Essay Writing

1. Weekly Overview  

Week 1 reviews the basics of grammar and how to write effective sentences. For some participants in the course, this will be nothing new. However, it is a good idea to be sure that you understand all the terms and can identify parts of sentences and grammatical terms easily. This makes talking about your writing easier. Sentences provide the building blocks for good writing. 

2. Free writing  

The purpose of free writing is to improve your speed and fluency by writing without editing yourself as you write. Take out a pen and paper, or sit at your computer and write on the following idea (or any idea you want) for 5-10 minutes without stop- ping. Do not edit yourself for grammar, spelling, or any other reason. Let the thoughts just spill onto your page or screen, without thinking about whether they are right or wrong, good or bad.  

Free writing topic 1: What is your biggest problem in writing in English? How do you think you can improve your writing? 

3. Excerpts from the Online Materials  

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

Keys to improving your writing 

• Write often! It doesn’t matter what you write. Write about your day, something that you observed, reactions to your reading, etc. You will find suggestions for ideas to write about in your textbook.  
• Share your writing. Be sure you post to the discussion boards and get and give feedback to your peers.  
• Be patient. Learning to write well is a lifelong process. Keep working on it, and you will improve.  
• Find good resources. This course will provide you with lots of links and information. Keep it organized on your computer or in a notebook.  

6 Steps to More Concise Writing  

“Concise” means using no more words than necessary to convey your meaning. Here are six ways to achieve conciseness.  

1. Avoid redundancy. Look at these expressions: The words in parentheses aren’t necessary. They say the same thing as the main phrase.  

• ten p.m. (at night) 
• tall (in height) 
• our (final) conclusion 
• (the month of) June 
• square (in shape) 
• to combine (together) 
• to ask (a question) 
• a consensus (of opinion)  

2. Watch out for wordy phrases. Wordiness happens when you use more words than you need to say something. For example, in view of the fact that means simply because. Table 2 shows how you can express wordy  phrases more concisely.  

3. Make your subject clear and defined. 

Unclear: The practice of revision would improve our writing. 

Clear: Revision would improve our writing.   

Avoid the empty subjects it and there (called expletives).   

Empty: There is no way to become a better writer than to practice. 

Defined: We can become better writers if we practice.   

4. Use strong verbs. Avoid using sentences that rely overly on some form of the verb to be in combination with nouns or prepositions.   

to be + nouns: What we found was a solution to the problem.  

Strong verb:We solved the problem.   

5. Avoid vague words. Words like thing, stuff, material, people, get, or did should be replaced with more precise words.   

Vague: I needed to get some stuff at the store. 

Clear: I needed to buy some groceries at the farmer’s market.   

6. Remove unnecessary modifiers. Too many modifiers weaken the force of your writing; they bury your main ideas in a mountain of words that don’t mean much. Check for modifiers such as many, really, quite, in my opinion, etc., and edit them out of your writing.

Unnecessary modifiers: In my opinion, that movie was really quite good. I’m very glad we saw it. 

Concise: That movie was great! I’m glad we saw it.   

Sources for Grammar Terminology and Information 

Websites  

• Using English: http://www.usingenglish.com/glossary/ 
• About.com, Grammar: 
• http://grammar.about.com/od/terms/ a/100-Key-Gram-ical-Terms.htmTerms.htm 

• English Plus: http://englishplus.com/grammar/glossary.htm 
• The Purdue OWL (online writing lab): http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/ 
• Revising Prose: http://www.ccp.rpi.edu/resources/revising-prose/ 
• Sentences: Simple, Compound, and Complex: http://eslbee.com/ sen-tences.htm  

Books 

• Oxford Learner’s Grammar: Grammar Finder, by John Eastwood, Oxford University Press, 2005. 
• Grammar for Writing, by Joyce Cain, Pearson Publishers, 2012. Three levels available. 
• Rhetorical Grammar, by Martha Kolln and Loretta Gray, Long man Publishers, 2012. 
• Effective Sentences: Writing for Success, by Jan FluittDupuy, University of Michigan Press, 2006. 
• Gateways to Academic Writing: Effective Sentences, Paragraphs, and Essays, by Alan Meyers, Pearson Publishing, 2004. 
• The Well-Crafted Sentence: A Writer’s Guide to Style, by Nora Bacon, Bed- ford/St. Martins Press, 2012.

