Building Academic Writing Skills

Building Academic Writing Skills

LIN CUI
CHICAGO
Building Academic Writing Skills by Cui, Lin is licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.
Contents

Introduction to the Book xiii

I. Organization of the Book xiii

II. Features of the Book and Ways to Use them xiv

III. Sample Course Schedule xvi

IV. About the Author xviii

V. Acknowledgements xix

Part One Academic Writing Essentials

Unit 1 Introduction to Academic Writing 2

I. Warm – Up 2

II. Definition of Academic Writing 3

III. Characteristics of Academic Writing 4

IV. Ten Most Common Misconceptions about Writing 6

V. Unit Review Practice 6

Unit 2 The Writing Process 10

I. Warm-Up 10

II. Importance of the Writing Process 11

III. Stages and Steps in the Writing Process 11

IV. Stage 1 Pre-writing: Get Ideas and Make an Outline 15

V. Stage 2 Writing: Write Ideas into a Paragraph 21

VI. Stage 3 Post-Writing: Revise, Edit, Proofread, and Submit the Draft 23

VII. Unit Review Practice 28

Unit 3 Parts and Characteristics of a Good Paragraph 34

I. Warm-Up 34

II. Definition of a Paragraph 36

II. Paragraph Format 36

III. Parts of a Paragraph 36

IV. Title of a Paragraph 41

V. Topic Sentence 43

VI. Supporting Ideas and Paragraph Unity 49

VII. Transitions and Paragraph Cohesion 57

VIII. Concluding Sentence(s) 62

IX. Paragraph Completion 64

X. Unit Review Practice 67

Part Two Paragraph Writing Skills and Essay Introduction

Unit 4 Enumerative Paragraphs 73

I. Warm-up 73

II. Focus of Enumerative Paragraphs 75

III. Topic Sentence in Enumerative Paragraphs 76

IV. Supporting Ideas in Enumerative Paragraphs 78

V. Conclusion in Enumerative Paragraphs 81

VI. More Enumerative Paragraph Examples 82

VII. Transitions in Enumerative Paragraphs 84

VIII. Unit Review Practice: Writing Assignments 88

Unit 5 Narrative Paragraphs 94

I. Warm – Up 94

II. Focus of Narrative Paragraphs 96

III. Topic Sentence in Narration 98

IV. Supporting Ideas in Chronological Order and with Time Transitions 101

V. Past Tenses in Narration 105

VI. Descriptive Vocabulary and Details in Narration 108

VII. More Narrative Paragraph Examples 112

VIII. Unit Review Practice: Writing Assignments 113

Unit 6 Essay Introduction 120

I. Warm-up 120

II. Similarities and Differences Between a Paragraph and an Essay 123

III. Essay Organization 125

IV. Hook, Thesis Statement, Introductory Paragraph 129

V. Transitions, Supporting paragraphs, and Concluding Paragraph 131

VI. More Essay examples 133

VII. Unit Review Practice: An Essay Writing Assignment 134

Part Three Editing / Grammar Skills

Unit 7 Sentence Essentials 141

I. Pretest 141

II. Differences Between a Phrase and a Sentence 142

III. Basic Sentence Parts and Sentence Patterns 144

IV. Sentence Structure #1: Simple Sentences 148

V. Sentence structure #2: Compound Sentences 150

VI. Sentence Structure #3: Complex Sentences 157

VII. Sentence Variety 160

VIII. Unit Review Practice 163

Unit 8 Three Common Errors in Sentence Structure and Punctuation 171

I. Pretest 172

II. Three Common Errors in Sentence Structure and Punctuation 172

III. Sentence Fragments 173

IV. Run-On Sentences 178

V. Comma Splice Sentences 182

VI. Sentences with “for Example, for Instance, Like, Such as, Including” 185

VII. Unit Review Practice 187

Unit 9 Verb Basics in Academic Writing 194

I. Pretest 194

II. Definition of a Verb and Its Importance 195

III. “Be” Verbs and “Do” Verbs 196

IV. Action and Non-Action Verbs 197

V. Helping Verbs and Main Verbs 200

VI. Twelve Verb Tenses 202

VII. Five Basic Verb Forms 204

VIII. Unit Review Practice 206

Unit 10 Subject-Verb Agreement 213

I. Pretest 213

II. Meaning of Subject-Verb Agreement 214

III. Strategies for Subject-Verb Agreement 214

IV. Ten Common Rules of Subject-verb Agreement 215

V. Unit Review Practice 224

Unit 11 Expressing Meaning in Present Tenses 230

I. Pretest 230

II. Principles in Using Verb Tenses 231

III. Expressing Meaning in Simple Present 232

IV. Express Meaning in Present Progressive (No Non-Action Verbs) 234

V. Express Meaning in Present Perfect 236

VI. Expressing Meaning in Present Perfect Progressive (No Non-Action Verbs) 239

VII. Unit Review Practice 240

Unit 12 Expressing Meaning in Past Tenses 245

I. Pretest 245

II. Expressing Meaning in Simple Past 246

249

III. Express Meaning in Past Progressive (No Non-Action Verbs) 249

IV. Expressing Meaning in Past Perfect 251

V. Unit Review Practice 253

Unit 13 Expressing Meaning in Future Tenses 258

I. Pretest 258

II. Expressing Meaning in Simple Future 259

III. Expressing Meaning in Simple Present 261

IV. Expressing Meaning in Present Progressive (No Non-Action Verbs) 261

V. Future Time Clauses 263

VI. Unit Review Practice 264

Unit 14 Expressing Meaning in Mixed Tenses 270

I. Pretest 270

