Principles of Written English, Workbook 2Copyright © 2014 by Maggie Sokolik

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Principles of

Written English

Workbook 2

________________________

Maggie Sokolik

________________________

Introduction

This workbook accompanies the online course, College Writing 2.2x, Principles of Written English, the second of a series of three courses offered by College Writing Programs of the University of California, Berkeley. You can find this course on the edx.org website (https://www.edx.org/course/uc-berkeleyx/uc-berkeleyx-colwri2-2x-principles-1348). This workbook offers additional ways to practice writing, editing, and reviewing the materials for the online course.

If you have purchased this workbook and are not taking the course, you may still find use for the materials. However, it should be noted that the course is offered free of charge, so look for the schedule on the http://edx.org website and join the live course.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Week 1, Vocabulary Development

Chapter 2: Week 2, Understanding Tone and Diction

Chapter 3: Week 3, Common Errors in Writing

Chapter 4: Week 4, Advanced Process Writing

Chapter 5: Week 5, Advanced Revision, Proofreading, and Editing

Answers

More Practice

About the Author

Chapter 1

Week 1: Vocabulary Development

1. Weekly overview

Week 1 covers strategies for developing your vocabulary. Vocabulary is important to writing, of course, because it helps you write correctly and accurately. However, there are no universally accepted ways of developing vocabulary that will work for everyone. Therefore, you are encouraged this week to experiment with a variety of methods to find some that work for you.

2. Why Vocabulary is Important

Vocabulary is crucial for good writing. When you develop a strong vocabulary, you will find that writing gets easier. You will find the appropriate words that you need to express your ideas, and you will avoid being repetitive by varying your vocabulary.

However, the question is: How do you do that? It’s not as easy as it sounds, as you probably realize. Even in our native language, we often struggle to build a vocabulary that is clear and precise. When we write in a second or other language, the difficulty grows.

A common piece of advice you hear about learning vocabulary is to read a lot. While it’s always a good idea to read, it won’t guarantee that you'll become a lot better at vocabulary. Imagine that you want to become a better soccer player; while watching games will certainly help you learn things about the game, you need to run, kick the ball, and play with teammates to improve your abilities. This applies to vocabulary, too. You can read and look at words, but you need to practice—to use the words—to develop the strong vocabulary you want.

There are two additional problems with using reading as your primary means of vocabulary development:

• Looking up words when you read can help your passive vocabulary, but not necessarily your active vocabulary. Passive vocabulary is made up of words you understand while reading or listening, but don't use in speaking or writing. Active vocabulary is made up of those words you use when you talk and write. Most of us know many more words passively than actively. The key is to find a way to turn passive vocabulary into active vocabulary.

• If you are counting on context to tell you what words mean, that strategy may not work as well as you hope. Research shows that a lot of vocabulary cannot be guessed from context. In addition, you need to understand about 90% of the context in order to figure out a new word.

Developing your vocabulary is a long process – in fact, it probably never ends. The next part of this unit shows eight ways to improve your vocabulary.

3. Excerpts from the Course Materials

The following is a sample of key materials from this week’s lesson:

Eight Ways to Improve Your Vocabulary

1. Learn words in categories.• Avoid single-word memorization.• Think about groups of words. For example:

Kitchen objects• Pot• Bowl• Burner• Oven• Colander• and so on

2. Use a journal and sticky notes.• Carry a notebook.• Write down words that seem important.• Later, look them up and write sentences using them.• Use sticky notes as labels.• Write the word and post the notes around the house.

3. Learn collocations.A collocation is a combination of words that appear together frequently.

• Lions roar (but they don’t shout, weep, holler, etc.).• Depressed people can commit suicide (not do suicide, create suicide, etc.).• Discover collocations dictionaries.• Think about word groups, not individual words.

4. Use mnemonics.A mnemonic is a pattern of letters or ideas that helps you remember something. For example, American school children use the word HOMES to remember the names of the Great Lakes in Michigan (Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior).

• Create your own mnemonics.Example: Italian for butterfly: farfalla. A butterfly flies so high it falls far (far-fall-a).

• Consult the Mnemonic Dictionary: http://mnemonicdictionary.com

5. Speak it, write it.• Put a new word to use immediately.• Write it down.• Use it in a sentence.• Use it three times in a day.

6. Learn area-specific vocabulary.• Learn words related to a particular area, such as job-related or study area related:

• Words for architects• Words for car mechanics• Words for cooks

• Make word forks, trees, wheels, webs, etc. See Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4 below.

Figure 1: A Word Fork

Figure 2: A Word Tree

Figure 3: A Word Wheel

Figure 4: A Word Web

7. Write in an observation journal.• Keep a small notebook or file on your laptop or tablet.• Go sit somewhere.• Name everything you can see.• If you don’t know the name of something, write it in your native language, or take a

picture of it and then look it up later.• Go to different places to do this activity – parks, shopping centers, office buildings, etc.

8. Use a spaced repetition system (SRS).• This is a learning technique that increases time between reviews of words.• Software helps best.