4. Controlled Writing  

In controlled writing, you should pay close attention to form and structure, editing yourself for grammar, organization, and clear ideas.  

Controlled writing topic 1: Write two or three paragraphs on the following topic: How is writing important to you in everyday life? 

5. Editing  

The following paragraph has several errors in it. Identify the errors, and rewrite the paragraph correctly. Go to the back of this book for one possible correct way to write the paragraph.   

Cassava, it also is called manioc, yuca, and tapioca, important to economy of Nigeria, which is the worlds largest producer of these food. Crop produced in 24 of the country’s 36 state’s. In 1999, Nigeria produce 33 million tons, and just a decade latter, it produced approximately 45 million tons. This represents nearly 19% of global productions. Cassava production is well- developed as agricultural crop. There are more than forty cassava variety’s grown. Cassava is processed in many processing centers in the country. 

6. Vocabulary Check Vocabulary Check  

Here are some words from this week that were used in this week’s course mate- rials. Check (√), highlight, or note 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 the definition, written in your own words. Indicate the part of speech (noun, verb, adjective, etc.). Then write an example sentence in your own words.  

___ a best-seller 

___ cassava 

___ a crop 

___ a decade 

___ a fable 

___ a fraction 

___ a gerund 

___ a hobby 

___ imperative 

___ to imply 

___ an infinitive 

___ a mechanic 

___ a predicate 

___ promotion 

___ a refuge 

___ to sacrifice 

___ a sailor 

___ a shark 

___ a temple 

___ a ton  

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

1. Weekly Overview  

Week 2 of the course covers paragraphs, and how to organize a paragraph clearly. You will start to think about your topic for the essay due at the end of the course. 

2. Excerpts from the Online Materials  

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

Writing Paragraphs  

A good paragraph has an organization that makes sense to the reader. Each sentence leads logically to the next, and should be connected through transition words or other connections. In addition to a topic sentence and one main idea, an effective para has coherence and development.

Coherence  

Coherence makes a paragraph understandable to a reader. You can create coher- ence in your paragraphs by crafting logical and verbal connections. You can develop logical connections by making sure that each sentence in a paragraph relates in some way to the topic sentence. You can also create these connections through the use of words (“verbal connections”). For example, you can:  

• Repeat key words
• Use synonyms for key words
• Use pronouns to link sentences together
• Link sentences with transition words  

Development  

Development refers to the support you provide for your topic sentence. A well- developed paragraph should have an adequate number of sentences to support the main idea. What’s an “adequate number”? There is no one answer. That depends on the idea and how much development it needs. Here are some ways you can make sure your paragraphs are developed. You can:  

• Use examples
• Give data (such as statistics, data, information, and examples)
• Quote others, either directly or through paraphrasing
• Tell a story 
• Define your key words
• Compare or contrast ideas
• Examine causes and effects
• Use logical reasoning 

Different types of paragraphs  

The word paragraph comes from the Greek word paragraphs (“to write beside” or “written beside”). The paragraph is a unit of writing expressing one specific idea, and is made up of one or more sentences.  

In this course, we are going to focus on academic writing. In this type ofwriting, paragraphs are generally long, and use the structure pointed out in the video. This 3 part structure includes a topic sentence, body sentences, and a concluding sentence that transitions to the next paragraph (or ends the essay).  

Look at these two paragraphs. Which one is an example of academic writing?   

1. Paragraphs are the building blocks of papers. Many students define paragraphs in terms of length: a paragraph is a group of at least five sentences, a paragraph is half a page long, etc. In reality, though, the unity and coherence of ideas among sentences is what constitutes a paragraph. A paragraph is defined as “a group of sentences or a single sentence that forms a unit” (Lunsford and Connors 116). Length and appearance do not determine whether a section in a paper is a paragraph. For instance, in some styles of writing, particularly journalistic styles, a paragraph can be just one sentence long. Ultimately, a paragraph is a sentence or group of sentences that support one main idea. In this handout, we will refer to this as the “controlling idea,” because it controls what happens in the rest of the paragraph.    

(Source: http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/paragraphs)

2. A team of archaeologists said Monday it has unearthed an unusual coffin within a coffin in the central England parking lot where it found the skeleton of King Richard III, and that they hope to identify the remains within.

