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Academic Writing

Fall 2012 Meet twice a week Wednesday, Friday

Time: Wednesday 4:10-6:00 Friday 10:10-12:00

E-mail: austinkc@hotmail.com

Phone: 134 3922 0499

Website: http://austincasey.yolasite.com/

Writing Center: ICB 106 Monday 10-12, Friday 2-4

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Today:Attendance

GradesSyllabusGo over Midterm: Common Mistakes

IELTS Task 1: More Details

Practice Vocabulary

Homework: Journal 7

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Midterm Grades

The midterm was worth 20 points

You will get your test result next Friday (November 22nd)

The average score was a B

Grade Breakdown:

18-20 A (6 people) 90-100%

16-17 B (19 people) 80-89%

14-15 C (7 people) 70-79%

12-13 D (3 people) 60-69%

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Midterm Grades

The biggest problem was vocabulary.

Specifically, you need to know how to change the word from one form to another.

Example: Change evolution (n.) into _________ (adj.)

This is a concern for students in general and you will encounter this in the future in both writing and speaking. So you must learn this

Second biggest problem: What is a good thesis statement A-D

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Midterm Grades

To check your grade, come see me during the break.

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Syllabus (Class Schedule)

Grading Format

Class attendance & participation – 10%

Writings, quizzes and homework – 30%

Midterm exam – 20%

Final exam – 40%

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W9 midterm exam: vocabulary + composition

W10 using outside sources (Writing Academic English, chapter 3 and appendix E)

W11Focus on Vocabulary, chapter 3

W12 paraphrase and summary (Writing Academic English, chapter 8)

W13 Focus on Vocabulary, chapter 5

W14 IELTS writing task 1

W15 IELTS writing task 2

W16 revision expository essay duel

W17 Final exam – IELTS reading and writing 30 points + vocabulary 10 points

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Syllabus (Class Schedule)

I gave you a copy of the syllabus at the beginning of the semester

You can download the syllabus on my website:

http://austincasey.yolasite.com/

Remember we also have a journal due every Friday, except the essay week and the final exam week (16&17). So we will have 12 journals total.

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Midterm

Part 1. Vocabulary

A. Match the word on the left to its correct definition on the right. Write the correct letter, A–L, in the blank provided. Two definitions will not be used. (10 questions, 0.25 point each, 2.5 points total)

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1. affective

2. contemporary

3. distinction

4. diversification

5. encounter

6. evaluate

7. evidently

8. inconsequential

9. itemize

10. medium

L. to list things separately, often including details about each thing

A. a quality or fact that makes someone or something special or different

B. a way of communicating or expressing something

C. in a way that is easy to see

D. independent and not supporting any side in an argument, fight, or competition

E. influenced by or resulting from emotions

F. not important

G. power, influence and control

H. someone living during the same period as another

I. the act of becoming or making something become varied or different

J. to have or experience, especially problems or difficulties

K. to judge the value or condition of

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Part 1-A Answer Key

E

H

A

I

J

K

C

F

L

B

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C. Write the correct form of the word in brackets in the blank provided. Correct spelling is required for credit. (10 questions, 0.25 point each, 2.5 points total)

1. Solving the problem of illegal drug use is an issue of great _____________________ (complex).

2. _________________________ (evolve) processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organisation, including entire species, individual organisms, and molecules.

3. Harvard University _________________________ (conference) an honorary degree on Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling in 2008.

4. The sentence “She is a lovely girl” is an example of _________________________ (evaluate) language, or language that judges the worth of something.

5. The patient complained to his doctor about his _________________________ (persist) cough and frequent shortness of breath.

6. The post popular software program for word _________________________ (process) is Microsoft Word, though many alternative programs—including online applications—do exist.

7. The US-led War on Terror and _________________________ (consequence) failure to discover weapons of mass destruction in Iraq have damaged America’s image in the world.

8. He felt that his parents were always _________________________ (contrast) him with his older brother, whose abilities far exceeded his own.

9. She is a strong introvert and often _________________________ (decline) our invitations to join us at the local pub after work.

10. Significant _________________________ (vary) in the quality of a company’s products will lead to customer dissatisfaction.

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Answers: Part 1B

complexity

Evolutionary

conferred

evaluative <or> evaluating

persistent <or> persisting

processing

consequent <or> consequential

contrasting

declines

variation(s) <or> variability <or> variety

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Outline:

Introduction

Hook: catch reader's interest

Thesis statement

Body

P1 Topic sentence 1 with 3 evidence (supporting sentence)

P2 Topic sentence 2 with 3 evidence

P3 Topic sentence 3 with 3 evidence

Conclusion

Summary

Final Comment

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Part 2B

1.What two things should every topic sentence include?

2.Read the paragraph in the box below. Does it have unity? If not, edit the paragraph to make it unified.

