Today’s agenda:
1. Review paragraph structure:
- topic sentences
- get on topic, stay on topic
- quality of sentences – Write what we are studying and practicing.
- font size, 14-16 pt font
- deadline
You have an hour to write a short paragraph (150-200w)
2. Continue with compound sentences
- beginning sentences with SOBA
- ; semicolons
- transitional terms
Paragraph- begin with a topic sentence- very important
Topic sentence – normally the first sentence, except for Grabber
- addresses the question or writing prompt directly
- the Topic Sentence puts the paragraph on topic
“Write about a time when you stood up for yourself.”
TS (Topic Sentence) – use vocab from the writing prompt or use synonyms
E.g. TS- start with a topic sentence
One time when I was six, I stood up to some bullies in my school. I was always a shy kid, and some mean kids liked to make fun of me. ETC ETC ETC
Topic sentence is not the Title
synonyms – a time, situation, occurrence, event, something happened
- stood up for, defend yourself , speak up, assert yourself
“Write about a time when you stood up for yourself.”
I was six and always took the bus to school. A bigger kid would make fun of me. I had an accent because I came from a different part of the country. He would always make fun of my accent.
- story with no purpose, no topic sentence
A TS shows the reader what the intension of the paragraph is.
Everybody has to learn how to defend themselves when they are being treated poorly. I learned to defend myself when I was a small child going to school in a new city. I was six and always took the bus to school. A bigger kid would make fun of me. I had an accent because I came from a different part of the country. He would always make fun of my accent. One day, I told him to stop. ETC ETC ETC
Grabber (optional, but a good idea) 7 ways to do a grabber
Topic sentence
Then tell the story in a few sentences
End with a concluding sentence – gets back to the topic, refers to the topic
That’s the way to structure a paragraph.
Not for creative writing, but for academic writing, teaching, giving speeches.
Concluding sentence-
We should all be nice to each other. vague, off-topic
Kids can have trouble when they move to a new city. oddly specific, off-topic
I often remember that time when I put my fear aside and stood up to a bully. refers to the writing prompt, on-topic
Organized paragraph
Grabber
TS (Topic sentence)
- supporting sentences
- supporting sentences
- supporting sentences
- supporting sentences
CS (Concluding sentence)
(150-200w)
The supporting sentences are the story that you want to tell.
Example paragraph that I wrote on the fly:
Everybody has to learn how to defend themselves when they are being treated poorly. I learned to defend myself when I was a small child going to school in a new city. When I was six, my family moved to a big city from my small town. My new school was far from my home, so I always took the bus to school. I had an accent because I came from a different part of the country. My pronunciation of some words was different from the other kids from the city. A bigger kid would make fun of my accent. One day, I told him to stop. He laughed at me and kept making fun of my accent. I stood up and yelled at him. He was surprised and confused. He stopped making fun of me. Later he apologized, and we became good friends. I often remember that time when I put my fear aside and stood up to a bully.
Grabber
Topic sentence – linked to the writing prompt
Supporting sentences – the story (for narrative writing)
Concluding sentence
(150-200 words)
e.g
What do you do for fun?
I like to go out hiking and camping on the weekends. XXX no TS
Begin with a TS
There are several things that I like to do for fun. I like to go out hiking and camping on the weekends. I like to take my dog for a long hike on Grouse Mountain. Sometimes we camp overnight if the weather is good. Also, I love to go to dance parties. Me and ten of my friends go out dancing every Tuesday night. We stay out until 3am. Finally, other one of my favourite things to do for fun is to paint a wall and watch it dry. It helps me to relax. Sometimes I use green paint; other times I use yellow paint. I like to do something fun at least several times a week; it helps me to stay happy and chipper.
chipper –(adj) – bright and full of energy
cheap – not expensive, poor quality, a person who does not like to spend money
Maria bought a cheap phone for her 13-year-old daughter. inexpensive
Joe hates working with cheap tools. low quality
My aunt is very cheap. She dries her clothes by hanging them outside her car when she drives to work. doesn’t like to spend money
Complaints about the question that I asked.