(Source: http://www.sfgate.com/news/world/article/Scientists- find-mystery-coffin-at-Richard-III-site-4694085.php )   

You probably guessed that the first paragraph is the academic one.

How to Choose an Essay Topic  

What do you want to write about? This is often a hard question to answer. In the third week of the course, you will begin your first essay for the course. To start that process, practice writing paragraphs for three ideas you might write a longer paper about. For your first essay, you will write about one of these topics:

• a current question or problem in your community that interests you
• an invention that you would like to create (or an existing invention that you think should never have been created)
• a person who has had a positive influence on you  

Sources for Writing Effective Paragraphs  

Websites: 

• “How to Write a Paragraph” http://www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Paragraph 
• “The Secrets to Good Paragraph Writing” http://www.time4writing.com/ writ-ing-sources/para-graph-writ-secrets/crets/ 

Books: 

• How to Write a Paragraph: The Art of Substantive Writing, 3rd edition, by Linda Elder and Richard Paul, 2014, Foundation for Critical Thinking Press. 
• Word Up! How to Write Powerful Sentences and Paragraphs (And Every- thing You Build from Them), by Marcia Riefer Johnston and  Scott Abel, 2013, Northwest Brainstorms Publishing. 

3. Freewriting  

Recall that the purpose of free writing is to improve your speed and fluency by writing without editing yourself as you write. Take out a pen and paper, or sit at your computer and write on the following idea (or any idea you want) for 5-10 minutes without stopping. Do not edit yourself for grammar, spelling, or any other reason. Let the thoughts just spill onto your page or screen, without thinking about whether they are right or wrong, good or bad.  

Free writing topic 2: Who are some of your favorite writers? Why do you enjoy their writing?

4. Controlled Writing  

Remember that in controlled writing, you need to pay close attention to form and structure, editing yourself for grammar, organization, and clear ideas.

Controlled writing topic 2: When writing an essay, should students have a choice of topics, or should the teacher assign the topic? 

5. Editing  

The following paragraphs have several errors in it. Identify the errors, and rewrite the paragraphs correctly. Go to the back of this book for one possible correct way to write the paragraphs.   

Paulo Menotti Del Picchia was a Brazilian poet, journelist, and painter. Born at 1892, he is associated with the Generation of 1922, the first generation of Brazilians modernist. Del Picchia was educate in the law, and was a practicing attorny when he begun writting poetry. He moved to São Paulo, the city of his birth, and became aquainted with Mário de Andrade and the other young modernists in the city. He was member of the Group of Five, along with Andrade, poet Oswald de Andrade, and painters Tarsila do Amaral and Anita Malfatti, and was one of the key participant of the Week of Modern Art in São Paulo, in February 1922, a large event in the history of modernism of arts in the Brazil.  

Because of del Picchia outlived his literary generation, he received much more honors for his role in the creation of Modernism than any of his colleagues. By the time of his death, he has received most of highest governmental, academics, and private honors in Brazil. He’s house in Itapira is now museum. 

6. Vocabulary Check  

Here are some words from this week that were used in this week’s course mate- rials. Check (√), highlight, or note 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 the definition, written in your own words. Indicate the part of speech. Then write an example sentence in your own words.  

___ adequate 

___ an attorney 

___ coherence 

___ a colleague 

___ an invention 

___ a journalist 

___ literary 

___ modernism 

___ to paraphrase 

___ a participant 

___ transitional  

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

1. Weekly Overview  

This week covers how to write a good thesis statement. You will practice discovering the argument in others’ writing, as well as start your first draft of your essay. 

2. Excerpts from the Online Materials  

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

Every academic essay you write should have a main idea, which is supported through an argument or arguments you make. Your thesis statement will reflect the arguments you are making about your main idea in a clear way.  

A thesis statement should present your argument in one or two sentences. A thesis generally has two parts: a statement of the topic, and an argument or position about that topic. Look at this example. The topic is underlined, and the argument is in bold: 

Continuing changes in pension plans make it almost impossible to plan wisely for retirement.  

The bold part of the sentence is the argument because it makes a specific claim about the topic. One way to test whether you have an argument or not is to ask whether a different claim could be made about it. For example, this thesis statement might also have been:

Continuing changes in pension plans save corporations and governments money that can be used more efficiently elsewhere.

or

Continuing changes in pension plans are necessary because of the smaller number of younger workers in the workforce.

