Great writing 1 Teachers note

Writing great writing great essays answer key unit exploring the essay elements of great writing activity page the purpose is to classify different types ...Writing great writing great essays answer key unit exploring the essay elements of great writing activity page the purpose is to classify different types ...

UNIT 1 Understanding Sentence Basics

OVERVIEW

This unit introduces students to the simple sentence and its basic features, namely

capitalization and end punctuation, in addition to subjects, verbs and objects Some students may already be familiar with simple sentence writing, but students’ familiarity with the various elements of a good simple sentence may vary greatly

In Unit 1, students have a variety of both guided and independent opportunities to

practice writing simple sentences through activities that include all of the key elements These activities help the teacher assess how familiar students are with sentence structure from the very beginning of the course In addition, Unit 1 introduces students to Building Better Sentences and Building Better Vocabulary found throughout the text

The activities in this unit range from guided sentence activities in which students

manipulate the parts of a simple sentence, to more independent writing activities in which

students produce their own work For further support, you may use the Great Writing 1

Assessment CD-ROM with ExamView® to produce quizzes on the grammar, vocabulary,

editing, or writing that is covered in this unit

OBJECTIVES

1 Understand what a sentence is and what elements it includes (pp 4–9, 11, 15–18)

2 Become familiar with the basic relationship between sentences and paragraphs (p 4)

3 Become familiar with the parts of a sentence (pp 6–9, 18)

4 Learn to identify the subject, verb, and object and their order in a sentence (pp 6–9, 11, 13, 21)

5 Become familiar with identifying sentence fragments (p 10)

6 Review the use of be in simple sentence structure (pp 11–13)

7 Review the use of the there is/there are in simple sentences (pp 11–14)

8 Become familiar with prepositions of place—at, on, and in (pp 13–14)

9 Understand the importance of when to use capitalization in sentences (pp 15–21)

10 Understand the importance of using end punctuation in sentences (pp 15–21)

11 Learn to identify and punctuate statements, questions, and exclamations (pp 17–21)

12 Become familiar with the process of editing written work for mistakes (pp 23, 24–28)

13 Write an original paragraph (on a country) by following a guided writing activity (pp 23–24)

14 Become familiar with the importance of journal writing in developing personal writing skills (pp 29–30)

TEACHING NOTES

Unit 1 introduces students to the basics of writing a simple sentence The unit introduces the main features that every good simple sentence has, namely: (1) capitalization, (2)

punctuation, and (3) subjects, verbs, (and many times) objects

If students are already familiar with the basics of writing simple sentences, then start at a point in Unit 1 that matches your students’ needs Any pages that the class does not complete can

be used as review work for students who need extra practice

Go over the objectives on the top of page 2 Explain that students will do these things in the unit Have students look at the question at the bottom of page 2 Tell them you will come back to this question at the end of the unit

What is a Sentence? p 4

After presenting the information, check comprehension by asking questions: What is a

sentence? What makes a sentence? What makes a paragraph?

Suggest students write sentences in their first language on the board

Activity 1: Changing Words into Sentences, p 5

Use this activity as a quick review of basic sentence organization Students will use the

simple present tense of be and have, two verbs with which they need to be familiar, in order to

talk about themselves and their families This activity prepares students for the diagnostic writing activity on the next page

Activity 2: Writing Simple Sentences, p 6

Students can complete this activity in the book or on a separate sheet of paper It allows the instructor to get a basic idea of a student’s writing abilities at the beginning of the course As

a result, it can help you determine if students need reinforcement in specific areas presented in Unit 1, or if there are sections that can be skipped altogether

Engage students in applying simple sentences to authentic conversation by having them interview one another about their families and then report the information back to the class Or have them interview and identify students in the class who meet specific descriptions, such as:

Find someone who…

has a brother or a sister

is from [specify country/ies that reflect student demographics]

Grammar for Writing

Parts of a Sentence: Subjects, Verbs, and Objects, pp 6–7

It is very important that students understand the terms that are explained at length on page 6 Because some students may have little to no prior experience with this material, it may

be helpful to provide extra opportunities for practice such as additional worksheets and online practice activities

Direct students’ attention to the chart Ask students to read the sentences aloud Have students identify the subject, verb, and object or other information Check comprehension by

asking questions: What is the subject? What does the verb tell us? What is an example of a verb?

Where is the object in the sentence? What kind of words are objects? What other information is

in a sentence sometimes?

Activity 3: Identifying Subjects, Verbs, and Objects, pp 7–8

Correct the items by having students first compare their answers in pairs, and then ask volunteers to write them on the board

Activity 4: Unscrambling Sentences, pp 8–9

Remind students that a sentence begins with a capital letter and ends with a period Write

the following words on the board or on chart paper: like / sports / some people Demonstrate how

to correctly put the words in order to create a simple sentence: Some people like sports

Emphasize the capital letter at the beginning of the sentence and the period at the end by

underlining the capital S and circling the period at the end of the sentence

Activity 5: Using Subject-Verb Word Order in a Paragraph, p 9

Before students complete the activity, have them identify the subjects and verbs in the box

Point out that the subject usually comes before the verb in the sentence Remind students how to identify the subject by reviewing the definition of a subject Write the following

definition and sample sentence on the board or post them on chart paper for students to reference while completing Activity 5:

Subject: The person or thing that does the action The subject comes before the verb

Billy plays the guitar

Verb: The action word in the sentence The verb comes after the subject

Billy plays the guitar

Grammar for Writing

A Fragment—An Incomplete Sentence, p 10

It’s very important that students understand the difference between a complete sentence and a fragment Students who speak first languages in which the subject position is not always

filled (e.g., Spanish) may have particular difficulty with this After you go over the information,

write examples of fragments on the board (e.g., Mary a good student; Is very sunny today) First,

elicit what is missing, then have students come to the board to correct the sentences

Activity 6: Editing: Sentence or Fragment?, p 10

If time allows, work as a class to make edits to the fragments in this activity to make them complete sentences