II. Strategies in Correctly Switching Verb Tenses 271

III. Time Words in Switching Tenses 273

IV. Unit Review Practice 276

Unit 15 Modals 281

I. Pretest 281

II. Principles of Using Modals 282

III. Challenges in Learning Modals and the Strategies in Using Them 284

IV. Uses of Modals and Modal-Like Expressions 286

V. Unit Review Practice 290

Unit 16 Nouns 296

I. Pretest 296

II. Types of Nouns 297

III. Proper Nouns and Common Nouns 298

IV. Singular Nouns and Plural Nouns 299

V. Count and Noncount Nouns 303

VII. Unit Review Practice 309

Unit 17 Pronouns 316

I. Pretest 316

II. Personal Pronouns and Their Uses 317

III. Indefinite Pronouns and Their Uses 321

IV. Demonstrative Pronouns and Their Uses 322

V. Noun-Pronoun Agreement 325

VI. Other Rules in Pronouns 326

VII. Unit Review Practice 328

Unit 18 Word Forms 334

I. Pretest 334

II. Strategies in Using Correct Word Forms 335

III. Positions of Different Word Forms 336

IV. Word Suffixes 339

V. Difference Between “-ed” and “-ing” Ending Adjectives 344

VI. Comparisons 345

VII. Unit Review Practice 351

Unit 19 Word Orders 358

I. Pretest 358

II. Importance of Word Order 359

III. Basic Word/Sentence Orders 359

IV. Order of Time and Location Words 360

V. Order of Frequency Words 361

VII. Order in Embedded Questions 369

VIII. Unit Review Practice 371

Unit 20 Editing / Grammar Review 376

I. Suggestions for Completing the Unit 376

II. Review Sentence Structure and Punctuation 377

III. Review Verbs 378

IV. Review Nouns 381

V. Pronouns 383

VI. Review Word Forms 384

VII. Review Word Orders 385

VIII. Mixed Editing 385

Part Four Appendices

Appendix A Non-Stop Non-Translation (NSNT) Free Writing with Additional Weekly 389
Prompts

I. Non-Stop Non-Translation (NSNT) Free Writing 389

II. Importance of Thinking in English While Writing 390

III. Steps in NSNT Free Writing 390

IV. Weekly Writing Prompts 392

V. Links to Additional Topics 392

Appendix B Capitalization 394

I. Capitalization Rules 394

II. Capitalization in Titles 397

Appendix C Punctuation 398

I. Common Punctuation Marks 398

II. Rules for Punctuations 398

Appendix D Irregular Verbs 400
Appendix E Answer Key to Some Non-Interactive Exercises 410
Introduction to the Book

Welcome to “Building Academic Writing Skills”!

Shaped by learners’ needs and goals for accurate and fluent expressions in their academic
study, this book provides carefully targeted and sequenced instructions in academic
writing and editing for intermediate level English as a Second Language (ESL) students. It
prepares them for the advanced level ESL and college level courses.

I. Organization of the Book

The book consists of four parts, with a total of twenty units and five appendices.

• Part I, Unit 1 through 3

Academic writing basics, with a focus on the nature of academic writing,

misconceptions about writing, the writing process, and the characteristics of
paragraphs

• Part II, Unit 4 through 6

Paragraph writing skills and essay introduction, with a focus on enumerative

paragraphs, narrative paragraphs, and five – paragraph essays

• Part III, Unit 7 through 20

Editing / grammar skills, with a focus on sentence structures with punctuation, verbs,
nouns, pronouns, word forms, and word orders

• Part IV, Appendix A through F

Information on the Non-Stop Non-Translation (NSNT) approach, weekly writing

prompts, punctuation, capitalization, irregular verbs, and answer key. (The answer key
is available to instructors.)

Building Academic Writing Skills | xiii

II. Features of the Book and Ways to Use them

Consistent organization

All units begin with learning objectives and a warm-up activity or pretest. All units end with
unit review practice and a summary. Within each unit, scaffolding is provided, starting with
basic concepts and strategies as well as examples followed by exercises and applications.
Challenging words and their parts of speech are explained in context. Where appropriate, I
have also included brief reviews of previously learned concepts as well as links to the related
units within the book.

Flexibility in content “mix-and-match”

This book is designed as an intermediate level ESL writing textbook, with minimum
additional supplements needed. It closely aligns with the intermediate level writing
(Writing III) curriculum requirements in the ESL & Linguistics Department at Harper
College. However, other programs and institutions can easily adapt the contents to meet
their needs. The writing-focused units (Part I and II) and the editing / grammar focused
units (Part III), though linked with many cross-references, are separate to allow for the
maximum flexibility in “mixing and matching” the order of information to be presented.
Some units can also be used for students’ self study. A sample schedule is provided below
for reference.