• One good source is Anki: http://ankisrs.net/• More information at: http://www.omniglot.com/language/srs.php

Sources for Vocabulary Development

Here are some vocabulary resources that have more information on vocabulary building:

Websites• Play “Free Rice” – you can learn vocabulary and donate rice to those who need food: http://freerice.com/ - /english-vocabulary/1379• “12 Learn Vocabulary with the New York Times”: http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/18/12-ways-to-learn-vocabulary-with-the-new-york-times/• Vocabulary.com has games and more: https://www.vocabulary.com/• Wikihow’s suggestions: http://www.wikihow.com/Build-Your-Vocabulary• “38 Language-Learning Experts Reveal their Favorite Method for Learning Vocabulary”: http://www.smartlanguagelearner.com/experts-reveal-method-learning-vocabulary/• Oxford Collocations Dictionary: http://oxforddictionary.so8848.com/

Books• Fifty Ways to Practice Vocabulary: Tips for ESL/EFL Students, ebook, by Belinda Young-Davy. Wayzgoose Press, 2013.http://wayzgoosepress.com/education.html• Oxford American Dictionary Vocabulary Builder, by Keith Folse. Oxford University Press, 2010.• Easy ESL Crossword Puzzles, by Chris Gunn. McGraw-Hill, 2013.

• Academic English Vocabulary for International Students, Bill Walker, 2009 and English Vocabulary for Academic Success, Bill Walker, 2012.

4. Vocabulary Check

Here are some words from this week that were used in this week’s course materials. Highlight the ones you already know. Look up the ones you don’t know. For the ones you don’t know, write them out on cards or add them to a notebook, along with a definition, written in your own words. Indicate the part of speech. Then write an example sentence in your own words.

1. abundant2. alloy3. ascertainable4. assay5. banished6. boosted7. colander8. collocations9. elemental10. exaltation11. finery12. minted13. mnemonic14. ornamental15. perversion16. purity17. scathing18. transforming19. weapons20. worship

Remember to share your work and comment on others’ work on the course website at http://edX.org.

5. Additional Writing

Find an interesting place to sit for 20 minutes. Take five minutes to observe what’s going on around you. Then, write for 15 minutes, describing in as much detail as you can what you see. Stretch your vocabulary – include names for things that you had to look up. Share your writing in the course.

Chapter 2

Week 2: Understanding Tone and Diction

1. Weekly overview

Week 2 covers the ideas of tone and diction, or the words writers choose to convey their meanings. It also looks at the connotations, or the shades of meaning of words, and how understanding negative and positive connotations of words can help you improve your vocabulary understanding and use.

2. Excerpts from the Course Materials

The following is a sample of key materials from this week’s lesson:

Choosing Correct Diction

In last week’s lesson, you learned about expanding your vocabulary. Good writing depends on more than just having a large vocabulary, however. You have to learn to use the vocabulary appropriately in the right contexts. Choosing the right vocabulary is also known as choosing your diction.

If you know the word dictionary, then you have seen the word diction. In fact, diction is simply the words you choose to express your meaning. However, choosing the right words isn't always so simple.

The words you choose can be formal, informal, or colloquial/slang. Using slang when you should be writing formally is a big mistake. Similarly, if you are overly formal in a situation that calls for informality, you risk insulting your reader as well.

Twenty-one Errors in Diction

There are two main sources of error in diction:

1. Choosing the wrong word. This can happen because of confusion between homonyms (words that sound alike but are spelled differently), or because the meaning of the word isn't fully understood.

2. Choosing colloquial or less formal spoken language when standard or more formal language is called for (or vice versa). In academic writing, formal diction is generally expected.

Here are twenty-one common errors made in writing formal diction. How many of these usage errors have you made or seen?

1. A lot / lots ofColloquial: Diana likes her apartment a lot.Formal: Diana likes her apartment very much.

Colloquial: There are lots of books in our library.Formal: There are many books in our library.

2. Among / between (Tip: Among involves more than two; between involves only two)Colloquial: Discussions between our group members were often very lively.Formal: Discussions among our group members were often very lively.

3. Around / about (Tip: Don’t use around to indicate time, distance, or other quantity.)Colloquial: The class usually begins around nine.Formal: The class usually begins at about nine.

4. Badly (Tip: Badly is not a substitute for very much.)Colloquial: The team wanted to win really badly.Formal: The team wanted desperately to win.

5. Based off ofColloquial: Based off of that information, we can move ahead with the plan.Formal: Based on that information, we can move ahead with the plan.

6. Because (Tip: Don’t use because after reason.)Colloquial: The reason for our flight delay is because of bad weather.Formal: The reason for our flight delay is the bad weather.

7. A bunch / bunches (Tip: Use bunch or bunches only for things that are bound or grow together, like bananas and grapes; it is not used for other countable nouns.)Colloquial: A bunch of us are going to the movies tonight.Formal: A group of us are going to the movies tonight.Formal: There are three bunches of bananas on the counter.

8. Each other / one other (Tip: Each other refers to two; one another refers to more than two.)Colloquial: Everyone at the party wished each other a happy new year.Formal: Everyone at the party wished one another a happy new year.Formal: My sister and I wished each other a happy new year.

9. GuysColloquial: I hope you guys can join me at the restaurant.Formal: I hope all of you can join me at the restaurant.

10. In / Into (Tip: In means within or inside, while into refers to the motion of going from outside to inside.)Colloquial: Bill went in the bus station to buy a ticket.Formal: Bill went into the bus station to buy a ticket.

11. Infer / imply (Tip: To infer is an act of thinking; to imply is an act of saying something.)Incorrect: I saw your memo about a noon meeting. Are you inferring that we should have lunch together?Correct: I saw your memo about a noon meeting. Are you implying that we should have lunch together?