Post a sample of a fragment along with a complete sentence on chart paper in the

classroom Review the steps on how to determine whether or not a sentence is complete (by making sure there is both a subject and a verb)

Grammar for Writing

The Verb Be, p 11

This section provides a brief overview of the verb be in the simple present tense and

focuses on the four major sentence patterns that use this verb Point out that in the fourth pattern,

the form of be is determined by the subject—a singular subject takes a singular verb, and a plural

subject takes a plural verb

A helpful and quick reinforcement activity could include writing out 20–30 sentences that represent the various patterns and then having students work in partners to put the sentences into the groups by category

Activity 7: Identifying Subjects and Verbs, p 11

If additional practice is needed, write a list of words on chart paper, on the board, or display it on the screen, that includes both subjects and verbs, in no specific order or categories

Then have students categorize the list of words under two headings, Subject and Verb, on their

own piece of paper Circulate around the room and check student responses or have several students volunteer to read their lists aloud to the class

Activity 8: Identifying Words and Phrases, p 12

Post a simple chart in the classroom with an example of an adjective, a noun, and a place

phrase Use the chart for reference as you work with students to identify words and phrases, and

encourage them to reference the chart as they complete Activity 15 A sample chart might

include the following information:

Adjective Noun Place Phrase

Activity 9: Completing Sentences with Be, pp 12–13

Point out to students that be is the most frequently used verb in the English language and that it has five main forms Write these forms (am, is, are, was, and were) on the board and ask

students to volunteer writing a sample sentence for each one

Remind students to check that the verb agrees with the subject, particularly in sentences

beginning with there

Grammar for Writing

Prepositions of Place—At, On, and In, pp 13–14

Prepositions are difficult for students to master at any level This note introduces three

prepositions of location: in, at, and on Use the pyramid diagram on page 13 to explain specific

cases when each preposition is used Because this graphic does not work for ALL examples (for example, in the bank—meaning inside), be prepared to provide examples that are exceptions to the graphic

If necessary, provide students with extra practice by giving them an index card or piece

of paper with the name of a place written on it Then have them place the card under the correct preposition posted on the board For example:

Point out that the pyramid on page 13 covers only three prepositions (at, on, and in), and

these are three of the most frequently used prepositions in English However, you should note that:

1 There are many other prepositions not covered here (e.g., by, for, with)

2 These prepositions have other uses, some of which are idiomatic (in other words, this

pyramid explains much about at/on/in but it does not explain everything)

Additional information on these prepositions can be found in the Brief Writer’s

Handbook, The Prepositions At, On, and In, pages 240–242

Activity 10: Choosing the Correct Preposition, p 14

If students have difficulty with this activity, review the information on page 13

Activity 11: Choosing the Correct Preposition, p 14

Remind students of the relationship between sentences and paragraphs Point out that paragraphs are indented and the sentences do not start on a new line

Capitalization and Punctuation in a Sentence

Beginning a Sentence with a Capital Letter, p 15

Provide students with a quick review about the names of two kinds of letters in English—

capital (or uppercase) letters and lowercase letters If necessary, review uppercase and lowercase

letters with students Display a capital and lowercase letter on the board or on chart paper and

point to each one as you say the name: capital A, lowercase a; etc Have students repeat after you several times Say the names of specific letters such as capital R and lowercase p, and have students write them down on a sheet of paper Remind students that sentences always begin with

a capital letter Point out that additional capitalization rules can be found in the Brief Writer’s Handbook, page 232 If time allows, have students turn to those pages in the Handbook

Ending a Sentence with a Period, p 4

Provide an overview of how punctuation gives a reader direction—similar to a traffic light—about when to go, stop, or slow down First, draw a traffic light on the board or chart paper, and ask students to explain what each color tells the driver to do Explain that a capital

letter at the beginning of a sentence tells the reader to begin Then ask: What tells a reader to

slow down? (commas and semi-colons–which will be discussed at a later); and finally, What makes a reader stop? (periods, question marks, and exclamation points) After each answer,

write an example of the punctuation mark you review on the board

Activity 12: Practicing Capitalization and Punctuation, p 15

Do the first item as an example on the board First unscramble and then have students add capitalization and punctuation

Activity 13: Writing Simple Sentences, p 16

Provide students with scaffolded opportunities for extra practice and applying what they learn to new contexts When students write the sentences they unscrambled in Activity 12 and

replace the subject (spaghetti with ice cream, most kids with Erika and Zahra), they will need to

determine if other changes to the sentences are necessary

While this activity can provide students with additional supported writing practice,

instructors who feel that their students are more advanced can skip to this activity and use it as the writing diagnostic

Capital Letters for Proper Nouns, p 16

Have students make flashcards by writing each of the titles on separate index cards:

Proper Nouns, and Common Nouns On the back of each card, have them write the examples

from their book of the specific words that use capital letters Students can use these cards to review the use of capital letters individually or with a partner Additional capitalization rules can

be found in the Brief Writer’s Handbook, page 232

Activity 14: Editing Simple Sentences, pp 16–17

Engage students in this editing activity by displaying the sentences on the board, on chart paper, or on a screen Have students work in partners or small groups and correct the displayed sentences as a team Or pass the chart around to individual groups and have them make the corrections at their seats Then display the chart and discuss the various corrections

Ending a Sentence with a Question Mark or Exclamation Point, p 17

Say the following question aloud: What is your name? and then ask a student to respond

Ask the class why the student provided an answer Confirm that she or he responded because you

asked a question Then write: What is your name? on the board, and circle the question mark Remind students that a question mark signals to the reader that a question is being asked