Contextualized language use in high interest subjects

I have made efforts to present meaningful, contextualized language models whenever

possible, especially in Unit 7 through 19. There are engaging themes and authentic
materials relevant to students’ lives, such as study in the U.S., winter fun in Chicago, Massive
Open Online Courses (MOOCs), New Food Plate Guidelines, social media, citizen science,
customs around the world, and many more. In units where a unifying theme is not feasible,
I have explored contextualized language use within segments of each unit.

xiv |
Training in thinking in English with additional weekly writing prompts

My Non-Stop Non-Translate (NSNT) free writing approach is introduced in Appendix A. It is

a tried-and-true method I have used for many years to help my students overcome their
first language interference while cultivating their habit of thinking and writing in English.
Besides multiple writing topics in each unit, I have included in Appendix A eight to ten
prompts in each week of the semester and links to more prompts, with the hope that
students will continue this endeavor beyond this course in their efforts to attain proficiency
in writing. I recommend that Appendix A be explained in the beginning of the semester
and applied throughout the course. A writing practice in NSNT is given at the end of each
unit.

Ample writing samples

The book contains numerous original, quality paragraph and essay samples, many of which
were written by my former Writing III students. Integrating rhetorical patterns with sound
language use, these samples not only serve as a platform for their voices and stories but
also demonstrate to all students that good writing is an achievable goal.

A solid editing / grammar foundation

Improvement in sentence structure and grammar takes much longer to attain than that
of rhetorical modes in writing. Therefore, I have devoted 13 units (Unit 7 through 19) to the
instructions and practice in the former. By contextualizing the explanations and exercises
through themes, I have endeavored not to reduce English to sets of mere grammatical
rules. There are also many paragraph – level editing exercises that model meaningful,
focused writing with varied grammatical structures. Unit 20 resembles an editing exercise
bank that culminates all of the editing / grammar topics addressed in this book. All of
these units are designed to equip students with tools for accurate and effective written
communication.

Vocabulary building

I have purposefully added ten to twenty useful but challenging words in each unit to help
students build better vocabulary skills. Students can learn these words from the context by
hovering their computer cursor over the words. At the end of each unit, they can review

Building Academic Writing Skills | xv

each word by studying its part of speech and meaning in two ways: with the footnotes and
with an interactive flashcard activity.

Interactive contents

Interactive contents, created in an open-source platform called H5P, are built into some
explanations and many exercises to offer a higher degree of student engagement as well as
immediate feedback on their practice. These exercises add enjoyment to activities in class
and reviews at home.

Harper resources

Many Harper resources have been featured in the exercises and writing samples, including
Harper history, ESL scholarship, student clubs, Fast Track programs, Early Childhood
Laboratory School, and others. Faculty outside of Harper can easily modify the information
to reflect the resources of their program or institution.

Available formats

While this book is best used in its web-book format on the computer, other formats such
as EPUB and Digital PDF are also provided and downloadable from the cover page of
the book. Students who prefer a hard copy are able to print the book in the PDF print
format. However, due to technological limitations, the interactive contents cannot always
be reflected in those formats though weblinks are given.

III. Sample Course Schedule

A sample course schedule for your reference (based on a 16-week semester):

xvi |
Weeks Part I and II Part III Part IV

Writing Focused Units Editing / Grammar Focused Units Appendices

1 Unit 1 Introduction to Academic Unit 7 Sentence Essentials Appendix A NSNT Approach an

Writing Additional Weekly Prompts for
Writing

2 Unit 2 Writing Process Unit 7 Sentence Essentials Appendix B Capitalization;

(continued)
NSNT Writing Practice

3 Unit 3 Parts and Characteristics Unit 8 Three Common Errors in NSNT Writing Practice
of a Good Paragraph Sentence Structure and
Punctuation

4 Unit 3 Parts and Characteristics Unit 8 Three Common Errors in Appendix C Punctuation;
of a Good Paragraph (continued) Sentence Structure and
Punctuation (continued) NSNT Writing Practice

5 Review Unit 1, 2, and 3 Unit 9 Verb Basics in Academic NSNT Writing Practice
Writing

6 Unit 4 Enumerative Paragraphs Unit 10 Subject-Verb Agreement NSNT Writing Practice

7 Unit 4 Enumerative Paragraphs Unit 11 Verb Tenses – Present NSNT Writing Practice
(continued)

8 Unit 4 Enumerative Paragraphs Unit 12 Verb Tenses – Past NSNT Writing Practice;
(continued)
Midterm Follow-up

9 Unit 5 Narrative Paragraphs Unit 13 Verb Tenses – Future Appendix D Irregular Verbs;

NSNT Writing Practice

10 Unit 5 Narrative Paragraphs Unit 14 Verb Tenses – Mixed NSNT Writing Practice
(continued)

11 Unit 5 Narrative Paragraphs Unit 15 Modals NSNT Writing Practice

(continued)

Building Academic Writing Skills | xvii

 12 Review Unit 4 and Unit 5 Unit 16 Nouns NSNT Writing Practice

13 Unit 8 Essay Introduction Unit 17 Pronouns NSNT Writing Practice

14 Unit 8 Essay Introduction Unit 18 Word Forms NSNT Writing Practice

(continued)

15 Unit 8 Essay Introduction Unit 19 Word Order NSNT Writing Practice

(continued)

16 NSNT Writing Practice;

Review Unit 8 Unit 20 Editing Review
Final Reflections

17 Final Review and Assessment

Finals
Week

IV. About the Author

I am a professor in the English as a Second Language & Linguistics Department at Harper

College in Palatine, Illinois, where I have been teaching since 1999. This book has been
almost two years in the making. It is truly a labor of love.