12. It’s / its (Remember that it’s always means it is)Incorrect: The committee has reached it’s goals this year.Correct: The committee has reached its goals this year.

13. Kind of / sort of (Tip: Don’t use kind of or sort of when you mean very, rather, or somewhat.)Colloquial: Jim was sort of angry when he learned we went to the park without him.Formal: Jim was somewhat upset when he learned we went to the park without him.

14. Less than / fewer than (Tip: Use less than only with uncountable nouns.)Colloquial: There are less people in the store today than yesterday.Formal: There are fewer people in the store today than yesterday.

15. Like / as (Tip: Use as when comparing actions, like when comparing things.)Colloquial: Alan wants to write a new essay, just like Sarah does.Formal: Alan wants to write a new essay, just as Sarah does.

16. Like / maybe (Tip: Avoid using like and maybe when estimating; use approximately, perhaps, or about instead.) Colloquial: There were like thirty people at my birthday party.Formal: There were approximately thirty people at my birthday party.

17. MeantimeColloquial: Meantime, the rain continued to pour.Formal: In the meantime, the rain continued to pour.Formal: Meanwhile, the rain continued to pour.

18. On account ofColloquial: On the account of the weather, our plane was late.Formal: Because of the weather, our plane was late.

19. PlentyColloquial: It has been plenty warm all week.Formal: It has been very warm all week.

20. SoColloquial: This week’s homework is so difficult.Formal: This week's homework is very difficult.

21. They’re / their / there (You’re / your) (Tip: remember that they’re always means they are,

and you’re always means you are)Incorrect: Do you know if their going to the party?Correct: Do you know if they're going to the party?

Incorrect: You’re lunch is on the counter.Correct: Your lunch is on the counter.

Incorrect: What is there address?Correct: What is their address?

Connotations

A connotation is an idea or feeling that a word may hold in addition to its literal meaning (or denotation). These additional meanings are often cultural or emotional in nature, so they can be hard to understand if you only consult a dictionary.

For example, look at these four words: cheap, frugal, miserly, economical. All of them mean “the quality of saving money by spending very little.” However, two of these words have positive meanings and the other two have negative meanings. Do you know which ones?

(Answer: cheap and miserly are negative, meaning someone who is unreasonable in their spending habits; frugal and economical have positive associations, meaning someone who is careful about spending money).

When you make notes on vocabulary items in your notebook, sometimes it is helpful to put a + (plus) next to a word with a positive connotation, and a – (minus) next to those with negative connotations. Some words, of course, are neutral, being neither negative nor positive. Furthermore, some words are so negative as to be insulting or unacceptable.

The groups of words in each set have similar meanings, but different connotations. Using online sources, such as http://corpus.byu.edu/coca/, search engines, or other sources, see if you can learn something about the connotations of each word in the group.

1. childlike, youthful, childish, young, immature, juvenile2. chubby, fat, plump, curvy, overweight3. confident, secure, proud, egotistical4. cute, knockout, beautiful, handsome, stunning, attractive5. disabled, crippled, handicapped, differently abled, retarded6. inquisitive, interested, curious, nosy7. relaxed, mellow, lackadaisical, lazy, easy-going8. slim, skinny, slender, thin, bony9. talkative, conversational, chatty, garrulous

3. Sources for Understanding Tone and Diction

Websites• The Purdue OWL (online writing lab): http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/Look especially at their “Five Principles of Readability” (PDF):https://owl.english.purdue.edu/media/pdf/20080306044359_727.pdf• From the University of Maryland’s online writing guide, “A Word about Style, Voice, and Tone”: http://www.umuc.edu/writingcenter/onlineguide/chapter3-22.cfm• From Wheaton College’s Writing Center, “Style, Diction, Tone, and Voice”: http://www.wheaton.edu/Academics/Services/Writing-Center/Writing-Resources/Style-Diction-Tone-and-Voice• The Idioms Site: http://www.idiomsite.com/

Books• Rhetorical Devices: A Handbook and Activities for Student Writers, by Brendan McGuigan, Douglas Grudzina, and Paul Moliken, Prestwick House, 2007.• Rhetorical Grammar, by Martha Kolln and Loretta Gray, Longman Publishers, 2007.• Words You Thought You Knew: 1001 Commonly Misused and Misunderstood Words and Phrases, by Jenna Glatzer, Adams Media, 2003.

4. Vocabulary Check

Here are some words from this week that were used in this week’s course materials. Highlight the ones you already know. Look up the ones you don’t know. For the ones you don’t know, write them out on cards or add them to a notebook, along with a definition, written in your own words. Indicate the part of speech. Then write an example sentence in your own words.

1. diction2. colloquial3. feasible4. infer5. imply6. connotation7. denotation8. frugal9. miserly10. lackadaisical11. egotistical12. garrulous

5. Additional Writing

Look at the following list of fifteen possible tones you could use in writing. Pick two of them. First, write down all the vocabulary you can think of that could express that tone. For example, for gloomy, you could write: sad, dark, humorless, etc. Next, write a story about something that happened to you recently. First write it in a neutral tone—just say what happened. Then, write it using one of the tones from the list. Then, rewrite it again, choosing a second tone choice. Think about what you have to do to change the tone.

