C WRITE A THESIS STATEMENT Use your answers in Exercise B to prepare a thesis statement for your essay. Mention the three geographical and historical factors you identified.
Review Writing Introductions and Conclusions in Unit 6 D PLAN Use your information in Exercises B–C to complete an outline for your essay.
OUTLINE Introduction:
Thesis statement:
Body paragraph 1:
Topic sentence:
Explanation and examples:
Body paragraph 2:
Topic sentence:
Explanation and examples:
Body paragraph 3:
Topic sentence:
Explanation and examples:
Conclusion:
E FIRST DRAFT Use the information in your outline to write a first draft of your essay.
Remember to paraphrase information unless you are quoting directly from a source, and to use different reporting verbs to vary your sentences.
F REVISING PRACTICE The essay below is similar to the one you are writing. Follow the steps to create a better second draft.
1. Add the sentences (a–c) in the most suitable spaces.
a. As with many countries, Singapore has been shaped by its geography and history.
b. Its geographical location, lack of natural resources, and recent immigration history have all played a significant part in shaping this small nation.
c. As a result, the Port of Singapore is one of the busiest ports in the world.
2. Now fix the following problems (a–b) with the essay.
a. Fix a problem with referring to a source in paragraph C.
b. Fix a problem with referring to a source in paragraph D.
Singapore is a small island-nation in Southeast Asia. Most of its population is concentrated on the mainland, a diamond-shaped island 49 kilometers wide and 25 kilometers long. Singapore is a financial powerhouse, a center for international trade, and a leader in scientific research and innovation. How did Singapore become the country it is today?
Thanks to its geographical location, trade has become a pillar of Singapore’s economy. The country’s position at the south of Malaysia makes it a key stop-off point for ships traveling between Asia and Europe. Singapore’s strategic position has helped the small country become one of the largest importers and exporters worldwide today.
Singapore’s lack of natural resources has also forced the country to be innovative.
Take, for example, the country’s lack of fresh water. Singapore receives over 90 inches of rainfall a year, but has little land to retain that water. It has therefore had to import drinking water from nearby countries. However, the country has also built cutting- edge facilities that transform wastewater into drinking water, and that remove salt from seawater. According to Singapore’s Public Utilities Board (PUB) current and planned plants will meet up to 55 percent of the country’s fresh water needs by 2060.
Singapore’s recent immigration history has also contributed to its strong economy. For many years, Singapore’s birthrate has been in decline. The country has therefore had to have liberal immigration policies. In 2010, about 40 percent of its population was born outside Singapore. While there was opposition to this, many experts believed that immigration was necessary for Singapore to remain competitive. In a Forbes magazine interview, investor and Singapore resident Jim Rogers argued that, if Singapore didn’t get enough labor through immigration, its economy would suffer. According to Rogers,
“Every country in history that has a backlash against foreigners is going to go into decline.”
Since gaining independence in 1965, it has grown from a poor trading port to one of the wealthiest states in the world. Despite its size, Singapore’s location, innovativeness, and policies make it the global landmark it is today.
A
B
C
D
E
G REVISED DRAFT Now use the questions below to revise your essay.
Does your introduction provide relevant background information on the topic?
Does your thesis state the main points of the essay?
Do your body paragraphs include enough details to explain your ideas?
Does your information come from a variety of reliable and trustworthy sources?
Do you quote material and refer to sources correctly?
Do all your sentences relate to the main idea?
H EDITING PRACTICE Read the information below. Then find and correct one mistake with quotes or paraphrases in each sentence (1–4).
When you refer to sources, remember:
• When quoting directly, use quotation marks (and a comma if necessary) to separate a person’s exact words from the rest of the sentence.
• Use a comma after a phrase that includes According to.
• Do not use a comma when using the word that with a reporting verb.
• Make sure that sentences referring to sources are grammatical. For example, do not use that with “As X says that …”
• In American English, commas and periods should go inside the end quotation marks. For example:
“With time running out,” says Alexander, “tough priorities must be set.”
“With time running out”, says Alexander, “tough priorities must be set”.
1. “Whether we like it or not”, says Magle, “we live with wildlife.”
2. According to Green hope is an embedded theme in her collections.
3. As Vijay Kumar says that, “They act on local information.”
4. Diamond asks, What’s the best case for Africa’s future?”
I FINAL DRAFT Follow these steps to write a final draft.
1. Check your revised draft for mistakes with referring to sources.
2. Now use the checklist on page 248 to write a final draft. Make any other necessary changes.
3. Work in pairs and read your partner’s final essay. Give feedback on each other’s writing.
Review
S E L F - A S S E S S Consider the language and skills you learned in this unit.
How well can you . . . ? Very well Pretty well I need improvement use the key vocabulary from this unit
annotate a text analyze point of view
avoid plagiarism by referring to sources do research online
A VOCABULARY Do you remember the meanings of these words? Look back at the unit and review the ones you don’t know.
adaptation AW arise associate burden corruption AW
distinct AW dominant AW mining misfortune radically AW
resemble AW sole AW thrive undergo workforce
B VOCABULARY EXTENSION Complete these tasks with a partner.
1. Think of expressions with the word economy. Take turns making sentences with them.
2. Choose a word from the box below and make a sentence with distinct. Take turns.
advantage possibility groups difference pattern smell
C READING SKILL List four ways to annotate a text. Which ones do you use? Tell a partner.
1.
2.
3.
4.
D LANGUAGE FOR WRITING Choose a quote from the reading passage. Write two sentences, referring to the quote in two different ways.
S E L F - A S S E S S Look back at the chart above. Did you assess your skills correctly?
What skills or language do you still need help with?