1

Low
Intermediate
ESL Writing
This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
 2

Table of Contents

Unit 1: Sentences.......................................................................................................................... 3

Unit 2: Summary Writing ............................................................................................................. 16

Unit 3: The Basics of Paragraphs ............................................................................................... 20

Unit 4: Routines and Opinions: Using the Simple Present .......................................................... 30

Unit 5: Narrative Writing: Using the Simple Past ......................................................................... 38

Unit 6: Supporting Opinions with Reasons.................................................................................. 51

Appendix A: List of Frequently Misspelled Words ....................................................................... 62

Appendix B: Personal Spelling List and Practice ........................................................................ 64

Appendix C: Gerund Subjects and Non-referential (“dummy”) It ................................................. 68

Appendix D: Plural Agreement and Basic Article Use ................................................................. 71

Peer Reviews .............................................................................................................................. 73

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Unit 1: Sentences

To write well, we need the basics of language:

WORDS

(Image 1)

SENTENCES

(Image 2)

There are four people in my family. My

husband’s name is Jake. We have been married since
PARAGRAPHS 2006. Jake is an exterminator and an artist. We have
two boys, an eight-year-old named Henry and a six-
year-old named Louis. Henry loves to play video
games and read scary stories. Louis likes to draw and
wrestle. Both of my boys play the piano. We are a
busy family, but we love to spend time together.

In this unit, we will start to look at words and sentences.

Words can be split into the following grammatical groups. A few examples are given for you. As
a class, add more words to each group. Use your NGSL (New General Service Word List, words
1-1500).
noun verb adjective adverb pronoun
country leave small never his

conjunction preposition interjections determiner (article)

because into wow the
 4

In our vocabulary, many words belong to “families” of words. That is, they can be easily changed
into a different grammatical form. Consider the word interest.

Learning about different cultures interests me. (verb)

I have no interest in tennis. (noun)
India’s culture is very interesting. (adjective)

PRACTICE 1A: Put the following words from the list (1-250) into categories. Write them in
the chart. HINT: Some of the words can be in more than one group!

between make thing give

new pause right through
point include end important
seem hand business build
read government study around

NOUNS VERBS ADJECTIVES PREPOSITIONS

PRACTICE 1B: Choose either the noun or verb form of the words on the left to write in the
sentences on the right. Put the word in the correct grammatical form.

NOUN VERB (sentence practice)

work work 1. My brother ____________________ for Ford Motor Company.

2. I enjoy cooking for people, but it’s a lot of ________________.

study study 3. I quit my job so I could focus on my ______________________ .

studies 4. Jaime ___________________ at the library on Sunday afternoons.
5. A _____________________ showed that most people in Ann
Arbor drive cars to work.
 5

requirement require 6. Intermediate ESL Grammar is a _____________________ for me.

7. This class _______________________ 800 pages of reading.

experience experience 8. When I came to the U.S., I _____________________ stress

because of culture shock.
9. Traveling around the world has given Karla many interesting
___________________________
10. I volunteer at the hospital just to get ______________________ .

Good sentences are essential for good writing. A sentence is a group of words that expresses a
complete thought. To be a complete sentence¸ we need to:
• begin with a capital letter.
• end with a period. The other possible punctuation marks are a question mark (?) and
exclamation point (!). These are not used often. Use a period at the end of most
sentences.
• include a subject and verb.
• be careful to write a complete thought
Example:
RIGHT: I was absent because I was sick. (complete sentence)
WRONG: Because I was sick. (NOT a sentence: because should connect to other
parts of the sentence)
capital letter period

My mother bakes delicious cookies.

subject verb
(Image 3)
NOTE: When writing by hand, be careful to make clear capital letters.
Sometimes handwriting can be confusing! Look at these f and t letters.

Write: For example, I like French fries.

Write: There are three people in the car.
Tt

(Image 4)
 6

Here are some more rules about capital letters in English:

1. Use a capital letter with proper nouns. These are usually the names of specific people, places
or things. Most English nouns are common nouns and do not get capital letters. Here are
some examples of proper nouns:

names of streets, cities, states, countries, and people, including their titles:
Detroit Thailand the United States Main Street
Istanbul Mexico Lakeview Court Nevada

George Washington Dr. Matthew Green

Ms. Brown Uncle Wally

names of geographic places, companies, institutions, and buildings

the State Theatre Smith Window Company
the Nile River Lincoln Elementary School

2. The pronoun I is always capitalized in English.

Quang and I have known each other for five years.

3. There are specific rules for capital letters in titles.

War and Peace is an epic novel by Leo Tolstoy.

We enjoyed watching the movie Beauty and the Beast.

PRACTICE 1C: In the following paragraph, try to fix the errors in:
• capital letters
• end of sentence punctuation

My family and i took a wonderful trip to chicago this summer we took the train

from ann arbor we went to shedd aquarium and millennium park. we stayed at a nice hotel

and ate at many wonderful restaurants, on the last day we went swimming in lake

michigan the weather was perfect we all relaxed and slept on the train back to michigan.

What does a paragraph look like? More instruction on formal paragraph writing will come in Unit
3, The Basics of Paragraphs. For now, start writing with the correct paragraph format. Here are
some basic requirements:

1) Write your name, class (ESL 128), and the date in the upper left corner.
 7

2) Indent. If you are writing by hand, put about a two-finger space in front of the first sentence. If
you are typing, use the TAB key for the first line.

3) Do not start each new sentence on a new line.

Example:

WRONG:
Saturday is my favorite day of the week.

I work Monday through Friday, so on Saturday, I sleep in.

Then my family and I eat a big breakfast and stay in our pajamas for hours.

After that, we often go to a movie or visit some friends.

I cook dinner every day except Saturdays.

We usually go out to a restaurant or order pizza for dinner on Saturday.

Every week, I look forward to Saturday.

RIGHT:
Saturday is my favorite day of the week. I work Monday through Friday, so on

Saturday, I sleep in. Then my family and I eat a big breakfast and stay in our pajamas

for hours. After that, we often go to a movie or visit some friends. I cook dinner every

day except Saturdays. We usually go out to a restaurant or order pizza for dinner on

Saturday. Every week, I look forward to Saturday.

3) Double-space. Skip one line between each line.

4) If you are typing, use a 12-point font.

5) If your paragraph has a title, center it.

 8

Here is an example of a typed paragraph, correctly formatted.

Nadya Jackson

ESL 128

September 12, 2017

My Family

There are four people in my family. My husband’s name is

Jake. We have been married since 2006. Jake is an exterminator and
an artist. We have two boys, an eight-year-old named Henry and a six-
year-old named Louis. Henry loves to play video games and read scary
stories. Louis likes to draw and wrestle. Both of my boys play the piano.
We are a busy family, but we love to spend time together.

PRACTICE 1D: What is wrong with the FORMAT of these paragraphs?

1.

Nadya

There are four people in my family. My husband’s name is Jake. We have

been married since 2006. Jake is an exterminator and an artist. We have
two boys, an eight-year-old named Henry and a six-year-old named Louis.
Henry loves to play video games and read scary stories. Louis likes to
draw and wrestle. Both of my boys play the piano. We are a busy family,
but we love to spend time together.

MISTAKE #1: ________________________________________________________________

MISTAKE #2: ________________________________________________________________
MISTAKE #3:_________________________________________________________________
 9

2.

Nadya Jackson

ELS 128

Introduce My Family

9/12/17

There are four people in my family.

My husband’s name is Jake. We have been married since 2006. Jake is an exterminator and an artist.

We have two boys, an eight-year-old named Henry and a six-year-old named Louis. Henry loves to play
video games and read scary stories. Louis likes to draw and wrestle. Both of my boys play the piano.

We are a busy family, but we love to spend time together.

MISTAKE #1: _________________________________________________________________

MISTAKE #2: _________________________________________________________________
MISTAKE #3: _________________________________________________________________
Every sentence in English must have a Subject and a Verb, and most sentences have an
Object. Before we are able to write longer sentences, we should make sure that our simple
sentences are correct. Simple sentences have the basic parts of a sentence: Subject, Verb and
Object = S V O
How do we find the Subject?  ask WHO?
How do we find the Verb and Object?  ask DID WHAT?
S V O
My daughter is attending preschool at WCC this semester.
Look at the examples below.
S V O S V O
Amjed is a student. Megan loves reading. (Image 5)
PRACTICE 1E: Label the sentences below with S V O.

1. Painting is my favorite hobby.

2. The Johnson family loves camping.

3. Ali can run twelve miles.

 10

4. Maria and David are getting a new car.

5. Do you like your present ?

6. Who is your favorite movie star?

7. What is your favorite subject?

8. Leo has seven dogs and six cats.

9. ESL 128 is a fun class.

10. Washtenaw Community College has over 10,000 students.

PRACTICE 1F: On a separate piece of paper, write a short paragraph about yourself. Your
paragraph should have five simple sentences. Label your sentences S V O. Use correct
paragraph format.

PRACTICE 1G: In the sentences below, cross out all other parts of the sentence that are
not the S V O. Label the S V O.
S V O
Example: Peter drove his car to the market.

1. Megan is studying at the library.

2. In the afternoon, the baby takes a nap.

3. We usually check our homework at the beginning of class.

4. My daughters are cleaning their rooms.

(Image 6)
5. Tom drove to the college quickly.

6. Jem was born in Kijabe in 1999.

7. Ken gave the card to Barb.

8. Chop six carrots and put them in the pot.

9. Amy bought a new car from Craig’s List.

Many sentences add information about where and when the activity happened. Thus, to
understand sentences with S V O, we can add P and T. P refers to the place of the action. T
refers to the time of the action. Place comes before Time in sentences and after the S V O.
Place and Time are given in adverbs, expressions, and prepositional phrases.
How do we find the Subject?  ask WHO?
How do we find the Verb and Object?  ask DID WHAT?
How do we find the Place?  ask WHERE?
 11

How do we find the Time?  ask WHEN?

S V O P T
My daughter is attending preschool at WCC this semester.
NOTE: Time (T) may come before the S V O but is separated with a comma (,).
T S V O P
This semester, my daughter is attending preschool at WCC.

PRACTICE 1H: Label the sentences below with S V O P T.

1. Jacques and Lou play soccer at the park every Saturday.

2. Before breakfast, Martha must do her chores.

3. My family is going to see the new Captain America movie at the Rave Theater tonight.

4. The grammar students took a diagnostic test in class yesterday.

5. At 6 pm tomorrow, I am meeting my cousin at the new Italian restaurant downtown.

PRACTICE 1I: On a separate piece of paper, write a short paragraph about a place you
like to visit when you have a day off. Your paragraph should have six simple sentences.
Label your sentences S V O, and P T as necessary. Use correct paragraph format.