I am looking forward to receiving comments and suggestions from colleagues and

students. I can be reached at [email protected].

xviii |
V. Acknowledgements

I would like to thank Harper College for granting me a sabbatical leave in Fall 2021 to focus
on this book project.

My gratitude also goes to Chris Dobson, Instructional Multimedia Developer at Harper

College, for his technical expertise and support.

I am indebted to my students, whose perseverance in attaining an American education

has inspired me to pursue this undertaking. In particular, my appreciation goes to many
students who have generously allowed me to share their writing samples.

Finally, I could never adequately thank my family, whose steadfast support has made my
professional pursuits so much more enjoyable.

Building Academic Writing Skills | xix

PART ONE ACADEMIC WRITING
ESSENTIALS

1 | Part One Academic Writing Essentials

Unit 1 Introduction to Academic
Writing

Learning Objectives

1. To understand what academic writing is

2. To learn the characteristics of academic writing and ways to achieve them
3. To address some common misconceptions about writing

I. Warm – Up

computer keyboard, notebook, ear buds, and coffee

Discuss in groups:

1. Do you like writing in your native language? What do you usually write about?

Unit 1 Introduction to Academic Writing | 2

 2. How do you like writing in English? When do you write in English?
3. What makes good writing in your native language? In English?
4. What is your most unforgettable writing experience in either language?
5. What are the purposes of writing?
6. What areas of English writing are easy for you? What areas are challenging?
7. What expectations do you have for this course?
8. What do you think academic writing is?

II. Definition of Academic Writing

What is writing for? As you have just discussed, the simplest answer is to communicate
meaning.

People write for different purposes. For example,

1
• Some of them write to inform, as in news stories and technical manuals .
2
• Some write to entertain , as in fictions and movie scripts.
3
• In daily life, people may scribble a short reminder note, compose a festive party
4
invitation, or craft a well-versed love letter.
5
• In work, meeting memos and business reports are very common.
• In colleges and universities, students write paragraphs, essays, research papers, lab
reports, and many others. These forms of writing are called academic writing – a
formal, nonfictional written piece of work for learning, teaching, and researching.

It is the last type – academic writing – that this course is introducing and focusing on. At
this intermediate level, you will be learning the basic styles and uses as well as practicing
6
editing skills associated with academic writing to be ready for higher-level compositions
in colleges and universities.

1. manual: noun, a small book of instructions

2. entertain: verb, provide music, stories, etc. for people to enjoy
3. scribble: verb, write quickly and informally
4. well-versed: adjective, with beautiful language use
5. memo: noun, a short message or report
6. composition: noun, a piece of writing such as an essay for a college course

3 | Unit 1 Introduction to Academic Writing

 III. Characteristics of Academic Writing

All types of writing share many aspects in common. However, each type has its own
characteristics. Academic writing is characterized by the following:

1. Logical and direct

Academic writing in English uses a very linear organizational style. This means that the
writers explain their information in a straightforward way, like a vertical line – the main idea
first, followed by supporting ideas to explain the main idea, and a conclusion that signals
the completion of the explanation.

Main idea

Supporting ideas

Conclusion
7
Unlike the approaches in some other countries, the American style requires the students
to state their focus early in their writing, without “hiding” the points or “circulating” hints till
the end of writing.

2. Formal

Formal, standard English is expected. This requires a good understanding of formal

8
grammar and usage. Colloquial and spoken English should not be used.

7. approach: noun, a way of thinking about things and doing things

8. colloquial: adjective, informal

Unit 1 Introduction to Academic Writing | 4

 3. Clear

Writing clearly is extremely important as the purpose of writing is not only to clarify your
own thoughts but also to communicate them for others to understand. To achieve this, you
9
should not translate from your native language and should always proofread your writing
for accuracy.

4. Concise

Being concise means not repeating the same words and ideas unnecessarily. Sometimes,
10
repetition is important to emphasize a point, but most often needless duplications of the
11
same ideas may make your writing redundant and inefficient.

Writing is a process. Almost no one can produce perfect writing on the first try; in fact,
12
there is no such thing as perfect writing. Good writing takes time and repeated revisions .
Most importantly, it takes patience and continuous efforts to achieve the characteristics
explained above.

9. proofread: verb, read and check for mistakes

10. duplication: noun, a copy, a repetition
11. redundant: adjective, wordy, repetitive unnecessarily
12. revision: noun, a new copy showing improvement

5 | Unit 1 Introduction to Academic Writing

 IV. Ten Most Common Misconceptions about Writing

wrong way traffic sign

13
The following ten misconceptions are very common among ESL students of all levels.
Read each statement first and think/discuss whether you feel the same way. Then click to
read explanations and suggestions.

An interactive H5P element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view it online here:
https://harpercollege.pressbooks.pub/academic-writing-skills/?p=57#h5p-67

V. Unit Review Practice

Exercise: Discuss the following topics in groups. Then choose one of them to write a paragraph.