Tone Choices

1. bitter: showing hostility because of pain or grief2. contemptuous: feeling that something lacks respect3. didactic: trying to educate or teach the reader4. earnest: being honest and sincere5. erudite: showing learned, sophisticated, or scholarly qualities6. fanciful: using one’s imagination7. gloomy: being sad and rejected8. jovial: exhibiting happiness9. lyrical: expressing a poet’s inner emotions; full of imagery; song-like10. optimistic: being hopeful and cheerful11. reverent: writing with honor and respect12. reflective: illustrating innermost thoughts and emotions13. sarcastic: using irony, criticism, and cynicism14. solemn: being very earnest, sometimes reflecting on sad thoughts15. whimsical: expressing odd, strange, fantastical or quirky ideas

Remember to share your work on the course website.

Chapter 3

Week 3: Common Errors in Writing

1. Weekly Overview

This week, you will look at several sources of error in writing: wordiness, spelling, and grammar. You will also explore different ways to improve your writing in all these areas.

2. Excerpts from the Course Materials

What causes wordiness?Wordiness is using more words than you need to in order to write what you mean. Everyone has a tendency to be too wordy at times. Some of the causes of this wordiness are:

Trying to sound too formal or academic. Unfortunately, in academic writing, there are a lot of examples of wordy writing. This doesn’t mean you have to model your writing on bad examples. Your readers will always appreciate if you state your ideas clearly, and using no more words than needed.

Not knowing more precise vocabulary. For example, saying, She ran quickly to the store can be made somewhat less wordy, and more precise, by saying: She raced to the store (race = run quickly). Finding the right vocabulary can help you cut down the number of words you use. Every reduction helps, even if it’s only a word or two.

Using too many unnecessary and vague modifiers. Typically, modifiers like really, very, quite, and similar words add no meaning to your writing. If you need to modify a word, find precise modifiers. For example, instead of There’s a really tall building near my house, write: There’s a 50-story building near my house.

Using too many prepositional phrases or possessives. These types of phrases can add length to your sentences, often unnecessarily. So, instead of The car belonging to Mr. Wang is in the garage [10 words], write: Mr. Wang’s car is in the garage [7 words].

Writing less wordy proseOne problem many writers have with wordiness is relying on some standard phrases that they hear or read. The table here, taken from the first part of this course, has a brief introduction of some of these wordy phrases:

Some steps to reduce wordiness when reviewing your work:

1. Look for any of the phrases from this table and write them more succinctly.

2. Look for places where you use modifiers, such as adjectives or adverbs. Consider whether the modifier adds important information. If it doesn’t, remove it or change it to be more precise. If you keep the modifier, ask if there is a more precise single-word vocabulary item that expresses the same meaning as the word + modifier.

3. Look at any sentences in your writing that seem long. Determine if there are ways to cut the length of the sentence.

4. Read your sentences out loud, one by one. Sometimes wordiness reveals itself when you hear it rather than see it.

5. Don’t use a passive verb construction when active would be better. Instead of writing The bill was paid by us, write: We paid the bill.

6. Eliminate unnecessary personal commentary. Often, phrases like I believe, I think, I just want to emphasize, etc. are not needed to make your point.

It takes time to recognize wordiness in your own writing. However, the process will pay off –

your writing will become much easier to read; or rather, your writing will be more readable.

A little history of English spellingSpelling in English is notorious for its inconsistency. However, there are historical reasons for this. Additionally, understanding a little about the history and origin of words will help you understand some of the patterns of English spelling.

The English alphabet is based on the Roman alphabet that was brought to England in the 600s. The Roman alphabet was designed for a language with a very different sound system, namely Latin. The Roman alphabet was never truly adapted for writing in English. The first people writing English with Roman letters added new characters to represent the sounds found in English, but not in Latin. With this, the complication of the spelling:sound relationship began.

Various other historical events, like the Norman Conquest of 1066, also affected the way English sounded and was spelled. In fact, English has developed as a mix of different languages, and continues to add words (as most languages do) through borrowing vocabulary from other languages. English has been most heavily affected by Latin, Greek, Anglo-Saxon (West Germanic), and French, but it has borrowed from other languages as well.

Here are some commonly used borrowed words and their origins:

African languages: banjo, chimpanzeeArabic: alcohol, giraffe, hazardChinese: kumquat, tea, ketchupDutch: bundle, caboose, smugglerGerman: delicatessen, hamburger, quartzHungarian: coach, itsy-bitsy, saberIndian (Sanskrit): avatar, cheetah, sulfurIndigenous American languages: squash, pecan, iglooItalian: bronze, dome, magentaJapanese: honcho, tsunami, tycoonPolish: gherkin, kielbasa, polkaPortuguese: cashew, cobra, buccaneerRussian: mammoth, sableSpanish: embargo, rodeo, tobaccoTagalog: boondocksYiddish: glitch, maven, schemer

As you can see, with so many different language influences, English has become a “melting pot” for different words and spellings.

Ways to learn spellingIn a world of built-in spelling checkers, is learning spelling really important? In a word, yes. While spelling checkers should be used, they cannot catch every instance of a misspelling. Of course, this is because sometimes a misspelled word is still a legitimate word – just not the one you intended to write. It will also help you become a more efficient writer if you don’t have to

check and recheck your spelling. Even with computers, we still have to write by hand from time to time, so knowing how to spell without the assistance of a spellchecker certainly has advantages.

There are many approaches to learning spelling, but most of them rely on practice. This means writing down words a lot, and perhaps writing a problem word several times until you see what it should look like. Spelling in English is not just a matter of hearing a word and mapping its sounds onto the written word; it’s important to recognize what the word looks like as well.Learning to spell correctly does not have to be boring. There are several ways to practice spelling without just memorizing word lists or rules.

