The Longman Academic Writing Series

Level

Fundamentals of
Academic Writing

PEARSON
Longman
 Contents

Preface ............................................................................................................................................. vii

Getting StartedYour Classm ates........................................................... 1

P rew ritin g .................................................................................................................................... 2
W r itin g ........................................................................................................................................ 4
S h a r in g ........................................................................................................................................ 5

Chapter 1 Introducing Y ourself....................................................... 6

C hapter Preview ....................................................................................................................... 7
P a rt 1: O rganization
From Words to Sentences to P aragraphs........................................................................ 8
What Does a Paragraph Look Like? ............................................................................... 9
P a rt 2: Sentence Structure and Mechanics
What Is a Sentence?.......................................................................................................... 12
What Does a Sentence Look L ik e ? ................................................................................. 13
P art 3: G ram m ar and Vocabulary
V erbs.................................................................................................................................... 16
N o u n s ................................................................................................................................. 19
P art 4: The W riting Process
What Is a P rocess?............................................................................................................ 23
Expansion Activities
Keeping a Journal.............................................................................................................. 25

Chapter 2 Describing Your Morning R o u tin e................................ 27

C hapter Preview ....................................................................................................................... 28
P a rt 1: O rganization
What Should Your Paper Look Like? ............................................................................ 30
Papers Typed on a C om puter........................................................................................... 32
P art 2: G ram m ar and Sentence Structure
Subject P ro n o u n s.............................................................................................................. 34
The Simple Present of Be ................................................................................................ 36
Basic Sentence Patterns with Be ..................................................................................... 40
P art 3: Mechanics
Rules for Capitalization.................................................................................................... 43
P art 4: The W riting Process
The Steps in the Writing Process..................................................................................... 45
Your Paragraph: Getting Ready fo r the Day .................................................................. 48
Results of the Writing Process......................................................................................... 50
Expansion Activities
Your Jo u rn a l....................................................................................................................... 51
Challenge: Sleep H a b its.................................................................................................... 51
iii
iv Contents

C h a p te r 3 E v e r y P i c t u r e T e l l s a S t o r \ j .............................................................. 5 2

C hapter P re v ie w ................................................ ................................................................... 53

P art 1: Organization
Topic Sentences................................................................................................................ 55
P art 2: Sentence Structure
Subjects of Sentences ..................................................................................................... 59
What Makes a Complete Sentence? .............................................................................. 60
P art 3: G ram m ar and Vocabulary
Adjectives ........................................................................................................................ 63
The Simple Present ......................................................................................................... 65
Part 4: The W riting Process
Your Paragraph: The Face in the Photo ........................................................................ 70
Results of the Writing Process ...................................................................................... 74
Expansion Activities
Your Journal...................................................................................................................... 74
Challenge: An Important P erson.................................................................................... 75

C h a p te r 4 S a t u r d a y s ........................................................................................................7 6

Chapter P re v ie w ...................................................................................................................... 77
P art 1: Organization
Time O rder........................................................................................................................ 79
P art 2: Sentence Structure and Vocabulary
Simple Sentence Patterns I ............................................................................................. 81
Adverbs of Frequency..................................................................................................... 83
P art 3: G ram m ar and Mechanics
Common Verbs ................................................................................................................ 86
Using Prepositions to Show T im e .................................................................................. 88
Titles ................................................................................................................................ 90
P art 4: The W riting Process
Your Paragraph: My Partner’s Saturdays ..................................................................... 92
Results of the Writing Process ...................................................................................... 95
Expansion Activities
Your Journal...................................................................................................................... 96
Challenge: My Favorite H oliday.................................................................................... 96

C h a p te r 5 W h a t ’s G o i n g O n ? ...................................................................................... 9 7

C hapter P re v ie w ...................................................................................................................... 98
P art 1: Organization
Topic Sentences and SupportingSentences I ................................................................. 100
P art 2: Sentence Structure
Simple Sentence Patterns I I ............................................................................................. 103
P art 3: G ram m ar
The Present Progressive................................................................................................... 105
Non-Action Verbs ........................................................................................................... 110
P art 4: The W riting Process
Your Paragraph: What Is Happening in This Photo? ................................................... 113
Results of the Writing Process ...................................................................................... 116
 Contents v

Expansion Activities
Your Journal....................................................................................................................... 116
Challenge: My Own Photo ............................................................................................. 116

Chapter 6 Your Hometown................................................................117

C hapter P re v ie w ....................................................................................................................... 118
P art 1: O rganization
Topic Sentences and Supporting Sentences I I ................................................................ 120
P art 2: G ram m ar
There Is and There Are .................................................................................................... 123
A, An, and T h e ................................................................................................................... 125
P art 3: Vocabulary and Sentence Structure
Prepositions for Describing Location ............................................................................ 128
Prepositional Phrases in S entences................................................................................. 130
P art 4: The W riting Process
Your Paragraph: Describing My Hometown .................................................................. 132
Results of the Writing Process ....................................................................................... 135
Expansion Activities
Your Journal....................................................................................................................... 135
Challenge: A Favorite P la c e ........................................................................................... 136

Chapter 7 Remembering an Important Dav ....................................137

C hapter P re v ie w ....................................................................................................................... 138
P art 1: Organization
Organizing Your Id e a s ...................................................................................................... 140
P art 2: Sentence Structure and Mechanics
Compound Sentences ....................................................................................................... 143
Using Commas .................................................................................................................. 146
P art 3: G ram m ar and Vocabulary
The Simple P a s t................................................................................................................ 148
P art 4: The W riting Process
Your Paragraph: An Important D a y .................................................................................. 156
Results of the Writing Process ........................................................................................ 159
Expansion Activities
Your Journal........................................................................................................................ 159
Challenge: A Funny or Scary' Experience....................................................................... 159

Chapter 8 Memories of a Trip......................................................... 161

C hapter Preview ..................................................................................................................... 162
P art 1: Organization
Concluding Sentences .................................................................................................... 164
P art 2: G ram m ar and Vocabulary
Past Time Expressions.................................................................................................... 168
Before and After as Prepositions ................................................................................... 170
P art 3: Sentence Structure
Sentences with Past Time C lauses................................................................................. 171
Sentence Fragm ents........................................................................................................ 174
vi Contents

Part 4: The W riting Process

Your Paragraph: Memories o f a T r ip ............................................................................ 175
Results of the Writing Process...................................................................................... 178
Expansion Activities
Your Jo u rn al.................................................................................................................... 178
Challenge: From My Childhood.................................................................................... 179

Chapter 9 L o o k in g Ahead ............................................................... 180

C hapter Preview .................................................................................................................... 181
Part 1: Organization
Listing Order and Listing-Order W ords........................................................................ 183
P art 2: G ram m ar and Vocabulary
Expressing Future Time with Be Going T o ................................................................. 185
Expressing Future Time with W ill................................................................................ 187
Future Time Expressions............................................................................................... 190
Part 3: Sentence Structure
Sentences with Future Time C lauses............................................................................ 191
Run-On Sentences ......................................................................................................... 194
P art 4: The W riting Process
Your Paragraph: My Future P la n s ................................................................................ 196
Results of the Writing Process...................................................................................... 198
Expansion Activities
Your Jo u rn al.................................................................................................................... 199
Challenge: Imagining the F uture.................................................................................. 199

APPENDICES
A p p e n d ix A: T h e P arts o f S p e e c h ........................................................................................ 201
A p p e n d ix B: S u b je c t P ro n o u n s; O b je ct P ro n o u n s; P o s s e s s iv e
A d je c tiv e s ; P o s s e s s iv e P r o n o u n s ................................................................ 2 0 2
A p p e n d ix C: C o u n t a n d A lo n co u n t N o u n s; P o s s e s s iv e N o u n s ..................................2 0 3
A p p e n d ix D: T h e V erb Be— P r e se n t a n d P a s t ...................................................................2 0 5
A p p e n d ix E: T h e S im p le P r e s e n t ......................................................................................... 2 0 8
A p p e n d ix F: T h e P r e se n t P r o g r e s s i v e ................................................................................210
A p p e n d ix G: T h e S im p le P a s t .................................................................................................2/2
A p p e n d ix H: Irre g u la r V e rb s .................................................................................................. 2/5
A p p e n d ix 1: E x p r e s s in g F u tu re T im e w ith Be G oing To a n d Will ...........................2 /6
A p p e n d ix J : O rder o f A d j e c t i v e s ........................................................................................... 2 /9
A p p e n d ix K: S e n te n c e T y p e s .................................................................................................. 2 /9
A p p e n d ix L: R u le s fo r C a p ita liza tio n ................................................................................. 22/
A p p e n d ix M: P u n c tu a tio n ..........................................................................................................222
A p p e n d ix l\l: C o rre ctio n S y m b o ls .............................................................................................. 223

I n d e x ....................................................................................................................................................2 25
 Preface

Fundam entals o f A cadem ic W riting is intended for beginning-level students

learning English as a second or foreign language in college, adult, or secondary
school programs. It offers a carefully structured approach that helps students
develop basic writing skills, understand writing as a process, and build a solid
foundation for becoming confident, independent writers in English.

To the Instructor
The text offers a wealth of realistic models to inspire and guide student writers. It
also features clear explanations of sentence structure, grammar, and mechanics,
followed by the extensive practice students need to assimilate the material and write
with accuracy. The text focuses on the elements of good sentences but within the
context of simple descriptive and narrative paragraphs on student-centered topics. It
effectively combines an introduction to basic paragraph structure with an emphasis
on personal writing, the kind of writing that is most appropriate and motivating for
learners at the beginning level. There are interactive tasks throughout the text— pair
work, small-group activities, and full-class discussions— that engage students in
the learning process and complement the solitary work that writers must do. There
are also directions for keeping a journal, with plentiful suggestions for journal-entry
topics, so that students write for fluency building in addition to doing the more
formal assignments. Finally, the extensive appendices and thorough index make the
text a valuable and easy-to-use reference tool.

Organization o f the Text

Fundamentals o f Academ ic Writing takes students from a look at the big picture
to practice of specific elements and then to creating their own paragraphs, where
they put together everything they have learned. The text has an introduction
(Getting Started) followed by nine chapters and the appendices. Each Chapter
O pener page includes a photograph and the chapter title to introduce the theme,
and it also outlines the chapter’s contents. The chapters are organized as follows:

Chapter Each chapter begins with a C hapter Preview that includes two sim ple model
P review paragraphs which let students see exactly where they are headed. The models use
structures and vocabulary that are easy for beginners to understand and emulate.
The questions following the models draw the students’ attention first to content
and organization and then to certain features of the w riters' language, such as verb
forms, transition signals, key vocabulary, and so on.

vii
 Preface

O rganization The second section of each chapter is devoted to organization. In the early chapters,
students learn what sentences and paragraphs are and how their papers should look.
Later chapters deal with the elements of standard paragraph structure, patterns of
organization within paragraphs (such as chronological order), and writers’ strategies
for organizing their ideas.

S en ten ce Four strands— Sentence Structure, Grammar, Mechanics, and Vocabulary— combine
S tru ctu re/ in various ways, always with a focus on writing at the word and sentence level. You
Gram m ar/ will find brief, clear explanations followed by valuable practice in the nuts and bolts
M ech an ics/ of effective and accurate writing.
Vocabulary/ • Sentence Structure. Students first learn to identify subjects and verbs. Then
they progress through four patterns of simple sentences, followed by
compound sentences with and, but, and so, and finally, a brief introduction
to complex sentences with time clauses.
• Grammar. Students focus initially on the basic parts of speech and later
on the structures that will be most useful to them in writing the assigned
paragraph for that chapter. For example, they study the verb tenses needed
to write about everyday life (simple present), describe ongoing activities
(present progressive), relate past events (simple past), and write about the
future (be going to and will).
• Mechanics. Students learn such basics as elementary rules for capitalization,
end punctuation, titles, and commas.
• Vocabulary. Students further their understanding of the parts of speech and
broaden their vocabulary base, particularly in ways that will help them with
the assigned writing.

The Writing In Chapter 1, students learn the term process, and they get an overview of the writing
P ro cess process. In Chapter 2, they learn the specific steps they will take as they plan, compose,
and finalize their paragraphs. In Chapters 2 through 9, students are guided step by step
through the process of writing the assigned paragraph, initially with substantial support,
later with increasing demands on their own creativity. By consistently following these
steps, they learn how to tackle a writing assignment.

Expansion This concluding section of each chapter has two goals: (1) to encourage journal
A ctivities writing and (2) to provide additional paragraph-writing tasks. The latter can provide
further practice for the entire class or serve as extra assignments for those students
ready to work independently.

Teaching Suggestions
The Getting Started section offers a good icebreaker at the start of a course. It helps
students get to know one another by interviewing, introducing, and writing about
a classmate. In addition, its three sections— Prewriting, W riting, and Sharing—
anticipate the writing process students will follow. If you collect the students’
papers, I suggest you do not correct them but rather keep the focus on content at
this point. Consider holding on to the papers until the end of the course, when
seeing them again can serve as a delightful reminder to students of how far they
have come.
 Preface

Begin each chapter with a close look at the model paragraphs. Two models are
provided in each case so that students can see more than one way of addressing a
writing task and have ample material to guide them as they create their paragraphs.
The questions about the models are intended for work in pairs or small groups, to
be followed by teacher-led full-class discussion. You may wish to do further analysis
of the models— comparing and contrasting the writers’ choices, vocabulary, and so
on— as appropriate for your class.

As you continue in the chapter, remember that with beginning-level students, it

is particularly helpful for you to read explanations and directions aloud or have
capable student readers do so. Throughout the text, you will notice direction lines that
say, “Work alone or with a partner.” You can leave it up to the individual student
whether to collaborate with a classmate or go it alone, or you can assign students to
do the exercises as you think best. Sometimes the directions tell students to take a
piece of paper because the exercise requires them to write their own sentences, which
you will probably want to collect.

