Writing Class

Prof. EmoryOffice:Building 7C room1-14

By appointmentEmail: Prof.Emory@gmail.com

Do NOT contact me by phone for any reason

IMPORTANT

If I speak too quickly, tell me to slow down.

If I use words you do not know, ask me to explain.

If you do not understand a task or assignment, ask me questions, not your neighbor.

I’m here to help you write. Don’t be shy!

Class information

Attendance: 10%

Homework and in-class writing activities: 45%

Final Portfolio: 20%

Essay Tests: 25%

Class MaterialsYou must have a folder for your writing.You should have:

FolderA-4 lined notebook paperPen or Pencil

Writing book – new, copied, or unusedYour homework (typed, double-spaced)Access to www.engrade.comIf you do not have the materials, I will ask

you to leave and mark you absent.

Engrade.com

You must join: http://www.engrade.com I will give you an enrollment code next week.

Do not use anyone else’s account log in! You must join with the account assigned to

contact me and to view your grades. All grades will be available throughout the

semester. Please use engrade.com to contact me rather than email.

Talk to me: what do you know?

Paragraph

Topic Sentence

Hook

Thesis

Conclusion

Transition word

Conjunction

Period

Comma

Main Clause

Dependent Clause

Quotation

Citation

Edit

Task

On a piece of paper, write your student number, Chinese name in pinyin, English name (optional).

I want you to write one paragraph telling me about what you did this summer.

Please double space.

I will give you 10 minutes.

What is a paragraph?

A paragraph is a formatted group of sentences about one topic or subject.

A paragraph must follow specific format rules.

A paragraph must be about only one topic.

It should always start with a topic sentence

You can use transition phrases/words to organize it.

Transition Words/Phrases First of all, Second, Finally, Third, However, In conclusion, Moreover,

These are NOT transition

words:

AND

BUT

SO

OR

Main ideas!

When writing, you should put your main idea in your topic sentence.

Your topic sentence is usually the first or second sentence in a paragraph.

Your paragraph should have only one main idea.

When you want to write about a new idea, start a new paragraph

Topic Sentences

Winter is my favorite season to go skiing. What is the topic?

What is the controlling idea?

A topic is the main idea of your paragraph.

A controlling idea is how you discuss the topic.

What is the topic? What is the controlling idea?

I enjoy going to the beach with my family.

The most delicious food in the world is bread.

My hobby is reading books for three reasons.

The best restaurant in Gettysburg is Dino's Pizza.

This class is going to be very exciting.

Writing Process

BrainstormOutline

Rough draftEdit

Second draftProof readFinal draft

Brainstorming

Brainstorming is another word for “Thinking”

Brainstorming is when you write all of the words or phrases that you can think of about one topic

Brainstorming can be messy and fun

Brainstorming is KEY to organizing!

Basic Paragraphs

I. Topic Sentence – contains the topic and the controlling idea

II. First supporting DetailIII. Second Supporting DetailIV. Third Supporting DetailV. Conclusion Sentence – a sentence that

restates the topic and often a result of the three details.

Sample Paragraph

What are the transition words in this paragraph?Also and Last

Fall is my favorite season of the year. I like how the weather is warm and windy in the fall. Also, I like the beautiful trees and leaves. Last, I like the fall holidays like Halloween and Thanksgiving. Fall is definitely the best season for me every year.

Topic and Conclusion Sentences

A topic sentence and conclusion sentence should both include the topic and the controlling idea.

They are BFF, best friends forever.They are not twins.

The topic and conclusion like the same things, talk about the same things, but they look different.

You should never write the same sentence twice.

Writing a detailed paragraph

A detailed paragraph includes more information than a basic paragraph.

It is usually 8-14 sentences long.It often incorporates details, examples, and

support to help inform the reader.Usually put the strongest reasons at the

beginning of the paragraph and work down to the weakest.