1. Play word games: Scrabble, Words with Friends, Hangman, etc. There are a lot of word games to keep you entertained while spelling words. This website also has some online games: http://www.spellingcity.com/spelling-games-vocabulary-games.html.

2. Dictation: In dictation, you listen to spoken text and write what you hear. Then, check your text against what was actually said. Dictations can be difficult, but they are very effective ways to create a connection between the written form of the word and the spoken word.There are some websites with dictation exercises listed later in this chapter.

How to avoid grammar mistakesAny time you make a mistake in your writing, you distract your readers from what you are trying to say. Instead, the readers now see the way you are saying it, and they will likely have a poor impression of what they see.

Of course, learning grammar can be a long process. If you are relatively new to English, you may feel you’re never going to get it right. Even if you’ve been studying for years, or are a native speaker, correct written grammar may still elude you. The key is to develop a process of learning and remembering correct grammar that works for you.

1. PracticeIt seems a cliché, but if you don’t use English, your grammar will be less likely to improve. This means not only writing in English regularly, but also speaking it as often as you can.

2. Do your own triageLook at a table of contents from a grammar book or website. Note any points that you feel you need to work on. Then, make a schedule for learning, reviewing, and practicing those points.

3. Make grammar notes on your readingWhen you read in English, make notes of any grammatical structure you notice that you don’t normally use in your own writing. Then, practice writing some sentences using that structure, varying the vocabulary.

4. Find resourcesFind some books or online sources for grammar learning. Identify the ones that you find

enjoyable and informative. There are hundreds, if not thousands of websites and books, so take some time to investigate which ones are a good fit for you.

Remember that the first part of this course, 2.1x, had a lot of information about grammar. You can access that material at any time and review those lessons as well.

3. Sources for Understanding Common Writing Problems

Websites• Dictation activities: http://www.englishclub.com/listening/dictation.htm• Five Guidelines for Learning Spelling and Six Ways of Practicing Spelling: http://www.ldonline.org/article/6192/• History of Spelling: http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~kemmer/Histengl/spelling.html• 12 Letters That Didn't Make the Alphabet: http://mentalfloss.com/article/31904/12-letters-didnt-make-alphabet• How to Improve Your Spelling: http://www.spellzone.com/unit02/page1.cfm• Ten Tips for Better Spelling: http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0903395.html

Books• The Story of English in 100 Words, by David Crystal, Picador, 2013.• The Mother Tongue – English and How it Got That Way, by Bill Bryson, William Morrow, 2001.• Writing Tools – 50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer, by Roy Peter Clark. Little, Brown & Company, 2008.

4. Vocabulary Check

Here are some words from this week that were used in this week’s course materials. Highlight the ones you already know. Look up the ones you don’t know. For the ones you don’t know, write them out on cards or add them to a notebook, along with a definition, written in your own words. Indicate the part of speech. Then write an example sentence in your own words.

1. avatar2. banjo3. bronze4. buccaneer5. caboose6. cashew7. cheetah8. delicatessen9. embargo10. giraffe11. glitch12. hazard13. honcho14. igloo15. itsy-bitsy16. magenta17. mammoth18. maven19. quartz20. rodeo21. saber22. sable23. smuggler24. squash (noun)25. sulfur26. tycoon

5. Additional Writing

1. Go to http://creativewritingprompts.com/ and choose as many topics as you want to write about.

2. If you have a piece of writing of your own to work with, review it for wordiness. Revise it correctly. Share your original and rewritten versions.

Remember to share your work on the course website.

Chapter 4

Week 4: Advanced Process Writing

1. Weekly Overview

In week 4, we will look at the concept of process writing, that is, writing as a series of steps rather than as a single activity. We will focus on the prewriting and drafting process in particular. You will decide on a topic for your final essay and develop a first draft.

2. Excerpts from the Course Materials

Four brainstorming techniques

1. PrewritingPrewriting, or informal planning done before starting an assignment, is an important part of the writing process. When you prewrite, you gather ideas, think about organization, experiment with different ways of approaching your topic, and even discover sometimes that your ideas are not ready to write about.

Even if you prewrite for only a small amount of time – 10 minutes – it can make a big difference in the quality of your writing. You will start off better prepared, and you will have less revising and rewriting to do later. So it will actually save you time.

The first part of this course, 2.1x, has some prewriting activities that you can explore, such as idea maps, outlines, and freewriting. This week, we will look at three more.

2. CubingCubing means looking at a topic from six different perspectives, like the six sides of a cube. First, choose your topic and write it at the top of your page to help you remember it. Next, take five minutes to write about your topic from six different perspectives (again, think of the sides of the cube). You may not be able to do all six, but do the best you can. (See Figure 5 below.)

1. Describe your topic. What is its shape, size, color, texture? Does it make any sounds? Does it taste like something? Use all your senses to describe it.

2. Compare your topic to other related topics. How is it similar or different?

3. Associate your topic with another topic. In other words, what does your topic make you think about? It might be something unexpected. Be creative.

4. Analyze the parts of your topic. How do they fit together? What do the parts say about the topic? Are all the parts equally important?