An introduction to journal writing appears on page 25, at the end of Chapter 1,

but you can take your students to this section even sooner or wait until later in the
course if you prefer. Journals are a wonderful way to get students writing about
what interests them and give them a safe place to experiment with English as they
search for new ways to express themselves. I recommend responding solely to
the content of journal entries, ignoring errors (but writing questions if the content
is unclear) in order to lessen the w riter’s perform ance anxiety and em phasize
writing to communicate. With the w riter’s permission, I read aloud to the class
the occasional journal entry that is especially thoughtful, funny, or intriguing, a
practice that rewards the writer and can inspire others. Journal entries can also
provide topics for more formal paragraph assignments. Teachers sometimes find
journals time-consuming, but remember that you need not collect journals after
every entry, collect all journals on the same day, or respond to entries at length.
(Note, however, that teacher responses written in complete sentences model the
kind of writing we ask of our students.) Grades for journals can be based on the
number, length, and diversity of journal entries.

The writing process, as presented on page 45 and in each chapter thereafter, has
four steps: Prewrite, Write, Edit, and Write the Final Draft.
• When they do prewriting, students interact with their classmates in various
ways. They brainstorm, take notes, question one another, do freewriting, and
learn strategies for organizing ideas. Interaction with classmates is good for
generating ideas and, like peer review later on, raises student awareness of
the audience for their writing.
• When they write a first draft, students rely on their notes and refer back to the
models in the Chapter Preview. This can be done in class or for homework.
Composing in class allows you to observe and assist; composing at home
saves class time. You may wish to have students hand in both their prewriting
and their first draft along with their final draft for clues to the writer’s
thinking and the development of the paragraph.
 Preface

• Students must take responsibility for checking and improving their own
work. However, they are often best able to do so when they can see their
writing through the eyes of a reader and when they develop revising
and editing skills by reviewing other w riters’ work. For these reasons,
I encourage peer review but only at a very basic level. Each chapter
includes a simple checklist to guide the reviewer through the process
slowly and thoughtfully. See page 46 for an example of a peer reviewer’s
markings on a first draft.
• The term final draft is used to mean a revised and edited draft handed in to
the teacher, possibly for a grade. It is not necessarily the last draft that the
student will write. As explained to the student under Results of the Writing
Process, another draft, based on written and/or oral feedback from you,
may be required. Also, a useful set of correction symbols can be found in
Appendix N, along with sample marked-up paragraphs, which can form the
basis of lessons in understanding and responding to teacher feedback.

Students are instructed to hand in new drafts stapled on top of earlier ones so that
you can make comparisons. You may wish to have students keep their finals drafts
in a folder so that they compile a collection of paragraphs written during the course.
They can go back later and further revise their work so that in effect the writing
course mirrors the writing process: full of brainstorming, drafting, and sharing early
on, with a greater emphasis on polishing later, when students can apply everything
they have learned to date about good English sentences and paragraphs.

A nsw er Key An Answer Key is available upon request from the publisher.

Acknowledgments
First and foremost, I would like to thank two key people for entrusting me with this
project: Laura Le Drean, Pearson Longman executive editor, and Ann Hogue,
author of First Steps in Academic Writing and, with Alice Oshima, Introduction
to Academic Writing and Writing Academic English. I would also like to thank all
the members of the Longman team whose work helped bring this book to life,
particularly Kim Steiner, John Beaumont, Paula Van Ells, and Gina DiLillo.

The following reviewers helped to shape this book with their thoughtful
comments and suggestions, for which I thank them: Gena Bennett, Georgia State
University, Georgia; Vicki Blaho, Santa Monica College, California; Charlotte
Calobrisi, Northern Virginia Community College, Virginia; Jackye Cumby,
M ercer University, Georgia; Diana Davidson Del Toro, Cuyam aca College,
California; Greg Davis, Portland State University, Oregon; Diane Harris, Imperial
Valley College, California; Shelagh Lariviere, College of the North Atlantic, Doha,
Qatar; Linda Lieberman, College of Marin, California; Kathy Llanos, Cypress
College, California; Theresa Nahim, Pace University, New York; Tara Narcross,
Columbus State Community College, Ohio; M ark Neville, Alhosn University,
Abu Dhabi, UAE; Daria Ruzicka; Christine Tierney, Houston Community
College, Texas; Lay Kuan Toh, W estchester Com munity College, New York;
Stephen Whelan, College of the North Atlantic. Doha, Qatar.
 Preface

In addition, I am grateful for the support and feedback provided by my ESL

colleagues at Holyoke Community College, M assachusetts: Pam Kennedy, Eileen
Kelley, Vivian Leskes, Rubaba Matin, M aggie Sweeney, Judith Roberts, Darcy
Sweeney, Tusi Gastonguay, and David Kestenbaum. I would also like to thank the
follow ing colleagues and friends for their help: Ismet Ozkilic and Valentyna
Sem yrog of H olyoke C om m unity C ollege; M ahm oud A rani of St. M ichael’s
College, Vermont; and Craig Butler of Hong Kong International School.

Finally, a special thank you and a round of applause to the students who shared
samples of their writing with me, some of which have been adapted for this book:
Mary Benvenutty, Wai Chan, Antonio Colon, Blasnelly Diodonet, Leslie Dones, Rose
Feliciano Reyes, Juliana Gonzalez, Maryia Hancharonak, Zam Zam Hussein, Nataliya
Kondratyuk, Nadia Kravchuk, Iris Laviera, Nelly Martinez, Oksana Morozova,
Tam Kenny Nguyen, Mirjeta Nuhiu, Venhar Nuhiu, Moises Ortiz, Tatyana Pchelka,
Viktor Rafalskiy, Osmayra Rivera, Ina Ruskevich, Yelena Sokolova, Jason Son, Minja
Son, Vera Stolyarova, and Penny Wu.

This book is dedicated to a great teacher of mine, Jane Boggs Sloan. Twenty-five
years later, when faced with a teaching dilemma, I still ask myself, “What would
Jane do?”

To the Student
Welcome to Fundamentals o f Academic Writing! Learning to write in English is like
learning to play the game of baseball, or almost any sport. There are many rules that
all players must follow, but no two games are ever alike. Just as every game is
different, so is every piece of writing— and every writer. This book will help you
learn the rules that good writers know. It will also give you many chances to “play
the game” of writing English. I hope that you will write a lot, that you will have fun
writing, and that you will feel proud of your work.

Linda Butler
Your Classmates Getting
Started

Classmates

Pre writing
Ask Questions
Introduce Your Partner

Writing
Look at Model Paragraphs
Write a Paragraph About Your Partner

Sharing
Show Your Paragraph to Your Partner
Share Paragraphs with Your Class
2 Fundamentals o f Academic Writing

Prewriting

Thinking before writing

Before you write, you need a topic — something to write about. Here
is a topic for you: a classmate. Write about a person in your class. This
classmate will be your partner — someone you work with.

Step 1 : Work with a partner. Ask your partner these questions. Listen
and write the answers. If you cannot spell a word, ask, “How
do you spell that?”

1. What’s your first name?____________________________________

2. What’s your last name?_____________________________________

3. Where are you from ?_______________________________________

4. What’s your first language?_________________________________

5. Where do you live?________________________________________

6. Who lives with you?_______________________________________

7. Do you have a jo b ? ________________________________________

8. What do you like to do in your free tim e?_____________________

 Getting Started I Your C lassm ates 3

Martin is asking Yelena about spelling.

Step 2: Are there any extra questions you want to ask? Ask your
questions, and write the answers here.

/ T his is Martin. He is f
V e n ezu ela. He has

Yelena is introducing Martin.

Step 3: Introduce your partner to the class or to a small group of

classmates. Tell three or four facts about your partner.
4 Fundamentals o f Academic Writing

Writing
You are going to write a paragraph about your partner.

Step 1: Read these two paragraphs.

i M artin Herrera

i My Classmate Yelena

I My classmate Yelena Politova is an interesting person.

| She is from Ukraine. She speaks Ukrainian and Russian.

| She lives with her family in Chicago. She is married. She has

| one son and one daughter. She works part-tim e a t the

| Chicago Animal Hospital. I hope to learn more about her.

Ali Abdi

My Classmate Jason

My classmate Jason Kim is an interesting person. He is

from Seoul, k'area. His firs t language is kftrean. We (ives

on campus. We has a roommate. He is not married. He does

not have a job. In his free time, he likes to play soooer and

video games. He loves to sleep.

 Getting Started I Your C lassm ates 5

Step 2: Take a piece of lined paper. Write your name at the top of
the paper, on the right. Then write this title:

M y C la ssm ate_______________________________
(your partner’s first name)

Step 3 : Write a paragraph about your partner. Follow the examples on

page 4. Begin with this sentence:

M y classm a te ________________________is an interesting person.

(name)

Sharing
Step 1: Show your paragraph to your partner. Is the information
correct? Make changes if necessary.

Step 2 : Your teacher may ask the class to share all the paragraphs.
Then you can read other paragraphs and learn about people
in your class.
 Introducing Yourself

Nice to meet you!

Chapter Preview

Part 1: Organization
From Words to Sentences to Paragraphs
What Does a Paragraph Look Like?

Part 2: Sentence Structure and M echanics

What Is a Sentence?
What Does a Sentence Look Like?

Part 3: Grammar and Vocabulary

Verbs
Nouns

Part 4: The Writing P rocess

What Is a Process?

Expansion Activities

6
 (

Chapter 1 I Introducing Y ourself 7

Chapter Preview
You are going to write a paragraph about yourself. First, look at three
model paragraphs. Models are examples. Model sentences and paragraphs
help writers. Models help us think about what we want to write.

1. Work with a partner. Read each model paragraph. At the right, circle
the information you find in the paragraph.

name work

I would like t o introduce myself. My home country classes at school

name is Shaukat Matin. My nickname is languages free-time fun
Salim. I am from Pakistan. I speak
Bengali. I am married. I live with my wife where he lives friends
and our son. I want to study computers.
age plans for the future

family

name work
I would (ike to introduce myself. My home country classes at school
name is Catherine Ortiz. I am nineteen
years old. I am from (-\or\dums. I live on languages free-time fun
oampus. On weekends, I like to go where she lives friends
dancing with my boyfriend. I love music,
especially Latin music. age plans for the future

family

name work
I W o u Id lik e to in t r o d u c e myself.
home country classes at school
fAy n a m e is W ic h e U e A n d r e . I a m a
new stuAent. I a m t a k in g W rit in g languages free-time fun
r e a d i n g and o ra l c o m m u n i c a t i o n .
where she lives friends
fAy m o t h e r and f <ather and sister a r e
in h a i t i . I miss w y f a m ily . I live With age plans for the future
m y aunt. I Work p a r t - t i m e in h e r
family
re s ta u ra n t .
8 Fundamentals o f Academic Writing

2. Write six or more sentences about yourself. Look at the three model
paragraphs for help.

1. My name is ____________________________________________

2 . 1 am from ______________________________________________

3 .1 speak_____________________________________ ___________

4 . ______________________________________________________

5 . ______________________________________________________

6 . ______________________________________________________________________

3. Show your sentences to your partner. Read your partner’s sentences.

Do you understand all your partner’s sentences? Tell your partner
if something is not clear.

You will use your sentences later in this chapter to write a paragraph
about yourself (page 11).

PART 1 I Organization
From Words to Sentences to Paragraphs
We use letters to form words.

Letters Words

Capital hi
A B C D E....
Letters -► love
students
Small
a b c d e.... Los Angeles
Letters
ice cream
 Chapter 1 I Introducing Y ourself 9

We use words to form sentences.

S en tences
I am a student.
This is my book.
What’s your name?
Do you like pizza?

We use sentences to form paragraphs. A paragraph is a group of sen­

tences about one topic.

Read this paragraph.

Strawberries are a delicious kind of fruit. They

are small and red. They are sweet and juicy. I have
strawberries in my garden every summer. I love to eat
them.

The topic of this paragraph i s _____________________

What D oes a Paragraph Look Like?

The same paragraph about strawberries is below. Look at these two things:

(1) The first sentence is indented. There is a space before it. Remember
to indent the first sentence in your paragraphs.
(2) The second sentence follows the first sentence on the same line.
It does not go on a new line.
NEW SENTENCE, SAME LINE
INDENT \
—►Strawberries are a delicious kind of fruit. They
are small and red. They are sweet and juicy. I have
strawberries in my garden every summer. I love to eat
them.
10 Fundamentals o f Academic Writing

PRACTICE 1.1 Work alone or with a partner. Read the letter. Answer the questions below.
Recognizing
Paragraphs
and Topics
w

September A

Dear Ms. kjennedy,

My name is Nadia Duric. I am a new student. I am in your

Writing 1 class. I wantto tell you a little about myself.

My family is from kOsovo. I live with my parents, my two little

brothers, and my cousin. We have an apartment in Middletown.

This is my firs t week of school. I am happy to be here. I wantto

learn English very much. I want to finish college and get a good job.

Sincerely yours,

Nadia Duric

1. How many paragraphs are there in Nadia’s letter?______________

2. What is the topic of the second paragraph?______ ______________

PRACTICE 1.2 Copy the sentences below to complete the paragraph on page 11. Continue
Paragraph skipping lines.
Content and
Form at There are two main points about paragraphs.

First, all the sentences in a paragraph are about one topic.

Second, a paragraph has a special format.

The first sentence is indented.

The next sentence starts right after the first one.

These are important things to remember about paragraphs.