Demonstrate when to use an exclamation point by giving two different contexts for each

example Explain that the first example of a simple fact: It is snowing might be found in a

description of a typical winter day in Montreal while the corresponding example: “It is

snowing!” she said with surprise might describe a typical winter day in a normally warm

climate

Activity 15: Identifying Statements, Questions, and Exclamations p 18

If necessary, provide students with extra practice identifying whether a sentence is a statement, question, or exclamation Have students fold a piece of paper in three columns along the longest side of the paper Have students write a period (.) at the top of the first column, a question mark (?) at the top of the middle column, and an exclamation point (!) at the top of the right-hand column Then read a series of sentences aloud, making sure to include all three types

of punctuation, and have students write the sentence below the correct, corresponding

punctuation mark Then ask students to read an example of a sentence they wrote in each

column

Activity 16: Taking a World Quiz, pp 18–19

Go over item #1 with the class Elicit from students the capitalization and punctuation

changes that were made (first letter of first word in sentence is capitalized; proper nouns (Brazil and Brasilia) are capitalized; question ends in a question mark; sentence ends in a period)

Review word order for sentences if necessary

Activity 17: Interviewing a Classmate, p 20

Before beginning this activity, elicit from students the types of words in each item that may need capital letters (e.g., item #1 may include the names of people, which would require capital letters)

Activity 18: Editing: Grammar and Sentence Review, p 21

In order to help students articulate why a particular sentence is correct or incorrect, brainstorm a list of strategies and write them on the board so that students can reference them as they complete the activity For example, students can ask themselves the following questions as they analyze each sentence:

• Does the sentence have a subject?

• Does the sentence have a verb?

• Are there punctuation errors?

• Are there capitalization errors?

To help students work more efficiently, suggest that they track the types/number of errors they find as they work through this activity

Building Better Sentences, p 21

Have students turn to the first two pages of Appendix 1 (pages 252–253) and go through the examples of sentence-combining strategies as a class Demonstrate the steps of combining sentences on the board Explain the importance of sentence variety in writing and ask students to

be conscious of the types of sentences they are creating as they write

While working on Building Better Sentences activities, it is important that students do NOT look at the original sentences The goal here is to see the combinations that result and how they are different, not just to see if the student combinations match the original Have students complete the activity individually, in pairs, or in small groups as needed

Building Better Vocabulary

Activity 19: Word Associations, pp 21–22

Explain to students that learning word associations will help enrich and expand their vocabulary by building connections to more words By increasing their vocabulary, students will have more options in communicating their ideas, which will help improve their writing Point out

to students that this activity is about word associations, not definitions The task is to choose the word or phrase that is most closely associated with the target word It may be beneficial for students to complete this activity with a partner and with a dictionary Have partners take turns looking up the meaning of the words they do not know

Activity 20: Using Collocations, p 22

Make sure that students understand what collocations are (words or groups of words that naturally and that frequently co-occur with a target word) Explain that learning collocations will help students build on their bank of commonly used phrases and that incorporating these phrases

in their writing will help it sound more natural and advanced

Model how to select the correct answer by completing several of the items together as a class Have students complete the activity individually or in pairs Encourage students to keep a list of the most common or useful collocations and ask them to review them on their own for reinforcement

Activity 21: Parts of Speech, p 23

Draw students’ attention to the prefixes and suffixes listed at the bottom of the activity and encourage students to keep a list of and memorize these affixes If needed, provide

additional examples of words that use these affixes Point out that the words in bold face are the original words that appear in this unit

Original Student Writing

Activity 22: Original Writing Practice, pp 23–24

Have students complete this guided writing activity first in the book Then, if appropriate, have students use a separate piece of paper to write one of the sets of activity questions in the form of a simple paragraph Before students write their activity sentences in paragraph form, remind them to self-edit using the checklist at the bottom of page 24 Remind them to check for correct end punctuation, as well as correct capitalization

Editing Your Writing, p 24

Emphasize to students that because editing is such an important part of the writing

process, it is important that they learn how to self-edit Students should understand that this means they must read their own work for mistakes before a classmate reads their work to help them make it better

Activity 23: Editing Simple Sentences, p 25

When students are finished, have them compare answers with a partner Use the board or

a projector to display corrected sentences

Peer Editing, p 26

The peer editing sheets online at NGL.Cengage.com/GW1 provide a way for readers to provide constructive feedback to their classmates Suggest students download and print the sheet before each original writing assignment Remind students that peer editing is a process that provides a writer with feedback and suggestions from a classmate and that can help the writer find out if his or her writing is clear

Activity 24: Editing: Grammar and Sentence Review, pp 26–27

Have students rewrite the corrected paragraph on a separate sheet of paper for extra practice

Writer’s Note: Writing Helpful and Polite Peer Editing Comments, p 28

As the class begins learning how to peer edit, do role-playing as a class activity to model how to choose words carefully and constructively when providing feedback to peers

Activity 25: Editing: Practice with Peer Editing Comments, p 28

Provide examples of positive and polite comments on the board

Activity 26: Peer Editing, p 28

Suggest students rewrite the paragraph after they exchange feedback with a peer editor

Journal Writing, p 29

Review the extensive explanation of the journaling process on page 29 so that students

understand why it so important, how to do it, and what to expect in terms of how you may

respond to their writing Based on your students’ needs, decide if journaling is best implemented

on a daily, weekly, bimonthly, or voluntary basis Remember that a key element of successful journaling involves the instructor’s response to student writing

Sample Journal, p 30

Have students look over the Sample Journal page on page 30 Point out to students that not only does journal writing provide them with an opportunity to write about topics that are meaningful or interesting to them, but it also creates an ongoing record of how their writing is progressing, which can help them identify areas in which they need extra practice, review, or clarification

Additional Topics for Writing, p 31

Review with students the list of journal writing prompts that are tailored to fit the content

of this particular unit Point out to students that in order to become better writers, they need to write as much as possible Tell students that while this is an opportunity to create original

writing, they should try to include vocabulary and grammar structures that they have learned throughout the unit In this way, the material that they have learned in this unit can become integrated into their daily vocabulary and writing practices

EXPANSION ACTIVITIES

Provide students with extra practice in choosing the correct prepositions by having them create their own sentences, one for each day of the week, that describe where they are usually are

each day using the prepositions at, in and on Write the following sentence stems on the board

and provide a word bank of common locations as additional support:

Suggest students write paragraphs about the opening spread, or another photo in the unit You may want to brainstorm vocabulary for the photo before students write their sentences