PRACTICE 1J: For more practice, label the following sentences with S V O P T.

1. Hassan saw a picture on the wall.

2. Hassan looked at the picture.

3. Hassan recognized the people in the picture.

4. Annika lost her ring yesterday.

5. Annika lost her ring in the sand.

6. Annika lost her ring in the sand at the beach.

7. We were at a meeting. (Image 7)

8. Please be on time in the future.

9. We bought a house in Miami in 2005.

10. Last night, we went to a movie.

 12

PRACTICE 1K: Write sentences using the words given. Use S V O P T word order.

1. began / last week / Kimi / through Turkey / a bike trip

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________
2. at his uncle’s bakery / Alexi / on Saturday mornings / works
____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________
3. arrived / in the early morning / at the airport / my plane
_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________
4. are going to take / on Wednesday / the 128 students / an SVOPT quiz / in class
_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

Each language of the world has its own grammatical rules for word order. How does your first
language order sentences? Is it S V O P T?

Translate the sentence “We drink coffee in the garden every afternoon.” Write it in your
language. Then explain the word order to a partner.

____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________

Some languages require an “extra” subject or object that does not translate well into English.
Other languages don’t require a “be” verb. Some languages don’t require an It subject before
verbs. Translating these grammar rules can cause incomplete sentences, or sentences that
have extra words in English.

PRACTICE 1L: The following sentences have errors in English word order and sentence
structure. Rewrite the sentences correctly on the line.

1. My hobby is reading books, religious, cooking, and health books.

____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
2. My husband understands me and tries to give me sometimes a chance to go to parties.
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
 13

3. The cow gives every day five liters of milk.

____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
4. My daughter, she is six years old.
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
4. Audrey Hepburn in this movie is a very lovely princess.
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
3. My brother, he works the night shift at the airport.
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________

PRACTICE 1M: The following sentences have errors using It and the be verb. Rewrite the
sentences correctly on the line.

1. This city is the capital of my country. It always busy with people and cars.
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
2. When I there, I enjoy all of the markets.
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
3. My birthday in July. Is often rainy when I celebrate my birthday in Mexico.
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
4. I could feel the earthquake and hear the dishes shaking. Was a day that I will never forget.
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
A common error in writing is run-on sentences. What is a run-on sentence?

A run-on sentence is two or more sentences put together with not enough punctuation. A comma
is not enough. Two sentences separated by a comma is called a comma splice. This is a kind
of run-on sentence.

Example: X We waited patiently our flight finally started boarding.

X We waited patiently, our flight finally started boarding.
 14

There are several ways to correct run-on sentences:

• Separate the sentences with a period.  We waited patiently. Our flight finally started
boarding.
• Add a connecting word to make the sentence correct.
 We waited patiently until our flight finally started boarding.
 We waiting patiently, and our flight finally started boarding.

PRACTICE 1N: Which sentences are correct? Which are incorrect? Mark the correct
sentences with “C” and the incorrect with “I.”

1. _______ The gym is my social spot, I meet a lot of friends there.

2. _______ I always feel better after I work out and see my friends at the gym.
3. _______ You can watch the dolphins while you are waiting for your food.
4. _______ I started to learn English I felt very good.
5. _______ Bathrooms here are very different, they’re harder to clean.

PRACTICE 1O: All of the following sentences are run-on sentences or comma splices.
Correct the sentences. Rewrite them on the lines.

1. Farming is a good business, people always need to eat.

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

2. I learned guitar because I wanted to, I listened, watched people, and followed the video of a
guy who plays the guitar very well.
____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

3. There are long beaches in Rio, I can go swimming and fishing and play soccer and many
more activities.
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________

4. Facebook it is really the thing I can enjoy it, it is a good hobby for me. [extra Subject and
Object]
____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________
 15

Attributions

Image 1:
“25 things about my friends In a Word Cloud” by Aldon Hynes is licensed via Flickr under CC
BY-SA 2.0.

Image 2:
“Basic constituent structure analysis of a sentence (The cat sat on the mat)” by AnonMoos is
licensed via Wikimedia Commons under CC BY SA 3.0.

Image 3:
“Latin letter F” by Spider is licensed via Wikimedia Commons under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Image 4:
“Document Page Text Paper Empty” is licensed via Pixabay under CC0 1.0.

Image 5:
“Pitching a tent at Bear Creek Lake State Park” by vastateparkstaff is licensed via Wikimedia
Commons under CC BY 2.0.

Image 6:
“Newborn sleeping” by Vera Kratochvil is licensed via Public Domain Files under Public Domain
Mark 1.0.

Image 7:
“Sandy Ring” by Derek Gavey is licensed via Flickr under CC BY 2.0.
 16

Unit 2: Summary Writing

Summary writing is a very important skill in American college classes. Teachers will ask you to
write summaries of articles, textbook chapters, books, and even movies. In addition, you will also
have to give summaries orally, to see whether or not you understood the text.
Remember these things when writing a summary:
• Include ONLY the main points. Do not include unnecessary details.
• Write IN YOUR OWN WORDS. Copying parts of the text shows that you have not
understood the text, only that you can repeat it. It can also be considered cheating.
• Do not include your opinion. A summary is objective.
• Summaries are SHORT. You may summarize 5-6 pages of academic text in one paragraph.
• Summaries should be ACCURATE and COMPLETE. This is where careful reading is so
important. Your summary should show that you fully understand the ENTIRE article. You
may need to read an article or text several times and discuss it with someone before writing a
summary.

Sample text:
A penny for your thoughts? If it’s a 1943 copper penny, it could be worth as much as fifty thousand dollars. In
1943, most pennies were made out of steel since copper was needed for World War I, so the 1943 copper penny is
ultra-rare. Another rarity is the 1955 double-die penny. These pennies were mistakenly double stamped, so they have
overlapping dates and letters. If it’s uncirculated, it would easily fetch $25,000 at an auction. Now that’s a pretty
penny.

BAD summary #1:

This text is about pennies.
What’s wrong with this summary?
1. _______________________________________
2. _______________________________________

BAD summary #2:

Copper was hard to get during World War II, so there aren’t many pennies from that time.
The 1955 double die penny is worth a lot too. These pennies were stamped twice by
accident.
What’s wrong with this summary?
1. _______________________________________
2. _______________________________________

BAD summary #3:

Some pennies are worth a lot of money. If it’s a 1943 copper penny, it might be worth up to
$50,000. That’s because in 1943, most pennies were made out of steel. Another rare penny
is the 1955 double-die penny. It might get $25,000 at an auction.
What’s wrong with this summary?
1. _______________________________________
2. _______________________________________
 17

GOOD summary:
This text is about two very rare and valuable pennies: the 1943 copper penny and the 1955
double die penny.
This summary:
• Includes main ideas.
• Doesn’t include unnecessary information
• Is a complete sentence.

NOTE:
Taking phrases or sentences from another writer without using “quotations marks” is
called plagiarism. It is a serious offense in American colleges and schools. The WCC
policy says that the student will get a “0” for an assignment or even an “F” for a class.
Students who continue to do this can be disciplined by the Dean or other administrators.
Moreover, a good summary doesn’t use direct “quotes”; if you do, it looks like you didn’t
understand the reading.

Here are some tips for avoiding plagiarism while writing a summary:
• Imagine someone asked you “What was the text about?” or “What was the book about?”
• Read the text several times to make sure you understand it.
• It helps to take some notes about the reading on a separate piece of paper – not
sentences, just a few words or phrases. Bullet points or lists work well.
• Do not look at the text while you are writing the summary.
• Give the summary to someone out loud (orally) before you write it down. This is an
excellent way to pre-write and practice. They can also ask you questions for clarification.

PRACTICE 2A: Write a summary of a movie.

As a class, decide on a movie to summarize. Choose one that everyone in the class has seen,
such as Titanic. Discuss the main ideas (events) of this movie with a partner or in a small group.

After you have discussed the ideas orally, write a brief summary of the movie on a separate
piece of paper. Write the summary in 10 minutes or less. Be prepared to share your summary.

PRACTICE 2B: Write a summary of an article.

Your instructor will ask you to write a summary of a text from your reading textbook. Follow the
guidelines above to write a brief summary that includes only main ideas. Your instructor will have
further instructions about the required length of the summary. Write it on a separate piece of
paper.

Exchange your summary with a partner. Your instructor will give you a Peer Editing Checklist for
the summary.

Writing a summary of a book that you have read for pleasure is another important skill. For
this course, you will write short summaries of many stories that you read. Fiction stories should
be summarized using the simple present tense. The following is a sample summary of a short
story called My Cousin. The format includes the book’s title, author, and number of pages.
 18

My Cousin author unknown 4 pages

This story is about a little girl who wants to meet her cousin. She knows her cousin’s
name is Pat, and she writes it all over the walls in her house. One day, the girl’s mother
takes her into the country, and she meets her cousin. The cousin is an older woman. The
girl is surprised and pleased.

How many sentences are in this summary? ________________________

Underline all of the simple present verbs in the summary.

PRACTICE 2C: Grammar is always important! Here is a summary of the same story, My
Cousin. There are errors in sentence structure, punctuation, and verb tense. Identify and
fix the grammar errors.

A girl she was five years old she saw a picture of another girl under a tree, her
mother said it was her cousin, the girl wrote her name on all the walls, she wanted to meet
her cousin. Because she was an only child.

Now look at the content. How are the contents of the two summaries different? Would you
change the contents of the second summary? Why or why not? Discuss your ideas with a
partner.

PRACTICE 2D: Bring one of the books that you’ve read at the library to class. Your
classmates will ask you, “What is that book about?” You should summarize the book in 2
minutes to a partner.

Switch partners. Answer the question, “What is that book about?” in 1 minute.

Switch partners. Answer the question, “What is that book about?” in 30 seconds.

Could you summarize the book in 30 seconds?

Some tips for writing good book report summaries:

• Write the title, the author, and number of pages read at the top of the summary
• Keep your summary short, 2 to 5 sentences
• Write your summary in a paragraph format.
• Do NOT:
o Write a list of sentences
o Number your sentences
o Write only phrases (fragments)
o Write many run-on sentences, connected with commas. Fragments and run-ons
make it difficult to see how many sentences you really wrote.
 19

Students who copy the summary from the back of the book or from any part of any
chapter are plagiarizing and will receive a “0” for the book report. Your instructor will
keep a record of your plagiarism and possibly send you to the Dean for discipline.

Remember, plagiarism can mean copying even parts of sentences and inserting synonyms here
and there.

Put the book away when you are writing about it! Write from your own memory.

STOP
PLAGIARISM

(Image 1)

Attributions

“Summarizing: Getting to the Point” by Ereading Worksheets is licensed under Terms of Use.