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Does this have unity?

Shaking hands is a Western gesture that has historically had a variety of meanings. Joseph Lazarow holds the world record for shaking 11,000 hands in a single day. During the late 16th century, people joined right hands to show that neither person was carrying a weapon. Over time, a handshake came to convey trust and equality. Handshaking is now an activity practiced when meeting or greeting others, offering somebody congratulations or completing an agreement. Thus the meaning of a handshake has evolved significantly over time.

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Part 2B

1.What two things should every topic sentence include? Topic & controlling idea (thesis or opinion- what you think about the topic + evidence)

2.Read the paragraph in the box below. Does it have unity? If not, edit the paragraph to make it unified. No it doesn't. Remove the second sentence.

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Part 2B

3.What are two ways to write a concluding sentence for a paragraph?

4.Read the introductory paragraph in the box below. What type of introduction is this?

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What type of introduction?

Kyudo (弓道 ), which means “the way of the bow” in Japanese, is the Zen martial art of archery (射箭 ). It was adopted into traditional Buddhist practice from medieval Japanese archers who used 2.1-metre asymmetrical bows called yumi. Although kyudo lacks the widespread popularity of karate or judo, it is often regarded as one of the most intensive martial arts in existence, taking an estimated thirty years to master. In fact, a person who wishes to master kyudo must demonstrate not only concentration and balance but also persistence.

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What type of introduction?

Various answers:

1. Historical (background information story)

2. Surprising statistics or facts

3. Funnel style

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5.Which thesis statement below (A) is too general, (B) makes a simple announcement, (C) states an obvious fact, and (D) is well-written? Write the correct letter, A–D, in the blank provided. Each letter will be used only once.

i. The sun is the source of energy in our solar system.

ii. Abraham Maslow was an important psychologist.

iii.Most American hold three distinct values: individual freedom, equality of opportunity, and material wealth.

iv. This essay will show the three main reasons why American scientists are having trouble finding jobs.

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5.Which thesis statement below (A) is too general, (B) makes a simple announcement, (C) states an obvious fact, and (D) is well-written? Write the correct letter, A–D, in the blank provided. Each letter will be used only once.

i. C. The sun is the source of energy in our solar system.

ii. A. Abraham Maslow was an important psychologist.

iii. D. Most American hold three distinct values: individual freedom, equality of opportunity, and material wealth.

iv. B. This essay will show the three main reasons why American scientists are having trouble finding jobs.

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Announcement:

iv. B. This essay will show the three main reasons why American scientists are having trouble finding jobs.

X Never use an announcement when writing anything ever. It is boring and unprofessional

-Hello, today we are going to discuss...X

-I am going to show... X

-I am going to talk about... X

-In this essay... X

-In this paper let's consider...X

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Part 2C: Final Composition

C. Write a paragraph of at least 150 words describing the information in the figure. Use at least three of the words in the box below, or words from the same word family, in your response. You may copy wording directly from the figure into your paragraph. (1 question, 5 points)

Use the words: affect, contrast, distinct, diverse, environment, estimate, range, significant, vary

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Model Answer:

The paragraph is at least 150 words.

The response correctly uses at least three of the words from the word box, or words from the same word family.

The paragraph has a clear topic sentence with both a topic and a controlling idea.

All of the relevant information is included in the response.

The paragraph has unity: every supporting sentence relates directly to the controlling idea.

The paragraph has coherence: it flows smoothly and logically from sentence to sentence.

The paragraph has a clear concluding sentence that either paraphrases the topic sentence or summarizes the main ideas.

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All rainforests have four distinct layers, also called strata. The first layer is the emergent layer, which is made up of very large trees reaching heights of 45 to 55 metres. Birds, butterflies, bats and some monkeys live here. As the topmost layer, it is the only full-sun layer. The second layer is the canopy layer. This layer has the majority of trees, which grow 30 to 45 metres and form a “roof” affecting the layers below. Many more animals live here, including snakes, lizards, frogs and many insects. Beneath the canopy is the understorey, which is made up of vines and dense vegetation. Predators such as jaguars and leopards live here, as well as many of the species mentioned above. This layer is very shaded; it receives only 5% of the total sunlight. The bottommost layer is the forest floor. The environment here is dark (receiving an estimated 2% of sunlight), damp, and full of decaying plant and animal matter. The largest animals live here: humans, giant anteaters, gorillas, elephants and tigers, as well as some additional species: moss, fungi, bacteria and more insects. In summary, a rainforest is composed of four different areas, each of which are home to a diverse range of plants and animals and receive varied levels of sunlight.

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IELTS Task 1: Practice

IELTS Task 1

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The graph below shows the changes in maximum number of Asian elephants between 2000 and 2009.

Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Write at least 150 words.