 Chapter 1 ! Introducing Y ourself 11

.......a b o u t :

.............................................
S k ip L in e s

PRACTICE 1.3 Write a paragraph about yourself (like the models on page 7). Follow
W riting a these steps.
Paragraph
About Yourself Step 1: Take a piece of paper. Write your name at the top.

Step 2: Indent and begin your paragraph with this sentence:

I would like to introduce myself.

Step 3: Look at the sentences you wrote on page 8. Change your

sentences if you want.

Step 4: Complete your paragraph by copying your sentences.

Skip lines.
12 Fundamentals o f Academic Writing

PART 2 I Sentence Structure and Mechanics

What Is a Sentence?
A sentence is a group of words that expresses a complete idea. A sentence
always has a subject and a verb.

Look at the subjects and verbs in these sentences.

SUBJECT VERB

Hiro (plays) the guitar.

SUBJECT VERB

He (loves) music.

PRACTICE 1.4 Work alone or with a partner. Circle the verb in each sentence. Write V
Subjects
above it. Then underline the subject of that verb. Write S above it.
and Verbs S V
1. Ahmet thrives) a taxi.

2. Lucia rides the bus.

3. Mr. Parker speaks English.

4. A photographer takes pictures.

5. Fish swim in the ocean.

6. The sun sets in the evening.

7. I drink tea.

8. We go to the mall on Saturdays.

9. My friends watch soccer on TV.

10. Chocolate tastes good.

 Chapter 1 I Introducing Y ourself 13

What D oes a Sentence Look Like?

There are different kinds of sentences. Some sentences are statements,
and some sentences are questions. Look at these examples with your class.
How are statements and questions the same? How are they different?

S e n te n c e s
Statem ents Q uestions

1 am from Colombia. Where are you from?

My name is Maria. What is your name?
1 am a new student. Are you a new student?
My first language is Spanish. Do you speak Spanish?

Sentences need capital letters and punctuation. Every sentence begins

with a capital letter. Every sentence has a punctuation mark at the end.

Rules Examples

1. Use a capital letter for the first T

word in a sentence. the class is in room 342.

2. Put a period (.) after a This sentence is a statement.

statement.
3. Put a question mark (?) after Do you have any questions?
a question.

PRACTICE 1.5 Work alone or with a partner. Add a capital letter to each sentence. Put a
Using Capital period after each statement. Put a question mark after each question.
Letters and End
Punctuation 1. are you married? 6. the movie starts at 7:00
2. my friend speaks English 7. where do you live
3. are you from China 8. how do you spell your name
4. he is from Mexico 9. she works part-time
5. do you drink coffee 10. we like to go dancing
14 Fundamentals o f Academic Writing

PRACTICE 1.6 Work alone or with a partner. Put the words in order. Write statements.
Word Order: Look at the examples of statements on page 13 for help. Add periods.
Statements
1. is / My class / big My class is big.__________________________

2. 24 classmates / have / 1 ___________________________________

3. from many countries / come / W e __________________________

4. friendly / My classmates / a re _____________________________

5. Ms. Green / is / The teacher’s nam e________________________

6. We / in room 245 / meet __________________________________

7. from I I I China / a m _____________________________________

8. language / first / is / My / Chinese__________________________

PRACTICE 1.7 Work alone or with a partner. Put the words in order. Write questions.
Word Order: Look at the examples of questions on page 13 for help. Add question
Questions marks.

1. that man / Who is Who is that man?_______________________

2. his first name / What i s __________________________________

3. is / What / last name / h is ________________________________

4. he / Is / a new student___________________________________

5. in this class / he / Is ____________________________________

6. he / Does / English / speak_______________________________

7. from / is / he / W here___________________________________

8. is / he / How old
 Chapter 1 I Introducing Y ourself 15

PRACTICE 1.8 Some sentences are missing capital letters on the first word. Make
Editing: Capital corrections.
Letters M
my name is Mayra. I am from the Dominican Republic, my firs t

language is Spanish, now I live in Hartford, today is my firs t day in this

school. I want to learn English, it is very im portantfor my future.

PRACTICE 1.9 Make corrections to this paragraph. Add five more capital letters and
Editing: Capital seven more periods.
Letters and S
Periods ktazumi is one of my classmates, ^he is from Oapan she speaks

Japanese her parents live in Tokyo she has no brothers or sisters she

is single k'aiumi likes music and fashion her clothes are beautiful

PRACTICE 1.10 A. Complete the information about your class.

W riting a Example: 1. I am taking English IQ.
Paragraph (course name / number)
About Your
Class 2. My class meets on Monday. Wednesday, and Friday.
(day or days)

3. It meets from 9:30 A.M.__________ to ll:H5 A.M.

(start time) (end time)

1 .1 am taking __________________________________________
(course name / number)

2. My class meets o n ____________________________________

(day or days)

3. It meets from _____________________ t o ________________

(start time) (end time)

4. We meet i n __________________________________________
(room number)

5. Our teacher’s name i s ____ ______

(name)

6. The work i s ____ ______ ___

(easy / hard / interesting )
16 Fundamentals o f Academic Writing

B. Copy the sentences from Part A on the lines below. Write them as a
paragraph.
1 am taking__________________________________________

PART 3 I Grammar and Vocabulary

Verbs
On page 12, you learned about sentences. Remember, every sentence
needs a verb. The boldfaced parts of these sentences are verbs:

They live in Egypt.

He speaks Japanese.

I’m in this class.

Where’s room 250?

Many verbs are words for actions. They are words for things that
someone or something does, like builds, drives, or plays. These verbs
describe movement or change that you can see. In the next three pictures,
you can see what Arturo does.

Arturo builds houses. He drives a sports car. He plays baseball.

 Chapter 1 | Introducing Y ourself 17

Other verbs do not express actions. We cannot see any movement or

change. Examples of these verbs are is, likes, and has. In the next pictures,
you cannot see Arturo do anything.

Arturo is happy. He has many friends.

PRACTICE 1.11 Work alone or with a partner. Circle the verb in each sentence.
Recognizing
Verbs 1 .1 (have) a cell phone.

2 . 1 make a lot of phone calls.

3. My friends call me, too.

4. We talk a lot.

5. Sometimes they leave messages.

6 . 1 listen to my messages.

7. My phone takes pictures, too.

8. It is very important to me.

18 Fundamentals o f Academic Writing

PRACTICE 1.12 Work with a partner. Write six statements. Use words from each box.
Building Use all six verbs.
Sentences with
Common Verbs
Subject Verb
a cell phone
is a computer
my roommate rides a student
my friend has fish
he eats horses
she listens the bus
goes to music
to movies

Example: M y roommate has a ceil phone.

1 ._______________________ ________
2 . _________________________________________
3 . ______________________________
4 . ______________________________
5 . ______________________________
6 . _______________________________________________________________

PRACTICE 1.13 Work alone or with a partner. Add the verb

Placing Verbs place in the statement.
in Statements is
Example: (is) This^Dao.

1. (is) Dao my friend.

2. (is) She from Thailand.
3. (means) Her name “stars” in Thai.
4. (likes) Dao to cook.
5. (cooks) She Thai food.
6. (go) We to the Asian market together.
7. (buys) She vegetables, tofu, and
lemongrass.
8. (makes) She dinner for us.
9. (tastes) Everything delicious!
 Chapter 1 I Introducing Y ourself 19

Nouns
A noun is a word for a person, place, thing, or idea.

Look at the chart. The boldfaced words are nouns.

What does the noun name?

a p e r so n a p la c e a thing an id ea

1. I love my brother. X

2. The singer is smiling. X

3. Do you know Marta? X

4. He is at the airport. X

5. The library is open today. X

6. They live in Saudi Arabia. X

7. Would you like some ice cream? X

8. That watch is expensive. X

9. He drives a Toyota. X

10. Education is important to me. X

11.1 have fun with my friends. X

12. What time is it? X

20 Fundamentals o f Academic Writing

PRACTICE 1 Work alone or with a partner. Look at the fifteen boldfaced nouns in this
Identifying
paragraph. Write person, place, thing, or idea above each noun. {Note:
Meanings For some nouns, there can be more than one answer.)
o f Mouns
place thing/place
New York City is my favorite city. I have several relatives in New York. My

aunt and uncle live there, and my sister does, too. She has an apartment near

Central Park. I like to spend time with her. We go to clubs to listen to music.

We go out to eat together. She shows me stores with clothes at great prices.

I always have fun in New York.

PRACTICE 1 Work with a partner or in a small group. Write as many nouns as you
Building
can. Count your nouns, and write the total.
Vocabulary:
Mouns 1. Nouns for people in a family:
Examples: mother, father

_________________________________________Total:

2. Nouns for things inside a house:

_________________________________________Total:

3. Nouns for places to go in a city:

Total:
 Chapter 1 I Introducing Yourself 21

Singular and Plural Mouns

Most nouns have singular and plural forms. Singular means “only one.”
Plural means “more than one” Plural nouns usually end in -5.

Singular Plural
hot dog hot dogs
watch watches
library libraries

See Appendix C fo r spelling rules fo r plural nouns.

Some plural nouns are irregular. They do not follow the rules for plural
nouns. They do not end in -5.

Singular Plural
person people
man men
woman women
child children

See Appendix C fo r more irregular plural nouns.

PRACTICE 1.16 Write the plural form of each singular noun. (See Appendix C for help
W riting Plural with spelling.)
Nouns
1. pencil pencils 7. dish

2. day _______________ 8. dictionary

3. city ____________ _ 9. family

4. box _______________ 10. glass

5. child _______________ 11. man

6. person _______________ 12. woman

22 Fundamentals o f Academic Writing

PRACTICE 1.17 Look at the boldfaced nouns in this paragraph. Mark each noun s
Identifying (singular) or pi (plural).
Singular Versus s
Plural Nouns Paris is the capital of France. It is
a beautiful city. Millions of people visit
Paris each year. There are wonderful
museums, historic buildings, lovely
parks, and excellent restaurants. A
visitor can have a great time in Paris.

The river Seine in Paris

PRACTICE 1.18 Circle the fourteen nouns in this paragraph. The first noun is circled for
Recognizing you. Mark each noun s (singular) or pi (plural),
IMouns pi
(Dd p h ins) are interesting animals.
First, a dolphin is not a fish. It is a
mammal, like cats, horses, and
people. Also, did you know that a
dolphin sleeps with one eye open?
One half of the dolphin’s brain rests,
A bottlenose dolphin
and the other half stays awake.

PRACTICE 1.19 Work with a partner. Complete the chart with nouns and verbs. Write
Building two words in each box. Each word must begin with the letter at the top.
Vocabulary:
Nouns
and Verbs A B C D E

Nouns apple
A lberto

Verbs ask
answer
 Chapter 1 | Introducing Y ourself 23

PART 4 | The Writing Process

What Is a Process?
A process is a series of steps or actions. You take these steps because
you want to reach a goal. The steps in the process will help you get the
results you want.

In your everyday life, you often follow a process. For example, you
follow a process when you wash clothes in a washing machine. Your goal
is to get your clothes clean. What do you do first? What do you do next?
Number these steps in order from 1 to 5.

Step f : Take the clothes out of the machine.

Step I : Put the clothes into the machine.
Step J___________________ : Add detergent.
Step f | : Wait for the machine to finish.
Step Jj_: Start the machine.

What is the result of this process? Clean clothes!

Writers also follow a process. The writing process can help you write
clear and correct paragraphs in English. The writing process looks
something like this:
24 Fundamentals o f Academic Writing

Look at the picture of the writing process on page 23, and discuss these
questions with your class:
• Where does the writing process begin?
• What is the next step?
• How does the process continue?
• What happens after the teacher returns a paper to a student?

PRACTICE 1.20 Complete the sentences. Use the same word from the box in sentences
Understanding
a and b.
Key Words
goal process result step

1. (a) A _____ goal_____ is something you want to do or to have in

the future.
(b) For example, t h e _____ goal______ of a medical student is to
become a doctor.

2. (a) A ______________ is something that happens or exists because

of something else.
(b) If you mix the colors blue and yellow, th e _______________
is green.

3. (a) A ____________________is one action in a series of actions.

You take these actions to solve a problem or to get to a result.
(b) For example, you can make a phone call in two easy
_____________ s: (1) Pick up the receiver. (2) Press the
numbers.

4. (a) A ______________ is a series of actions you do or steps you

take to get a result.
(b) In this book, you will learn the steps of the writing
 Chapter 1 I Introducing Y ourself 25

Expansion Activities
Keeping a Journal
Writing in a journal can help you become a better writer in English.
A journal is a notebook in which you write about your life.
Each time you write in your journal, you make a journal entry.
Sometimes your journal entries will be short. Sometimes you will want
to write more.
Your teacher will read your journal and write back to you in it. Your
journal is like a conversation between you and your teacher. In your journal,
you can ask your teacher questions. Your teacher can ask you questions, too.
Then you should write the answers or talk to your teacher.
Your journal writing will be different from the other writing you do
for this class. You will not need to correct your journal entries.

Frequently Asked Q uestions (FAQs) About Journals

1. What should I write about?
You can write about things that happen in your life or things
you are thinking about. You will also find ideas for journal
entries in this book.

2. Who decides on the topic for a journal entry?

Sometimes your teacher will give you a topic. Sometimes
you can choose your own topic.

3. Who will read my journal?

Your teacher will. You can share it with friends and
classmates, too, if you want.

4. How often should I write journal entries? How often will the
teacher read them?
Ask your teacher.
26 Fundamentals o f Academic Writing

Look at this example of an entry in Murat's journal and the teacher’s

comments.

April 2 6

Soccer is my favorite sport. 1played soccer a t my high school.

Now 1 play with friends every day a t 4 :3 0 or 5 :0 0 p. m . We play near
Tftis is called the dining hall. Sometimes we have six or seven players, sometimes
"playing pick-up”
fifteen or twenty. We don’t have real games. We play fo r fun.
(When you play
with anyone who Great! I'm glad you have a chance to play your sport.
comes). Do you ever watch soccer on TV?