VOCABULARY ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES

Because vocabulary is such an important point in moving to a higher proficiency level, instructors may want their students to maintain a vocabulary journal to correspond to the

vocabulary, which is something that we strongly advocate

Making a Vocabulary Journal

An easy way to accomplish this is to do the following:

1 Ask students to separate a piece of paper into two sections vertically The column on the left should be approximately two inches wide

2 In the left column, students will write the vocabulary word and its part of speech

3 In the right column, students will write either a definition, a synonym, or a native language translation of the word

4 Underneath the definition in the right column, the student will create a sample sentence using the word, but a BLANK SPACE will be used instead of the vocabulary word

Using the Vocabulary Journal

Explain to the students that this type of vocabulary journal can be used in different ways:

a By covering up the vocabulary word, students must look at the clues (definition and sample sentence) and recall the vocabulary word

b By covering up the vocabulary word and the definition (across both columns), students must use the sample sentence with context clues to recall the vocabulary word

c By covering up the vocabulary word and the sample sentence, students must recall the

vocabulary word by using its definition as a clue

Sample Vocabulary Journal

vocabulary word, part of speech definition/synonym/translation

Suggested Words for the Vocabulary Journal

Below is a list of vocabulary words from the paragraphs in the unit We suggest that students begin with these words and add other words to their vocabulary journals as necessary

UNIT 2 Understanding Paragraph Basics

OVERVIEW

The main goal of Unit 2 is for writers to learn about paragraph structure and to become familiar with the various parts of a paragraph To accomplish this purpose, students analyze various paragraphs and identify the different elements that make up a paragraph

The activities in this unit range from guided sentence activities in which students

manipulate the parts of a simple sentence to freer writing activities in which students produce their own work The variety of activities includes opportunities (both guided and free) for

connecting sentences and paragraphs, analyzing paragraphs to identify their specific parts, and creating original writing

Students will continue with Building Better Sentences and Building Better Vocabulary

For further support, you may use the Great Writing 1 Assessment CD-ROM with ExamView® to

produce quizzes on the grammar, vocabulary, editing, or writing that is covered in this unit

OBJECTIVES

1 Become familiar with the word order of adjectives (pp 34–38)

2 Become familiar with the three main parts of a good paragraph (p 39)

3 Understand the importance of a title and how to create and then correctly write a title in English (pp 42–43)

4 Understand the importance of indenting the beginning of every paragraph (p 43)

5 Learn to identify good topic sentences (pp 45–50)

6 Review subject and pronouns (p 50–53, 58)

7 Learn to identify good supporting sentences (the body) (p 53–55)

8 Review possessive adjectives (p 55–56, 58)

9 Understand the importance of having a verb in every sentence (pp 59–60)

10 Learn to identify good concluding sentences (p 60–64)

11 Write an original paragraph (on travel) by following a guided writing activity (pp 66–67)

TEACHING NOTES

While the main focus of this book is to help students become better writers at the

sentence level, it is important to keep in mind that writing sentences should not be done in

isolation Students should practice their writing skills within the structure of a paragraph For this reason, Unit 2 introduces students to the basics of how sentences combine to make a simple paragraph The unit introduces the idea that every good paragraph has (1) a topic sentence, (2) supporting sentences (a body), and (3) many times, a concluding sentence

Unit Opener

Each unit begins with a two-page opening spread featuring a photo, a set of objectives, and a culminating writing task

Direct students’ attention to the photo and ask them to tell you what they see This photo shows professional rock climber Chris Sharma gripping a small indentation in the Ceues, France

Go over the objectives on the top of page 33 Explain that students will do these things in the unit Have students look at the question at the bottom of page 33 Tell them you will come back to this question at the end of the unit

Grammar for Writing

Using Adjectives and Word Order: Adjectives before Nouns, p 34

Point out that the chart illustrates how to combine sentences with adjectives (similar to one of the strategies in the Building Better Sentences section at the back of the book) Remind students that adjectives come before the nouns they modify and that adjectives do not have a plural form

Activity 1: Editing: Nouns and Adjectives, p 35

Complete several sample sentences on the board or on the screen to model for students how to combine sentences Emphasize how you decide which words to eliminate in order to combine sentences

Grammar for Writing

Word Order: Be + Adjective, p 36

Point out that when adjectives are used in a sentence with the verb be, the adjective follows the noun it modifies (and the verb be) Be sure students are clear on the word order

Grammar for Writing

Word Order: Linking Verb + Adjective, p 36

Point out that linking verbs are used like the verb be to connect the subject to an

adjective

Activity 2: Practicing Adjectives, p 37

If necessary, review the definition of an adjective: An adjective is a part of speech that

describes a noun An adjective usually answers one or more of the following questions: Which

one? What kind? How many? or How much?

Activity 3: Describing a Scene with Adjectives, p 38

Direct students’ attention to the photo on the top of the page Elicit vocabulary from

students and write the words on the board (e.g., boat, pole, paddle, water, river, fruit, vegetables,

hats, bank, and colors)

After completing the activity, call on students to read their sentences aloud or write them

on the board

What Is a Paragraph?, p 39

This section introduces students to the three major components of a good paragraph Introduce these parts (the topic sentence, the body, and a concluding sentence) by posting the component and the definition of each one on chart paper or on the screen/board Then display a sample paragraph and model how to identify each of the three major parts If additional practice

is needed, repeat these steps as a class with several sample paragraphs

Topic Sentence

The topic sentence tells the

main idea of the paragraph It

is usually the first sentence of

the paragraph

Body

The body has sentences with information that supports the topic sentence

Activity 4: Studying Paragraphs, pp 39–42

This exercise provides students with practice in identifying the three parts of a paragraph

It is important to make sure that students are familiar with the three features and can analyze a paragraph and determine whether or not the paragraph contains these features

In this activity, students will analyze two paragraphs Engage students’ interest and build their schema by asking pre-reading questions

The Title of a Paragraph, p 42

Check comprehension by asking questions: Is a good title usually short or long? Is it

usually a sentence? How does it catch a reader’s interest? What kind of capitalization and

punctuation rules does a title follow?