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Use: the population fell, the number of elephants dropped as low as..., the population experienced a dramatic fall, although the trend was downwards

overall...

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IELTS Task 1

Describe a graph in a report. The report is for university professors to read, so you must use advance vocabulary and grammar.

Different types of graphs you will see:

Line graph

Bar graph

Pie chart

Table

Other figure

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IELTS Task 1

Task 1 rules:

Your report must be of at least 150 words written in 20 minutes.

You shouldn’t write your opinion or copy too many words from the task prompt – rephrase and use synonyms instead.

Never use symbols or other punctuation such as -------, ….... , ,,,,,,, *****, &, @, ect.,____ === write as if you were writing an essay or a letter.

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IELTS Task 1

When your Task 1 is graded by IELTS examiners, they look for this structure:

Introduction

Body

Conclusion

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IELTS Task 1: Introduction

The Introduction should describe the purpose of your report and say what overall trends you see.

For example, if the graph is climbing up or dropping down, you should mention that. You need to remember that you are describing a graph to someone who doesn’t see it. Write what the graph is about, its dates and location

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IELTS Task 1: Body

The Body should describe the most important trends, while all information is summarized to avoid unnecessary details. For example, if there is a graph that has 2 peaks, you should mention them; tell when those peaks appeared and what the peak values are. Notice how many distinctive features the diagram has and divide information into paragraphs, one paragraph per feature. You should link the paragraphs by sentences that logically connect them to one another.

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IELTS Task 1: Body

Important! You need to write about all the periods of time and all the subjects of graph. If it shows several years (2008, 2010, 2012) – write about all of them, if it is about men and women – write about both. Remember, summarizing doesn’t mean throwing away information. The secret here is to select what’s important, organize it, compare and contrast.

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IELTS Task 1: Conclusion

The Conclusion should sum up the global trends shown on the graph and compare them if possible.

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IELTS Task 1: ExampleYou should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The pie chart below shows electricity generation by source in Germany in 1980 and 2010.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons.

Write at least 150 words.

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Task 1: Useful Words- make up (this graph is made up of several...)

- represent (Bar B clearly represents...)

- account for (this slice of the pie accounts for...)

Coal made up 28 units of the total pie of Germany's energy consumption in 1980. The total units were 107 so that is about 30%.

In 2010 nuclear energy consumption increased from 20 units to 155 units which represents about 73% of the total.

Natural gas accounted for 28 units in 1980, but is just 2 units today.

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Task 1: Tip

Many figures are outdated, they are several years or even 10 years old.

There are often 2 figures. One is older and one is newer.

The newer figure can called as 'today' or 'now' and the older one can be seen as 'the past'

Generally speaking

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How about TOEFL?

Electronic test

Reading 3–4 passages, each containing 12–14 questions 60–80 minutes

Listening 6–9 passages, each containing 5–6 questions 60–90 minutes

Break 10 minutes

Speaking6 tasks and 6 questions 20 minutes

Writing 2 tasks and 2 questions 50 minutes

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IELTS Score TOEFL Score

9 118-120

8.5 115-117

8 110-114

7.5 102-109

7 94-101

6.5 79-93

6 60-78

5.5 46-59

5 35-45

4.5 32-34

0-4 0-31

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TOEFL Materials

I have some TOEFL Materials. You may ask me if you are interested. They are 2GB total and are mostly Iso files so you will need mounting software to play them.

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Vocabulary: Chap.3 words p.24

assistance=help

available = is there; can meet i.e. He is available

consist = made of

consume = buy,eat/take in

contribute = help, devote something (time or money)

conversely = on the other hand

cooperate = work together

domestic = house/family/inside our country

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Vocabulary: Chap.3 words p.24

function = work

isolation = by oneself, to be alone

labor = work

locate = find

maintain = keep

minority = a small number of people (opposite of majority)

negative = the opposite of positive

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Vocabulary: Chap.3 words p.24

network = a community or group

nuclear = a central thing (nuclear family)

promote = improve (a job) or recommend

purchase = to buy

rely = to depend on someone

resource = materials that we use

structure = shape, building

transition = to change the position

trend = fad, pattern

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Journal 7

Friendship:

Write an essay defining what friendship means to you. Be sure to use specific reasons and

examples to develop your definition.

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Journal 7

Friendship:

Remember: use personal examples/experiences

Use 4 new words from FOV Chapter 2 or Chapter 3 if you prefer.

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Class Schedule

Week 10, Class A

Review IELTS

FOV Chap.3

Week 10, Class B

Journal 7 Due

Academic Writing

Chap. 3Week 11, Class B

Journal 8 Due

Week 11, Class A

Vocabulary Quiz

(FOV Chap.3 words)

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Homework

1. Journal 7: Friendship2. Finish Vocabulary 'Getting Started' on p.243. Review the IELTS Task 1