1. Get a notebook to use for your journal.

Remember to:
a. Put the date before each journal entry.
b. Leave margins on the left and right side of each page. Leave
some space after each journal entry, too. Your teacher will need
space in your journal to write back to you.

2. For your first journal entry, write about yourself. What do you want
your teacher to know about you? What is important in your life?

3. Here are some ideas for more journal entries:

• Describe your family. Give your family members’ names and
ages, and tell something about them.
• Do you like music? What kind of music do you listen to? When
and where do you listen to music?
• Write about someone you know at school. What is this person’s
name? Where is he or she from? What do you know about this
person?
• Write about this class or the school. Do you have any questions
for your teacher?
 'a ! lm H H »J

Describing Your Morning

Routine

It’s time to get ready for the day.

Chapter Preview

Part 1: Organization
What Should Your Paper Look Like?
Papers Typed on a Com puter

Part 2: Grammar and Sentence Structure

Subject Pronouns
The Simple Present of Be
Basic Sentence Patterns with Be

Part 3: M echanics
Rules for Capitalization

Part 4: The Writing P rocess

The Steps in the Writing Process
Your Paragraph: Getting Ready for the Day
Results of the Writing Process

Expansion A ctivities

27
28 Fundamentals o f Academic Writing

Chapter Preview
Work with a partner or in a small group. Read the model paragraphs.
Each paragraph describes someone’s morning routine — the things they
usually do. Answer the questions that follow.

MODEL My Morning Routine

Paragraph l |t js e a S y for me t0 get ready for the day. I get up at 8:30 a .m .

I wash my face and brush my teeth. I put on my clothes. Then I put

my books in my backpack. I leave my room at 8:45 a .m . I walk to Kerry
Hall. My first class is from 9:00 to 9:50 a .m . After class, I am very
hungry. I go to the dining hall for a big breakfast. That is my morning
routine.

MODEL Getting Ready for the Day

Paragraph 2 | m any things to get ready for the day. I get up at 6:30 a .m .

First, I take a shower. Then I get dressed, fix my hair, and put on my
makeup. At 7:15 a .m ., I wake up my husband and my children. I help
my children get dressed. Then we have breakfast. At 8:00 a .m ., I walk
my daughter to the bus for school. After that, I drive my son to day
care. Finally, I go to school for my 9:00 a .m . class. That is my busy
morning routine.

Questions about model paragraph 1:

1. What is the topic of the paragraph?_____________________

2. Which word describes the writer’s morning routine? Circle it:

(busy / easy / hungry)

3. How much time does the writer need before class each day?

4. Where do you think the writer lives?

 Chapter 2 I Describing Your Morning Routine 29

5. Write the verbs the writer uses:

a. I t _________ easy for me to get ready for the day.

b. I ____________ a t 8:30 a .m .

c. I _________ my clothes.

d. My first class_________ from 9:00 to 9:50 a .m .

e. After class, I _________ very hungry.

f. T h at_________ my morning routine.

6. Write the words the writer uses to show time:

a. I get u p _________ 8:30 a .m .

b. My first class i s _________ 9 :0 0 __________ 9:50 a .m .

c . ________ class, I am very hungry.

Questions about model paragraph 2:

1. What is the topic of the paragraph?_________________________

2. What word describes the morning routineof this w riter?_______

3. How much time does the writer need before class each day?

4. Talk about the writer’s morning routine. What is the same for her
and the writer of paragraph 1? What is different?

5. Write the verbs the writer uses:

a. First, I _________ a shower.

b. Then I _________ dressed,__________ my hair, a n d ________

my makeup.

c. At 7:15 a .m ., I _________ my husband and my children.

d. Then w e _________ breakfast.

30 Fundamentals o f Academic Writing

6. Write the words the writer uses to show the order of her actions:

a . ________ , I take a shower.

b . _________I get dressed, fix my hair, and put on my makeup.

c . ________ , I drive my son to day care.

d . _________, I go to school for my 9:00 a .m . class.

You will write a paragraph about your morning routine later in this
chapter (page 48).

PART 1 I Organization
What Should Your Paper Look Like?
You will write many paragraphs for this class. When you write a
paragraph, you need to think about the format of your paper — the way
it looks.

1. The paper

Use lined paper. Notebook paper that is 8'A by 11 inches is a good size.

2. The heading

The heading goes in the upper right-hand corner of your paper. The
heading includes your name and the date. Your teacher may ask you to add
other information, too.

3. The title

A title tells the topic of your paragraph. A title is not a sentence. It is

just a few words or even one word only. Your title goes on the top line, in
the middle.

4. Skipping lines

Do not write on the line below your title. Skip that line. Begin writing
on the third line. Continue skipping lines.
 Chapter 2 I Describing Your Morning Routine 31

5. Margins

Leave spaces on the left and right sides of your paper. These spaces are
the margins.

6 . Keeping words together

Sometimes a word is too long. It cannot fit at the end of a line. Do not
divide the word into two parts. Move the whole word to the beginning of
the next line.

Your paper should look like this:

M a r g in

H e a d in g Aleksandr Mihailov
September 8
English 15
T it le

I
Introducing Myself

would like to introduce myself. My name is Aleksandr

S k ip L in e s Mihailov. I am from St. Petersburg, Russia. I speak Russian

and a little English. I am nineteen years old. I live in Tampa with

my family. I live with my mother, father, and two sisters. I play

computer games in my free time. Sometimes I play all night.

32 Fundamentals o f Academic Writing

PRACTICE 2.1 A. Work alone or with a partner. Look at Vu’s paper. How many
problems can you find in the format of his paper? Mark them with
Form at circles or arrows.

Introducing Myself

1would like to introduce myself. My name is Vu Le. 1am from Ho Chi

Minh City in Viet Nam. 1speak Vietnamese and English.
1live With my aunt, my uncle, and my cousins. 1am not married.
1am [twenty years old.
1like igood food. 1 like to cook. In the future, 1want to open a Viet-
nam^se restaurant.
Vu Le

B. Rewrite Vu’s paragraph on a piece of lined notebook paper. Use the

correct format.

Papers Typed on a Computer

Maybe you will type your paragraphs for this class on a computer. You
will need to think about the format of your paper.

1. Margins

Set margins at the top and bottom of your paper and on the left and right
sides of your paper. Make them about one inch (or three centimeters) wide.

2. Spaces between words

Leave one space after each word. Do not leave a space before a period.

Do this: Do not do this:

This spacing is correct. T his spacing isnot co rre c t.

 Chapter 2 I Describing Your Morning Routine 33

3. Spaces between lines

Double-space your paragraph.

Do this: Do not do this:

These sentences are These sentences are

single-spaced. There is
double-spaced. There is very little space between the
lines. There is not enough
space between the lines for space to write corrections.

corrections. Your paper

should look like this.

4. Saving your work

Remember to save your work. You can use your paragraph title as the
file name. Add the date. For example, write M yself 10102007. Make a
backup copy of the file.

A. Look at the formats of Deko’s paper and Marissa’s e-mail message.

D ifferent Both examples were typed on a computer, and both are correct.
Form ats

Deko Hussein
English 11B
November 12
My Computer

My computer is helpful. I use it for school. I write papers

on my computer. I print my papers on my printer. I also use

my computer to write to my family and friends. I send e-mail.

I use my computer for the Internet, too. I find information

online. I am glad to have a computer.

34 Fundamentals o f Academic Writing

From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Sent: Monday, September 18, 23:07
Subject: hellooooooo

Hi Jen

How are you? I’m pretty good. School is OK so far. My

teachers are nice. I have friends in all my classes.

My roommate is nice. Her name is Parinda. She is from

Thailand. She speaks English really well.

I have a new cell phone number. It’s (210) 555-1234. Call

me! But not before 10:00 a .m . please. :-)

Marissa

B. Work with a partner or in a small group. Look at headings, titles,

spacing, margins, and indenting in the two examples. Talk about what
is the same and what is different.

PART 2 I Grammar and Sentence Structure

Subject Pronouns
In Chapter 1, you learned about nouns. Remember, a noun is a word
for a person, place, thing, or idea. Pronouns can take the place of nouns.
A subject pronoun can be the subject of a sentence.
 Chapter 2 I Describing Your Morning Routine 35

S u b ject P ro n o u n s

Singular Plural

I we

you you

he

she they

it

Study these rules and examples.

Rules Examples

1. Subject pronouns can take the place of She

subject nouns. Lucia is from Brazil. Lucia speaks
Portuguese.

2. Use a noun or a subject pronoun, not Your friend is nice. He is nice.

both.
Not: Your friend be is nice.

3. Use they to refer to people or things. The children are small. Thev are two
years old.

The cars are not new. They are two

years old.

4. Use it to tell:
the time It is nine o’clock (9:00).
the day It is Wednesday.
the date It is September 25.
the weather It is warm and sunny.
36 Fundamentals o f Academic Writing

PRACTICE 2.3 Complete each sentence with the correct subject pronoun.
Using Subject
Pronouns 1. That man’s name is Hugo. He is from Mali.

2. My name is Nanam i.________ am from Osaka.

3. What day is it today?_____________is Thursday.

4 . 1 know that g irl.________ is in my class.

5. The weather is nice. is cool.

6. These are good cookies. are delicious.

7. My brothers can sing. _ are good singers.

8. What time is it? ______ is 4:30 p .m .

9. You and I need to work together.________ are partners.

10. Please call m e .______ and I need to talk.

PRACTICE 2 .4 Work alone or with a partner. Correct the subject pronoun error in each
Editing: Errors sentence.
w ith Subject 1. Martin he has a motorcycle.
Pronouns
2. You and i have the same teachers.
3. Is Friday.
4. He is a nice girl.
5. My friends they are at the mall.
6. She is a little boy.
7. They is two o’clock.
8. Is hot today.

The Simple P resent o f Be

The words am, is, and are are verbs. They are the simple present forms
of the verb be. Be is the base form of the verb.
 Chapter 2 I Describing Your Morning Routine 37

Affirmative Statements with Be

Singular Plural

Subject Be Subject Be

I am We

You are You

He
in class. are in class.
She is They

It

Bill Bill and A1

See A ppendix D fo r contractions with be.

PRACTICE 2 .5 Complete the statements. Use the correct form of the verb be.
B e in
A ffirm ativ e 1. This exercise is easy.
Statements
2 . 1 ________ busy.

3. That is my sister. S h e________ sixteen years old.

4. My friend from Lebanon,

5. Many people______ in the lab.

6. Y ou________ my partner.

7 . 1 have two brothers. They _ at home.

8. W e________ on page 37.

9. You and I ________ in the same group.

10.My morning routine_________ simple.

38 Fundamentals o f Academic Writing

Negative Statements with Be

S in g u la r P lu ra l

Subject Be IXot Subject Be Mot

I am We

You are You

He
not in class. are not in class.
She They
is
It

Bill Bill and A1

See A ppendix D fo r contractions with be.

PRACTICE 2 .6 Complete the statements. Use the correct form of the verb be + not.
Be in Negative
Statements 1. You are not late.

2. The exercises difficult.

3. It cold today.

4. Omar ___ here.

5. The teacher in his office.

6. That is my sister. S h e________ a student.

7. You and M arta________ new students.

8 . 1 ________ in your class.

9 . 1 have a brother. H e ________ married.

10. We ready.
 Chapter 2 I Describing Your Morning Routine 39

PRACTICE 2.7 Look at each group of words. Check (V) It is a com p lete sen ten ce,
Complete or It is n ot a se n ten ce. T here is no verb. Then correct the incomplete
Sentences w ith sentences.
Be
It is a It is not a
complete sentence.
sentence. There is
no verb.
am
1 .1 from Kuwait.
A

2. What is your name?

3. We partners.
4. Halima is my sister.
5 .1 twenty-two years old.
6. My father and my mother in Nepal.
7. Ms. Kelley is my teacher.
8. How old are you?
9. The students in the classroom.
10. Javier tall and handsome.

PRACTICE 2 .8 Work alone or with a partner. Look at each statement. Check (V)
Editing: Correct or Incorrect. Make corrections.
Statements
w ith Be Correct Incorrect
not
□ 0 1. He no is in class today.
A

□ □ 2 .1 am a student.
□ □ 3. We not at home.
□ □ 4. It a nice day.
□ □ 5. The teacher no is here.
□ 0 6. You in class.
El □ 7. Hana is not a new student.
□ □ 8 .1 am no cold.
□ □ 9. Mr. Sweeney ateacher.
□ □ 10.1 busy in the morning.
40 Fundamentals o f Academic Writing

Basic Sentence Patterns w ith Be

The verb be has many uses. Here are three ways to use be in sentences:

Rules Examples

Subject Be + Noun
1. To identify a person or thing: They are mv friends,
Use be + a noun. Dolphins are mammals,
Mali is a country in Africa.

Subject Be + E xpression o f Place

2. To tell where someone or something is: My house is on Park Street,
Use be + an expression of place. The students are in room 152.
1 am here.

Subject Be + A djective/A ge
3. To describe someone or something: The sky is blue.
Use be + an adjective or age. They are married.
1 am twenty years old.

The verbs am, is, and are can be used with verbs ending in -ing:
Shhh! The baby is sleeping.
They are working today.

These sentences have present progressive verbs. See page 105 for
more information.
 Chapter 2 I Describing Your Morning Routine 41

PRACTICE 2 .9 Work alone or with a partner. Check ( y ) the use of the verb be in each
Sentence of these statements.
Patterns with Be

Be + Be +
Be + Moun Expression A djective/
o f Place Age
1. Soccer is a game.