13. misconception: noun, a wrong idea

Unit 1 Introduction to Academic Writing | 6

 1. What is academic writing? What are the characteristics of academic writing?
2. What has been your best writing experience? The most challenging writing experience?
3. The ten common misconceptions are explained in this unit. What are the ones that apply to you?
What advice will be the most helpful to you?

An interactive H5P element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view it
online here:
https://harpercollege.pressbooks.pub/academic-writing-skills/?p=57#h5p-20

NSNT Practice

Study Appendix A NSNT Free Writing Approach (Open Appendix A here.).

14
Then choose two topics from the Week 1 additional prompts and practice
NSNT free writing. Remember not to translate from your native language
and not to stop writing once you start.

An interactive H5P element has been excluded from this version of the
text. You can view it online here:
a pen writing in a notebook
https://harpercollege.pressbooks.pub/academic-writing-skills/?p=57#h5p-20

Vocabulary Review

14. prompt: noun, a topic for writing

7 | Unit 1 Introduction to Academic Writing

 The words here have appeared in this unit. The best way to learn them is to
guess the meaning of each word from the context. Then hover your
computer mouse over the number beside each word to check its meaning
and part of speech. These words are also listed in the footnote area at the
end of each unit.

Here, you can use the flashcards below to review these words.

a page in a dictionary
An interactive H5P element has been excluded from this version of the
text. You can view it online here:
https://harpercollege.pressbooks.pub/academic-writing-skills/?p=57#h5p-196

Summary

1. Academic writing is what students write for their classes in colleges and universities.
2. Academic writing is logical, direct, formal, clear, and concise.
3. To improve writing skills, it is important to:

• Try not to translate from your native language.

• Do not rely on the information on the Internet.
• Explore your topic by brainstorming and then organize your ideas by outlining.
• Narrow down a general topic to a more specific one.
• Get help from your professor and ESL tutors.
• Be proactive in contacting your professor regarding errors in your writing.
• Do not rely too much on the help of your family and friends.
• Study grammar.
• Read as much as you can.

Unit 1 Introduction to Academic Writing | 8

Media Attributions

• computer keyboard, notebook ear buds, and coffee © Photo by Lukas Blazek on
Unsplash
• wrong way traffic sign © Photo by NeONBRAND on Unsplash
• a pen writing in a notebook © Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
• a page in a dictionary © Pixabay

9 | Unit 1 Introduction to Academic Writing

Unit 2 The Writing Process

Learning Objectives

1. To understand what the writing process is and why it is important

2. To learn all the steps in the writing process by studying an assignment from beginning to
completion
3. To practice the steps in the writing process through exercises

I. Warm-Up

two hands kneading dough

Discuss in groups:

1. Have you ever cooked or baked anything? How do you enjoy cooking or baking?
1
2. When you see the above image (two hands kneading dough ), what comes to your
mind?

Unit 2 The Writing Process | 10

 2
3. What is essential in baking the perfect bread?
4. Why is following steps so important?
3
5. Should writing also follow proper steps?
6. What steps do you usually follow when you have a writing assignment?
7. What do you think the writing process is?

II. Importance of the Writing Process

As you learned in Unit 1, academic writing should be well organized, focused, and accurate.
How do you start?

Imagine baking a loaf of bread. You need to get the ingredients ready, mix them one at a
time in the right order to make dough, knead it, let it rise, put it in a container, and bake it
4
for a length of time. Miss or reverse one step, and you may not be able to enjoy the fresh
5
and crusty bread as anticipated. Of course, the bread machine may make the work less
6
laborious for you, but the general process from flour to bread remains the same.

It is the same with writing. It follows a step-by-step order called the writing process. Using
7
the right steps will ensure a good piece of writing that you are proud of.

III. Stages and Steps in the Writing Process

There are three major stages in the writing process. Each major stage includes a few
smaller steps.

1. dough: noun, a mix of flour, water, and other ingredients to make into bread, cake, etc.
2. essential: adjective, extremely important, cannot live without
3. proper: adjective, suitable, appropriate, right
4. reverse: verb, follow the opposite order
5. crusty: adjective, crisp, describing the outer layer of freshly-baked bread
6. laborious: adjective, with lots of work
7. ensure: verb, make sure, to be certain

11 | Unit 2 The Writing Process

The writing Process

Unit 2 The Writing Process | 12

The Writing Process

13 | Unit 2 The Writing Process

Here is an example assignment to show you how every step works.
The process is shown in the boxes below.

A Paragraph Writing Assignment

Purpose: This assignment is to show your understanding of planning and writing a paragraph. Use
the writing process to help you.

Topic: What has been your most interesting experience in learning English? Explain three reasons
why you think so.

Paragraph: Your paragraph should have a title, 3 supporting ideas with details, and a concluding
sentence. Use some transitions to connect the supporting sentences.

Format: Type your paragraph, double spaced, font size 12, with 1-inch margins on four sides of the
page. Type your name, class, and date on the upper right-hand corner of the page. The first line of
your paragraph should be indented. Save your paragraph in a Word file.

Self Checklist: When you finish writing, use the Self Checklist below. Put a checkmark beside each
item if you think you did a good job in that area. Otherwise, improve your paragraph until you can
check off the item. Save your work again.

Submission: Submit your paragraph on the Blackboard. Go to your Blackboard course site and
follow the instructions there to submit your work. Due by 11:59 pm on Monday, January 30.