If you cannot think of an alternative thesis statement, chances are that you have an observation about your topic, or an argument for which no one would have an alternative explanation. Look at these examples, and think about why they are not as effective:

In the current economy, pension plans are changing.

(This is true—but so what? Why is this interesting, important, or controversial?)

Jack London was the best American writer of his generation.

(This is too vague – what does “best” mean? It is nearly impossible to argue some- thing based completely on individual taste. What is best to you may not be best to me.)  

One way to practice understanding thesis statements is to locate them in others’ writing. Look at each of the examples below – can you locate the thesis statement?  

1. From George Orwell’s Politics and the English Language   

Most people who bother with the matter at all would admit that the English language is in a bad way, but it is generally assumed that we cannot by conscious action do anything about it. Our civilization is decadent, and our language — so the argument runs — must inevitably share in the general col- lapse. It follows that any struggle against the abuse of language is a sentimental archaism, like preferring candles to electric light or hansom cabs to aeroplanes. Underneath this lies the half conscious belief that language is a natural growth and not an instrument which we shape for our own purposes.  

Now, it is clear that the decline of a language must ultimately have political and economic causes: it is not due simply to the bad influence of this or that individual writer. But an effect can become a cause, reinforcing the original cause and producing the same effect in an intensified form, and so on indefinitely. A man may take to drink because he feels himself to be a failure, and then fail all the more completely because he drinks. It is rather the same thing that is happening to the English language. It becomes ugly and inaccurate because our thoughts are foolish, but the slovenliness of our language makes it easier for us to have foolish thoughts. The point is that the process is reversible. Modern English, especially written English, is full of bad habits which spread by imitation and which can be avoided if one is willing to take the necessary trouble. If one gets rid of these habits one can think more clearly, and to think clearly is a necessary first step towards political regeneration: so that the fight against bad English is not frivolous and is not the exclusive concern of professional writers. I will come back to this presently, and I hope that by that time the meaning of what I have said here will have become clearer. Meanwhile, here are five specimens of the English language as it is now habitually written. 

2. From Nature by Ralph Waldo Emerson   

To go into solitude, a man needs to retire as much from his chamber as from society. I am not solitary whilst I read and write, though nobody is with me. But if a man would be alone, let him look at the stars. The rays that come from those heavenly worlds, will separate between him and what he touches. One might think the atmosphere was made transparent with this design, to give man, in the heavenly bodies, the perpetual presence of the sublime. Seen in the streets of cities, how great they are! If the stars should appear one night in a thousand years, how would men believe and adore; and pre- serve for many generations the remembrance of the city of God which had been shown! But every night come out these envoys of beauty, and light the universe with their admonishing smile.  

The stars awaken a certain reverence, because though always present, they are inaccessible; but all natural objects make a kindred impression, when the mind is open to their influence. Nature never wears a mean appearance. Neither does the wisest man extort her secret, and lose his curiosity by finding out all her perfection. Nature never became a toy to a wise spirit. The flowers, the animals, the mountains, reflected the wisdom of his best hour, as much as they had delighted the simplicity of his childhood.   

3. From “The Modern Essay” by Virginia Woolf   

Of all forms of literature, however, the essay is the one which least calls for the use of long words. The principle which controls it is simply that it should give pleasure; the desire which impels us when we take it from the shelf is simply to receive pleasure. Everything in an essay must be subdued to that end. It should lay us under a spell with its first word, and we should only wake, refreshed, with its last. In the interval we may pass through the most various experiences of amusement, surprise, interest, indignation; we may soar to the heights of fantasy with Lamb or plunge to the depths of wisdom with Bacon*, but we must never be roused. The essay must lap us about and draw its curtain across the world.  

* Lamb is another essayist; Bacon was a philosopher 

Sources for Writing Thesis Statements  

Websites:  

• Writing Tips: Thesis Statements http://www.cws.illinois.edu/ work-shop/writ-tips/thesis/sis/
• Purdue OWL: Creating a Thesis Statement https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/545/01/

Books: 

• The Simple Guide to Thesis Statements and Support (Volume 2), by Patri- cia Martin, Simple Guide Books, 2015. 
• Techniques for College Writing: The Thesis Statement and Beyond, by Kath- leen Moore and Susie Lan Cassel, Cengage Learning, 2010.