5. Apply your topic – what can you do with it? How is it useful? Who might use it? Who wouldn’t use it?

6. Argue for and against your topic. What are its benefits? How might someone disagree with your topic?

Figure 5: A Word Cube

3. The Matrix ApproachWhat’s a matrix? (No, not the movie. .) A matrix is a like a table of information. Along one side, you can have different main points of your topic, and across the top, perhaps some questions or points relevant to your topic. Then, in each cell, fill in the relevant information.

One way to look at a matrix is that it is a multi-point comparison. It gives you specific ways to compare a number of different areas of interest within your topic.

4. Twenty QuestionsIt may seem odd to interview a topic, but imagine that your topic is a person. Pretend to be that person, and answer these interview questions. You may not be able to answer all of them, but do as many as you can.

1. What is your full name? Do some people know you by a different name?2. How does the dictionary or encyclopedia define you?3. When were you born? What were the circumstances?4. Are you still alive? If not, how did you come to an end?5. What group do you belong to? How are you like others in your group?6. Can you be divided into parts? How?

7. Were you different in the past? How?8. Will you be different in the future? How?9. Do you ever feel misunderstood?10. What is your purpose?11. What are you similar to? Why do you say that?12. What are you different from? Why do you say that?13. What or whom are you better than? In what ways?14. What or whom are you inferior to? In what ways?15. When people talk about you, what do they say?16. Should I know any facts or statistics about you?17. Is there someone I should talk to about you – an expert, for example?18. Are there any famous sayings or quotes about you?19. Have there been any stories about you in the news?20. Should I do more research about you?

Example: Train travel

1. What is your full name? Do some people know you by a different name?I am known as train travel, rail travel, riding the train, or railroad travel.

2. How does the dictionary or encyclopedia define you?I am a type of movement from one place to another – usually different cities or countries – using a self-propelled machine and a set of connected cars called a train. The train travels on metal tracks.

3. When were you born? What were the circumstances?The machine-powered version of me was born in the 1800s, around the time of the Industrial Revolution. People were looking for faster ways of traveling.

Draft Your EssayAfter you have determined your topic and gotten feedback, it's time to write a draft. Here are five steps to follow as you develop your essay.

1. Write your thesis. If you don’t know how to write a thesis, review the section in 2.1x on thesis writing. You can also review the information on the Purdue OWL (https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/545/01/), or use the “Thesis Generator” web page (http://johnmcgarvey.com/apworld/student/thesiscreator.html). Consider your topic, and write a clear argument that you can develop your essay around. Your thesis is your main point, stated in one concise sentence. Your thesis lets your readers know what your paper will argue.

2. Create an outline. There are different ways to write outlines, both formal and informal. However you write your outline, it’s good to create a plan for your essay. What will the order of ideas be? Why are they in that order?

3. Write your introduction. Begin writing. Your introduction should draw your reader in, make

your topic clear, and lead to your thesis. Make it interesting!

4. Craft your paragraphs. Each paragraph should focus on a main idea that supports your thesis. Begin each paragraph with a topic sentence that is linked to your thesis. Develop your paragraphs by including arguments, examples, or opinions.

5. End with your conclusion. Start your conclusion by writing a summary sentence, reinforcing the main point of your paper. Then end your essay with a memorable idea, or a quotation, or some other way to get your reader to think more deeply about what you have said.

Get and Give FeedbackWhen you read others’ work, here are some questions to guide your comments.

Peer Review QuestionsWhen you read your colleagues’ drafts, try to answer these questions in as much detail as you are able.

1. Introduction: Does the first paragraph introduce the essay’s topic and the writer’s position? Is the first sentence attention getting and relevant to the topic?2. Thesis: Can you identify the thesis statement? If necessary, suggest a way to improve the introduction or thesis statement.3. Organization: Is the essay well organized? Does each paragraph make a relevant point that is different from the others? Is the order of ideas logical and clear?4. Clarity/Style: Did you find distracting grammar, punctuation, spelling, or vocabulary problems? Is the tone of the essay properly academic? If you find awkward sentences, try to explain why they don’t make sense to you. You do not need to correct the writer’s grammar mistakes.5. Sources: If the writer uses outside sources, such as quotations or examples from reading, are they clearly identified?

3. Sources for Understanding Process Writing

Websites• Thesis writing: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/545/01/• Thesis generator: http://johnmcgarvey.com/apworld/student/thesiscreator.html• Writing ideas: https://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/writing-groups/writing-exercises/• Body paragraph writing: http://www.aims.edu/student/online-writing-lab/process/body-exercise• Interactive quizzes on writing and grammar: http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/quiz_list.htm

BooksLongman Academic Writing 4: Essays (5th Edition), by Alice Oshima and Ann Hogue, Longman, 2013.Writers at Work: The Essay, by Dorothy Zemach and Lynn Stafford-Yilmaz, Cambridge University Press, 2008.The Process of Composition (3rd edition), by Joy Reid, Pearson/Longman, 2011.

4. Vocabulary CheckHere are some words from this week that were used in this week’s course materials. Highlight the ones you already know. Look up the ones you don’t know. For the ones you don’t know, write them out on cards or add them to a notebook, along with a definition, written in your own words. Indicate the part of speech. Then write an example sentence in your own words.

1. benefits2. brainstorming3. craft (verb)4. matrix5. sketch out6. stasis7. texture

5. Additional Writing

1. If you aren’t sure what to write about, here are some ideas to get you started:

• Describe the evolution of communication since the beginning of the Internet.• What are the long-term effects of climate change, especially its estimated impact on coastal cities?• What is a serious health problem that does not get enough public attention? Describe this problem and support your arguments with research.• What is your favorite retail business? Describe its history, what products it sells, how it runs its business, and its best qualities.• What steps would you take to choose and buy a new computer? Describe the process in detail, including advice for a potential buyer.

