comma then and to list friends.
the three ideas in the list in the final sentence. 4
SENTENCES (1)
Now do the tasks on the following pages. In each
task you have to read a sentence that is too long
and decide how to make it easier for the reader to
understand it.
5
SENTENCES (1)
Split this sentence into two shorter
sentences. You can add, change or
delete words.
Nowadays, due to the economic crisis,
the number of people without a job is
increasing, furthermore, more and
more young people are starting to be
unable to pay for higher education,
consequently their job opportunities
are even more limited.
Go to the next page when you’re ready to
check your answer.
6
SENTENCES (1)
The original The correct version
Nowadays, due to the economic crisis, Nowadays, due to the economic crisis,
the number of people without a job is the number of people without a job is
increasing, furthermore, more and increasing. Furthermore, more and
more young people are starting to be more young people are starting to be
unable to pay for higher education, unable to pay for higher education
consequently their job opportunities and consequently their job
are even more limited. opportunities are even more limited.
furthermore shows you are going to add an
idea. It’s a good place to start a new
sentence.
7
SENTENCES (1)
.
Split this sentence into three shorter
sentences. You can add, change or delete
words
It's difficult for me to find time to
study, but I would like to improve my
English, so I chose to study English
at the UOC, because you can study
on-line and you don't need to go to
class according to a set timetable, I
can make my own timetable.
Go to the next page when you’re ready
to check your answer.
8
SENTENCES (1)
The Original The correct version
It's difficult for me to find time to It's difficult for me to find time to
study, but I would like to improve my study, but I would like to improve my
English, so I chose to study English English. I chose to study English at
at the UOC, because you can study the UOC because you can study on-
on-line and you don't need to go to line. You don't need to go to class
class according to a set timetable, I according to a set timetable and so I
can make my own timetable. can make my own timetable.
Each new, shorter sentence contains two
linked ideas. Note that we use a comma
before but and we don’t use one before
because.
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SENTENCES (1)
3 Split this sentence into four shorter
sentences. You can add, change or delete
words and add commas where necessary.
In spite of my current circumstances
I’m not very good at managing my
study time even though I always send
in my exercises in time and despite
always doing all of my tasks I’m not
happy because when I realise that the
deadline is approaching I get stressed
and I don’t enjoy doing the work so
that’s why I want to change my
habits and try to study a little of each
subject every day.
Go to the next page when you’re ready
to check your answer.
10
SENTENCES (1)
The Original The correct version
In spite of my current circumstances In spite of my current circumstances, I’m
I’m not very good at managing my not very good at managing my study time.
study time even though I always send Even though I always send in my exercises
in my exercises in time and despite in time and despite always doing all of my
always doing all of my tasks I’m not tasks, I’m not happy. This is because when
happy because when I realise that the I realise that the deadline is approaching I
get stressed and I don’t enjoy doing the
deadline is approaching I get stressed work. That’s why I want to change my
and I don’t enjoy doing the work so habits and try to study a little of each
that’s why I want to change my subject every day.
habits and try to study a little of each
subject every day.
Note the position of the commas in the first two
sentences after clauses beginning with in spite of
and even though.
We start sentence 3 with This is to link back to
the idea in the previous sentence.
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SENTENCES (2)
The next set of tasks focus on structuring a
sentence and typical mistakes in word order.
12
SENTENCES (2)
Read this paragraph from a text. Think about
what would you change so that it’s easier for
the reader to follow.
About social networks, I don’t have very
much experience. I wasn’t sure about them
and I asked for help to a friend. She
recommended to me Facebook. Facebook
users can share with their friends photos,
messages, videos …
It’s a tool very useful and interesting and
probably now it’s my favourite way of
keeping in touch with people.