2. He is seventeen years old.

3. My friends are at the movies.

4. That is my book.

5. My eyes are brown.

6. Her parents are in Costa Rica.

7. I am not at home.

8. The movie is at the Central Cinema.

9. Green beans are vegetables.

10. I am twenty-four years old.

11. My brothers are doctors.

12. Manuel is married.

42 Fundamentals o f Academic Writing

PRACTICE Edgar is writing about himself and his school. Complete Edgar’s
Statements
statements with a subject from the box and am, is, or are.
with Be

Subjects
My name
I
My first language
My school
My classmates
My classes

1. M y name is Edgar.

2. ______ . from Panama.

3. Spanish,

4. a student,

5. in Los Angeles,

6. from many countries,

7. interesting,

8. nineteen years old.

PRACTICE Take a piece of paper. Write ten statements with be about yourself and
Writing
your school. See Practice 2.10 for models. Use all three sentence patterns:
Statements be + a noun, be + an expression of place, and be + an adjective/age.
with Be

PRACTICE Take a piece of paper. Write answers to these questions. Use the verb be.
Statements
with Be Examples: What day is after Monday?
Tuesday is after Monday.
What are carrots and potatoes?
Carrots and potatoes are vegetables.
 Chapter 2 I Describing Your Morning Routine 43

1. What day is before Saturday?

2. What day is after Saturday?
3. Where is your teacher from?
4. Where are Brazil and Chile?
5. Where is Canada?
6. What are January and February?
7. What are the Amazon and the Nile?
8. What color are your eyes?
9. What are the colors of your country’s flag?
10.How old is your best friend?

PART 3 I Mechanics
Rules for Capitalization
Some words in English must begin with a capital letter. English has
many rules for using capital letters. Here are five rules you need to know.

Rules Examples

1. Capitalize the subject pronoun /. Now 1 live in Oakland.

Rosa and 1 are in the same class.

2. Capitalize the first letter of a sentence. His first name is David.

What is his last name?

3. Capitalize people’s names and titles. My dentist’s name is Dr. Parker.

You can ask Ms. Evans.

4. Capitalize words for nationalities and Nationalities Languages

languages.
Mexican Spanish
Canadian English
Kuwaiti Arabic

5. Capitalize place names. She comes from the United States.

Do you live on Maxwell Avenue?
44 Fundamentals o f Academic Writing

PRACTICE 2.13 Correct the fourteen errors in capitalization in this paragraph. The first
Editing: error is corrected for you.
Errors in 1 U
Capitalization t have a friend named t homas. i go to school with him. he speaks
f \\ \7 i
Chinese and a little english. he is from taiwan. how he is living with

his brother, they have an apartment on frarvard avenue in Brookline,

Massachusetts.

PRACTICE 2.14 Work alone or with a partner. Review the capitalization rules on page 43.
Capitalization Then write two sample sentences for each rule.

Example: Rule 4: M auricio speaks Portuguese and English.________

1. Rule 1 :__________________________________________________

2. Rule 2:

3. Rule 3:

4. Rule 4:

5. Rule 5:
 Chapter 2 I Describing Your Morning Routine 45

PART 4 I The Writing Process

The Steps in the Writing P rocess
On page 23, you learned about the writing process. There are four basic
steps in the process:

Prewrite WriteEdit W
Final Draft

o---------o--------- o--------- o
Step 1: Prewrite
At this step, you begin to get ideas for your paragraph. There are
many ways to get ideas, such as brainstorming and freewriting. You will
learn about these two ways and other prewriting activities in this book.
Step 2: Write
The first time that you write a paragraph, your paper is called your
first draft. Your work is not finished! Writing the first draft is only one
step on the way to your final paper.

Step 3: Edit
Editing is an important part of the writing process. Editing means
checking for mistakes and making corrections. You can also make
changes to the content — the ideas and information in your paragraph.
For example, you can add new information or move sentences. Always
edit your writing before you show it to a classmate or to your teacher.

W r it e r ’s Tip

When you check for mistakes,

read slowly. Sometimes using a ruler
(or a piece of paper) can help. Place
it under the line you are checking.
Move the ruler down as you read.
Look at your paragraph word by
word, one line at a time.
46 Fundamentals o f Academic Writing

Sometimes you will do peer review. Your classmates are your peers.
When you do peer review, you work with a partner. You read and talk
about each other’s paragraphs. You think about these things:
• the content
• the words and sentences
• the format of the paper

Then you give your partner feedback — you say what you think
about his or her work. When you give feedback, it is important to be
both honest and kind.

Step 4: Write the Final Draft

Sometimes a writer’s first draft needs no changes. This does not
happen often. Most of the time, writers must write new drafts.
Sometimes your first draft will need only small changes. Then
maybe you can erase and make changes on that same paper. Most of
the time, you will need to prepare a final draft on a new piece of paper.
You will give your final draft to your teacher.

PRACTICE 2.15 A. Work alone or with a partner. Look at Henry’s first draft below. Henry
Comparing First showed his first draft to a classmate. His classmate gave him feedback.
and Final Drafts

Henry Liu
Aafe English 112-01
title margin

I It easy fo r me to get ready fo r the day. My alarm clock

! wakes me up a t 7:30.
r...................... T u i\ r { ................................................................................
hI get up and have a shower. I aet dressed. I drive to

i fdchnnl a t I go to the cafeteria, livery hungrv in the morn-

;!...................>p......................................................................
.......................................................................
i \m. 1eat cereal, fruit, egas. and to a st. 1drink oranae juice and

i tea. 1go to my class a t 9:00. @ iat is my morning routine.

 Chapter 2 I Describing Your Morning Routine 47

B. Henry edited his paragraph. Look at his final draft below. What is
different? Mark the changes. How many changes did Henry make?

Henry Liu
February 1
English 112-01
G etting Ready fo r the Day

It is easy fo r me to get ready fo r the day. My alarm

clock wakes me up a t 7:30. I ge t up and take a shower.

Then I get dressed. I drive to school a t <3:15. F irst, I go

to the cafeteria. I am very hungry in the morning. I ea t

cereal fru it, eggs, and to a s t. I drink orange juice and tea.

I ta lk with my friends. Finally, I go to my class a t 9:0 0 .

That is my morning routine.

48 Fundamentals o f Academic Writing

PRACTICE 2.16 Work alone or with a partner. Write the words from the box next to their
Understanding meanings.
the Steps in the
Writing Process editing first draft prewriting
feedback peer review

1 . ___ prewriting : getting ideas before you start writing

2. _____________________ the paper with your first try at writing

a paragraph

3. checking for mistakes and correcting them

4. working with a partner, looking at each other’s

writing

5. the things you tell a writer about his or her

paragraph

Your Paragraph: Getting Ready for the Day

You are going to write a paragraph about your morning routine.
# — O— O— O Step 1: Prewrite

a. Take a piece of paper. Make a list of the things you do in the

morning to get ready for the day. Begin with the time you get up.
Do not write complete sentences. Just take notes — write a few
words. For example:

7:00 a.m. get up

make tea
shower, shampoo
 Chapter 2 I Describing Your Morning Routine 4 9

b. Work with a partner. Ask your partner, “What do you do in the

morning?” Take turns describing your morning routines. Try to use
these words: first, then, after that, and finally.

Step 2: Write

a. Choose a title for your paragraph. You can use Getting Ready fo r
the Day or My Morning Routine if you like.
b. Begin your paragraph with a general statement about your morning
routine. Look at the models on page 28 for examples.
c. Continue your paragraph, using your notes from Step 1.

0 —0 —# —o Step 3: Edit

a. Read your paragraph again. It may help you to read it out loud.
Make changes if needed.
b. Edit your paper carefully. Check for mistakes before you show it to
anyone.
c. Peer review: Exchange papers with a partner. Follow the Reviewer’s
Checklist below. Check (V) each box when you finish that step.

R eview er’s Checklist — C hapter 2

Your partner’s nam e:________________________________________

Content
□ Read all of your partner’s paragraph.
□ Underline any part of the paragraph you do not understand.
Ask your partner to explain it.
□ Ask questions if you want more information about your partner’s
morning routine.

Form
Look at these parts of your partner’s paper. Mark any problems on
the paper in pencil. Put a question mark (?) if you are not sure about
something. (See Henry Liu’s first draft on page 46 for an example of
how to mark a paper.)
□ the heading □ skipping lines
□ the title □ correct use of capital letters
□ indenting the first sentence □ a period after every statement
50 Fundamentals o f Academic Writing

d. Return your partner’s paper. Say something nice about it, such as
“It’s a good start” or “Your paragraph is interesting.”
e. Look at your own paper. If you do not agree with a comment on it,
then ask another student or your teacher.

a. On your first draft, mark any changes you want to make. You may
want to add information or change sentences. Be sure to correct all
mistakes.
b. Take another piece of paper, and write your final draft.
c. Edit your paragraph carefully. Then hand it in to your teacher.

R esults o f the Writing P rocess

Your teacher will read your paragraph and
give you feedback on it. He or she may ask you
to rewrite it. Write the new draft, and edit it
carefully. Then hand in your old and new drafts
together. Staple your new draft on top of the
old one. old
draft

When you do not need to rewrite a paragraph

anymore, put your paper into a folder. Label your
folder with your name, your course number, and
your teacher’s name. Save this folder.
 Chapter 2 I Describing Your Morning Routine 51

Expansion Activities
Your Journal
Keep making entries in your journal. Write as much as you can. Write
as often as you can.
Do not worry about writing perfect sentences. Your journal entries are
not formal compositions. A journal entry is like a message to a friend.
Think of your own topics for your journal entries or choose from these
topics:
• Write about a favorite food or drink. When and where do you have
it? Do you make it, does someone make it for you, or do you buy it?
• Do you have a best friend? Write about a friend who is important
to you. What do you like to do together?
• How is the weather today? Do you like this kind of weather? Name
a place with great weather. Name a place with terrible weather.
• Draw a picture or put a photo in your journal. Then write about it.
• Where and how do you learn new words in English? Do you write
new words in a notebook? What kind of dictionary do you have?

Challenge: Sleep Habits

When you write a Challenge paragraph, be sure to follow the steps of
the writing process described on pages 45-46.
Write a paragraph about your sleep habits. Here are some questions to
help you get started:
• Do you get enough sleep, or are you often tired?
• How many hours of sleep do you need?
• What time do you usually go to bed?
• What time do you usually get up?
• Are weekday and weekend nights the same or different for you?
You can use My Sleep Habits as a title. If you wish, begin your paragraph
with one of these sentences:

I am happy with my sleep habits.

My sleep habits are not good.

Write your first draft. Ask a friend or a classmate to review your

paragraph. You can use the Reviewer’s Checklist on page 49 to help you
edit. Then prepare a final draft, and give it to your teacher.
 Every Picture Tells a Story

Who are they?

Chapter Preview

Part 1: Organization
Topic Sentences

Part 2: Sentence Structure

Subjects of Sentences
What Makes a Complete Sentence?

Part 3: Grammar and Vocabulary

Adjectives
The Simple Present

Part 4: The Writing P rocess

Your Paragraph: The Face in the Photo
Results of the Writing Process

Expansion A ctivities

52
 Chapter 3 | Every Picture Tells a Story 53

Chapter Preview

Work with a partner or in a small group. Look at the photo. Then read
the two model paragraphs. The writers of these paragraphs have different
ideas about the man in the photo. Their paragraphs tell different stories
about him. Answer the questions that follow the models.

MODEL The Man in the Photo

Paragraph 1
The man in the photo is a hardworking man. His name is Ben Smith.
He lives in Houston, Texas. He is married. He and his wife have a baby
girl. Ben helps take care of the baby. He also
works at a post office. He works five nights a
week. He is a college student, too. He goes to
school part-time. He wants to be a lawyer.
Ben Smith leads a busy life.

MODEL A Lucky Man

Paragraph 2
The man in the photo has an exciting life.
His name is Philippe Demay. He is in the
music business. He makes music videos in
London, England. He has a beautiful wife. She is a model. They go
out every night. They go to parties and famous clubs. Philippe has
a nice car. It is a Jaguar. I think Philippe is lucky.

Questions about model paragraph 1:

1. What is the topic of the paragraph? _

2. Read the first sentence again. What is the writer’s main idea about
the topic?______ _________________________________________

3. What information shows us that Ben is hardworking?

54 Fundamentals o f Academic Writing

4. Write the simple present verbs that complete these sentences from
the paragraph.

a. H e _________ in Houston, Texas.

b. H e _________ married.

c. He and his w ife_________ a baby girl.

d. He also _________ at a post office.

e. H e _________ to school part-time.

f. H e _________ to be a lawyer.

5. Which of the sentences in 4a-f has the verb be? Sentence 4 _______

6. What is the last letter of the verb in sentences a, d, e, and f ? _____

7. Look at the verb in sentence c. Why is the verb ending different?

Questions about model paragraph 2:

1. What is the topic of the paragraph?__________________________

2. Read the first sentence again. What is the writer’s main idea about
the topic?____________________________________________ _

3. What information shows us that Philippe has an exciting life?

4. Write the adjectives the writer uses.

a. He has a _________ wife.

b. They go to parties an d _________ clubs.

c. Philippe has a _________ car.

d. 1 think Philippe i s _________ .

You will write a paragraph about someone in a photo later in this chapter
(page 70).
 Chapter 3 | Ever\/ Picture Tells a Stor\/ 55

PART 1 | Organization
Topic S en ten ces
A topic sentence comes at the beginning of a paragraph. The topic
sentence gives the writer’s main idea. A good topic sentence helps readers
understand the paragraph.

A topic sentence has two parts: (1) a topic — what the paragraph is
about, and (2) a controlling idea — what the writer is going to focus on
in the paragraph. For example, look at this topic sentence:
TOPIC CONTROLLING IDEA
David Ferreira is a good father.