Image 1:
“Blank stop sign octagon” by MgicImage via Wikimedia Commons is in the Public Domain.
 20

Unit 3: The Basics of Paragraphs

In academic writing, a paragraph is a group of sentences about a single topic. Paragraphs can
be different lengths in different writing situations. For low intermediate writers, anywhere from 4
to 12 sentences is a good length for a paragraph. Your instructor will make sure you know how
many sentences are expected for each writing assignment.

A good paragraph has three parts:

1) a topic sentence that states what you will write about
2) supporting sentences (the body) that add explanations and details about the topic
3) a conclusion sentence that wraps up the paragraph, similar to the topic sentence

Remember, a paragraph is indented. Each sentence comes right after the other one, not on a
new line. Each sentence ends with a period. A paragraph’s form looks something like this:

topic sentence

BODY (supporting sentences)

conclusion sentence

Read the following sample paragraph.

There are several reasons why I am studying at Washtenaw Community

College. First, the tuition is very low. I can take college classes at WCC for less than half

of the cost of a university class. Second, WCC has great teachers and student support.

My teachers really care about their students. Class sizes are small, and lots of free

tutoring is available. Finally, WCC is close to my house. I live only five miles from WCC,

so I can ride the bus there in less than 20 minutes. I could even ride my bike there in

nice weather. For all of these reasons, I am taking classes at WCC.

 21

Underline the topic sentence.

What is this paragraph about? __________________________

How many reasons are given in the body of the paragraph? __________
What are they? Write a word or phrase for each reason.
1. __________________________
2. __________________________
3. __________________________
Circle the conclusion sentence.
How many sentences are there in this paragraph? _______

The topic sentence is usually the first sentence of a paragraph, especially in student writing. A
topic sentence should contain two things:
• the topic that you will write about
• your opinion or personal feeling of the topic. This is often called a controlling idea.

Some topic sentences also make the plan of the paragraph clear. For example, the topic
sentence might have a plan like, “for many reasons,” “several qualities,” “three things,” or “a few
differences.”

A good topic sentence is not too general and not too specific. It shows the reader what will come
in the paragraph. A good topic sentence does NOT:
• Announce the topic.
WRONG: “I am going to write about WCC.”
• Ask a question.
WRONG: “Why am I going to WCC? I’d like to tell you.”
• Stand above the paragraph. It is NOT a title. It is a complete sentence.

WRONG:
There are several reasons why I am studying at Washtenaw Community College.

First, the tuition is very low. I can take college classes at WCC for less than half of

the cost of a university class. Second, WCC has great teachers and student support. My

teachers really care about their students. Class sizes are small, and lots of free tutoring is

available. Finally, WCC is close to my house. I live only five miles from WCC, so I can ride the bus

there in less than 20 minutes. I could even ride my bike there in nice weather. For all of these

reasons, I am taking classes at WCC.

• State a fact.
WRONG: “WCC is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan.”
 22

PRACTICE 3A: Read the following topic sentences about American cities. Do they contain
both the topic and a controlling idea? Check the boxes.

This topic sentence contains a:

1. Washington, DC, is the capital of my country. topic controlling idea

2. New Orleans is a very interesting city. topic controlling idea

3. There are many people in Los Angeles. topic controlling idea

4. St. Augustine is a very beautiful city. topic controlling idea

5. New York is the biggest city in the U.S. topic controlling idea

PRACTICE 3B: Read the following paragraphs. Fill in the blanks with a good topic
sentence. Work with a partner, alone, or in a small group.

Paragraph 1:
Good Neighbors

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________ . First,
a good neighbor is quiet. Even if a neighbor is nice, it is hard to tolerate loud music late at night or
dogs that bark a lot. Second, good neighbors are respectful. It is nice to have polite conversation
with your neighbor. Neighbors should also respect others by shoveling their sidewalk in the winter
and leaving enough parking space for everyone. Finally, a really good neighbor is generous. A good
neighbor might bring you cookies during the holiday, or give you some gas if your lawn mower runs
out. These are some of the most important qualities of a good neighbor.

Paragraph 2:
Reducing Stress

_____________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________ . One
way to reduce stress is to exercise. Some people jog or play high-impact sports to relax. Others
just take a walk or a short bike ride. Another idea is talking to a friend or family member. It helps
just to express how you are feeling when you are stressed. Lastly, listening to music can help you
relax. Quiet, classical music relaxes some people. Listening to loud pop music while singing and
dancing also releases stress. We all have stress, and these are three ways to reduce it.
 23

Paragraph 3:
My Worst Job

_____________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________ . I
earned a lot of money from that job, but I was more miserable than I have ever been in my life.
Working on an assembly line was very boring, and I had to concentrate the whole time with almost
no breaks. All day long, I had to put DVDs into boxes, and I had to work very fast. The factory was
hot and stuffy. Also, the supervisors watched us closely and yelled us when we weren’t working fast
enough. Maybe the worst part of the job was the mood of my coworkers. It seemed like they all
complained and gossiped. I didn’t make a single friend in the eight months that I worked there. In
sum, working in a factory was truly one of the worst experiences that I have ever had.

Supporting sentences begin right after the topic sentence of the paragraph. A good writer will
have two or three separate ideas that support the topic as it is stated in the topic sentence. Each
supporting idea should be introduced clearly, usually with a transition word or phrase. These
transitions are a big signal to the reader that a new idea is being introduced. Using these
transition words keeps the body of the paragraph organized. Pointing to new ideas with these
transition words also helps the reader understand why certain details are given.

First of all,
First,
Second,
(Image 1) Secondly,

(Image 2)
Finally,

(Image 3)
PRACTICE 3C: The following paragraph is missing transitions in the body. Where should
the transition word be? Put a star * where transitions are missing. Then rewrite the
paragraph, adding the transitions.
Homemade Food

There are three main reasons why I like to eat homemade food. Homemade food doesn’t
cost too much. For example, I can buy fresh fish and vegetables at the grocery store for about
$15. This will feed my whole family. Homemade food is a lot healthier than precooked food. It
contains only a few simple ingredients, and I don’t cook it with too much salt or oil. Homemade food
tastes better than precooked food. When I cook my own food, I follow traditional recipes and make
it just right. For all of these reasons, I prefer to eat homemade food.
 24

(recopy the paragraph with transitions here:)

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

The conclusion sentence is the last sentence of a one-paragraph essay. It is similar to the
topic sentence because it:
• states the topic again
• states the opinion or personal feeling again, sometimes in a stronger way
(controlling idea)
A conclusion sentence should NOT:
• be more than one sentence of the paragraph.
• introduce any new ideas.
• be exactly the same as the topic sentence.
• be a separate sentence that starts on a new line.
 25

WRONG:
There are several reasons why I am studying at Washtenaw Community College. First, the

tuition is very low. I can take college classes at WCC for less than half of the cost of a

university class. Second, WCC has great teachers and student support. My teachers really care

about their students. Class sizes are small, and lots of free tutoring is available. Finally, WCC is

close to my house. I live only five miles from WCC, so I can ride the bus there in less than 20

minutes. I could even ride my bike there in nice weather.

For all of these reasons, I am taking classes at WCC.

Here are some words that can be used to start a topic sentence:

In conclusion, To conclude, In sum,

For all of these reasons, In all of these ways,

These are a few [qualities, things] that ….. [S + V….]

PRACTICE 3D: This paragraph needs a conclusion sentence. Read the paragraph and
choose the best one. Then copy your choice at the end of the paragraph. Be prepared to
explain your choice.

Heather Zettelmaier

ESL 128

September 24, 2017

My Favorite Singer

My favorite singer is my husband, Jake. First of all, his music is traditional yet unique. He

has a band called Black Jake and the Carnies, and they sing a special kind of music. It is a

combination of bluegrass and punk, with instruments like the banjo, mandolin, drums, guitar,

accordion, washboard, and even cow bell. Second, his music is full of fun and deep ideas. The
 26

words in the songs go very fast, and they usually tell a story and teach a lesson. I think my

favorite song by Jake is “Happy Easter.” This song tells a story of anger and forgiveness

between neighbors and friends. It also talks about heaven and death, so it makes me think and

touches my emotions. Finally, I like Jake as a singer because his songs make me want to smile,

sing, and dance. He uses a funny voice, and it has great quality. It is so easy to catch onto the

melodies and beats of his songs. I often clap, tap my foot, or even dance along. _________

____________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________ .

A. For all of these reasons, Jake Zettelmaier is my favorite singer.

B. My husband Jake is a great singer, and I hope he and his band become more and more
popular.
C. There are many kinds of music, but my favorite kind is country music.

If your instructor asks you to write a title for your paragraph, there are rules that you should
follow:
1. Use capital letters for the important words and the first word of the title. Don’t use capital
letters for prepositions (of, for), conjunctions (and, or), or articles (the, a, an).
2. Don’t write a sentence. Don’t end it with a period.
3. Write something short that gives the topic of your paragraph.

Look back at the titles in the sample paragraphs of this chapter. Do they all follow the rules for
title writing?

Most timed, in-class paragraphs and essay test questions do NOT require a title. On the TOEFL
test, for example, writing a title would be a poor use of your time. You should write a title for
paragraphs that you write over a longer time, usually for homework.

What is the difference between a title and a topic sentence?

1. LOCATION:
A title is located _______________________________________________.

A topic sentence is located __________________________________________ .

2. CAPITAL LETTERS:
In a title, _______________________________________ should be capitalized.

In a topic sentence, only ___________________________________ should be capitalized.

3. GRAMMAR:
A title is NOT ________________________________, so it doesn’t end with a __________ .
 27

A topic sentence is ______________________________ , so it ends with a _____________.

4. A title is only required for formal compositions, usually written over a long time.
A topic sentence is ALWAYS needed in a paragraph.

PRACTICE 3E: Read the following titles. What is wrong with each one? Write a few words
to explain. One of the titles is okay.

1. I want to visit Uzbekistan.

OK NOT OK  Why? ________________________________________________

2. My Paragraph
OK NOT OK  Why? ________________________________________________

3. Uzbekistan and Its Wonders

OK NOT OK  Why? ________________________________________________

Good writing doesn’t happen instantly or without some careful thought. To write with quality,
good writers follow three steps of the writing process:

1) Pre-writing. In this step, brainstorm. In pre-writing, choose the best ideas and make a plan to
organize the paragraph.
2) Rough draft, in other words, write the paragraph. Keep the ideas flowing. Try to write a good
topic sentence and follow the plan from your pre-writing.
3) Revise and edit. Try to improve your paragraph. Make sure all of the sentences stay on
topic. Check organization and work on the conclusion sentence. When you are sure the
content is good, check the grammar.