3. Freewriting  

Remember to write without editing yourself as you write. Take out a pen and paper, or sit at your computer and write on the following idea (or any idea you want) for 5-10 minutes without stopping. Do not edit yourself for grammar, spelling, or any other reason. Let the thoughts just spill onto your page or screen, without thinking about whether they are right or wrong, good or bad.  

Freewriting topic 3: Do you enjoy reading essays or stories more? Why do you prefer one over the other? 

4. Controlled Writing  

Remember that in controlled writing, you need to pay close attention to form and structure, editing yourself for grammar, organization, and clear ideas. Write two or three paragraphs about this topic.

Controlled writing topic 3: What notable person would you like to meet? Why?

5. Editing  

The following paragraphs have several errors in it. Identify the errors, and rewrite the paragraphs correctly. Go to the back of this book for one possible correct way to write the paragraphs.   

Ellen Ochoa was born on May 10, 1958, in Los Angeles, California. She receive advanced degrees at Stanford University. She was chosen by NASA in 1990, and at 1991 she became the worlds’ first Latina astronaut. She has been on for space flights, logging more then 950 hours in space.  

Ochoa’s technic assignments have include flight softwares and computer hardwares development and robotics development, testing and training. She has served as Assistant for Space Station, lead spacecrafts communicator in Mission Control, and Acting Deputy Chief of the Astronaut Office. She is now serves as Director of Flight Crew Operations at Johnson Space Center on Houston, Texas.  

Ochoa’s many awards include NASA’s Exceptional Service Medal (1997), Outstanding Leadership Medal (1995) and Space Flight Medals (2002, 1999, 1994, 1993). Besides been a astronaut, Ochoa playing classical flute. She lives in Texas with his husband and they’re two childs. 

6. Vocabulary Check  

Here are some words from this week that were used in this week’s course mate- rials. Check (√), highlight, or note 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 the definition, written in your own words. Indicate the part of speech. Then write an example sentence in your own words.  

___ admonishing

 ___ a chamber

___ decadent 

___ an envoy

 ___ frivolous 

___ to impel 

___ inevitably 

___ intensified 

___ a pension 

___ perpetual 

___ to plunge 

___ refreshed 

___ regeneration 

___ retirement 

___ to rouse 

___ sentimental 

___ slovenliness 

___ solitude 

___ a specimen  

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

1. Weekly Overview  

In the fourth week, we look at how to write longer pieces of writing. This includes outlining techniques, finding sources of information, and developing your first essay. 

2. Excerpts from the Online Materials 

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

Informal Outlines  

In informal outlines, you organize your notes into sections that correspond to different parts of your essay. For example, you might organize your informal outline into sections that correspond to your different pieces of evidence. Labeling each part of your informal outline will be helpful in thinking about your overall organization.

Formal Outlines  

Formal outlines have the same concept behind them as informal ones, but they have specific formats. Formal outlines have more details than informal outlines, and formal outlines also use certain methods of showing relationships between ideas. Formal outlines often use Roman numerals, although using Arabic numbers is perfectly acceptable. 

After indicating the main sections of the essay, sub parts are indicated with capital letters. We’ll continue with the Arabic numeral example only: 

If those sub parts have parts, then their level is shown with small letters (or small Arabic numerals if using a Roman numeral scheme) and a further indention: 

Starting with an informal outline makes sense, but you should eventually be able to turn it into a formal outline.  

Finding Sources of Information  

Good academic writing incorporates information from multiple sources to support the main ideas. For example, unless you personally are an expert on water conser- vation efforts in China, you are going to need to research information about that if it is the topic you are writing about. Of course, in academic writing, research can mean different things, but primarily:  

• visiting the library 
• using the Internet 
• talking to experts 

Libraries  

Libraries are important sources of information – nothing compares to browsing shelves of books or journals. If you are lucky enough to have access to a good library, be sure you visit it and make use of it. Talk to the librarians, and really learn how the library can help your research. In fact, many libraries employ research librarians, whose job it is to help you find the information you need. 

The Internet  

In the modern era, the Internet is quickly becoming the most popular forum for our research. Whether using a search engine, reading online documents, or asking questions in forums, we can find almost anything we are looking for.  

The main problem with the Internet, of course, is that we don’t always know the validity of the information we find there. If you do Internet research, answer these questions about any source you find there:  

1. Who wrote it? If you can’t find an author, find out what organization sponsors the website. If you cannot find an author or organization, you should doubt the information’s reliability. If you’ve never heard of the author or organization, look them up to learn more about them.  