Self Checklist

Unit 2 The Writing Process | 14

 Questions Paragraph Revising and Editing Self Checklist √

1 Is my paragraph clear to understand?

2 Is my paragraph interesting to read?

3 Did I include a topic sentence with a clear topic and a controlling idea?

4 Did I include 3 supporting ideas with detals and connect them with transitions?

5 Did I include a concluding sentence?

6 Did I try my best to use correct sentence structure, verbs, and other grammar aspects?

7 Did I try my best to have correct spelling, punctuation, and capitalization?

8 Did I follow the proper paragraph format?

The Self Checklist will include more specific items as you learn more about writing and editing in the course.

Follow the three stages below to see how this assignment is completed step by step.

IV. Stage 1 Pre-writing: Get Ideas and Make an Outline

Stage 1 Writing Process

15 | Unit 2 The Writing Process

 1. Understand the assignment.

Each assignment may come with different instructions. Understanding the requirements
8
is crucial in making sure that you start out right. Here is a list of questions you ask yourself
to check your understanding of the assignment:

Example: Understand the assignment

Questions Answers to show your understanding

Purpose? To show understanding of planning and writing a paragraph

How? Use the writing process

Who reads? My professor and probably some of my classmates

Final A paragraph with a title, 3 supporting sentences with details, a concluding sentences,
product? transitions

Format? indent, double space, size 12, 1-inch on 4 sides, name/semester/date

Due? by 11:59 pm, Monday, Jan. 30

Where? Course Blackboard, follow instructions there.

2. Choose your topic and narrow it down if necessary; brainstorm by free writing, listing,
or mind mapping.

While choosing your topic and narrowing it down,

√ Do:

Write from your heart; consider your own interests and/or knowledge.

Reflect your unique thoughts or experiences.

Ask yourself:

8. crucial: adjective, very important

Unit 2 The Writing Process | 16

 ◦ Am I interested in this topic? How much do I know about it?
◦ Do I have an interesting experience or perspective that most of my classmates
might not have?
◦ Would my readers get to know the topic or me better through my writing?

X Do not:

9
◦ Pick a seemingly “easy” topic that you do not know much about or do not have a
personal, meaningful experience with.
◦ Google search and choose your topic based on how much information you can
find on the web.

For the disadvantages of relying too much on the Internet information, please refer to “Ten
Most Common Misconceptions about Writing” in Unit 1 Introduction to Academic Writing.
(Open Unit 1 here.)

Brainstorming means that you write down your ideas as quickly as you can for about two
to ten minutes, like a storm sweeping through your mind! Do not worry about accuracy in
grammar, spelling, or punctuation. Do not be overly concerned whether an idea is good or
not. Rather, keep the flow of your thoughts going. You may be surprised to discover many
new, hidden ideas.

Brainstorming comes in different ways: free writing, making a list, mind mapping, and
some others. They may look different, but your thinking process is the same. Here are the
three common brainstorming examples to show you how to get ideas for the above writing
assignment on your English learning experience.

Brainstorming example 1: free writing

This is my first writing assignment in class. I want to write about my interesting English study.
English, English everyday, important, tired. What aspect? Pronunciation? reading? writing?

9. seemingly: adverb, in appearance but may not be true

17 | Unit 2 The Writing Process

grammar? listening? Language Lab? my grades? I don’t know… well, maybe something about
writing. Right now I’m trying not to translate from my native language. This is stressful, but keep
trying. What about writing? yes! no translation! My teacher just taught us NSNT, interesting, I’ll try,
maybe this topic? different way but I hope it’ll help me. I tried two times already, tried not to stop
writing, holding my pen tight, keep writing. Possible not to translate if I keep doing it . The teacher
isn’t checking my mistakes, so I’m more relaxed this way. Also fun because focus on my ideas and
learn to express in total English. My teacher said, this skill will help me succeed in ESL and college
classes. I want to learn. I know it’s important. teacher said translation no good, agree, my language
and English very different, think in English, habit, try every day, confidence.

Brainstorming example 2: making a list

English learning experience: Reading, writing, listening, speaking, language lab, international
students club

a. reading: interesting stories, new words, dictionary, too many words, hard, useful, in context,
guessing first??

b. writing: academic writing, paragraphs, topic sentence, punctuation, NSNT, new, interesting, hard,
feel strange, how not to translate? worry my grade

c. listening: news, recordings, hard, too fast, when driving, language lab, good materials, open,
helpful staff, lots of resources, what to choose

d. speaking: international students club, games, prizes, snacks!! new friends, some native speaks,
every week, fun, nervous

Brainstorming example 3: creating a mind map

Unit 2 The Writing Process | 18

 a mind map on English learning experience

3. Decide on the main idea and make an outline

You take a second look at your brainstorming and consider which area to focus on (main
idea) and what information to keep or throw out. At this point, you decide to write about
NSNT and the reasons why you like it.

19 | Unit 2 The Writing Process

 For information about the NSNT approach, please
refer to Appendix A NSNT Approach. (Open
Appendix A here.)

a pen writing in a notebook

Then you organize your ideas into a simple plan
called an outline. It may take five to ten minutes to make an outline.

• Write the topic sentence in a complete sentence on top of the page.