In this book, we will practice several pre-writing strategies. The first one is called clustering.
Here is how it’s done:
- write the topic in the middle of a page and circle it
- write about the topic in a general way, close to the middle word
- as you write farther away from the word, get more specific, add details
- You do not have to include everything from your cluster in the paragraph.

Topic: Write about the qualities of a good boss

solved problems cares about us

before
experienced friendly talks to us
knows
the job we talk about our kids
good boss

repeats things admits mistakes

when we don’t patient humble works with us
understand when we need help
 28

PRACTICE 3D: Use the clustering method to brainstorm about one of the following
topics. Use a separate sheet of paper.

Topic: Write about an interesting place near the city where you live now.
(example: near Ann Arbor, MI)
Topic: Write about the qualities of a good teacher

Topic: Write about your favorite hobby or sport

Topic: Write about your favorite singer, athlete, writer, or actor

WRITING ASSIGNMENT:
Use one of the topics from Practice 3D to write a formal paragraph. Use the format rules
on p. 8, Unit 1.

The rough draft can be written by hand. Please double space write in a single paragraph.

Before you hand it in, check your paragraph:

- Does it have a title?
- How many sentences is it? (Try for 8-12. If it has less, try to find more information that fits
your paragraph.)
- Does it have a topic sentence?
- Does it have a conclusion sentence?

The rough draft is due on ___________________________ . You will get feedback from your
classmates and your instructor before writing the final draft. Keep all pre-writing and rough
drafts.

The final draft will be due on __________________________________ . Your instructor will

give you directions on the final draft.
 29

Attributions
Image 1:
“Turn Left Arrow Road Sign Roadsign” is licensed via Pixabay under CC0 1.0.

Image 2:
“Isolated Arrow Sign” by Paul Brennan is licensed via [Link] under CC0 1.0.

Image 3:
“Advisor Exit Speed English 34” by Ltljltlj via Wikimedia Commons is in the Public Domain.
 30

Unit 4: Routines and Opinions: Using the Simple Present

The Weekend Cook

My dad works in a bank. He works there from Monday

to Friday. He helps people. He counts money, and he uses a
computer. He is an important man at the bank. Dad also works
at home. On weekends, he always cooks dinner. Usually he
fixes Italian food. On Saturdays, he makes spaghetti. On
Sundays, he makes pizza. Sometimes he fries chicken or fixes
Chinese food. My mother watches and helps. She cuts the
(Image 1) vegetables and tosses the salad. I wash the dishes. Some
people say it is strange for a man to cook. My dad enjoys his
hobby. Cooking relaxes him. His father was a weekend cook,
too.
Underline all of the verbs in the paragraph above.

In each sentence, the simple present verb tense is used. Simple present is used for routines
and general statements. Here are the basic forms of the simple present tense:

Singular Forms Plural Forms

I like tomatoes. We like tomatoes.
He / She / It likes tomatoes. They like tomatoes.
You like tomatoes.

Notice that only the He / She / It forms take an -s ending. This is called the third person
singular. All other simple present verbs are simple – just the base form of the verb. They are
formed with one word, no -s.

In “The Weekend Cook,” draw a circle around the s in the simple present verbs. Why is an -
s added in each case?

NOTES on IRREGULAR verbs: The verb be and have are irregular in the simple present.

be have
I am hungry. I have a car.
He / She / It is hungry. He / She / It has a car.
You are hungry. You have a car.
We are hungry. We have a car.
They are hungry. They have a car.
 31

NOTES on SPELLING: A few verbs add -es in the third person singular. They are verbs that end
in s, z, sh, ch, or x.
If a verb ends in a consonant and -y, change the y to i before adding -es. If the verb ends
in a vowel and -y, simply add s.

PRACTICE 4A: Write the forms below with the correct spelling.

1. He fixes (fix) 3. He tries (try)

He _________________ (finish) He _________________ (fry)
He _________________ (relax) He _________________ (study)
He _________________ (rush) He _________________ (hurry)
2. She watches (watch) He _________________ (carry)

She _________________ (toss) 4. She says (say)

She _________________ (wash) She _________________ (enjoy)
She _________________ (miss) She _________________ (play)
She _________________ (teach) She _________________ (stay)
She _________________ (pay)

PRACTICE 4B: Rewrite the sentences below, adding the correct form of the verb.
Remember that he, she, and it take -s forms.

1. Most women cook the dinners at home. (cook)

2. My mother cooks most of the time. (cook)

3. She ____________ dinner on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. (make)
4. My father __________ Italian food on the weekends. (fix)
5. My brother and I ___________ the dishes. (wash)
6. We _____________ with the salad, too. (help)
7. I ______________ to cook already. (know how)
8. Cooking _____________ my father. (relax)
9. Many working people _______________________ (have) a lot of stress at work and
_____________________ (rush) around all day.
10. Often they _________ a hobby after work. (enjoy)
 32

PRACTICE 4C: Write the sentences below and change all the singular nouns to plural
nouns. You will not need an article before the plural noun. You will also need to change
the verb forms from singular to plural.

1. A banker works with money.

Bankers work with money.
2. A pharmacist works with prescriptions.
___________________________________________________________________
3. A doctor eats a quick lunch.
___________________________________________________________________
4. A bank manager eats a long, slow lunch.
___________________________________________________________________
5. A pharmacist’s assistant works in a pharmacy.
___________________________________________________________________
6. A good boy helps his family.
___________________________________________________________________
7. A father usually takes out the trash.
___________________________________________________________________
How do we make negative forms in the simple present tense? We add don’t or doesn’t before
the base form of the verb.

Singular Forms Plural Forms

I don’t work. We don’t work.
He / She / It doesn’t work. They don’t work.
You don’t work.

The negative forms of be are am not, isn’t, and aren’t.

PRACTICE 4D: Fill in the missing verb forms in this paragraph.

My Sister Liz
My sister Liz is a stay-at-home mom, but she is one of the busiest people I know. She

___________________ (1. have) two children, Sam and Beth. They ____________________

(2. be) both in middle school. Her husband Peter ________________________ (3. be) a
 33

doctor. He ________________________________ (4. work) every day from 7 AM to 6 PM.

Every morning during the week, my sister ___________________________ (5. make) breakfast

for Sam and Beth. The kids _____________________________ (6. ride) the bus to school.

During the day, Liz _________________________ (7. work) on projects for her small business.

She ______________ (8. sew) special orders from the Internet. She _____________________

(9. take) care of the house and __________________________ (10. prepare) meals.

Sometimes she _____________________ (11. meet) friends for lunch or coffee. She

_________________________________ (12. take) their dog, Heidi, for walks. When Sam and

Beth ___________________________ (13. come) home, she _________________ (14. give)

them a snack and_______________________ (15. help) them with their homework. Liz

______________________ (16. make) dinner for everyone, but my brother-in-law Peter usually

_________________________ (17. eat) late, after 7 PM. She ____________________ (18. sit)

with him while he ___________________________ (19. eat). At their church, she

_______________________ (20. volunteer) with children and _________________________

(21. sing) in the choir. My sister _________________________(22. not, have) a job, but she

always seems very busy to me.

PRACTICE 4E: Choose a family member or friend that you know very well. On a separate
piece of paper, write a journal about this person’s routine. You can include information
about their work, family, hobbies, and other habits. Write in correct paragraph format.
Write the person’s name in the first sentence.

In Unit 3, you learned a pre-writing technique called clustering. Another pre-writing technique
is making a list. When you make a list for pre-writing, write down every word that comes to
mind when you hear a topic. Don’t worry about spelling or separating main ideas from detail. Do
not write sentences.
 34

Here is an example of making a list pre-writing for the topic, “My Favorite Season.”

SUMMER

warm Up North

sunny camping

long days reading

vacation sleeping later

no school festivals

travel my family visits

ice cream green leaves

swim blue skies

lakes neighborhood kids out playing

The writer might find two or three “big” ideas in the list and make a plan for the paragraph. In this
case, the writer might focus on:

1. Warm weather
- sunny
- walks, neighbors come out
- swim
2. no school
- free time to read
- play with kids
- travel and camp

TOPIC SENTENCE: Summer is my favorite season for several reasons.

PRACTICE 4F: On a separate piece of paper, practice making a list about two of these
topics:

- my favorite city, or a city I know well - my favorite website

- my favorite holiday - my favorite store or shopping center
- my favorite restaurant - my favorite tourist destination
- a job I am interested in, reasons why
 35

PRACTICE 4G: Choose ONE of your lists from Practice 4F. Make a short plan for a formal
paragraph. Then write a topic sentence for the paragraph.

This paragraph will include many reasons that an item is your favorite, or one of your favorites.
When we give reasons, we often need to use the connecting word because.

Because can come at the beginning of the sentence. Then it needs to be followed by a comma
and a main clause ( main S V O ). More often, because comes in the middle of the sentence with
no comma.

CORRECT: Because it has a diverse population, Ann Arbor is one of my favorite cities.
Ann Arbor is one of my favorite cities because it has a diverse population.

INCORRECT: Because it has a diverse population. Ann Arbor is one of my favorite cities.
INCORRECT: Ann Arbor is one of my favorite cities. Because it has a diverse population.
INCORRECT: Ann Arbor is one of my favorite cities, because it has a diverse population.
INCORRECT: Ann Arbor is one of my favorite cities, Because it has a diverse population.
INCORRECT: Ann Arbor is one of my favorite cities. Because, it has a diverse population.
RULE: NO COMMA BEFORE BECAUSE when it comes in the middle of a sentence.

PRACTICE 4H: Connect the two sentences. Use because.

Example:
I like Facebook. It lets me see photos of everyone’s children.
I like Facebook because it lets me see photos of everyone’s children.

1. I enjoy the Lunar New Year. The whole family gets together.

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

2. Great Lakes Crossing is my favorite mall. It has two great attractions for my kids.

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

3. I recommend visiting Washington, DC. It has great museums.

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________
 36

4. Machu Picchu is a very popular tourist destination. It has amazing views of ancient ruins.

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

5. I recommend Bell’s Diner if you like Korean food. They have great bibimbap.

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

PRACTICE 4I: Write the rough draft of a paragraph using the topic, list, plan, and topic
sentence that you worked on in Practice 4F and 4G. Your paragraph should include:
- a topic sentence in the paragraph at the beginning
- 8-12 sentences of supporting details and examples
- a conclusion sentence
- a title
Your instructor will give you specific deadlines for the rough draft and the revision of this
paragraph.

Try to read and respond to a classmate’s paragraph. When you get feedback from your
classmate and instructor, write the final draft of this paragraph.

The simple present tense is used to write a summary of a novel or other work of fiction. Using
the simple present tense in this way is called the narrative present.