2. Does the author support his or her ideas? If the author states facts  or statistics, does he or she say where this information came from? Does the author use reliable sources, or just rely on his or her own opinion?  

3. Is the information up to date? If it is important that your information is current, does the author include a date of publication so you know how current the information is? When was it written? 

For more detailed information on how to evaluate resources, see UC Berkeley Library’s page: http://guides.lib.berkeley.edu/evaluating-resources.

Talking to Experts  

One source of information that is often overlooked is talking to experts. “Experts” aren’t just people who are famous professionals; if you are writing an essay about child rearing practices, speaking to young mothers might help your research. Think about your topic – is there anyone you could talk to?  

If you speak to an expert, make sure you get permission to use her or his words in your research. Also, give your experts proper credit in your paper. If they wish to remain anonymous, be sure you honor that wish as well. 

Software for Outlining 

There are a lot of software programs on the market that can help you to create out- lines. If you use a word-processing program such as Microsoft Word, an outlining function is already built in. In Word, you can find it under the ‘View’ menu.  

Sources for Writing Essays 

Websites: 

• “How to Write an Essay” http://www.wikihow.com/Write-an-Essay.
• “Essay Tips” https://www.fastweb.com/student-life/articles/essay-tips-7-tips-on-writing-an-effective-essay

Books: 

• How to Write Essays, 2nd edition, by Don Shiach, How To Books, 2009.
• Basic Essay Writing, by Leslie Lynn Schnorenberg, Create Space  Independent Publishing Platform,2013.
• Writing Essays: From Paragraph to Essay, by Dorothy Zemach and Lisa Rumisek, Macmillan Education, 2011. 

3. Free writing  

Write without editing yourself. Get a pen and paper, or write at your computer on the following idea (or any idea you want). This week, try for 10-15 minutes without stopping. Do not edit yourself for grammar, spelling, or any other reason. Let the thoughts just spill onto your page or screen, without thinking about whether they are right or wrong, good or bad.

Free writing topic 4. How do you feel about rewriting your work? Do you change a lot, or feel attached to what you’ve already written? How easy is it to delete things you’ve written?

4. Controlled Writing 

How to Write an Essay, Workbook 1

In controlled writing, pay close attention to form and structure, editing  yourself for grammar, organization, and clear ideas. This week, try to write three paragraphs on the following topic.  

Controlled writing topic 4: What are the most important social issues in  today’s global community? 

5. Editing  

The following essay has several errors in it. Identify the errors, and rewrite the essay correctly. Go to the back of this book for one possible correct way to write the essay.

Daylight saving time (DST) or summer time are the practice of advancing clocks during summer month by one hours so that evening daylights lasts an hour longer, while sacrificing normal sunrise times. Typically, regions with summer time adjusts clocks forward one hour close to the start of spring and adjusts them backward in the autumn to standard time. People use the terms “spring forward” and “fall back” when referring this.  

George Hudson of New Zealand, proposed the idea of daylight saving in 1895. The German Empire and Austria, Hungary organized the first nationwide implementing, starting at April 30, 1916. Many countries have used it at varies times since then, particularly since the energy crisis of the 1970’s.  The practice has both advocates and critics. Move clocks forward benefits sales, sports, and other activities that exploit sunlight after working hours, but can cause problems for outdoor entertainment and other activities tied to sunlight, such as farming. Though, some early supporters of DST wanted reducing evening use of electric lighting, today’s heating and cooling patterns differs bigly, and a research about how DST affects energy use is limited and contradictory.  

DST clock shifts sometimes complicate a timekeeping, and can disrupt travel, record keeping, medical devices, heavy equipment, and sleeps patterns. Computer software often adjusts clocks automatic, but policy changes of DST dates and timings by various governments may to be confusing. 

6. Vocabulary Check  

Here are some words from this week that were used in this week’s course mate- rials. Check (√), highlight, or note 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 the definition, written in your own words. Indicate the part of speech. Then write an example sentence in your own words. 

 ___ to adjust 

___ an advocate

___ to benefit

___ to browse 

___ to complicate 

___ contradictory 

___ a crisis 

___ to disrupt 

___ evidence 

___ an outline 

___ a policy 

___ a scheme  

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

1. Weekly Overview  

The last week of this course covers improving your writing. You will work on writing strong introductions and conclusions, as well as proofreading and editing. If you are participating in the live online course, you will submit your final essay for evaluation. 