Activity 5: Working with Titles, p 43

Suggest students write the corrected titles on the board and explain the rule(s) that were broken

Writer’s Note: Indenting the First Line of Every Paragraph, p 43

Emphasize the importance of indenting the first line of every paragraph and point out that indentation is a visual clue for the reader that he or she is going to read a new paragraph This organization helps readers anticipate and, as a result, better understand the information they read

Activity 6: Copying a Paragraph, p 44

As students copy the sentences about ice cream from Unit 1, have them identify the three major parts of a paragraph If necessary, have students reference the Writer’s Note (page 43) on the rules for a title as they create a title for this paragraph Provide more advanced students with

a challenge by having them change basic grammatical features, such as changing kids to my

sister Maggie

Activity 7: Writing an Original Paragraph, pp 44–45

Remind students to indent the first line and to use correct capitalization and end

punctuation Have students share their writing and listen to other students’ writing by reading their original work to their classmates, either in partners or small groups, or to the class Ask students to identify the main components of a paragraph as they listen

Parts of a Paragraph: The Topic Sentence, p 45

This note provides additional clarification about topic sentences Be sure to emphasize to students that the topic sentence is very important for helping the reader understand what she or

he reads because it organizes the paragraph by telling the reader the topic of the whole

paragraph

Activity 8 and Activity 9: Practicing Topic Sentences, pp 46–50

For each paragraph, have students identify a possible topic before they look at the

choices This will allow them to explain why they chose the particular topic sentence that they did Remind students to be sure that the topic sentence gives the main idea for the whole

paragraph As students complete the activities, circulate around the room and help troubleshoot any difficulty individual students are having with writing topic sentences

Grammar for Writing

Subject Pronouns and Object Pronouns, p 50–51

Post the charts on pages 50 and 51, on poster board or on the screen, for students to reference as they complete Activity 10 and 11 Point out to students that subject pronouns come

before the verb (in statements), just like the subjects that they replace do Object pronouns come after the verb just like the objects they replace

Activity 10: Using Subject Pronouns, p 51

Provide students with practice replacing nouns with subject pronouns before they

complete Activity 10, by completing several sample sentences on the board or on the screen together Model strategies for identifying the subject and then choosing the correct subject pronoun to replace it with

Activity 11: Using Object Pronouns, p 52

Provide students with practice replacing nouns with object pronouns before they

complete Activity 11, by completing several sample sentences on the board or on the screen together Model strategies for identifying the object and then choosing the correct object pronoun

to replace it with

Writer’s Note: Using Pronouns to Make Your Writing More Interesting, p 53

Explain to students that an important reason to use pronouns is so that they do not repeat nouns (in this case, proper nouns) over and over again Direct students to Example Paragraph 18 and point out how repetitive the paragraph would sound if proper nouns were used instead of pronouns

Activity 12: Using Subject and Object Pronouns for Variety, p 53

Suggest students read through the paragraph and underline the nouns that are repeated too

often Elicit the repetitions (Amy and I, Amy’s brother and his friends), then elicit the appropriate subject and object pronouns (we, us; they, them) Have students make the substitutions Point out

that writers do not always substitute pronouns Sometimes we achieve greater variety by using a mixture of nouns and pronouns

Parts of a Paragraph: The Body, p 53

Be sure to emphasize the importance of the body of the paragraph, as it supports the topic sentence The body provides the details and examples for the topic sentence, and students should plan for and double check that each of their supporting sentences is related and connected to the topic sentence

Activity 13: Working with The Body of a Paragraph, pp 54–55

As students read and analyze a series of three paragraphs, remind them of the specific steps they will take Point out that they will first find the topic sentence, and then they must

identify which supporting sentence in each paragraph is unrelated to the topic Ask students to

explain their reasons for determining that a sentence is unrelated, and review the definition of a supporting sentence to help them build their rationale

Grammar for Writing

Possessive Adjectives, p 55

Help students make the connection that a possessive adjective shows possession Post the list of the seven possessive adjectives on the board or on the screen, and remind students to use a

questioning strategy such as asking Whose bag? Whose pencils? and Whose car? to identify the

correct possessive adjective Have students reference this chart as they complete the related activities in this unit

Activity 14: Using Possessive Adjectives, p 56

As a class, complete several sample sentences where a missing possessive adjective must

be added to show possession or ownership Model for students how to ask questions that will help them identify the correct possessive adjective

Activity 15: Practicing Subject Pronouns and Possessive Adjectives, p 56

Display a sample sentence, similar to the sentences in Activity 15, on the board or on the screen Read the sentence aloud and model for students how to determine which form in

parentheses is correct, such as identifying the subject of the sentence Repeat this step if

necessary, before having students complete Activity 15 individually

Activity 16: Working with the Body of a Paragraph, pp 57–58

As students read and analyze a series of three paragraphs, remind them of the specific steps they will take Point out that they will first find the topic sentence and then they must

identify which two supporting sentences in each paragraph are unrelated to the topic Ask

students to explain their reasons for determining that a sentence is unrelated, and review the definition of a supporting sentence to help them develop their rationale

Activity 17: Review: Identifying Subject and Object Pronouns and Possessive

Adjectives, p 58

You may want to have students work in pairs to complete the task

Writer’s Note: Avoiding Fragments: Checking for the Verb, p 58

Review this note in order to prepare students for the editing required with Activity 18

Remind students that sentences without verbs are called fragments and are considered a serious

error in academic writing

Activity 18: Editing: Checking for Verbs, p 59

This is a two-step process First, review strategies with students for identifying sentences

that are missing the correct form of the verb be Then, before students put sentences in the

correct order, remind students that the topic sentence is usually the first sentence of the

paragraph and that it is followed by supporting sentences and, finally, a concluding sentence

For extra practice, have students rewrite the paragraph on a separate piece of paper

Activity 19: Self-Editing: Checking for Verbs, p 60

Remind students that being able to edit their own work is an essential writing skill