PRACTICE 4J: Your instructor will ask you to write a summary of a chapter or two of a
book that you are reading. Choose ONE CHARACTER from the book. Write 5 sentences
about what happened to that character in those chapters. Use the narrative present. Use
the –s ending for third person subjects.

Example:
In Chapter 3, Billy wakes up and finds out that his grandpa is very sick.
He runs through the snow to the doctor’s house.
He wakes up the doctor.
Billy and the doctor run back to help Grandpa.
Billy tells the doctor about Grandpa’s heart problem.
 37

Attributions

This Unit, through Practice 4C is from:

“Developing Writing: Writing Skills Practice Book for EFL” by Patricia Wilcox Peterson, Office of
English Language Programs, U.S. Department of State is in the Public Domain

Image 1:

“Active cooking at Foodlab Stockholm” by K.I.T. is licensed via Flickr under CC BY 2.0.
 38

Unit 5: Narrative Writing: Using the Simple Past

The following paragraph tells a story that happened in the past. Such a paragraph is called
narrative writing. Narrative writing tells a story in detail.

(Image 1)

Lessons from a Fire

In 2001, something difficult happened to me, and I learned many lessons from it.
While I was in St. Louis at a conference, I got a phone call from my landlady. She told me
that there was a fire in my apartment building in Ypsilanti. Everything was damaged, but
nobody was hurt. I was shocked by this news. A few hours later, someone from my
church called to tell me that a close friend had just died. I knew I had to go home, see
my burned home, and attend a very sad funeral. I usually don’t talk to people on
airplanes, but on the flight home, I told the woman sitting next to me about my bad news.
Indeed, when I got home, my apartment was blackened with smoke damage. I stayed
with a friend of mine and borrowed some clothes. The next day, I went to the funeral and
mourned with my friends. At my church, I found six or seven bags of things that someone
left for me: dishes, canned food, towels, clothes, and even some gift cards. In one of the
cards, it said, “Good luck! Michelle.” I thought these gifts were from my friends, but I
didn’t have any friends named Michelle. Then I realized who it was from. All of the stuff
was from the woman on the airplane. This hard time taught me how good people can be,
and how important it is to be generous to strangers at just the right time.

PRACTICE 5A: Read the paragraph “Lessons from a Fire” and follow these instructions.
Discuss your answers with a partner.
1. Look at the topic sentence. What is the topic and opinion/feeling?
2. Now look at the conclusion sentence. How are they similar? How are they different?
 39

3. Underline all of the simple past verbs in the paragraph.

4. Circle the commas. How many commas are used because of the words “but” and
“and”? Why are the other commas used?
The simple past verb tense is used to write about events that happened in the past and are
complete. Simple past is an easy choice when the time of the event is given by some time
expression. Here are some examples of past time expressions:

in [2012] in [May]
yesterday on [May 19, 2012]
[two years, three months, a long time] ago last [night, week, month, year]
this morning When I [was a child]…

Regular verbs take an –ed ending to form the past tense. The spelling rules depend on the
spelling and syllable stress of the verb.

1. Most regular verbs simply take –ed.

Examples: She worked. He turned left.

2. Verbs that end with e simply add –d.

Examples: We danced. We lived.

3. Verbs that end with a vowel (V) + y, just add –ed. Verbs that end with consonant (C) + y, drop
the y and add ied.
They enjoyed the party. She carried the suitcase.

4. For one-syllable verbs that end V C, double the consonant. For one-syllable verbs that end
with V C V, don’t double the consonant.
VC VCV
stop hope
We stopped for gas. They hoped to get a green card.

5. For two-syllable verbs that end with VC, double the consonant if the stress is on the second
syllable. Do not double the consonant if the stress is on the first syllable.
VC (stress second syllable) VC (stress first syllable)
conTROL LISten
My boss controlled me. I listened to my boss.
 40

PRACTICE 5B: Write the simple past verbs in the blanks. Use the correct spelling.
1. We _________________ (move) last year.
2. I _________________ (study) architecture.
3. Jasmin _______________________ (wait) a long time
for her visa.
4. They _____________________ (save) a lot of money by
using Craigslist.
5. She _____________________ (chop) vegetables for the
soup.
(Image 2)
6. We _______________________ (love) the movie that we saw last night.

7. Tom _______________________ (admit) that he was in love with Beth.

8. Something scary ______________________________ (happen) to me in 2016.
9. Last year, I _______________________(open) a bank account at PNC Bank.
10. I ________________________ (travel) a lot when I was a student.
Many verbs in English have irregular past tense forms. In the paragraph “Lessons from a Fire,”
find the past tense forms of the following verbs. Write them next to the present tense forms.

PRESENT PAST PRESENT PAST

am ___________________ have ___________________
is ___________________ go ___________________
are ___________________ find ___________________
get ___________________ leave ___________________
tell ___________________ say ___________________
know ___________________ think ___________________
teach ___________________
Here are the negative forms of the simple past:
I didn’t have time to say goodbye. EXCEPTION: be verb
She / He / It didn’t work. I wasn’t hungry.
You didn’t work. She / He / It wasn’t hungry.
We didn’t have time to say goodbye. You weren’t hungry.
They didn’t have time to say goodbye. We weren’t hungry
They weren’t hungry.
 41

PRACTICE 5C: Rewrite the sentences using the simple past.

1. My grandma has heart surgery last winter.
____________________________________________________________________________
2. The doctors work for three hours.
____________________________________________________________________________
3. I visit my grandma in the hospital.
____________________________________________________________________________
4. I take her flowers and a good book.
____________________________________________________________________________
5. We aren’t sure how the surgery goes.
____________________________________________________________________________
6. Five days after the surgery, Grandma leaves the hospital.
____________________________________________________________________________
7. She makes a full recovery.
____________________________________________________________________________
8. In fact, she has more energy after the surgery.
____________________________________________________________________________

PRACTICE 5D: Fill in the tense verbs in the following paragraph.

Good Bye, Yellow Kite

When I was about seven years old, my family had (1. have) an interesting hobby:

flying kites. My dad _________________ (2. buy) a lot of kites. Some kites

_____________________ (3. be) cut in special shapes or had interesting pictures on

them. My sister and I _______________ (4. tie) long tails and ribbons on our kites. My

favorite kite _______________ (5. be) a secondhand yellow kite with a red tail. One very

windy day, my dad _____________________ (6. drive) us to a park with a big hill. We all

__________________ (7. fly) our kites in the strong wind on the top of the hill. I

________________ (8. let) out my string all the way and _________________ (9. hold)
 42

on tightly. I couldn’t even see the kite! When it was time to go, I _________________

(10. pull) on my string, but I just couldn’t bring that kite in. My dad _______________

(11. try) to help me, but the wind just ____________________ (12. keep) pulling the kite,

almost out of our hands. Finally, my dad ________________ (13. cut) the string and let

the kite go. I ____________________ (14. be) so upset that I _________________

(15. throw) myself down on the ground and cried. My family laughs now at my strong

emotions. For me as a little girl, saying goodbye to my yellow kite was a very sad

experience.
PRACTICE 5E: Tell a story to a small group. If you can’t think of something that
happened to you, tell the story of a friend or family member. When you speak, pay
attention to your simple past verbs.
Choose one of these, or just talk about something that you remember well.
1. something that happened that made you very happy
2. a birthday you remember well
3. the story of your journey to the U.S.
4. how you met your spouse (or how you got engaged)
5. a time you got into trouble as a child, or a time you were in trouble with the police
6. problems you had with animals
7. a great or terrible vacation
8. a time when someone helped you, or you helped someone else
9. a time when a major political event touched your life
10. a time when a natural disaster touched your life

TO THE LISTENERS: Write down the past tense verbs that you hear during the story.
Write at least five of the verbs that they use.

In Unit 1, we learned that normal English word order in sentences is:

S V O P T
subject verb object place time

Mike bought his first car in Michigan last year.

In narrative paragraphs, the “T,” or time expressions, are often used as a transition words in
the paragraph. That is, they are at the front of the sentence to show the chronological order, or
time order, of the story. When the time expression is at the beginning of the sentence, a comma
separates it from the S V O in the sentence. Note these examples from “Lessons from a Fire”:
 43

In 2001, something difficult happened to me, and I learned many lessons from it. While I
was in St. Louis at a conference, I got a phone call from my landlady. […] A few hours
later, someone from my church called to tell me that a close friend had just died. […] The
next day, I went to the funeral and mourned with my friends. […]
Prepositions are often used to express place and time. Here are some examples. What’s the
rule? Discuss with your classmates and instructor.

PLACE
Examples Rule/Pattern
My friend lives in this apartment building. in +
Helen spends a lot of time in her room.
I can’t talk right now. I’m at work. at +
We arrived at the airport, but our suitcase
didn’t.
I enjoy studying at coffee shops.
The barber shop is at 408 Main Street.
The barber shop in on Main Street. on +
The computer lab is on the second floor of the
GM building.
Please don’t sing on the elevator.

TIME
Examples Rule/Pattern
Jose moved in June. in +
I’m going to start taking photography classes
in the winter.
My daughter was born in 2009.
He always drinks coffee in the morning.
Class begins at 11:00. at +
She loves to read at night.
My interview is on Tuesday. on +
My daughter was born on May 8, 2009.
On New Year’s Eve, we set off fireworks.

PRACTICE 5F: Add the correct prepositions. Add commas where necessary.

1. My flight arrived __________ 4:00 PM ________ December 28, 2009.

2. __________ night eight inches of snow fell.

3. I was surprised when I woke up ___________ the morning.

 44

4. ___________ January it snowed more than six inches every week.

5. Finally the flowers started blooming ________ the end of April.

6. When spring came we spent almost every evening _________ the park.

So far, we have been looking at simple sentences with our S V O word order patterns. A
compound sentence is slightly longer. It is made up of two simple sentences connected with a
coordinating conjunction. The seven coordinating conjunctions are for, and, nor, but, or, yet,
and so (known by the acronym: FANBOYS). The function of the conjunction is to determine the
relationship between the two simple sentences.

Note that the most common coordinating conjunctions used in writing are and, but, and so.
Conjunction Meaning/Use Example
For: In this situation, it means because. He dropped the class, for he was too
(formal, not common) busy.
And: And is used to show addition. It’s Our friends came over for dinner, and we
like a “+” sign in the middle of the enjoyed our time together.
sentence. (VERY COMMON)

Nor: Nor connects two negative facts. My boss didn’t take New Year’s Day off,
The word order is unusual. (formal, nor did he take a vacation this year.
not common)

But: This is used to show contrast or to My sister loves to shop, but I hate
show unexpected result. shopping.
(VERY COMMON) It was raining, but we didn’t cancel the
picnic.
Or: This is used to show two choices. Passengers can get a cabin with a view,
(not common) or they can choose a big inside cabin.