• Write your supporting ideas and their details in words and phrases, or even some
symbols like # for number and $ for money. Do not write complete sentences and do
not write a draft of the paragraph. When you write your ideas in words and phrases in
the outline, you can spot the problem more easily if an idea does not support the
topic sentence.
• When you write your paragraph later, you may have an additional idea. Do not include
it in your paragraph directly. Put it in your outline to make sure it helps explain the
main idea. You may ask yourself:

◦ Does this idea support my topic sentence?

◦ Which part of the outline should I put it in?
◦ Is there already a similar idea in the outline?

An outline example:

Unit 2 The Writing Process | 20

 Parts of a
Paragraph outline
paragraph

The Reasons Why I like NSNT

Title
(It is common to write the title after you finish the outline or the paragraph draft.)

The Non-Stop-Non-Translation (NSNT) approach is one of my most interesting experiences

Topic
in learning English.
sentence
(Write a complete sentence)

Background
info if what is NSNT in 1-2 sentences
necessary

translation habit, different languages, others don’t understand well, a good habit of thinking
Support 1
in English

Details 1 no subject in Spanish sentence, wrong in English

Support 2 think faster and more naturally in English

Details 2 better flow, less time in communication, not two languages in my mind

Support 3 not too hard, more relaxed, want to write more, motivation

try every day, with music, not graded, from 5 to 15 minutes now, topics like current events,
Details 3
memories

Concluding
summarize 3 ideas and give opinion
sentence

V. Stage 2 Writing: Write Ideas into a Paragraph

21 | Unit 2 The Writing Process

Stage 2 Writing Process

This is the stage where you create the first copy of a complete paragraph based on the
outline. This copy is called a draft. It usually takes a longer time to write than the pre-writing
activities, but once you have completed the previous steps, you have made this stage of
writing much easier to accomplish.

Example: Paragraph draft

The Non-Stop-Non-Translation approach has been one of my most interesting experiences in

learning English. My teacher introduce it in the beginning of the semester. Students writes on a topic
nonstop for at least 5 minute, and they should not translate their ideas from their native languages
to English. First, the strategy helps me learn to express my self correctly with english. i been in the
U.S. for only one year, and I always translate my ideas from Spanish to English. However; people often
do not understand me, or they say I am wrong. i am learning to think faster and more natural with
the help in NSNT. My teacher instruct us not to let the tip of our pen to leave the surface of the paper,
so we have to keep writing, even writing days of the week and months of the year until our brains
forces out some ideas in English. Though, I felt very uncomfortable in the beginning now after two
months of training, I starting to feel that my ideas flow more easy in English. The discussions we
have in reading classes also help me think in English because my classmates cannot wait for me to
translate from Spanish. Lastly, the daily practice is not as stressful as I thought so I enjoy it. I turn on
my favorite music, and write from 5 minutes to 10 minutes daily. I feel I can write more and more.
Because my teacher do not grade my work based on accuracy. Can let my thoughts flow freely on
paper without worrying about my grade.

Unit 2 The Writing Process | 22

You have tried to write a good paragraph though it still has mistakes. Do not worry! No
one can write perfectly on the first try. The instructions in Stage 3 below will guide you
step by step in making your paragraph better.

VI. Stage 3 Post-Writing: Revise, Edit, Proofread, and

Submit the Draft

Stage 3 Writing Process

1. Revise the ideas and organization – comments in (parentheses) and marked in pink

(No title)

The Non-Stop-Non-Translation approach is one of my most interesting experiences in learning

english. My teacher introduce it in the beginning of the semester. Students writes on a topic nonstop
for at least 5 minute, and they should not translate their ideas from their native languages to english.
First, the strategy helps me learn to express my self correctly with english. i been in the U.S. for

23 | Unit 2 The Writing Process

 only one year, and I always translate from Spanish to english (when?). However; people often do not
understand me, or they say I am wrong. (example?) (transition?) i am learning to think faster and
more natural with the help in NSNT. My teacher instruct us not to let the tip of our pen leave the
surface of the paper, so we have to keep writing, even writing days of the week and months of the year
until our brains forces out some ideas in English. Though, I felt very uncomfortable in the beginning
now after two months of training, I starting to feel that my ideas flow more easy in English. The
discussions we have in reading classes also help me think in English because my classmates cannot
wait for me to translate from Spanish. (irrelevant and should be deleted) Lastly, the daily practice
is not as stressful as I thought so I enjoy it. I turn on my favorite music and write from 5 minutes to
10 minutes daily. (examples of what I write about) I feel I can write more and more. Because my
teacher do not grade my work based on accuracy. I can let my thoughts flow freely on paper without
worrying about my grade. (no concluding sentence)

Make a new copy to show improvement in ideas and organization.