Parts of a Paragraph: The Concluding Sentence, p 60

Point out to students that while a concluding sentence can do many things, the main focus

in the section is that concluding sentences restate the main idea from the topic sentence Be sure

to mention that in their books, students can also find examples of concluding sentences that do other things, such as make a prediction

Activity 20: Working with Concluding Sentences, p 61

This would work well as a small group discussion activity If appropriate, point out that a single paragraph alone hardly ever really happens in the real world In an essay, for example, a paragraph may be sandwiched among fifteen others In this case, the concluding statement serves

as a transition or link to the next paragraph The concluding sentence should lead the reader logically to the content of the next paragraph

Activity 21: Choosing Concluding Sentences, pp 62–63

Tell students that it is important that they analyze the topic sentence and the supporting

sentences before they chose the concluding sentence Remind students that they should be able to

explain their choice with supporting details and examples from the paragraph

Activity 22: Editing: Grammar and Sentence Review, p 64

Tell students that this activity will provide them with the opportunity to find and correct mistakes relate to the grammar and sentence structure that they learned about in this unit Tell

students that they need to be able to explain why a particular structure is incorrect If necessary,

provide students with additional support by correcting this activity together as a class, on the board, chart paper, or on the screen It may be helpful for students to keep a tally of the

types/number of errors they find as they work on this activity

Building Better Sentences, pp 64

Have students complete the activity individually, in pairs, or in small groups as needed Remind students NOT to look at the original sentences while working on Building Better

Sentences activities The goal here is to see the combinations that result and how they are

different, not just to see if the student combinations match the original If necessary, have

students review the steps of combining sentences on pages 252–253

Building Better Vocabulary

Activity 23: Word Associations, p 64–65

Explain to students that learning word associations will help enrich and expand their vocabulary by building connections to more words By increasing their vocabulary, students will have more options in communicating their ideas, which will help improve their writing Point out

to students that this activity is about word associations, not definitions The task is to choose the word or phrase that is most closely associated with the target word It may be beneficial for students to complete this activity with a partner and with a dictionary Have partners take turns looking up the meaning of the words they do not know

Activity 24: Using Collocations, pp 65

Make sure that students understand what collocations are (words or groups of words that naturally and that frequently co-occur with a target word) Explain that learning collocations will

help students build on their bank of commonly used phrases and that incorporating these phrases

in their writing will help it sound more natural and advanced

Model how to select the correct answer by completing several of the items together as a class Have students complete the activity individually or in pairs Encourage students to keep a list of the most common or useful collocations and ask them to review them on their own for reinforcement

Activity 25: Parts of Speech, p 66

Draw students’ attention to the prefixes and suffixes listed at the bottom of the activity and encourage students to keep a list of and memorize these affixes If needed, provide

additional examples of words that use these affixes Point out that the words in bold face are the original words that appear in this unit

Original Student Writing

Activity 26: Original Writing Practice, pp 66–68

Have students complete this original writing activity by answering the open-ended questions to create an original piece of writing Remind them to make sure they self-edit using the checklist provided for the activity before they write their sentences in paragraph form

Activity 27: Peer Editing, p 68

The website, NGL.Cengage.com/GW1 provides a series of peer editing sheets that students can use for each original writing assignment Direct students to download Peer Editing Sheet 2 before completing this activity

Remind students that peer editing is a process that provides a writer with feedback and suggestions from a classmate that can help the writer find out if her or his writing is clear

Additional Topics for Writing, p 68–69

Review with students the list of journal writing prompts that are tailored to fit the content

of this particular unit Point out to students that in order to become better writers, they need to write as much as possible Tell students that while this is an opportunity to create original

writing, they should try to include vocabulary and grammar structures that they have learned throughout the unit In this way, the material that they have learned in this unit can become integrated into their daily vocabulary and writing practices

Additional Writing Practice

Have students complete additional activities in Unit 8 and Appendix 2 as needed While Unit 8 provides students with a series of extra practice activities that cover points they have learned in previous units, they can be assigned at any time You may choose to have students complete these additional practice activities in class or assign them as homework

EXPANSION ACTIVITIES

Have students work individually or in partners to write a paragraph that includes a topic sentence, a body, and a concluding sentence Then have them copy the paragraph onto another piece of paper without the topic sentence or without the concluding sentence Then have the student of pair switch with another group and complete the missing component of the paragraph Have partners share the original version of the paragraph and compare each others’ concluding

or topic sentences

Suggest students write a paragraph about the opening photo or one of the other photos in this unit

VOCABULARY ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES

Because vocabulary is such an important point in moving to a higher proficiency level, instructors may want their students to maintain a vocabulary journal to correspond to the

vocabulary, which is something that we strongly advocate

Whether or not this particular strategy is employed, it is imperative that students acquire

a large amount of appropriate vocabulary in this course

Suggested Words for the Vocabulary Journal

Below is a list of vocabulary words from the paragraphs in the unit We suggest that students begin with these words and add other words to their vocabulary journals as necessary

Have students refer back to the opening spread on pages 32 and 33 Direct their attention

to the objectives Ask them to put a check mark by the objective(s) they achieved Then ask students the question at the bottom of the page Students can raise hands to show if they can answer yes to the question

UNIT 3 Writing about the Present

OVERVIEW

Unit 3 introduces students to writing about events in the present In this unit, students have a variety of both guided and independent opportunities to practice writing sentences in the simple present tense form Numerous activities help the teacher assess how students progress with sentence structure, and students will continue with Building Better Sentences and Building Better Vocabulary

The activities in this unit range from guided sentence activities in which students

manipulate the parts of a simple sentence to more independent writing activities in which

students produce their own work For further support, you may use the Great Writing 1