2. Excerpts from the Online Materials 

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

Revision is the process of looking at your writing and making important changes to it in order to improve it. Those changes could be in content, organization, sentence structure, and word choice. As Charles A. MacArthur has stated about revision: “[Writers] have opportunities to think about whether their text communicates effectively to an audience, to improve the quality of their writing, and even to reconsider their content and perspective and potentially transform their own understanding.”

Editing is the practice of fixing mistakes. You should revise before you  edit – it might save you some time. For example, if you decide to delete a sentence when you revise, there is no point in editing it first.

As you revise and edit, consider the comments that were made and consider the points in the following revision checklist.

8 point Checklist for Revision

1. Does your essay have one clear and concise main idea? Is this idea addressed in a good, arguable thesis statement?
2. Does your introduction create interest in the topic and make your readers want to read more?
3. Is your essay well organized? Did you use an outline or other tool to help with the organization?
4. Is the main idea of each paragraph clear? Have you developed each paragraph with supporting information?
5. How have you transitioned between paragraphs? Have you used key words and pronouns to create connections between sentences and paragraphs?
6. Are the sentences clear and well written? Have you varied your sentence structure? Can you improve any sentences by combining or rewriting them?
7. Is your vocabulary accurate? Have you used precise words to express your meaning?
8. Does your essay have a strong conclusion? Does it bring the essay to a satisfying close, and give your reader something to think about?

Sources for Improving Essays

Websites:  

• Revising Drafts: http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/revising-drafts/

Books: 

• Revising Prose, 5th edition, by Richard A. Lanham, Pearson, 2006.
• Writing as Revision, by Beth Alvarado and Barbara Cully, Pearson, 2011.

3. Freewriting

Write without editing yourself. Get a pen and paper, or write at your  computer on the following idea (or any idea you want). Try again this week for 10-15 minutes without stopping. Do not edit yourself for grammar, spelling, or any other reason. Let the thoughts just spill onto your page or screen, without thinking about whether they are right or wrong, good or bad.  

Freewriting topic 5: What is the most important thing you’ve learned in  the past five weeks, either from the online course, or anywhere else? 

4. Controlled Writing  

In controlled writing, pay close attention to form and structure, editing  yourself for grammar, organization, and clear ideas. Again this week, try to write three paragraphs on the following topic.  

Controlled writing topic 5: What positive changes have you seen in your community recently? What caused these changes to come about? How have they helped your community? 

5. Editing 

The following essay has several errors in it. Identify the errors, and rewrite the essay correctly. Go to the back of this book for one possible correct way to write the essay. 

Thoughts on the Education of Daughters: With Reflections on Female Conduct, in the More Important Duties of Life is the first published work of the British writer Mary Wollstonecraft, who was also the author of Frankenstein. Published in 1787, Thoughts offers advice on female education to the emerging British middle class. Although the book focuses strongly on morality and etiquette, it also contains basic instructions, such as how to care for an infant.

Like other conduct books of the time, Thoughts adapts older genres to  the new middle class ethos. The book encourages mothers to teach their daughters analytical thinking, self discipline, honesty, contentment in their social position, and marketable skills (in case they should ever need to support themselves). Her aim is to educate women to be useful wives and mothers, because, she argues, it is through these roles that they can most effectively contribute to society. The predominantly domestic role Wollstonecraft outlines for women— a role that she viewed as meaningful— was interpreted by 20th century feminist literary critics as paradoxically confining women to the private arena. 

6. Vocabulary Check 

Here are some words from this week that were used in this week’s course mate- rials. Check (√), highlight, or note 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 the definition, written in your own words. Indicate the part of speech. Then write an example sentence in your own words. 

___ an arena 

___ burgeoning 

___ conduct 

___ confining

 ___ contentment

 ___ domestic

 ___ to dominate 

___ to emerge 

___ ethos 

___ etiquette 

___ to excerpt 

___ a genre 

___ an infant 

___ a manual 

___ marketable 

___ a narrative 

___ paradoxically 

___ predominantly  

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

The answers here represent just one possible way to rewrite the paragraphs, correcting for errors. There are other possibilities that are correct. If you have questions about why certain corrections were made, or whether a different correction you made is also possible, remember to post to the discussion boards.