Yet: This use is similar to but, used for Tim is very quiet, yet he has many
unexpected result. Yet is a little friends.
stronger and more formal. (not
common)
So: So is used to show a logical result. It was raining, so we canceled the picnic.
(VERY COMMON)
 45

PRACTICE 5G: Below are compound sentences that contain two simple sentences.
• Find and label the S V O.
• Circle the coordinating conjunction.
Then add three of your own sentences using three different coordinating conjunctions.

1. Pamela bought some new dishes, and she gave her old ones to Jill.

2. Karen and Greg went to Tennessee last week, so they didn’t go to the party.

3. Frank has a new job, but he misses his old one.

4. Jack made dinner for Jill last night, but she couldn’t eat it.

5. Kacie is getting married, so she has a lot to do.

6. __________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

7. __________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

8. __________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

PRACTICE 5H: Put the pairs of sentences together using a logical coordinating
conjunction (FANBOYS). Remember that if you join two sentences together using a
coordinating conjunction, you must use a comma (,) in between them. Use both complete
sentences to maintain the writer’s original meaning. Use pronouns when possible.

1. Mary doesn’t drink coffee. Mary doesn’t drink beer.

Mary doesn’t drink coffee, and she doesn’t drink beer.

2. Ali’s team won first place in the district. Ali’s team might win the state finals.

____________________________________________________________________________
 46

3. Kris likes volleyball. Kris doesn’t like bowling.

____________________________________________________________________________

4. Ben is looking for a new job. Ben knows his company is moving out of the state.

____________________________________________________________________________

5. Would you like to go out for dinner? Would you like to stay home and cook?

____________________________________________________________________________

6. I have been saving my money for two years. Now I can buy a new car.

____________________________________________________________________________

7. Mike has been learning Spanish for seven years. Mike has never visited a Spanish-speaking
country.

____________________________________________________________________________

8. Filling out applications is important. You must also call store managers.

____________________________________________________________________________

9. Many students like ESL grammar classes. Many students do not like ESL writing classes.

____________________________________________________________________________

10. Jennifer doesn’t like her new job. Jennifer doesn’t want to go back to her old job.
____________________________________________________________________________

11. Felipe doesn’t like his job. Felipe knows he must keep his job.
____________________________________________________________________________

12. We have a preposition quiz tomorrow. We had better study.

____________________________________________________________________________

13. We can get the car fixed. We can buy a new car.

____________________________________________________________________________

14. Sandy takes night classes during the week. Sandy works at Bagel Barn on weekends.

____________________________________________________________________________
 47

PRACTICE 5I: Below are compound sentences that contain TWO clauses. Find the
S V O and label them.

1. Jack has a dog, and it had puppies.

2. Jena is a pre-school teacher, so she needs a lot of patience.

3. Tom is going to buy a new motorcycle because his other one needs too much work.

4. Although Brian lives in Iowa, he still visits his family every weekend.
(Image 3)
5. Kelly is going to quit her job when she has a baby.

6. David will take you to the airport if you need a ride.

7. Larry asked Melanie if she wanted to go to the parade.

8. I have a lot of homework, but I have no time to do it.

9. Juan has a full-time job, so he can only take two classes per semester.

PRACTICE 5I: Choose ONE of the topics below for your narrative paragraph.

1. Write the story of something that happened to you in a paragraph. It can be something
sad, happy, frightening, funny, important, difficult, or embarrassing. Use the pre-writing
(speaking) activity from Practice 5E if you need more ideas.
2. Write a narrative paragraph called “My Best Day.” Write a true story about the best day
of your life.
3. Write a narrative paragraph called “A Time I was Afraid.” Write a true story about a time
that you were afraid.

Your instructor will let you know when to submit the rough draft and final draft. When you
finish your rough draft, look back at the ways to create compound sentences using
• and
• but
• so
Read your paragraph one more time. Did you use and, but, or so? Did you use them
correctly?
Do you have a lot of short sentences? Can you combine a few of them using and, but, or
so?
 48

PRACTICE 5J: Help the writers with their simple past verbs. Add the be verb where
necessary.

1. I had an accident. There is no major damage to the car.

2. It was a long flight. I try to find something to do, but it still boring and I couldn’t sleep.

3. I didn’t asked him, “How are you?”

4. That’s when I toled her what hapen.

5. I make my way to Italy across the sea, but because of a heavy storm, I end up in Malta
instead of Italy.

In Unit 2, we practiced writing in the simple present to summarize. The narrative present (simple
present) is used to write a summary of a fictional story. However, if you are writing a summary of
a nonfiction text that informs about history, use past tenses. Examples of nonfiction articles
about history are biographies and true stories about historical events.

The following passage is from “Daily Life in Ancient China: Social Class, Clothing, and
Adornments” by Emily Mark. Read the text. Then read the summary that follows.

During the period known as the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms (907-960 CE) the
practice of foot binding began. It probably started earlier but became a custom after
the reign of the emperor Li Yu (937-978 CE) who had his consort Yia Niang bind her
feet to resemble a crescent moon and perform a special dance for guests at one of
his parties. Li Yu had erected a large golden statue of a lotus flower in his garden,
and Yia Niang’s dance was to honor its unveiling. Her dance was so beautiful it made
the other women there want feet as tiny and graceful as Yia Niang’s were, and soon
the idea developed that a beautiful woman should have tiny feet. (Image 4)

Girls as young as toddlers would have their feet wrapped in bandages so tightly it broke their toes and
curled them under the foot. Girls had to walk around stepping on their own toes and were in constant
pain for years until they grew used to it. Although this practice started among the upper classes, it
soon became common for all women in China. This made working in the rice fields or doing any kind
of manual labor very difficult. Women are shown in ancient paintings crawling in the rice paddies
because they could not walk. Foot binding continued for centuries until it was outlawed in 1911 CE.
Many women were interviewed in the late 19th early 20th centuries CE on footbinding and talked
about crying from the pain for years and how it never made them feel any more beautiful.
 49

Summary:
According to “Daily Life in China: Social Class, Clothing, and Adornments,” a famous
beautiful woman named Yia Niang started the practice of footbinding in the 900s. For
hundreds of years, the feet of young girls were wrapped tightly to make them small and
beautiful. This was very painful. Many girls cried and worked in pain. Footbinding ended in
the 20th century.

PRACTICE 5K: Find a nonfiction text about something historical in your reading textbook,
or choose a book about history from the library. Write a summary of the text. Use past
tense verbs when necessary.
 50

Attributions

"Daily Life in Ancient China" by Emily Mark, Adapted by Lumen Learning is licensed under CC
BY-NC-SA 4.0 / A derivative from the original work

Image 1:
“Greenfield Apartment Fire” by Jay Adan is licensed via Flickr under CC BY 2.0.

Image 2:
“Architecture Students (5118908560)” by Tulane Public Relations is licensed via Wikimedia
Commons under CC BY 2.0.

Image 3:
“Bsa Motorcycle Oldtimer Old Motorcycle Vehicle” by Emslichter is licensed via Pixabay under
CC0 1.0.

Image 4:
“GebundenerFuss” by Ernst v. Hesse-Wartegg is licensed via Wikimedia Commons under Public
Domain Mark 1.0.
 51

Unit 6: Supporting Opinions with Reasons

It is important to be able to express your opinion and support it with facts, details, and
explanations. In American college classes, instructors will often ask you to “take a stand” and
give reasons for your opinion. It is not so important that your opinion be the same as the
instructor or your classmates. A strong writer will have strong, detailed, well-expressed support.

In this unit, we will write paragraphs that list reasons. Reasons are used to answer the question
“Why?” You might be asked to explain a behavior using your observations and experiences. You
may also be asked to agree or disagree with a statement and explain why you think that way.

(Image 1)

PRACTICE 6A: Speak with a partner about the following statements. One of you must
agree with each statement. The other person must disagree with the statement. Decide
which of you will agree and disagree. Discuss the statement. Give reasons for your
opinion. Use details and examples from your life experience and thinking. Try to speak
for at least 3 minutes about each statement.

1. Boys and girls should attend separate schools.

2. Growing up in a big family is better than growing up in a small family.

3. Online classes are better than traditional classes taught in person.

4. Watching TV is a great way to learn English.

Pre-writing is useful for getting ideas and organizing them. So far, we have used two methods of
pre-writing: clustering and making a list. A very efficient method of both brainstorming and
organizing at the same time is making a rough outline. With this method, write your more
general ideas to the left. On the next line, indent a little and put a bullet point next to a
supporting idea. The farther to the right, the more specific your details should be.
 52

Here is an example of a rough outline for the Why- question, “Why do some people choose not
to get married?”

Not get married because:

- haven’t found right person
- want perfect partner, ideal, waiting
- Sharon: list
- choose career
- demanding, stress, time
- journalist, movies
- satisfaction
- freedom
- travel, move
- Siska
- make choices for self

PRACTICE 6B: Choose TWO of the questions below. Write a rough outline as pre-writing.
Be prepared to share your ideas with the class.

1. Why do people exercise? Write a paragraph that lists three reasons. Plan your
support.

2. Is it better to grow up in a big family or a small family? Why do you think so? Give
three reasons. Plan your support.

3. Is it better to get married when you are young (17-22), or should people wait until they
are older (27 and up)? Why do you think so? Give three reasons. Plan your support.

4. Do you prefer to spend your free time outside or inside? Give reasons.

5. Many American high school students have a part-time job. Is this a good thing or a bad
thing? Why do you think so? Give three reasons for your opinion. Plan your support.

The topic sentence of a reasons paragraph should show the reader that you will discuss
reasons. If you are supporting an opinion, the opinion should be clear in the topic sentence.
Remember, a paragraph starts with the topic sentence. There should be only ONE sentence
before you begin your first reason.
 53

PRACTICE 6C: In each pair, which is the better topic sentence for a reasons paragraph?
Discuss your choices with a partner.

1. A. I enjoy living in Ann Arbor for several reasons.

B. I came to Ann Arbor in 2009, and I was surprised by how friendly the people were.

2. A. Some people like to live in the city. Other people think the country is a nicer place to raise a
family.
B. There are several reasons why it is better to live in the country than in the city.

3. A. I would prefer to take classes online for a few reasons.

B. Nowadays, online classes are very popular. My friend got his degree online. I want to take
online classes, too.

It is normal to use for a few reasons, for several reasons, or for three reasons in a topic
sentence that will list reasons. Some writers can easily name the main idea of each reason in
their topic sentences like this:

I enjoy living in Ann Arbor because of its diverse population, good educational
opportunities, and green spaces.
Notice that because of is a preposition. It is followed by a list of nouns.