Fall is my favorite season of the year for three reasons. First, I like how the weather is warm in the fall. It usually stays warm until November, so I can do many fall activities like hiking, cycling, and playing fall sports like baseball or basketball. Also, I like the beautiful trees and leaves. Near my home, the trees turn red and gold and look very beautiful. I like to take pictures of the leaves when I am hiking. Last, I like fall holidays like Halloween and Thanksgiving. Both of these holidays are special to my family as fall harvest festivals. Fall is definitely the best season for me every year because I can do outdoor activities that I love, see the beautiful countryside, and celebrate the harvest with my family.

SUPPORT and EXAMPLES

It is important to give details or examples to support your main idea.

Opinion paragraphs make this easy.

It is more difficult when writing academically.

When creating an outline, make sure you have two or three supporting sentences for each topic.

Commas When are commas used?

1. Lists 2. Dates 3. Connecting two main (independent clauses) with

a conjunction. 4. With subordinators (subordinating conjunctions) 5. Quotations 6. After an introductory or transition phrase 7. To indicate parenthetical phrases

Commas: Lists and Dates

When writing a simple list of three items or more, use a comma. To make chicken soup, I need to buy some

broccoli, corn, and chicken. I want a pony, a bicycle, and a laptop for

Christmas this year. Commas go between the day and the year. Today's date is December 6, 2010. I was born on August 12, 1982.

Commas for Independent Clauses

An independent clause has a subject, a verb, and expresses a complete idea. Today's weather is extremely cold and damp. I will not go outside.

When connecting two independent clauses, use a comma and a conjunction.

What are common conjunctions?

Today's weather is extremely cold and damp, so I will not go outside.

Using Conjunctions

I like ice cream. I hate cake.I like ice cream, but I hate cake.

I love chocolate ice cream. I love vanilla ice cream.

I love chocolate and vanilla ice cream.

I love ice cream. I eat ice cream every day. I love ice cream, so I eat it every day.

Subordinators/ Subordinating Conjunctions

A subordinating conjunction is used to connect a main (independent) clause with a subordinate (dependent clause).

A main clause has a subject, a verb, and a complete idea.

A subordinate clause has a subject and verb, but does NOT express a complete idea.

I eat ice cream because it's delicious.

What is the main clause? What is the subordinate clause?

List of Common Subordinating Conjunctions Because Since If As if Whether Unless While Whereas

Although Though Even though After When Until Before Whenever

Main Clause (MOM) and Subordinate Clause (Kid)

Identify the main and subordinate clauses Before I go to bed, I brush my teeth. I brush my teeth before I go to bed.

Because I want to be healthier, I have stopped eating sugary foods.

I have stopped eating sugary foods because I want to be healthier.

Commas in Practice

Read the sample paragraph Some commas are missing. Please add

missing commas. The writing is unclear. Please edit the

paragraph. Combine sentences and ideas using commas

correctly. There are different ways edit the paragraph.

Commas in PracticeChristmas is an important holiday in my

family. I am really looking forward to Christmas this year. I want three things for Christmas. I want an iPod. I want a new pair of boots. I want an easy-to-use cookbook. I want an iPod for one reason. I really like to listen to music. I want some new black boots. Boots are very fashionable and popular this year. The last thing I want is a cookbook. I really like cooking. I’m not very good at cooking. If I learn to cook with a new cookbook I will improve my cooking skills. I can’t wait to see what is under the Christmas tree this year.

Corrected ParagraphChristmas is an important holiday in my

family, and I’m really looking forward to it this year. I want an iPod, a new pair of boots, and an easy-to-use cookbook for Christmas. I want an iPod because I really like to listen to music. I want some new black boots because boots are very fashionable and popular this year. The last thing I want is a cookbook because I like cooking, but I’m not very good at it. If I learn to cook with a new cookbook, I will improve my cooking skills. I can’t wait to see what is under the Christmas tree this year!

Next week

Please be prepared for class next week; we will start the book.

Next week, I will give you your engrade logins.

I will have your assignment schedule and syllabus posted on engrade for you.

I will post all ppt and files on engrade for you to look at.