Assessment CD-ROM with ExamView® to produce quizzes on the grammar, vocabulary,

editing, or writing that is covered in this unit

OBJECTIVES

1 Review simple present tense for verbs in affirmative statements and question forms (pp 72–73)

2 Change verbs from singular to plural (p 74)

3 Learn the use of contractions in formal and informal writing (p 75)

4 Review the use of there is/there are when writing (pp 77–80)

5 Review the negative of simple present tense (pp 82–83)

6 Learn how and where to use possessive adjectives (p 84)

7 Identify the differences between simple and compound sentences (pp 85–86)

8 Combine simple sentences into compound sentences (p 87–88)

9 Learn how to use a and an with count nouns (pp 89–91)

10 Write an original paragraph (on sports) by following a guided writing activity (p 95)

TEACHING NOTES

Unit 3 teaches students how to write paragraphs using the simple present tense This will allow students to describe actions that they or others do on a regular basis Unit 3 also introduces

a language point that is difficult for most second language learners—the articles a and an The

introduction of this task early on in the textbook will allow instructors to emphasize its use throughout the entire course

Go over the objectives on the top of page 71 Explain that students will do these things in the unit Have students look at the question at the bottom of page 71 Tell them you will come back to this question at the end of the unit

Grammar for Writing

The Simple Present Tense: Statements, pp 72–76

Point out to students that this section introduces the affirmative and negative structures for simple present tense You may choose to have students review the material individually or as

a class Regardless of the approach for introducing the material, keep in mind that the practice activities keep the forms separate For more mixed structure practice, you may wish to create your own worksheets or activities

Activity 1 and Activity 2: Practicing the Simple Present Tense, p 73

Have students reference the charts on page 72 to help them complete the activities For those students who need extra support, have them copy the charts onto large index cards or construction paper and keep them available for future writing practice

Activity 3: Ordering Sentences in a Paragraph, p 74

Tell students that correct sequence in a paragraph helps the reader understand what they read Encourage students to use the time words/phrases and to think about the logical sequence

of the events listed in this activity

Activity 4: Verbs: Changing Singular Verbs to Plural Verbs, p 74

Before students complete Activity 4 independently, demonstrate how to change the subject of a story from singular to plural and maintain subject-verb agreement Display several sentences on the board or on the screen and work together to change the verb forms as well as nouns and pronouns as needed Keep the practice sentences posted for students to reference as they complete Activity 4 either individually or in pairs

Writer’s Note: Using Contractions, p 75

Advise students about your views on using contractions in formal writing While they should understand how contractions are formed and used, be sure that your expectations are communicated clearly in regard to your policy on their use in formal writing assignments

Activity 5: Editing: Subjects and Verbs, p 75

Provide students with a quick review of the definitions of a subject and a verb, and give examples of each Then work as a class to troubleshoot the first three sentences of the paragraph

as a way to model strategies for identifying the errors in the paragraph Finally, have students complete the remaining sentences individually For extra support have students share their corrections on the board or on the screen

Activity 6: Writing a Paragraph from Pictures, pp 76–77

Before students start this activity, have them describe the story in the pictures with a partner or in small groups As a class, brainstorm a list of verbs that students could use when

completing the cloze paragraph activity

Grammar for Writing

There Is / There Are, p 77

At this level, student writers often have difficulty with the there is/there are structure, so

it is vital to review it at regular intervals This note provides examples of errors that students commonly make Have students identify the error in each incorrect example Activities 7, 8, and

9 all practice these structures

Activity 7: Practicing There Is / There Are, p 78

Highlight the four examples of there is and there are that appear in the paragraph for

Activity 7 by posting them on the board or on the screen and encourage students to reference them as they complete question items 1–8

Activity 8: Using There Is / There Are, p 79

Before students begin this activity and write their own sentences for items 1–10,

brainstorm and record a list of words that could be used to write about the objects in the picture,

using there is and there are

Activity 9: Editing Practice, p 80

As a class, troubleshoot the first sentence of the paragraph in Activity 9, and write a sentence on the board for item # 1 that explains the correction that was made Have students complete the remaining sentences individually, and then ask volunteers to share their corrections

on the board or on the screen

Writer’s Note: There are vs They are, p 80

Students frequently have difficulty with there are and they are, so it is important that they

understand the difference

Activity 10: Practicing They Are vs There Are, p 80–81

Have students check their work in pairs and then write the sentences on the board

Activity 11: Editing: Capitalization Review, p 81–82

Review the capitalization rules from Unit 1 before students work individually to identify and correct the errors in capitalization for Activity 11 Circulate around the room to informally assess if students are able apply the capitalization rules they learned previously

Grammar for Writing

The Simple Present Tense: Negative Statements, p 82

Point out the difference in form between the negative of the verb be and the negative of other verbs, which use the auxiliary verb do If necessary, review the form of negative verbs (do/does + not + base form of main verb)

Activity 12: Changing Verbs from Affirmative to Negative, pp 83–84

Before students change verbs from the positive to the negative, review the contraction forms presented on page 82 and remind them to include these forms in their sentences If

necessary, provide extra support by completing several sentences together as a class

Activity 13: Practicing Possessive Adjectives, p 84

Do the first item as an example Model the activity by writing a sentence with your

information on the board When students have finished, have them share their sentences in pairs

As an expansion, have students interview a partner using the questions in Activity 13 Have students practice reading the questions aloud before they interview classmates and record their answers Model how to ask each question, and have students repeat after you Depending on

their native language, some students may have difficulty with the distinction between he/his and

she/her Remind students to use the proper pronoun for the classmate they are interviewing

Activity 14: Writing Information in Paragraph Form, p 85

Remind students to indent the first sentence of the paragraph, as well as to give the

paragraph a title Circulate around the room as students write the information about their

classmate in the form of a paragraph and provide support as necessary Then give students the

opportunity to read their paragraph to the class Ask students to jot down the possessive

pronouns they hear as they listen to each paragraph

Grammar for Writing

Simple Sentences and Compound Sentences, pp 85–86

Prepare students to write compound sentences by reminding them that a simple sentence has one subject and one verb (or one subject-verb combination), while a compound sentence is two sentences (or two subject-verb combinations) joined by a connecting word Be sure to point out that compound sentences always use both a comma (,) and a connecting word to connect two sentences

Activity 15: Identifying Sentence Types, p 86

Ask students to state the definition of both a simple and compound sentence in their own

words Have them reference the list of connectors from page 86 and the Brief Writer’s