2. Edit the following passage, which has errors of different kinds.

Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence and Avondale (1864 – 1892), was the eldest son of Albert Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII), and the grandson of the reining British monarch, Queen Victoria. From time of his birth he was second in the line of succession to the British throng, but he did not become king because he has died beforehand to his father, and his grandmother the Queen.

Albert Victor known to his family, and many later biographers, as Eddy. When young, he traveled extensively the world as a naval cadet, and as adult he joined the British Army, but did not undertaken any active military duties. After to unsuccessful courtship’s, he engaged to be marry to Princess Mary of Teck in 1891. Just few weeks later, he died during a influenza pandemic. Mary later married his younger brother, George, who becomes King George V in 1910.

Albert Victor’s intellect, and sanity has been the subject of much speculations. Some authors have argued that he was the serial killer know as Jack the Ripper, however; contemporary documents show that Albert Victor could not have been at London at the time of the murders, and because of this reason the claim widely is dismissed.

Source: adapted from Wikipedia

Click here to check your answers.

Chapter 5

Week 5: Advanced Revision, Proofreading, and Editing

1. Weekly Overview

In the last week of the course, we will look at methods of improving your writing. Specifically, we will look at practices in revision, proofreading and editing. There are several innovative techniques introduced to help you find problems in your writing.

2. Excerpts from the Course Materials

GREAT WRITERS AND REVISION

Interviewer: How much rewriting do you do?Hemingway: It depends. I rewrote the ending of Farewell to Arms, the last page of it, 39 times before I was satisfied.Interviewer: Was there some technical problem there? What was it that had stumped you?Hemingway: Getting the words right.

Ernest Hemingway, “The Art of Fiction,” The Paris Review Interview, 1956)

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“Substitute damn every time you’re inclined to write very; your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be.” – Mark Twain

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“I don’t write easily or rapidly. My first draft usually has only a few elements worth keeping. I have to find what those are and build from them and throw out what doesn’t work, or what simply is not alive.” – Susan Sontag

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“Writing and rewriting are a constant search for what it is one is saying.” – John Updike

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“By the time I am nearing the end of a story, the first part will have been reread and altered and corrected at least one hundred and fifty times. I am suspicious of both facility and speed. Good writing is essentially rewriting. I am positive of this.” – Roald Dahl

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

WRITING AND REVISION

All writing benefits from rewriting, when done well. When you are in the process of writing a draft of an essay, you should be thinking first about revision, not editing.

What's the difference? Revision refers to substantial changing of a text, for example, re-organizing ideas and paragraphs, providing additional examples or information, rewriting a conclusion for clarity, and so forth. Editing, on the other hand, refers to correcting mistakes in spelling, grammar, punctuation, and so on.

When you are rewriting your draft, you don’t want to spend a lot of time on editing because there’s a possibility you might delete something, change it, or add more material. It’s best to focus on ideas, organization, and development when you’re writing a draft. The grammar corrections will come later.

One way to approach revising your essay is to use a checklist, like this one:

REVISION CHECKLIST

Ask the following questions of your essay as you revise your draft:__ Is your title interesting and descriptive of your contents?__ Will your opening sentence attract the reader’s attention? If not, how can you improve it?__ Will your readers learn something interesting from your essay?__ Have you organized your essay in logically?__ Do you support your main idea with examples?__ Does all the writing relate to your main idea? Look for unnecessary information and edit it out.__ Do you use effective transitions to connect your details and examples so that your readers can follow your writing?__ Does the conclusion bring your essay to a satisfying close? Does it leave the reader something to think about?__ Did you choose your tone and diction carefully? Did you check for accurate use of vocabulary?__ Do you use a variety of sentence structures and length in order to make your writing __ How happy are you with your essay? Do you think readers will enjoy reading it?

EDITING TECHNIQUES

Check for logical orderThis is an interesting activity I often do with my students in writing classes here at Berkeley.

Take something you’re writing – your draft for this class for example. Follow these instructions:1. Make a copy of it on your computer so you are working with a new version.2. At the end of every sentence, put a ‘return’ and leave a few spaces. Do this for your entire piece of writing.3. Adjust the size or spacing so you can see only two sentences on your screen. Read the sentences aloud. As a pair of sentences, do they work together? That is, does one sentence follow logically from the one before it?4. Now, scroll down so you see your second sentence + third sentence only on the screen. Ask the same question: does one sentence lead to another? If it doesn’t, add transitions, pronouns, or other information to make the two sentences work together.

Do this process for your entire essay – yes, it’s long and time-consuming, but you’ll get faster at it. This exercise will really help you with understanding organization, transitions, and how your

writing works together, not just as a series of disconnected sentences.

Read backwardsThis is a common technique used by writers: read your paper backwards.

We often become “blind” to our own mistakes, seeing the correct word or grammar on the page when it really isn’t there. In order to break this pattern, you can read your writing backwards, phrase by phrase, or word by word. This will help you see your text in a new way.

Listen to your paperYou can sometimes hear problems with your paper that you overlook when you just read it, or even when you read it aloud to yourself.