This topic sentence tells us that the paragraph will be about David
Ferreira. The writer will tell us about David as a father. The paragraph will
not have other information about David. For example, it will not have
information about his education, his friends, or his future plans. It will tell
us only about David as a father.

Either the topic or the controlling idea can come first in a topic sentence.
Compare these two topic sentences:
CONTROLLING IDEA TOPIC
There are several reasons whv I like my room.
TOPIC CONTROLLING IDEA
I like my room for several reasons.

Sometimes the topic and the controlling idea are in two sentences. Look
at the example below. Find the topic and the controlling idea.

People sometimes confuse sea lions and seals. These

animals are different in several ways. The sea lion has . . .
56 Fundamentals o f Academic Writing

In this example, the topic is sea lions and seals. The controlling idea —
that they are different in several ways — is in the second sentence.

Not all paragraphs begin with a topic sentence, but topic sentences are
an important part of academic writing in English. You will need good topic
sentences for paragraphs you write for school. You will also need good
supporting and concluding sentences. You will learn about these in
Chapters 5, 6, and 8.

PRACTICE 3.1 Work alone or with a partner. Read each paragraph. Then find the topic
Examining sentence. Circle the topic and underline the controlling idea.
Topic Sentences
1. A betta makes a good pet. First,
it is a beautiful fish, especially in the
sunlight. The light brings out its
amazing color. Second, it is easy to
take care of a betta. Just feed it every
day, and give it clean water once a
week. Finally, a betta is not expensive.
You do not have to spend much money
on the fish, its food, or its fishbowl.
I tell all my friends to get a betta.

2. It is easy to use an ATM. ATM stands for

“ automated teller machine.” Most banks have
ATMs now. You can use an ATM to get cash from
your bank account. Just put in your ATM card
and press the buttons for your PIN (your Personal
Identification Number). Then follow the directions
on the screen. ATMs are open twenty-four hours
a day, seven days a week. They are easy and
convenient to use.

The man in the photo has a terrible job.

His name is Bob Walker, and he works for Bigg
Computers. Every day, customers call him on the
phone. They are unhappy about their computers.
He does not like to listen to them. Sometimes
they get angry, and they yell at Bob. Then he
gets angry, too. He needs a new job.
 Chapter 3 I Every Picture Tells a Story 57

There are two common ways to tell the

temperature. One way is to use the Fahrenheit
scale. On this scale, water freezes at 32 degrees
and boils at 212 degrees. The other way is to use
the Celsius (or centigrade) scale. On this scale,
water freezes at 0 degrees and boils at 100
degrees. The Celsius system is more common,
but in most English-speaking countries, people still
use the Fahrenheit system.

0°C = 32°F

PRACTICE 3 .2 Work alone or with a partner. Read each paragraph and the three
Choosing the sentences that follow it. Choose the best topic sentence for the
Best Topic paragraph. Write that sentence on the line.
Sentence
1.
For example,
butterflies called Painted Ladies fly all the
way from Europe to Africa. They also fly from
Australia to New Zealand. Monarch butterflies
fly from Canada to Mexico. That trip can be
3,000 miles long. It is amazing how far some
A monarch butterfly
butterflies can fly.

a. Butterflies are beautiful.

b. Some butterflies are great travelers.
c. Butterflies live in many parts of the world.

2 . ____________________________________________ He played
two sports in high school. He was the captain of the wrestling and
tennis teams. He is also a good swimmer and a fast runner. He runs
every day to stay in shape. Sometimes Kai and I play Ping-Pong
together. Kai usually wins. He is good at Ping-Pong, too.

a. Kai is my friend.
b. I have a friend at school.
c. My friend Kai is good at sports.
58 Fundamentals o f Academic Writing

3. ____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________ The
letters a, e, i, o, and u are vowels. The other twenty-one letters are
consonants. The letter y can be a consonant or a vowel. For example,
y has a consonant sound in the words yes and you, but it has a vowel
sound in the words key and play. Students of English need to learn all
the letters and their sounds.

a. There are five vowels in English.

b. English is not an easy language to learn.
c. The English alphabet has two kinds of letters.

4. ______________________
The best
beans come from criollo trees. These
trees grow only in Central and South
America. Most beans come from forastero
trees. These trees grow in West Africa.
Finally, the third kind of bean comes from
trinitario trees. These trees grow in both
Africa and the Americas. All three kinds
of cocoa beans are used to make
chocolate. Cocoa beans in a pod

a. Some beans grow on trees.

b. Chocolate is popular around the world.
c. Chocolate is made from three kinds of cocoa beans.

PRACTICE 3.3 Work with a partner. Read each topic sentence. Circle the topic and
Supporting a underline the controlling idea. Then write two examples of sentences
Topic Sentence you might find in the paragraph.

1. (£jities)are exciting places to live.

There are interesting things to do at night, like going to restaurants,

movies, and clubs._____________________________________________

You can meet many new people in cities._________________________

2. Cities have many problems.

 Chapter 3 I Every Picture Tells a Story 59

3. My brother Zamir is good at many things.

4. My brother Zamir has some bad habits.

5. It is not easy to learn a new language.

6. There are many reasons to leam a new language.

PART 1 | Sentence Structure

Subjects o f S en ten ces
In Chapter 1, you learned that every sentence has a subject and a verb.
Here is more information about subjects.

Rules Exam ples

1. A subject can be a noun or a Alex has a car. He likes to drive.

subject pronoun.

2. The subject comes before the On weekdays, he takes the bus

verb in a statement. to work.

3. A verb can have more than one Alex and his friends have cars.
subject.
60 Fundamentals o f Academic Writing

Work alone or with a partner. Find the subject and the verb in each
Identifying
sentence. Circle the subject and write S above it. Underline the verb and
Subjects and write V above it.
Verbs S V

supermarket.

1. We buy most of our food at

Super Shopper.
2. It sells local food and food from
around the world.
3 .1 get fruit and vegetables in the
produce department.
4. The fruit is fresh and colorful.
5. The bread in the bakery smells wonderful.
6. My wife and I go to Super Shopper on Fridays.
7. On weekends, the store is full of shoppers.
8. The lines sometimes get very long.

What Makes a Complete Sentence?

Look at these groups of words. They are not complete sentences.

Is friendly.
Has five people in her family.

Something is missing. Who is friendly? Who has five people in her

family? The subjects are missing. A sentence must have a subject. For
example, you could write:

Bella is friendly.
She has five people in her family.

Look at these groups of words. They are not complete sentences either.
Something is missing.

My brother in Los Angeles.

Apples, bananas, and pears good.
 Chapter 3 I Ever\/ Picture Tells a Story 61

What is missing? There are no verbs. There must be a verb in a sentence.

For example, you could write:

My brother is in Los Angeles.

Apples, bananas, and pears taste good.

PRACTICE 3 .5 Work alone or with a partner. Look at each sentence. Check (>/)
Editing: C om plete or Incom plete. For each incomplete sentence, tell what is
Recognizing missing. Write No subject or No verb. Then correct the incomplete
Complete sentences.
Sentences

Complete Incom plete What’s the

problem?

1. a. The capital of China is Beijing. y

is No verb
b. Beijing a big city. V
A

c. The city 5,000 years old.

2. a. San Francisco has many

attractions.

b. Is cool in the summer.

3. a. Many tourists travel to Mexico.

b. Visit the beaches there.

4. a. The beaches of Thailand nice,

too.

b. Tourists like the beaches of

Thailand.

c. Many tourists postcards.

5. a. Sydney a city in Australia.

b. It has a famous opera house.

c. Many visitors to Sydney.

62 Fundamentals o f Academic Writing

PRACTICE Work alone or with a partner. Find the seven incomplete sentences in this
Editing:
paragraph. Make corrections. The first incomplete sentence has been
Incomplete corrected for you.
Sentences
I want to tell you about my friend Yasmin. She lives in Seattle,
She is
Washington, te young and single. She twenty-four years old. Works in

a women’s clothing store. Is a nice place to buy clothes. Yasmin likes

her job. Clothes very important to her. Loves to shop. She spends her

money on new clothes and shoes. She has a plan to open a clothing

store. Wants to have her own business. It is a good idea.

PRACTICE Work alone or with a partner. Find the incomplete sentences. Make
Editing:
corrections.
Incomplete
Sentences The name of my hometown is l-Lan. My parents and my

grandparents there. Is a small city in the countryside of Taiwan.

Has a population of 30,000. The weather in l-Lan changes with the

seasons. The winter wet and cool. The summer hot and humid.

We have typhoons from August through October. l-Lan has good

weather for plants. Is famous for growing vegetables. It a nice

place to live.
 Chapter 3 I Every Picture Tells a Story 63

PART 3 I Grammar and Vocabulary

A djectives
The different types of words are called the parts of speech. Verbs and
nouns are two of the parts of speech. Adjectives are another part of speech.
An adjective describes a noun or a subject pronoun.

The boldfaced words in the three sentences below are adjectives. The
words they describe are underlined.

The elevator is full. He is tall. I like my new phone.

You can use adjectives in several ways.

Rules Examples

Be + Adjective

1. Use be + an adjective. Paris js beautiful.

1 am not Chinese.
They are tall and handsome.

A djective + IVoun

2. Use an adjective + a noun. You are a aood friend,

Ali has short, dark hair.
Fresh blueberries taste good.

3. Do not add -5 to adjectives. This building is old.

These buildings are old$.

See Appendix J fo r information about the order o f adjectives before a noun.

64 Fundamentals o f Academic Writing

PRACTICE 3 .8 Work alone or with a partner. The boldfaced words in this paragraph are
Adjectives adjectives. Underline the words (nouns or subject pronouns) that the
and the Words adjectives describe.
They Describe
I have a favorite beach. It has soft,
white sand and nice, clean water. In
the summer, the beach is hot. I sit
under a big umbrella, and I often go into
the cool water. This beach is a good
place to swim. The waves are usually
small. Sometimes I spend the whole
day at the beach. On other days, I go to
the beach in the late afternoon or in the
early evening. It is quiet at that time.

PRACTICE 3 .9 Work alone or with a partner. Circle the twelve adjectives in this
Identifying
paragraph. The first adjective is circled for you.
Adjectives
Carlos likes living in Westfield, Massachusetts. It is a (small)and
quiet town. The streets are narrow. Along the streets there are many
big trees. They are beautiful. Westfield has great parks, too. Stanley
Park is Carlos’s favorite park. It is large and green. There are nice
fields for playing baseball and new courts for playing basketball.
Carlos has a good time in the park with his friends.

PRACTICE 3.10 A. Look at the adjectives in this list. Mark each word 0, 1, or 2.
Understanding
Common
0 = 1 know nothing about this word.
Adjectives
1= 1 know a little about this word.

2 = 1 use this word in writing and speaking.

b u sy___ fre e ____ nervous _

careful___ fu n n y___ single__

d ifficu lt___ interesting tire d ___

exciting___ m arried__ unusual _

expensive___ n ea t____ wonderful

 Chapter 3 I Every Picture Tells a Story 65

B. Choose three words that you marked 0 or 1. Ask an English speaker

about their meanings, or look them up in the dictionary. Use each
of the three words in a sentence.

PRACTICE 3.11 Take a piece of paper. Write sentences with adjectives. Follow the
Using directions.
Adjectives
Examples: Name a food and describe it. Candy is sweet.
Name a song and describe it. "Happy Birthday" is
a famous song.
1. Name a movie and describe it.
2. Name a friend and describe him or her.
3. Name a city and describe it.
4. Name an actor and describe him or her.
5. Name a kind of car and describe it.
6. Name a kind of animal and describe it.
7. Describe your hair.
8. Describe your eyes.

The Sim ple P resen t

The simple present tense has two main uses. Use simple present verbs to:

(1) state facts — things that are true.

The sun rises in the east.

People need food and water.

(2) describe routines and habits — actions that happen again and again.

I always eat lunch with my friends.

The store opens at 9:00 a .m . every day.
66 Fundamentals o f Academic Writing

Simple Present Tense: Affirmative Statem ents

Singular Subject Verb Plural Subject Verb

I We
sleep.
You You

He
sleep.
She They
sleeps.
It

The cat The cats

The form of a simple present verb depends on the subject.

Rules Examples

1. Use the base form of the verb after We talk a lot.

I, you, we, they, and plural noun Some people worry too much.
subjects.

2. Verbs after he, she, it, or singular noun He talks a lot.

subjects end in - 5, -es, or -ies. My mother worries too much.
These are third person singular
subjects and verbs.

3. The verb have is irregular. It is not like I/You/We/They have brown eyes.
other verbs. He/She/It has blue eyes.

See A ppendix E f o r spelling rules fo r third person singular verbs.

 Chapter 3 I Ever\/ Picture Tells a Story 67

PRACTICE 3.12 Circle the correct form of the verb.

Simple Present
Verbs in 1 .1 ((keqp)/ keeps) photos in my wallet.
A ffirm ative
Statements 2 .1 (carry / carries) photos of my family.

3. We sometimes (look / looks) at photos in class.

4. The teacher (have / has) many photos of people and places.

5. She (use / uses) a digital camera.

6. It (take / takes) good photos.

7. This photo (show / shows) my children.

8. You (have / has) a beautiful family.

PRACTICE 3.13 Write the third person singular form of each verb. See Appendix E
Spelling Third for help.
Person Singular
Verbs 1. f l y _____ flies_____ 8. catch __________

2. wash ______________ 9. do __________

3. cook ______________ 10. give

4. fix ______________ 11. hurry

5. study ______________ 12. have

6. go ______________ 13. rain

7. brush ______________ 14. snow

PRACTICE 3.14 Complete the sentences. Use the verbs in parentheses.