I enjoy living in Ann Arbor because it has a diverse population, good educational
opportunities, and green spaces.
Notice that because starts a new clause. That is, it will need S V O.

PRACTICE 6D: Fix the grammar in the following topic sentences.

1. There are some reason that I am studying English.

2. Florida is a great place to take a vacation, I go there for several reasons.

3. Working at a restaurant was difficult because the schedule, the customers, and the walking.

4. I want to travel to China because of it has good shopping, great food, and famous historical
places.

5. I believe that high school student should not have ajob for few reason.
 54

In Unit 3, we noticed that transition words help the reader follow a well-organized paragraph.
Here is a list of some transition words that we have already used, and some new ones:

for the first reason: Examples:

First, First, WCC has great teachers.
First of all, First of all, WCC has great teachers.
The first reason is [NOUN phrase] The first reason is the great teachers at WCC.
The first reason is that [S V O] The first reason is that WCC has great teachers.
for the second reason: Examples:
Second, Second, WCC has low tuition.
Secondly, Secondly, WCC has low tuition.
The second reason is [NOUN The second reason is the low tuition at WCC.
phrase] The second reason is that WCC has low tuition.
The second reason is that [S V O]
for the last reason: Examples:
Finally, Finally, WCC has beautiful facilities.
The last reason is [NOUN phrase] The last reason is WCC’s beautiful facilities.
The last reason is that [S V O] The last reason is that WCC has beautiful facilities.
for examples: Examples:
For example, For example, the library is large and comfortable.
For instance, For instance, the library is large and comfortable.
[…] , such as […]. There are beautiful places to walk, such as the Fitness
[…], for example, […]. Center and Community Park.
There are beautiful places to walk, for example, the
Fitness Center and Community Park.
for conclusions: Examples:
In conclusion, In conclusion, WCC is a great choice for my English
To conclude, studies.
In sum, To conclude, WCC is a great choice for my English
studies.
For all of these reasons,
In sum, WCC is a great choice for my English studies.
Because of [Nouns], S V O For all of these reasons, WCC is a great choice for my
English studies.
Because of its teachers, tuition, and facilities, WCC is
a great choice for my English studies.
 55

PRACTICE 6E: Read the following paragraph. It is based on the rough outline example
from earlier in this unit. Answer the questions that follow.

Some people decide not to get married for several reasons. First of all, maybe these
people didn’t meet the right person to marry. For example, my friend Sharon wants to marry
someone who is smart, handsome, rich, and kind. She wants to wait until she falls in love with
this perfect man, so she hasn’t gotten married yet, and she is now 58 years old. Secondly,
some people think getting married will take their focus away from their career. Some jobs
require traveling or long hours at work. For instance, movie directors and journalists often
have to travel for long periods of time, so marriage is difficult for those people. Finally, some
people don’t get married because they want total freedom. If you stay single, you can quit
your job, move, date, and try many things without thinking of another person. For all of these
reasons, some people decide not to get married.

1. What is the topic sentence? Underline it.

2. Underline the transition words that lead from one reason to the next.
3. Underline the conclusion sentence.

PRACTICE 6F: The following are general reasons for paragraphs. Each reason needs
more support. Add sentences with details or examples for each.

1. (for a paragraph about “Why do people have pets?”)

Topic sentence: There are several reasons why people get a pet.

REASON 1: First of all, people get pets if they are lonely.

SUPPORT:
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
 56

REASON 2: Second, people get pets for exercise.

SUPPORT:
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________

2. (for a paragraph about “Why do people listen to music?”)

Topic sentence: People listen to music for many reasons.

REASON 1: One reason is that music helps people stay happy while they do boring tasks.
SUPPORT:
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________

REASON 2: Another reason is that music helps people have fun.

SUPPORT:
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________

REASON 3: Finally, people listen to music to relax.

SUPPORT:
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
 57

PRACTICE 6G: In the following paragraph, the general reasons are missing. Only the
details are given. Write the general reason. Remember to use transition words.

Getting There: Drive or Fly?

(Image 2) (Image 3)

When I take a vacation, I prefer to fly rather than drive. ________________

_________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________ . For example, driving to

Florida takes 24 hours. It is impossible to drive straight through, especially if my

children are coming. On the other hand, flying to Florida takes only three hours.

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

___________________________________ . For instance, if I drive to New York

City, I will have to pay a lot for parking the whole time. However, if I fly, I will be able

to enjoy the subway and train system without worrying about my car. _____________

_________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________ . There are far

more car accidents than plane accidents. My safety while driving depends on many

things: other drivers, the weather, the road, my tiredness. Flying is kind of worry-free

for me in terms of safety. For all of these reasons, I would rather fly than drive to my

vacation spot whenever possible.

 58

PRACTICE 6H: The following sentences belong in one paragraph about reasons. First,
put the sentences in logical order. Put a “1” next to the first paragraph, a “2” next to the
second sentence, and so on. Then write the paragraph on the lines below.

Question: Why do people get college degrees?

______ These people might major in art, philosophy, or other social sciences, but they don’t
know what job they want.
______ Finally, some people get a college degree because of pressure from other people.
______ Maybe their parents want them to get a college degree, or all of their friends are getting
a degree.
______ Second, some people get a college degree to show that they are educated.
______ For example, if you want to become a teacher, a lawyer, or an engineer, the first step is
getting a college degree.
______ There are many reasons why people get college degrees.
______ They just want to learn, discuss things, and develop their minds in college.
______ All of these are reasons that people go to college and get degrees.
______ Many jobs require a higher education.
______ These people might not have their own reason to get a degree, but they choose to get
one anyway.
______ First, people get college degrees because they want to get a good job.

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________
 59

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

What verb tense is used in the paragraph about “Why do people get a college degree?”

Remember, the simple present is used to make general statements. Other verb forms are used
as needed. Examples about past experiences usually use simple past. Gerunds and infinitives
might be found in sentences as subjects and objects. (See Appendix C.)

PRACTICE 6I: Use one of your rough outlines from PRACTICE 6B. Write the rough draft of
your paragraph for this topic. Double space your paragraph. Bring your paragraph to
class for a peer review and feedback from your instructor.

Paragraphs about reasons often give support by showing a result. Imagine you are writing a
paragraph about reasons that you would like to take online classes. You will need to give
support with results:
I would like to take online classes because I live far away from WCC.
I live far away from WCC, so I would like to take online classes.
I live over one hour from WCC. It is very hard for me to come to campus. As a result, I
would like to take online classes.
 60

Notice the punctuation of the sentences above. Here is a summary of the types of words that
connect causes and effects:

Grammatical Term Example Rules to Remember

Coordinating Conjunction The weather is terrible in Ann Put a comma before so. Don’t
Arbor, so I dislike living here. start a sentence with so.
Don’t put a comma after it.
Subordinating Conjunction I dislike living in Ann Arbor NO COMMA BEFORE
because the weather is BECAUSE
terrible.
Two-word preposition I dislike living in Ann Arbor No comma, No SVO after
because of the terrible because of, just a noun or
weather. noun phrase
Transition word or phrase Ann Arbor has long, cold Usually starts a sentence.
winters and hot, humid Capital letter followed by a
summers. As a result, I dislike comma. Other examples:
living here. Therefore, Thus.

PRACTICE 6J: Practice using the three ways to connect causes and effects. Use the word
in parentheses.
1. The movie has great actors. Watching it is a very emotional experience. (so)
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
2. My boss is very kind and flexible. Working for him is a pleasure. (as a result)
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
3. I avoid watching the news. It is depressing and confusing. (because)
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
4. I liked this book. It had amazing photos. (because of)
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________

PRACTICE 6K: Choose a book that you have read for this class. Write a short paragraph
about why you liked or didn’t like the book. Your topic sentence should state your
opinion and the title of the book. Underline the book’s title.
Example topic sentence: I liked Jane Eyre for many reasons.
Support your opinion with reasons. Remember that if you are summarizing parts of a
fiction book, use simple present (narrative present: see Unit 4).
 61

In the conclusion sentence of your paragraph, write whether or not you would
recommend the book to others. Be specific if you think only some people would like it.
Example conclusion sentence: Jane Eyre is a wonderful book, and I recommend it to
everyone. OR Pele is a great book, and I recommend it for soccer fans.

Attributions
Image 1:
“Good question” by Eric is licensed via Flickr under CC BY-ND 2.0.
Image 2:
“Car Driving Blue Vehicle Transportation Drive” by Clker-Free-Vector-Images / 29595 images is
licensed via Pixabay under CC0 1.0.
Image 3:
“Airplane Jet Plane Red Flying Aircraft Aeroplane” by Clker-Free-Vector-Images / 29595 images
is licensed via Pixabay under CC0 1.0.
 62

Appendix A: List of Frequently Misspelled Words

Words frequently misspelled in low intermediate writing:

first daughter
who / how homework
affect / effect question
because friend
finally every day / everyday
conclusion a lot
by / pay fun / fan
responsibility would
example health
beautiful experience
second writing
believe grammar
addition neighbor
Add to the list, class words:
____________________________ ____________________________
____________________________ ____________________________
____________________________ ____________________________
____________________________ ____________________________
____________________________ ____________________________
____________________________ ____________________________
____________________________ ____________________________
____________________________ ____________________________
____________________________ ____________________________
____________________________ ____________________________
____________________________ ____________________________
____________________________ ____________________________
____________________________ ____________________________
____________________________ ____________________________
 63

PRACTICE 1A: Edit the spelling in the following paragraph. There are 15 spelling errors!

I belive that children can learn alot by using technology. Frist, using apps and learning

Web sites makes learning more fan for children. For exampel, my dohter does her spelling

homworke on a spelling Web site once a week. It’s easy for her to by attention becous of the

colorful graphics in the activities. Secound, technology often challenges children while they

learn. Many learning programs give kids harder qeustions if they get the easy ones right. Finaly,

by using technology, children also get experence with equipment like a computer keyboard and

mouse. Children how practice these skills are able to use technology for many things in their

lives. In conlution, technology can be a very useful learning tool for children.

Write the misspelled words from this paragraph one more time – correctly!

1. ___________________ 6. ___________________ 11. ___________________

2. ___________________ 7. ___________________ 12. ___________________

3. ___________________ 8. ___________________ 13. ___________________

4. ___________________ 9. ___________________ 14. ___________________

5. ___________________ 10. ___________________ 15. ___________________

 64

Appendix B: Personal Spelling List and Practice

When you get your writing back with corrections, write down the words that you spelled
incorrectly. Follow these instructions:

1) Write the word incorrectly, as you wrote it first.