They wanted “Who was Rosa Parks?”
“What did Rosa Parks do?”
boring, uninspiring, lots of plagiarism from the internet
What some of you wanted was this:
Write a summary of what Rosa Parks did.
Who was Rosa Parks?
-boring, uninspiring
I teach this class every year, dozens of times. Every term, I give a different question:
e.g. What would you have done if you were in Rosa Parks situation?
Was Rosa Parks right to do what she did?
Tell a story from your life when you stood up for yourself.
Lots of other questions to choose from.
In general, I find students write better when they are writing about their own stories. narrative writing tends to be a but easier for intermediate students.
The teacher/ I will ask to write about topics related to what we have studied in class.
e.g.
Explain how a nuclear power plant works.
-unlikely
The writing topics will either be general topics (common knowledge) or topics that you have studied in class.
Test time:
No ideas of what to write!
Get nervous!
Panic!
Start crying!
Relax!
You can do it.
Deep breath.
Follow a process.
*** Writing Process:
This is the process that I use. It might be helpful to you.
A. PREWRITING – planning, few minutes
1. Read the question carefully. Read every word. Make sure you know what the teacher is asking you to do.
WHAT I TELL MY ENGLISH 11&12 STUDENTS: Read the question five times.
2. Brainstorm some ideas. 3-5 ideas, 3 is a magic number
3. Organize those ideas: order of TIME, SPACE, or IMPORTANCE
narrative writing – TIME order
B. WRITING
4. Start to write sentences- Grabber, TS, supporting sentences, CS
5. Proofread and Edit, check the aspects of English that you know you have trouble with: CS, RO, VT, VF, PUNC
6. Pass in the writing by the deadline.
If people want help with their sentences, I am eager to help. Choose a few to bring to class. We usually share sentences almost every day.
Put a sentence that you are having trouble with in Chat:
1. I was stood up for myself; when my family decided to choose my life partner. According to in Asia countries mostly parents decided for our kids they are Life partners; kids don’t have the freedom to select the life partners
I stood up for myself when my family decided to choose my life partner. In Asian countries, mostly parents decide their life partners for their kids; kids don’t have the freedom to select the life partners.
2. I got win. I was wine because my dad word help me to be self positive about my fear.
I won. I won because my dad’s words helped me to be more positive about my fear.
3. At that time people were fanatical about their girls
At that time, people were fanatical about their girls.
4. I never talked to anyone unless they’ll talk to me.
I never talked to anyone unless they talked to me.
5. Also in my country when girls are growing up; when someone like the boy's parents is like some girls they are going to the girl House and talking to the girl's parents; whoever we selected you daughter For our son; purpose her. TOO LONG AND CUMBERSOME
In my country, when girls are growing up, parents arrange marriages. If they like the boy's parents, they will go to the girl’s house and talk to the girl's parents. If the parents agree, the son will propose to the daughter.
6. My career ended there, but reconciled as a child, I demanded my rights.
My dancing career ended there. However, I was happy. Even though I was a child, I had demanded my rights.
7. Such as confusing the employee by demanding a different way, and changing the recipe in a way that the boss didn't want.
For example, my coworker confused the employees by demanding they follow her instructions. Also, she changed the recipes in a way that the boss didn't want.
8. My family also wanted to do the same thing with me; I stood up for my rights, and I say to my Mother this is my life and It is my right to choose my life partner.
My family also wanted to do the same thing with me. I stood up for my rights, and I said to my Mother, “This is my life, and it is my right to choose my life partner.”
One of my students in my 8:30 asked me to correct all of the students sentences like this when I mark their paragraphs.
I told her that would take probably 50 hours of work.
Instead, what we do is look at 10-15 examples in class that we can share.
There are unlimited resources on the internet that you can access to get extra work.
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