Handbook, page 244 to help them identify compound sentences Also remind students to look for

the number of subject-verb combinations when deciding whether the sentence is simple or compound

Writer’s Note: Using Commas in a List of Words

Review the rules of punctuation students have learned so far (periods, question marks, exclamation points, commas in compound sentences) before you go over commas in a list Refer students to pages See pages 232–233 for additional comma rules

Grammar for Writing: Connecting Words in Compound Sentences, p 87

Check comprehension by asking questions: What connecting word adds similar

information? What word adds contrasting information? What word introduces the result? What word describes another option? Refer students to page 244 for more connecting words

Activity 16: Combining Simple Sentences into Compound Sentences, pp 88–89

Have students work in partners and then share their answers with the class on chart paper

or the screen Stress the importance of correct comma placement and the need for two separate subjects and verbs

Grammar for Writing

Using A and An with Count Nouns, pp 89–90

Point out to students the Grammar for Writing section in Unit 6, pages 166–168, which

provides examples of count and non-count nouns Emphasize that the indefinite articles a/an are

only used with singular count nouns If appropriate, direct students to the section on the definite

article the in the Brief Writer’s Handbook, page 237

Activity 17: Using Count and Non-count Nouns, p 90

Explain to students that each item has four possibilities but only one is correct Students should look at all four options and decide if the noun is count or non-count, writing down either

C or NC Then students should circle the correct option

Activity 18: Using A and An in Sentences, p 91

Remind students that while this activity requires them to find and correct mistakes that address the grammar and sentence structure they learned about in this unit, it is important that

they are able to explain why a particular structure is incorrect If necessary, provide extra support

by completing some or all of these activities as a class on the board or on the screen

Activity 19: Editing: Grammar and Sentence Review, p 92

Provide students with a review of the grammar and sentence points that will support them with completing Activity 19 Give students the option of working with a partner Once the

activity is completed, have students share and discuss responses as a class Provide students with additional review for any points that were particularly challenging

Building Better Sentences, p 92

For further practice, have students go to Practice 3 on page 254 in Appendix 1 Have students complete the activity individually, in pairs, or in small groups as needed Remind

students NOT to look at the original sentences while working on Building Better Sentences activities The goal here is to see the combinations that result and how they are different, not just

to see if the student combinations match the original If necessary, have students review the steps

of combining sentences on pages 252–253

Building Better Vocabulary

Activity 20: Word Associations, p 93

If necessary, remind students that learning word associations will help enrich and expand their vocabulary by building connections to more words By increasing their vocabulary, students will have more options in communicating their ideas, which will help improve their writing Point out to students that this activity is about word associations, not definitions The task is to choose the word or phrase that is most closely associated with the target word It may be

beneficial for students to complete this activity with a partner and with a dictionary Have

partners take turns looking up the meaning of the words they do not know

Activity 21: Using Collocations, p 94

If necessary, review what collocations are (words or groups of words that naturally and that frequently co-occur with a target word) Remind students that learning collocations will help them build on their bank of commonly used phrases and that incorporating these phrases in their writing will help it sound more natural and advanced

Model how to select the correct answer by completing several of the items together as a class Have students complete the activity individually or in pairs Encourage students to keep a list of the most common or useful collocations and ask them to review them on their own for reinforcement

Activity 22: Parts of Speech, p 94

Draw students’ attention to the prefixes and suffixes listed at the bottom of the activity and encourage students to keep a list of and memorize these affixes If needed, provide

additional examples of words that use these affixes Point out that the words in bold face are the original words that appear in this unit

Original Student Writing

Activity 23: Original Writing Practice, p 95

Emphasize the importance of completing one step at a time and checking off the steps as they are completed Make sure students use the checklist provided for the activity to self-edit their work

Activity 24: Peer Editing, p 96

Remind students to download and use Peer Editing Sheet 3 from

NGL.Cengage.com/GW1 to edit each other’s work If necessary, remind students to make helpful and positive comments and suggestions

Additional Topics for Writing, p 96

Review with students the list of journal writing prompts that are tailored to fit the content

of this particular unit Point out to students that in order to become better writers, they need to write as much as possible Tell students that while this is an opportunity to create original

writing, they should try to include vocabulary and grammar structures that they have learned throughout the unit In this way, the material that they have learned in this unit can become integrated into their daily vocabulary and writing practices

Timed Writing, p 97

Timed writing is a valuable skill for students to work on since many standardized tests include a timed-writing section Students might feel varying levels of anxiety due to this time limit, which can result in a greater number of errors than they normally make Explain to

students that timed-writing practice can help them feel more comfortable and confident in other timed-writing situations where they will need to write quickly and accurately

Before beginning the writing task, review the writing prompt provided If necessary,

teach the term writing prompt

Additional Writing Practice

Have students complete additional activities in Unit 8 and Appendix 2 as needed While Unit 8 provides students with a series of extra practice activities that cover points they have learned in previous units, they can be assigned at any time You may choose to have students complete these additional practice activities in class or assign them as homework

EXPANSION ACTIVITIES

Extend the work that students completed for Activity 5, which involved writing a

paragraph from pictures, by having them write original paragraphs based on additional pictures Provide students with a variety of pictures to choose from (from magazines or newspapers) or allow students to choose their own picture, and then have them write an original paragraph Create a checklist of components that students must include in their paragraph, such as a topic

sentence, body (details and information that supports the topic sentence.), and a concluding sentence Additional grammar and sentence structures presented in Unit 3 may also be added to the checklist as appropriate

Suggest students write a paragraph about the unit opener or one of the other photos in the unit

VOCABULARY ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES

Because vocabulary is such an important point in moving to a higher proficiency level, instructors may want their students to maintain a vocabulary journal to correspond to the

vocabulary, which is something that we strongly advocate

Whether or not this particular strategy is employed, it is imperative that students acquire

a large amount of appropriate vocabulary in this course

Suggested Words for the Vocabulary Journal

Below is a list of vocabulary words from the paragraphs in the unit We suggest that students begin with these words and add other words to their vocabulary journals as necessary