If you have an Apple computer, you will copy the text of your paper into a TextEdit file (found in Utilities or Applications). If you have a PC, you may have a reader installed, or you can use Natural Reader for free: http://www.naturalreaders.com.

Instructions:1. Print out a copy of your paper, double-spaced.2. You need a pen/pencil and highlighter.3. Prepare a text file that can be read by your voice software.4. Choose a voice you like if you have a choice.5. Listen to your paper as you follow along on the printed copy. Stop the program when you hear a problem and note it on your paper.

Listen especially for:• Grammar problems, especially missing endings or subject-verb agreement errors• Ideas that don’t fit together – for example, sentences that jump around or don’t seem to be in the right place• Repetition of words or simple repetitiveness• Sentences that don’t make sense to you• Unnatural pauses, or lack of pauses, in the reading. This indicates you probably haven’t punctuated properly.• Words the program can’t pronounce, which could indicate a misspelling• Wrong words

3. Sources for Understanding Advanced Revision, Proofreading, and Editing

Websites• The University of North Carolina: http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/editing-and-proofreading/• “Eight Simple Tips for Editing Your Own Work”: http://writetodone.com/eight-simple-tips-for-editing-your-own-work/• “21 Proofreading and Editing Tips for Writers”: http://www.writingforward.com/writing-tips/proofreading-and-editing-tips-for-writers

Books• Revising Prose, 5th edition, Richard Lanham, Longman, 2006.• On Writing Well, by William Zinsser, Harper Perennial, 2006.

4. Vocabulary Check

Here are some words from this week that were used in this week’s course materials. Highlight the ones you already know. Look up the ones you don’t know. For the ones you don’t know, write them out on cards or add them to a notebook, along with a definition, written in your own words. Indicate the part of speech. Then write an example sentence in your own words.

1. stump (verb)2. facility3. highlighter4. scroll (verb)5. logically6. pauses (noun)

5. Additional Writing

1. Go to http://www.englishforeveryone.org/Topics/Paragraph-Correction.htm and choose some paragraph correction activities (choose the advanced ones at the bottom of the page).

Share your homework in the class.

Answers

Chapter 4 editing

Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence and Avondale (1864 – 1892), was the eldest son of Albert Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII), and the grandson of the reigning British monarch, Queen Victoria. From the time of his birth, he was second in the line of succession to the British throne, but he did not become king because he died before his father and his grandmother, the Queen.

Albert Victor was known to his family, and many later biographers, as Eddy. When young, he traveled the world extensively as a naval cadet, and as an adult he joined the British Army, but did not undertake any active military duties. After two unsuccessful courtships, he was engaged to be married to Princess Mary of Teck in 1891. Just a few weeks later, he died during an influenza pandemic. Mary later married his younger brother, George, who became King George V in 1910.

Albert Victor’s intellect and sanity have been the subject of much speculation. Some authors have argued that he was the serial killer known as Jack the Ripper; however, contemporary documents show that Albert Victor could not have been in London at the time of the murders, and the claim is widely dismissed.

Click here to return to the exercise.

More Practice

Interested in more writing practice? Check out our self-study guide, 50 Ways to Practice Writing, that includes practical suggestions for improving your English writing fluency and accuracy – and typing! Affordably priced at about one dollar.

This book is made for students of English as a Second or Foreign Language.

You will learn 50 ways to practice and improve writing – both with pen and paper and typing. By applying these methods, you will write more, write faster, and write more correct and more interesting papers and letters.

You do not need to be living in an English-speaking country or be currently taking an English class to use this book. However, students who are already in a class can also use this book to improve their writing more quickly and easily. You do not need to have English-speaking friends or acquaintances to write to, or even any idea of what to write about. This book will provide those ideas.

Click here to go to our website and see information about this book and others in the same series.

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Other titles in the 50 Ways to Practice series include:

• 50 Ways to Practice Listening• 50 Ways to Practice Reading• 50 Ways to Practice Speaking• 50 Ways to Practice Vocabulary

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Are you an English teacher? Check out our 50 Ways series for teachers. Each ebook provides 50 ideas (plus one bonus!) for teaching the skill area. These ideas can be used with or without a textbook, with a class or private students, and for a variety of levels. Click here to see descriptions and ordering information for the complete series:

• 50 Ways to Teach Them Writing• 50 Ways to Teach Them Grammar• 50 Ways to Teach Them Speaking• 50 Ways to Teach Them Listening• 50 Ways to Teach Vocabulary• 50 Ways to Teach Young Learners

Check the Wayzgoose Press site for new titles … or email and let us know what you’d like us to publish!

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About the Author

Maggie Sokolik received her Ph.D. in Applied Linguistics from UCLA. She is the author of over twenty ESL and composition textbooks. She has also written for and been featured in several educational video projects in Japan. She is the editor of TESL-EJ, a peer-reviewed journal for ESL/EFL instructors.

She has taught in College Writing Programs at UC Berkeley for over 20 years, and travels frequently to speak about grammar, writing, and instructor education, most recently in Querétaro, Mexico; Shenzhen, China; Tokyo, Japan; and Hyderabad, India.

About the Series

College Writing 2x is a series of three 5-week courses focusing on aspects of writing academic English. Each course will have a separate workbook. If you have questions or would like additional information, please contact the publisher at editor@wayzgoosepress.com.

If you are interested in other ebooks about learning and teaching English, check out the offerings on our publishing website at http://wayzgoosepress.com, or join us on Facebook.

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