Verbs with
Third Person
1. (treat) Doctors treat patients.
Subjects:
Singular 2. (build) Carpenters___________ furniture and houses.
and Plural
3. (write) A programmer___________ computer software.

4. (prepare) A cook___________ meals.

5. (clean) Window w ashers___________ windows.

68 Fundamentals o f Academic Writing

6. (deliver) A mail carrier____________ letters and packages.

7. (help) A salesclerk___________ customers in a store.

8. (serve) A w aiter___________ customers in a restaurant.

9. (fly) Pilots___________ airplanes.

10. (do) Students___________ homework.

S im p le P r e se n t: N e g a tiv e S t a te m e n ts

Singular Do /D o e s Mot Base Plural Do Mot Base

Subject Verb Subject Verb

I We
do
You You

He
not run. do not run.
She They
does
It

The cat The cats

See Appendix E fo r contractions.

PRACTICE 3.15 Underline the verb in the first statement. Use the same verb in the
Simple Present second statement, but make it negative.
Verbs in
Negative 1. Baseball players catch baseballs.
Statements Soccer players do not catch
soccer balls.

2. Soccer players kick soccer balls.

Tennis players_______________
tennis balls.

3. A baseball player needs a glove. A

soccer player_______________ a
glove.
 Chapter 3 I Every Picture Tells a Story 69

4, Football players wear cleats. Tennis players

cleats.

5. A tennis player uses a racket. A football player

a racket.

6. Soccer players score goals. Baseball players

goals.

7. A football player has a helmet. A soccer player____________

a helmet.

8 .1 like soccer and baseball. I tennis or football.

PRACTICE 3.16 A. Complete the paragraph. Write the correct forms of the verbs in
A ffirm ativ e parentheses.
and Negative
Statements I really like winter. My city, Montreal, Quebec,________
(1. like) (2. get)

a lot of snow. I ________ snowy weather. My friends and

(3. like)

I ________ playing in the snow. W inter_________ a long time in

(4. enjoy) (5. last)

Montreal. W e________ warm clothes here. The w eather_________

(6. need) (7. get)

very cold. I ________ hot cocoa to warm up. W e_________ fires

(8. drink) (9. build)

in the fireplace. W inter________ my favorite season.

(10.be)

B. Rewrite the paragraph. Change Montreal, Quebec to New Orleans,

Louisiana. Make all the verbs negative.

I really do not like winter. M y city. New Orleans. Louisiana, does not get

a lot of snow._____________________________________________________
70 Fundamentals o f Academic Writing

PRACTICE 3.17 Work alone or with a partner. Find the verb error in each statement.
Editing: Errors Make corrections.
in Simple
speaks does
Present Verbs
Examples: My friend speak Arabic. He not speak English.

1. The movie s ta r t a t 9:30 p .m .

2. Children likes candy.

3. Mr. Abo is goes to work by car.
4. Pilar watchs TV in the evening.
5. It does not cold today.
6. That store sell shoes.
7. People needs sleep.
8. He does not has a car.
9. They do not married.
10. My friends speak Spanish, but they are not speak French.

PART 4 I The Writing Process

Your Paragraph: The Face in the Photo
You are going to write a paragraph
about a person in a photograph, like the
model paragraphs on page 53. You will
need to use your imagination.

imagination = the ability to form new

ideas or pictures in your
mind

A writer with a great imagination

-O— O — O Step 1: Prewrite

a. Look at the people in the four photos on page 71. Choose one
person to write about. Imagine that you know the person well.
 Chapter 3 ! Every Picture Tells a Story 71

A. R

C. D.

b. On a piece of paper, make a list of ideas about the person in your

photo. Do not write complete sentences. Just make notes.
c. Find a partner who has chosen a different photo. Ask your partner
about the person in his or her photo. For example, ask:

What is his/her name? Does he/she go to school?

Where is he/she from? Does he/she have a job?
Where does he/she live? What does he/she like to do
for fun?
How old is he/she?
What do you think about his/her
Does he/she have a family?
life?
d. Add to your notes or make any changes you want.
72 Fundamentals o f Academic Writing

Step 2: Write

a. Choose a title for your paragraph. You can use The Man/Woman in
the Photo if you like.
b. Begin your paragraph with a topic sentence. Identify the person
(which photo are you writing about?), and state your main idea
about him or her. This will be the controlling idea about your
topic. For example, you can use one of these statements:

The woman in photo A has a __________ life.

The man in photo B is a __________ person.

Add an adjective to describe the person or the person's life. In

your paragraph, you must show your readers why that adjective
is true.
c. Use your notes to complete your first draft.

O— O— # — O Step 3: Edit

a. Read your paragraph again. It may help you to read it out loud.
Make changes if needed.
b. Edit your paragraph carefully. Check for mistakes before you show
it to anyone.
c. Peer review: Exchange papers with a partner. Follow the
Reviewer’s Checklist on page 73. Check (S ) each box when
you finish that step.
 Chapter 3 I Every Picture Tells a Story 73

Reviewer’s Checklist — Chapter 3

Your partner’s name:________________________________________
Content
□ Read all of your partner’s paragraph.
□ Underline any part of the paragraph you do not understand. Ask
your partner to explain it.
□ Circle the topic sentence. Write TS on the paper if there is no
topic sentence.
□ Ask questions if you want more information about the person in
the photo.

Form
Look at these parts of your partner’s paper. Mark any problems on
the paper in pencil. Put a question mark (?) if you are not sure about
something. (See Henry Liu’s first draft on page 46 for an example of
how to mark a paper.)
□ the heading □ capital letters and periods
□ the title □ a subject in every sentence
□ indenting the first sentence □ a verb for every subject

d. Return your partner’s paper. Say something nice about it, such as
“It’s a good first draft” or “I like your ideas.”

e. Look at your own paper. If you do not agree with a comment on it,
then ask another student or your teacher.

Step 4: Write the Final Draft

a. On your first draft, mark any changes you want to make. Then take
another piece of paper and write a new draft.
b. Edit your paragraph carefully. Then hand it in to your teacher.
74 Fundamentals o f Academic Writing

R esults o f the Writing P rocess

Your teacher will read your paragraph and
give you feedback on it. He or she may ask you
to rewrite it. Then you will write a new draft.
Hand in your old and new drafts together. Staple
your new draft on top of the old one.

When you do not need to write another draft,

put your paper in your folder.

Expansion Activities
Your Journal
Continue making entries in your journal. Remember to read your
teacher’s comments. Sometimes your teacher will write questions in your
journal. Write the answers, or talk to your teacher about the questions.

If you need a topic for a journal entry, maybe these ideas will help:
• Who do you talk to on the phone? Name three people. When do
you talk to them? What kinds of things do you usually talk about?
• Name a place that you think is beautiful. What makes it beautiful?
• Do you have a pet? Write about your pet, or write about an animal
that interests you.
• Do you like to watch movies? What kinds of movies do you like
most? Name a movie that you have seen recently. Do you think
your teacher would like it?
• When do you usually do your homework? Where do you do it? Do
you work alone, or do you work with other people? Do you listen
to music while you work? Do you eat or drink while you work?
 Chapter 3 I Every Picture Tells a Story 75

Challenge: An Im portant Person

Write a paragraph about a person who is important to you. You can use
the person’s name as a title, or use the title Someone I Care About if you like.

Start by writing some notes about this person. The list of questions on
page 71 might help you get ideas. Then write a first draft. Remember to
begin your paragraph with a topic sentence. For example, you could write
My friend Elizabeth is very important in my life.

Ask a friend or a classmate to review your first draft. Use the Reviewer’s
Checklist on page 73. Prepare a final draft, and give it to your teacher.
 Saturda\/s

Saturday in the park

Chapter Preview

Part 1: Organization
Time Order

Part 2: Sentence Structure and Vocabulary

Simple Sentence Patterns I
Adverbs of Frequency

Part 3: Grammar and M echanics

Common Verbs
Using Prepositions to Show Time
Titles

Part 4: The Writing P rocess

Your Paragraph: My Partner’s Saturdays
Results of the Writing Process

Expansion Activities

76
 Chapter 4 I Saturdays 77

Chapter Preview
Work with a partner or in a small group. Read the two model paragraphs.
Answer the questions that follow.

MODEL Karl’s Saturdays

Paragraph 1
Saturday is a busy day for Karl. He gets up early. Then he works
from 6:00 a .m. to 2:00 p.m. After work, he goes home. He plays with
his little boy in the afternoon. He helps his wife. They do chores.
Sometimes they go shopping or run errands. They usually have
dinner at home. In the evening, Karl puts his son to bed. Then he
finally has free time. He and his wife often watch a movie.

MODEL Tomiko’s Favorite Day

Paragraph 2
Saturday is Tomiko’s favorite day. She always sleeps late in the
morning. She sometimes gets up at noon. Then she usually meets
her friends in the dining hall. In the afternoon, they spend time
outside or go shopping. It depends on the weather. On Saturday
evenings, she likes to dress up and go out. She and her friends often
go to the movies or to a party. Tomiko loves Saturdays.

Questions about model paragraph 1:

1. What is the topic sentence? Copy it on the line below. Circle the
topic and underline the controlling idea.

2. What information does the writer give about Karl’s Saturdays?

Check (V) your answers.

□ what Karl does in the morning

□ what he does in the afternoon

□ what he does in the evening

□ Karl’s feelings about Saturdays

78 Fundamentals o f Academic Writing

3. What word means “small jobs at home”? ____________________

4. What word means “short trips for shopping or other business” ?

5. Write the simple present verbs that the writer uses.

a. T hey_____________ chores.

b. Sometimes th ey_____________ shopping or

_____________ errands.

c. They usually_____________ dinner at home.

d. In the evening, K arl_____________ his son to bed.

e. Then he finally_____________ free time.

Questions about model paragraph 2:

1. What is the topic sentence? Copy it on the line below. Circle the
topic and underline the controlling idea.

2. What information does the writer give about Tomiko’s Saturdays?

□ what Tomiko does in the morning

□ what she does in the afternoon

□ what she does in the evening

□ Tomiko’s feelings about Saturdays

3. Talk about what you think this sentence means in the paragraph:
It d e p en d s on the w ea th er.

4. What two-word phrase means “put on nice clothes”?

 Chapter 4 I Saturdays 79

5. Write the adverbs of frequency that the writer uses.

a. She sleeps late in the morning.

b.She gets up at noon.

c. Then she _ meets her friends in the

dining hall.

d. She and her friends go to the movies

or to a party.

You will interview a classmate and write a paragraph about his or her
Saturday activities later in this chapter (page 92).

PART 1 I Organization
Time Order
When you write, you must think about organization — planning and
presenting information in a clear order. Writers need to organize
information to make it easy for people to read. There are many ways to
do this.

One way to organize information is to put it in time order (also called

chronological order). This means writing about events in the order in
which they happen. Start with the first or earliest event, and then tell what
happens after that.

Time-order words also help make information clear to the reader. Here
are some examples of time-order words:

First, Next, Then After that, Later, Finally,

These words go at the beginning of sentences. A comma follows each

one except Then. Do not put a comma after Then.

Learn about prepositional phrases to describe time on page 88.

80 Fundamentals o f Academic Writing

PRACTICE 4.1 Underline the six time-order words in this paragraph. The first one is
Tim e-O rder underlined for you.
Words
Luis and Ada have a daily routine
at their bookstore. They always get to
the store at 8:30 a . m . First. Luis
unlocks the door and turns on the
lights. Next, he turns on the
coffeemaker, and Ada starts up the
computer. Then they put new books
on the shelves and in the store
window. After that, they open for
business. Luis begins working with
customers in the store, and Ada works
on the computer. Later, they change places. They clean the store
together at the end of the day. Finally, they close up and go home.

PRACTICE 4 .2 Work alone or with a partner. Add the words in the box to the paragraph
Tim e-O rder below. There is more than one correct answer in some cases.
Words

After Finally First Later Next Then

Sunday is a relaxing day for George. He gets up at 9:30 or 10:00 in

the morning. (1) First he takes a shower. (2)________ , he has
breakfast. (3)________ he reads the newspaper. (4)_________ that,
he washes his car. In the afternoon, he watches his favorite TV show,
Sports World. (5)________ , he orders pizza for supper. In the
evening, he calls his mother and his brothers. (6)________ , he gets
into bed and reads.

PRACTICE 4 .3 Number the sentences in order by time. Then write them as a paragraph
Time O rder on the lines.

___ First, she changes her clothes.

I Eva likes to spend quiet evenings at home.

___ She eats her dinner and reads the newspaper.

 Chapter 4 I Saturdays 81

_She usually gets home from work at 5:45 p .m .

_Finally, she sits down to watch TV.

_After dinner, she does the dishes.

_Then she goes to the kitchen and makes dinner.

Eva likes to spend quiet evenings at home._______

PART 2 I Sentence Structure and Vocabulary/

Simple Sentence Patterns I
There are several kinds of sentences in English. First, there are simple
sentences. A simple sentence has one subject-verb combination. Look at
these two patterns for simple sentences:

1 subject + 1 verb I like blue.

1 subject + 1 verb Blue is a nice color.

2 subjects + 1 verb Alfredo and I like red.

2 subjects + 1 verb Red and blue are nice colors.

The two subjects go with the same verb, so there is one subject-verb
combination.
82 Fundamentals o f Academic Writing

Use (Someone) and I as a subject. Do not use Me and (someone) as a

subject.

My friends and I play tennis.

NOT: Mo and my friends play tennis.

PRACTICE 4 .4 Underline the verbs and write V above them. Circle the subjects and
Simple write S above them.
Sentence 5 S V
Patterns
1.(Red and blug)are my favorite colors.
2. The sky and the ocean are blue.
3. The color blue seems peaceful.
4. Both men and women usually like blue.
5. Red is a strong and exciting color.
6. In China, red means “happiness.”
7. Red and blue are two of the primary colors.
8. The other primary color is yellow.
9. The secondary colors are orange, green, and purple.
10. Rainbows have all the primary and secondary colors.
 Chapter 4 I Saturdays 83

Adverbs of Frequency

The M eanings o f Adverbs o f Frequency

Adverbs of frequency tell how often something happens.