2) Make a big “X” through the incorrectly spelled word.
3) Spell the word correctly.
4) Find a way to remember the correct spelling. This could be:
• Break the word into small parts
• Develop a memory trick, any easy way for you to remember the spelling
• Remember a word that rhymes with it that has easy spelling
• Understand the history of the word and its spelling
5) On the right, under “PRACTICE,” write the word four or five times. Say the word out loud each
time that you write it.

Misspelled Word Correctly Spelled How can I PRACTICE

remember this Write the word at least
word’s spelling? four times. Say it out
loud.
final has an “l” finally finally
finaly finally already. It’s an
adverb, so we need finally finally
to add ly, so 2 ls are
needed
 65

Misspelled Word Correctly Spelled How can I PRACTICE

remember this Write the word at least
word’s spelling? four times. Say it out
loud.
 66

Misspelled Word Correctly Spelled How can I PRACTICE

remember this Write the word at least
word’s spelling? four times. Say it out
loud.
 67

Misspelled Word Correctly Spelled How can I PRACTICE

remember this Write the word at least
word’s spelling? four times. Say it out
loud.
 68

Appendix C: Gerund Subjects and Non-referential (“dummy”) It

A gerund is the –ing form of a verb. Grammatically, it functions as a noun in a sentence. That
is, it can be a Subject, Object, or Object of a Preposition.
Watching sports is fun for me. (gerund as Subject)
I enjoy working outside. (gerund as Object)
She is not interested in learning how to sew. (gerund as Object of a Preposition)

PRACTICE 1C: Underline all of the -ing forms. Which of these sentences contain
gerunds? If you circle “has a gerund,” also check what grammatical role the gerund is
playing in the sentence.

Example: Taking care of a pet can be expensive. No gerund Has a gerund

√ Subject
__ Object
__ Object of preposition

1. I spend a lot of time surfing the internet. No gerund Has a gerund

__ Subject
__ Object
__ Object of preposition

2. I am taking two classes this semester. No gerund Has a gerund

__ Subject
__ Object
__ Object of preposition

3. Making new friends is sometimes difficult. No gerund Has a gerund

__ Subject
__ Object
__ Object of preposition

4. Copying other people’s words and claiming No gerund Has a gerund

them as your own is wrong. __ Subject
__ Object
__ Object of preposition

5. I never dreamed of coming to the United States. No gerund Has a gerund

Then I got married, and I had to come. __ Subject
__ Object
__ Object of preposition

6. My oldest daughter was born while I No gerund Has a gerund

was living in Texas. __ Subject
__ Object
__ Object of preposition
 69

PRACTICE 2C: Write sentences about these gerunds and gerund phrases. Use the gerund
as a subject, or use one of the following verbs that take gerund objects: enjoy, like,
dislike, am interested in. Be prepared to share your sentences.

Example: (reading) Reading is fun for me. OR I enjoy reading novels.

1. (reading)
__________________________________________________________________________

2. (playing soccer)
_________________________________________________________________________

3. (listening to music)
_________________________________________________________________________

4. (smoking)
_________________________________________________________________________

5. (driving in the snow)

_________________________________________________________________________

6. (washing dishes)
_________________________________________________________________________

PRACTICE 3C: Write a short paragraph (4-6 sentences) about your opinion of one of
these topics. Your paragraph should have a topic sentence that states your opinion.
- renting an apartment - eating fast food
- owning a pet - living in a big city

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________
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Sentences with gerund subjects that have a be verb can also be expressed with a to + V form
(infinitive) in the same way as a gerund subject. However, these sentences usually begin with It.

Watching sports is fun for me. (gerund as Subject)

It is fun for me to watch sports.

The It is not pointing to any particular noun, so it is called a “non-referential It” or “dummy It.”

PRACTICE 4C: Change the sentences from having a gerund as Subject to It + infinitive.

(Example) Watching TV is relaxing for me. It is relaxing for me to watch TV.

1. Learning English is difficult for me.

___________________________________________________________________________

2. Reading to children is important.

___________________________________________________________________________

3. Making rice is easy.

___________________________________________________________________________

4. Driving without a license is illegal.

___________________________________________________________________________

5. Traveling alone is a little scary for Jill.

___________________________________________________________________________
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Appendix D: Plural Agreement and Basic Article Use

Errors in subject/verb agreement and plural agreement are affected by the kind of noun that
you are using. The three kinds of nouns in English are:

1. Count – Singular Examples:

2. Count – Plural Examples:
3. Noncount Examples:
When you write about a topic in general, for example, about “teenagers”, “people” or “sports,”
count nouns will need a plural “s.” When you are using a singular or noncount noun, there is no
“s” on the noun, but the verb will need to agree with a singular subject, thus requiring “s.”

PRACTICE D1: Try to correct these sentences:

1. Respect for my elders was one of the first thing I learned in my life.
2. The dealer have many cars for sale.
3. He recorded a lot of pop musics.
4. She came to the United State to perform her song.
5. My father have a strong personality.
6. Cairo have a lot of traffic in its street.
7. The north side of the city has big old house, and the south side has lots of flat house.
8. There is a lot of historic place, mosque, church, castle, and palace.
9. Growing vegetables are very difficult here because the weather is cold and the sun rarely
shine.

To use articles (a, an, the, and Ø) in English correctly, first ask yourself, “What kind of noun is
it?” Then ask yourself, “Which article do I need?”

Types of Nouns (review): Examples (review): Indefinite Article: Definite Article:

1.
a / an the

2.
Ø the

3.
Ø the
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PRACTICE D2: Write a, an, the or Ø in the spaces.

1. I have _____ big family. My mother shows _____ love to all of us. ______ first time my
husband met my family, he was impressed with ______ love that my mother showed everyone.

2. I’m so busy. I rarely have _______ time to do _______ homework. If I have _____ chance, I
will study tonight.

3. I talked to ______ interesting person on ______ bus. She gave me _______ good advice
about ______ money.

4. Is that _____ good book? Yes, but it’s too hard for me. Maybe I should study ______
literature next year.

5. ______ Friendships can help you learn ______ language. Talking with _____ friend over
_____ cup of ______ coffee can help you learn ______ vocabulary.

6. Mogadishu is ______ capital of my country.

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Peer Reviews

Unit 2 Peer Review: Summary

Writer’s name: Your name:
How many sentences are in this summary? _________
Check ( ) the following:
______ The writer used his or her own words, not the original text.
______ The writer included only the main ideas of the text.
______ The writer did not include his or her opinion.

Read the summary again. Look for problems in these areas:

Paragraph format
Capital letters and periods (complete sentences)
Verb tenses (simple present for summaries of stories)
Use of commas and periods (sentence boundaries)

Unit 3 Peer Review: Paragraph with Listing Order

Writer’s name: ____________________________ Your name: _______________________

1. In three or four words, what is the topic of the paragraph? (What did the writer write about?)
____________________________________________________________________________

2. How many sentences are in this paragraph? ______

3. Does each sentence begin with a capital letter? Yes No

Does each sentence end with a period? Yes No
If “No,” help the writer fix their sentences. Circle the capital letters and periods that you
add.
4. Do you see an error in any of the sentences? If so, write one of the sentences here, but
correct the error
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
5. Was this paragraph interesting to you? Yes No Why or why not? Explain.
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
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Unit 4 Peer Review: Opinion Paragraph with Simple Present

Writer’s name: __________________________ Your name: _________________________

1. In three or four words, what is the topic of the paragraph? (What did the writer write about?)
____________________________________________________________________________

Did the writer begin with a topic sentence that includes the topic + a feeling or opinion?
_____ Yes _____ No

2. How many sentences are in this paragraph? ______

3. Does each sentence begin with a capital letter? _____ Yes _____ No
Does each sentence end with a period? _____Yes _____ No
If “No,” help the writer fix their sentences. Circle the capital letters and periods that you
add.
4. Look at the NOUNS in this paragraph. Are there nouns that need a plural “s”? Add the
plural “s” where necessary. Are there nouns that need the article a, an, or the? Are there
nouns that need the article removed (the zero Ø article?)
5. Look at the VERBS in this paragraph. Did the writer form the simple present verb tense
correctly?
6. Was this paragraph interesting to you? Yes No Why or why not? Explain.
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________

Unit 5 Peer Review: Narrative Paragraph with Simple Past

Writer’s Name: __________________________ Your name: _________________________

1. Look at the first sentence of this paragraph. Which topic did this writer choose?
Circle one:
a topic from Practice 5E My Best Day A Time when I was Afraid
From the topic sentence, what is the writer’s opinion/feeling about the topic?
____________________________________________________________________________
2. Does each sentence begin with a capital letter? _____Yes _____ No
Does each sentence end with a period? _____Yes _____ No
If “No,” help the writer fix their sentences. Ask if you are not sure.
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3. Does this writer use “and,” “but,” or “so” correctly? (with commas) _____ Yes _____ No
If “No,” help the writer use these words correctly.
4. Look at the VERBS in this paragraph. Did the writer form the simple past verb tense
correctly? _____ Yes _____ No
Underline all of the simple past verbs in this paragraph.
5. Was this paragraph interesting to you? Yes No Why or why not? Explain.
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________

Unit 6: Peer Review: Paragraph about Reasons

Writer’s Name: __________________________ Peer Editor: _________________________
1. Look at the topic sentence of the paragraph.
Is it clear from the topic sentence that the paragraph will be a list of reasons?
_____ Yes _____ No
2. Read the paragraph. How many reasons did the writer use to answer the question? What
were the reasons?
Reason 1: ______________________________________________________________
Reason 2: ______________________________________________________________
Reason 3: ______________________________________________________________
Can you think of any other reasons about this topic? Another reason:
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
3. How many sentences are in this paragraph? ________
4. Did the writer use “signal words” like First, Second, and Finally? Circle the
signal words.

5. Look at the verbs in the paragraph. Did the writer use simple present and simple past
correctly?
Check these other areas for errors: Run-on sentences Punctuation
Fragments Agreement (plural “s”) Capital letters Articles
6. Did you agree with the writer? Why or why not?
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
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Units 3, 4, 5, or 6 Self-Check: Edit Your Own Paragraph

Name: ____________________________________________
Answer these questions about your paragraph.
1. Do you have a topic sentence? _____Yes _____No
If yes, then underline your topic sentence.
What is your paragraph about?
_______________________________________________________________________

2. How many sentences are in your paragraph? __________

Check to see if every sentence begins with a capital letter and ends with a period. Make
changes with a red pen.

3. Did you indent the paragraph? _____Yes _____ No

If “No”, then put an arrow  at the beginning of your paragraph.
4. Write a title at the top of the page. Follow the rules for titles from Low Intermediate Writing
OER.
5. Read your paragraph out loud. Try to find two or three more mistakes and correct them.
Ask your teacher if you are not sure.