Week 1

Cassava, also called manioc, yuca, and tapioca, is important to the economy of Nigeria, which is the world’s largest producer of this food. The crop is produced in 24 of the country’s 36 states. In 1999, Nigeria produced 33 million tons, and just a decade later, it produced approximately 45 million tons. This represents nearly 19% of global production. Cassava production is well-developed as an agricultural crop. There are more than forty cassava varieties grown. Cassava is processed in many processing centers in the country.

Week 2 

Paulo Menotti Del Picchia was a Brazilian poet, journalist, and painter. Born in 1892, he is associated with the Generation of 1922, the first generation of Brazilian modernists. Del Picchia was educated in the law and was a practicing attorney when he began writing poetry. He moved to São Paulo, the city of his birth, and be- came acquainted with Mário de Andrade and the other young modernists in the city. He was a member of the Group of Five, along with Andrade, poet Oswald de Andrade, and painters Tarsila do Amaral and Anita Malfatti, and was one of the key participants of the Week of Modern Art in São Paulo in February 1922, a large event in the history of modernism of arts in Brazil.

Because del Picchia outlived his literary generation, he received much more honor for his role in the creation of Modernism than any of his colleagues. By the time of his death, he had received most of the highest governmental, academic, and pri- vate honors in Brazil. His house in Itapira is now a museum.

Week 3 

Ellen Ochoa was born on May 10, 1958, in Los Angeles, California. She received advanced degrees at Stanford University. She was chosen by NASA in 1990, and in 1991 she became the world’s first Latina astronaut. She has been on four space flights, logging more than 950 hours in space.

Ochoa’s technical assignments have included flight software and computer hard- ware development and robotics development, testing, and training. She has served as Assistant for the Space Station, lead spacecraft communicator in Mission Con- trol, and Acting Deputy Chief of the Astronaut Office. She now serves as Director of Flight Crew Operations at Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.

Ochoa’s many awards include NASA’s Exceptional Service Medal (1997), Out- standing Leadership Medal (1995), and Space Flight Medals (2002, 1999, 1994, 1993). Besides being an astronaut, Ochoa plays classical flute. She lives in Texas with her husband and their two children.

Week 4

Daylight saving time (DST) or summer time is the practice of advancing clocks during summer months by one hour so that evening daylight lasts an hour longer, while sacrificing normal sunrise times. Typically, regions with summer time adjust clocks forward one hour close to the start of spring and adjust them backward in the autumn to standard time. People use the terms “spring forward” and “fall back” when referring to this.

George Hudson of New Zealand proposed the idea of daylight saving in 1895. The German Empire and Austria-Hungary organized the first nationwide implementation, starting on April 30, 1916. Many countries have used it at various times since then, particularly since the energy crisis of the 1970s.

The practice has both advocates and critics. Moving clocks forward benefits sales, sports, and other activities that exploit sunlight after working hours, but can cause problems for outdoor entertainment and other activities tied to sunlight, such as farming. Though some early supporters of DST wanted to reduce evening use of electric lighting, today’s heating and cooling patterns differ greatly, and research about how DST affects energy use is limited and contradictory.

DST clock shifts sometimes complicate timekeeping and can disrupt travel, record keeping, medical devices, heavy equipment, and sleep patterns. Computer software often adjusts clocks automatically, but policy changes of DST dates and timings by various governments may be confusing.

Week 5

Thoughts on the Education of Daughters: With Reflections on Female Conduct, in the More Important Duties of Life is the first published work of the British writer Mary Wollstonecraft, who was also the author of Frankenstein. Published in 1787, Thoughts offers advice on female education to the emerging British middle class. Although the book focuses strongly on morality and etiquette, it also contains basic instructions, such as how to care for an infant.

Like other conduct books of the time, Thoughts adapts older genres to the new middle-class ethos. The book encourages mothers to teach their daughters analytical thinking, self-discipline, honesty, contentment in their social position, and marketable skills (in case they should ever need to support themselves). Her aim is to educate women to be useful wives and mothers, because, she argues, it is through these roles that they can most effectively contribute to society. The predominantly domestic role Wollstonecraft outlines for women – a role that she viewed as meaningful – was interpreted by 20th-century feminist literary critics as paradoxically confining women to the private arena.