How often do they eat breakfast? Su M Tu W Th F Sa

Al always eats breakfast. ✓ ✓ ✓ 100%
A
Uma usually eats breakfast. ✓ ✓ ✓
Oliva often eats breakfast.

Saeed sometimes eats breakfast.

V
Norberto never eats breakfast. 0%

Position o f Adverbs o f Frequency in Affirmative Statem ents

Rules Examples

1. In most affirmative statements: Subject Adverb Verb

Put the adverb after the subject and 1 usually arrive at 8:55 a.m.
before the verb. Maggie never comes on time.

Subject Be Adverb
2 In statements with be'
1 am often early.
Put the adverb after be.
George is usually late.

Sometimes can also come at the beginning or at the end of an affirmative

statement.

Sometimes we order pizza.

We sometimes order pizza.
We order pizza sometimes.
84 Fundamentals o f Academic Writing

PRACTICE 4 .5 Add the adverb of frequency in parentheses to

Adverbs o f the affirmative statement.
Frequency often
1. (often) Schools^:lose on holidays.
2. (never) Some people celebrate the new
year on January 1.
3. (usually) Mother’s Day is a popular
holiday.
4. (always) The dates of some holidays
change, depending on the moon.
Happy Mother’s Day!
5. (usually) People think of Valentine’s Day
as a day for people in love.
6. (always) Valentine's Day is on February 14.
7. (often) Workers have a holiday in their honor.
8. (never) Some women work on International Women’s Day.

PRACTICE 4 .6 Rewrite each statement three times. Add sometimes in three different
Sometimes in positions.
A ffirm ative
Statements 1. My family has a special holiday meal.

2. Stores are closed on holidays.

 Chapter 4 I Saturdays 85

Position o f Adverbs o f Frequency in Negative Statem ents

Rules Examples

Not Adverb
1. Put always, usually, and often after not. He does not always sleep well,
They are not often late.

2. Put sometimes at the beginning of the Sometimes he does not understand the
statement. homework.

3. Do not use not with never. is never

He isf^-never on time.

PRACTICE 4 .7 Rewrite each negative statement. Add the adverb in parentheses.

Adverbs o f Remember: Do not use not and never together.
Frequency
Example: I am not at home on New Year’s Eve. (never)

I am never at home on New Year's Eve.

1. People in different countries do not have the same holidays,

(always)

2. Halloween is not an important holiday outside the United States,

(usually)

3. Father’s Day is not on a weekday in the United States, (never)

4. Some businesses do not close on holidays, (never)

5. For example, airports do not close on holidays, (often)

86 Fundamentals o f Academic Writing

6. People do not celebrate every holiday in the same way. (usually)

7. In some countries, birthdays are not special days, (usually)

8 .1do not forget my birthday, (never)

PRACTICE 4 .8 Take a piece of paper. Write complete sentences to answer the questions.
Using Adverbs Use at least three different adverbs of frequency.
o f Frequency
Examples: Do you ever watch the news?
I do not usually watch the news.

Are you ever tired in class?

I am often tired in class on Mondays.

1. Do you drink milk?

2. Are you ever late for class?
3. Do you ever write letters?
4. Are you in bed at 11:00 p .m .?

5. Do you surf the Internet?

6. Are you ever in a bad mood?
7. Do you go shopping on weekends?
8. Do you ever get hungry in class?

PART 3 I Grammar and Mechanics

Common Verbs
Some verbs are very common. English speakers use them every day.
These verbs have many meanings.
 Chapter 4 | Saturdays 87

Pay attention to the words after the four common verbs in this chart. If
you can, add other examples of words that can follow each verb.

B ase Form Simple Present Common Ways to Use the Verb

Forms

1. have have, has have (a possession), have (a family member), have

money
have fun, have a party, have a baby, have breakfast
Other examples: have time

2. do do, does do homework

do the dishes, do laundry, do chores
Other examples:

3. make make, makes make coffee, make a sandwich, make dinner

make a phone call
make a mistake, make an appointment
Other examples:

4. get get, gets get sick, get hungry, get tired, get married
get (something) at the store
get to (a place)
Other examples:

When you see these common verbs, pay attention to the words that
follow them.

The verb be is also very common. See page 40 for information about
I how be combines with other words.
88 Fundamentals o f Academic Writing

PRACTICE 4 .9 A. Read the paragraph. Circle the forms of have, do, make, and get.
Word Partners Underline the words that follow these verbs.

Every morning, Ebru(does)the same thing. At 8:00 a .m ., she gets

the bus at the end of her street. She gets to school at about 8:30 a .m .
She has time before her first class, so she goes to the cafeteria and
has coffee. There are usually many other students there. Some
students are having breakfast, some are doing homework, and some
are making phone calls. Sometimes she sees a classmate in the
cafeteria, and they talk. Ebru is making new friends at school. At
8:55 a .m ., she leaves the cafeteria, and she gets to her classroom
by 9:00 a .m .

B. Look at the words you underlined. Some are already in the chart on
page 87. Add new examples to the chart under “Other examples.”

PRACTICE 4.10 Take a piece of paper. Write three true statements using each verb.
Using Common
Example: have I have a new Watch.
Verbs
I have tea in the morning.
I have a son named kfen.

1. have 3. make
2. do 4. get

Using Prepositions to Show Time

Prepositions are usually small words, such as in, at, by, and with. A
preposition and a noun form a prepositional phrase. Prepositional
phrases have many uses. For example, they can be time expressions. Time
expressions tell when something happens.
PREP. + NOUN
On Saturdays, I like to sleep late.

PREP. + NOUN
I sometimes get up in the afternoon.

A time expression can go at the beginning or at the end of a sentence.

Put a comma after a time expression at the beginning of a sentence.
 Chapter 4 I Saturdays 89

There are many rules for using prepositions to show time. Here are four
rules you need to know.

Rules Examples

1. Use on + a day or days. Do we have class on Friday?

They see each other on weekends.

2. Use in + a part of the day. Call me in the morning.

Exception: Use at + night. He gets home late at night.

3. Use at + a time. He starts work at 8:30 a .m .

Lunch is at noon.

4. Use from + a starting point + to + the From 7:00 to 10:00 p .m ., he studies.

end point. The course runs from January to May.

See pages 128-130, and 169 for more information on prepositions.

PRACTICE 4.11 Underline the seven time expressions with prepositions. The first one is
Prepositions underlined for you.
in Time
Expressions The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in
Cleveland, Ohio, is a big attraction. Half a
million people visit each year. The hall is
usually open from 10:00 a .m . to 5:30 p .m .
On Wednesdays, it is also open in the
evening. In the summer (from Memorial
Day to Labor Day), it stays open late on
Saturdays, too. The hall is closed only on
Thanksgiving and Christmas. There are
exhibits, films, concerts, and a museum
store. It is a great place for rock and
roll fans to visit.
90 Fundamentals o f Academic Writing

PRACTICE 4.12 Complete the sentences. Use in, on, at, from, or to to show time.
Prepositions
in Time 1. Do you dream _______ night?
Expressions
2. The movie ru n s_______ 7:00 p .m . ________ 8:50 p .m .

3. We have class_______ Tuesdays and Thursdays.

4. What do you d o _______the evening?

5. The train leaves_______ 4:35 p .m .

6 .1 usually have a snack_____the afternoon.

7. The office is open o n ly_______ weekdays.

8. The school year goes_______ September________June.

Titles
A title is the name of a book, a song, a story, or a movie. Titles are not
usually sentences. They are usually just a few words. A title can be one
word, such as Titanic or Superman.

When you write a paragraph for an assignment in this book, it should

have a title. A title gives the reader a little information about your
paragraph, but the real introduction to your paragraph comes in your topic
sentence. Sometimes your topic sentence must repeat words from the title.
Look at these examples:

Do this: Do not do this:

My Friend Ray My Friend Ray

1have a good friend He is a good friend. He
named Ray. He is always . . . is always . . .

W r it e r ’s T ip

It is a good idea to write your paragraph before you write your title.
Finish your first draft, check your topic sentence, and then add a title.
 Chapter 4 | Saturdays 91

C a p ita liza tio n in T itle s

Rules Examples

1. Capitalize the first letter of the first My Life

word of a title. The Phantom of the Opera

2. Capitalize every noun, verb, pronoun, A Day at the Races

adjective, and adverb in a title. Do not Journey to the Center of the Earth
capitalize a, an, the, or prepositions. Take Me Out to the Ball Game

3. Do not put a period after your title. Getting Ready for the D ay

4. Do not put quotation marks (“ ”) / ja e Yoon’s Favorite Day/

around your title.

PRACTICE 4.13 Work alone or with a partner. Rewrite each title with the capital letters
Capital Letters needed.
in Titles
1. fundamentals of academic writing
Fundamentals of Academic Writing

2. first steps in academic writing

3. the adventures of Tom Sawyer

4. gone with the wind

5. a wrinkle in time

6. the lord of the rings

7. introduction to psychology

8. around the world in eighty days

92 Fundamentals o f Academic Writing

PRACTICE 4.14 Work with a partner. Think of good titles for books or movies about the
inventing Titles topics below.
Example: two young people in love
First and Last Love______________________________

1. a group of teenagers in a scary place

2. a big storm, like a hurricane or typhoon

3. a trip on a spaceship in the future

4. two people getting married at age eighty

5. a bank robbery

6. two boys away from home

PART 4 I The Writing Process

Your Paragraph: My Partner’s Saturdays
You are going to interview a classmate about what he or she usually
does on Saturdays. Then you are going to use the information to write a
paragraph like the models on page 77.

# — O— O— O Step 1: Prewrite

a. Work with a partner. Ask your partner, “What do you usually do on

Saturdays?” Listen and take notes in the chart on page 93. Do not
write complete sentences.
 Chapter 4 I Saturdays 93

in the
morning

in the
afternoon

in the
evening

b. What adjective best describes your partner’s Saturdays? Talk with

your partner about this question. There are examples of adjectives
in the box below. If you wish, you can use one of these adjectives
in your topic sentence.

boring busy difficult exciting interesting relaxing

c. Write a topic sentence for your paragraph. Look at the models on

page 77 for ideas.

Step 2: Write

a. Begin your paragraph with your topic sentence.

b. Continue writing your first draft, using your notes from Step 1.
c. Use time-order words, time expressions with prepositions, and
adverbs of frequency as needed.
d. Give your paragraph a title.
94 Fundamentals o f Academic Writing

O— O— # — O Step 3: Edit

a. Read your paragraph again. It may help you to read it out loud.
Make changes if needed.
b. Edit your paragraph carefully. Check for mistakes before you show
it to anyone.
c. Peer review: Exchange papers with the partner that you wrote
about. Follow the Reviewer’s Checklist below. Check (S ) each box
when you finish that step.

Reviewer’s Checklist — Chapter 4

Your partner’s name:_________________________________________

Content
□ Read all of your partner’s paragraph.
□ Underline any part of the paragraph you do not understand. Ask
your partner to explain it.
□ Tell your partner if any information is not correct.
□ Circle the topic sentence. Write TS on the paper if there is no topic
sentence.

Form
Look at these parts of your partner’s paper. Mark any problems on
the paper in pencil. Put a question mark (?) if you are not sure about
something. (See Henry Liu’s first draft on page 46 for an example of
how to mark a paper.)
□ the title □ the use of words to show time
□ a subject in every sentence (time-order words, time
□ a verb for every subject expressions with prepositions,
adverbs of frequency)

d. Return your partner’s paper. Say something nice about it, such as
“I liked reading this” or “Good job.”
e. Look at your own paper. If you do not agree with a comment on it,
then ask another student or your teacher.
 Chapter 4 I Saturdays 95

O— O— O— 0 Step 4: Write the Final Draft

a. On your first draft, mark any changes you want to make. Then take
another piece of paper and write a new draft.
b. Edit your paragraph carefully. Then hand it in to your teacher.

Results o f the Writing Process

Your teacher will give you feedback on your
paragraph. Look carefully at your teacher’s
comments and marks on the paper. Ask your
teacher about anything you do not understand.
Your teacher may ask you to write a new draft.

Check your new draft carefully before you

hand it in. Remember to hand in your old and
new drafts together, with the new draft on top.

When you do not need to rewrite a paragraph

any more, put it in your folder.
96 Fundamentals o f Academic Writing

Expansion Activities
Your Journal
Continue making entries in your journal. Do not worry about making
mistakes. Your journal is a good place to experiment with new words.

If you need a topic for a journal entry, try one of these ideas:
• What is your favorite color? Do you have more than one favorite?
What colors do you usually w^ear?
• Write about a friend who has a job. What does your friend do?
Where and when does your friend work? Do you think that he or
she has a good job?
• Name an island you want to visit. What do you know about this
island? Why do you want to go there?
• What are the seasons of the year where you live? Which season do
you like most? Why?
• Wrhat languages do you know7? Why are you learning English? Tell
how you feel about learning English.

Challenge: My Favorite Holiday

Write a paragraph about your favorite holiday. Begin by taking notes.
What do you usually do on this day? Organize your notes by time. If you
want, you can make a chart like the one on page 93.

Use your notes to write a paragraph. Begin your paragraph with a topic
sentence, such as Independence Day is always a lot o f fun or New Year's
Eve is my favorite holiday. Remember to give your paragraph a title.

Ask a friend or a classmate to review your first draft. Use the Reviewer’s
Checklist on page 94. Prepare a final draft, and give it to your teacher.