Go to the next page when you are ready
to check your answer. Problems in the
text are highlighted in red
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v
SENTENCES (2)
Problematic areas
The original highlighted in red
paragraph
About social networks, I don’t have very About social networks, I don’t have very
much experience. I wasn’t sure about them much experience. I wasn’t sure about them
and I asked for help to a friend. She and I asked for help to a friend. She
recommended to me Facebook. Facebook recommended to me Facebook. Facebook
users can share with their friends photos, users can share with their friends photos,
messages, videos … messages, videos …
It’s a tool very useful and interesting and It’s a tool very useful and interesting and
probably now it’s my favourite way of probably now it’s my favourite way of
keeping in touch with people. keeping in touch with people.
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SENTENCES (2)
Now change each of the sentences from the paragraph. Go to the next page when you are
ready to see the answers.
About social networks, I don’t have very much experience.
I don’t have very much experience of social networks.
I wasn’t sure about them and I asked for help to a friend.
I wasn’t sure about them and I asked a friend for help.
She recommended to me Facebook.
She recommended Facebook to me.
Facebook users can share with their friends photos,
messages, videos …
Facebook users can share photos, messages, videos and so
on with their friends.
It’s a tool very useful and interesting and
It’s a very useful and interesting tool and
probably now it’s my favourite way of keeping in touch with
people.
it’s probably my favourite way of keeping in touch with
people now.
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SENTENCES (2)
Now change each of the sentences from the paragraph. Click when you are ready to see the
answers.
About social networks, I don’t have very much experience. Avoid beginning a sentence with ‘about + topic’.
Try to follow the pattern of subject + verb +
I don’t have very much experience of social networks.
complement.
I wasn’t sure about them and I asked for help to a friend.
Check word order after verbs. There are several
I wasn’t sure about them and I asked a friend for help. different patterns you need to learn. Here it’s ask +
someone + something.
She recommended to me Facebook.
She recommended Facebook to me. Check word order after verbs. There are several
different patterns you need to learn. Here it’s
recommend + something + to someone.
Facebook users can share with their friends photos,
messages, videos …
Check word order after verbs. There are several
Facebook users can share photos, messages, videos and so different patterns you need to learn. Here it’s share
on with their friends. + something + with someone.
Avoid using dots. Use ‘and so on’ or ‘etc’.
It’s a tool very useful and interesting and
It’s a very useful and interesting tool and
Remember that adjectives come before nouns.
probably now it’s my favourite way of keeping in touch with
people.
it’s probably my favourite way of keeping in touch with Check the position of adverbs. 16
people now.
Time expressions go best at the end of the sentence.
SENTENCES (2)
Now read this paragraph and make
changes to each sentence.
I’m a photographer self-employed
and I work at the same time on
different projects. To promote my
business I use social networks
like Twitter, Facebook,
…. These networks can be a
nightmare if you don’t set
correctly the privacy options. I’ve
been for several years on
Facebook and at first I didn’t
know well how to use the
settings. Probably you don’t
think about it but I find very Go to the next page to see each sentence
and compare your answers.
useful these options.
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SENTENCES (2)
The original paragraph The improved version
I’m a self-employed photographer and I
I’m a photographer self-employed work on different projects at the same
and I work at the same time on time.
different projects. To promote my
business I use social networks I use social networks like Twitter,
Facebook and so on to promote my
like Twitter, Facebook, business.
…. These networks can be a
nightmare if you don’t set These networks can be a nightmare if you
correctly the privacy options. I’ve don’t set the privacy options correctly.
been for several years on
Facebook and at first I didn’t I’ve been on Facebook for several years
know well how to use the and at first I didn’t know how to use the
settings very well.
settings. Probably you don’t
think about it but I find very
useful these options. You probably don’t think about it but I
find these options very useful. 18
CHECKING YOUR WORK: SENTENCES
Remember:
� Try to leave some time between finishing your final draft and
checking it.
� If your sentence has more than two ideas, try to split it into
shorter sentences.
� Remember that many linking words (However, Furthermore,
Nevertheless etc) can start a new sentence.
� Count the commas in your sentence. Should any of them be a
full stop?
� Check the position of adverbs and expressions of time and
place.
� Check that adjectives come before nouns.
� Use the Essay Revision Checklist, which you will find in the
classroom.
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