The reasons why I like NSNT

The Non-Stop-Non-Translation approach is one of my most interesting experiences in learning

english. My teacher introduce it in the beginning of the semester. Students writes on a topic nonstop
for at least 5 minute, and they should not translate their ideas from their native languages to english.
First, the strategy helps me learn to express my self correctly with english. i been in the U.S. for
only one year, and I always translate my ideas from my native language Spanish to english when
communicate. However; people often do not understand me, or they say I am wrong. For example, it
is correct to write “Es un dia bonito” in Spanish. When I translate it into english. My sentence becomes
“Is a day beautiful.” Second, I am learning to think faster and more natural with the help in NSNT. My
teacher instruct us not to let the tip of our pen leave the surface of the paper, so we have to keep
writing, even writing days of the week and months of the year until our brains forces out some ideas
in English. Though, I felt very uncomfortable in the beginning now after two months of training, I
starting to feel that my ideas flow more easy in English. Lastly, the daily practice is not as stressful
as I thought so I enjoy it. I turn on my favorite music and write from 5 minutes to 10 minutes daily,
and sometimes even longer. I have written about childhood memories, current events, and school
activities. I feel more comfortable and confident in expressing my thoughts. I no longer need to fill
time with “Monday, Tuesday…” as in the beginning. Besides, my teacher do not grade my work based
on accuracy. Can let my thoughts flow on paper without worrying about my grade. The NSNT is
one of the best approach in helping me think and use English. I will definitely keep practicing this
strategy.

Unit 2 The Writing Process | 24

2. Edit grammar and sentence structure

3. Check format, spelling, punctuation, capitalization

It is common to combine these two steps, but it is better to do Step 2 before Step 3. The
mistakes in grammar, sentence structure, punctuation, capitalization, spelling, and format
are highlighted in grey and corrections are highlighted in purple below.

Name?Jane Doe

Class? Writing III

Date? January 25, 2022

The reasons Reasons why I like Like NSNT

The Non-Stop-Non-Translation approach is one of my most interesting experiences in learning

english English. My teacher introduce introduced it in the beginning of the semester. Students writes
write on a topic nonstop for at least 5 minute minutes, and they should not translate their ideas
from their native languages to English. First, the strategy helps me learn to express my self myself
correctly with english English. i been I have been in the U.S. for only one year, and I always translate
my ideas from my native language spanish to english. When communicate. … and I always translate
my ideas from y native language Spanish to English when I communicate. However; , people often
do not understand me, or they say I am wrong. For example, it is correct to write “Es un dia bonito” in
Spanish. When I translate it into english. My sentence becomes “Is a day beautiful.” When I translate
it into English, my sentence becomes “Is a day beautiful.” Second, i I am learning to think faster
and more natural naturally with the help in NSNT. My teacher instruct instructs us not to let the
tip of our pen leave the surface of the paper, so we have to keep writing, even writing days of the
week and months of the year until our brains forces force out some ideas in English. Though, I felt
very uncomfortable in the beginning Though I felt very uncomfortable in the beginning, now after
two months of training, I starting have started to feel that my ideas flow more easy easily in English.
Lastly, the daily practice is not as stressfull stressful as I thought so I enjoy it. … I thought, so I enjoy it.
I turn on my favorite music and write from 5 minutes to 10 minutes daily. About childhood memories,
current events, and school activities. … 10 minutes daily about childhood memories, ... I feel I can
write more and more. Because my teacher do not grade my work based on accuracy. Can let my
thoughts flow on paper without worrying about my grade. Ifeel I can write more and more because

25 | Unit 2 The Writing Process

 my teacher does not grade my work based on accuracy. The NSNT is one of the best approach
approaches in helping me think and use English. I will definitely keep practicing this strategy.

Fix the mistakes and make a new copy:

Jane Doe

Writing III

January 25, 2022

The Reasons Why I Like NSNT

The Non-Stop-Non-Translation approach is one of my most interesting experiences in learning

English. My teacher introduced it in the beginning of the semester. Students should write on a topic
nonstop for at least 5 minutes, and they should not translate their ideas from their native languages
to English. First, the strategy helps me learn to express myself correctly with English. I have been
in the U.S. for only one year, and I always translate from Spanish to English when I communicate.
However, people often do not understand me, or they say I am wrong. For example, it is correct to
write “Es un dia bonito” in Spanish. When I translate it into English, my sentence becomes “Is a day
beautiful.” Second, I am learning to think faster and more naturally with the help in NSNT. My teacher
instructs us not to let the tip of our pen leave the surface of the paper, so we have to keep writing,
even writing days of the week and months of the year until our brains force out some ideas in English.
Though I felt very uncomfortable in the beginning, now after two months of training, I am starting to
feel that my ideas flow more easily in English. Lastly, the daily practice is not as stressful as I thought,
so I enjoy it and write from 5 minutes to 10 minutes daily. I have written about childhood memories,
current events, and school activities. I feel I can write more and more. Because my teacher does
not grade my work based on accuracy, I can let my thoughts flow freely on paper without worrying
about my grade. The NSNT is one of the best approaches in helping me think and use English. I will
definitely keep practicing this strategy.

4. Use the Self Checklist to make sure that you have tried your best to revise and edit
the paragraph. Put a checkmark in the box on the right if you have done your best in
that area.

Unit 2 The Writing Process | 26

 Self Checklist

Questions Paragraph Revising and Editing Self Checklist √

1 Is my paragraph clear to understand? √

2 Is my paragraph interesting to read? √

3 Did I include a topic sentence with a clear topic and a controlling idea? √

4 Did I include 2-4 supporting ideas with details and connect them with transitions? √

5 Did I include a concluding sentence? √

6 Did I try my best to use correct sentence structure, verbs, and other grammar aspects? √

7 Did I try my best to have correct spelling, punctuation, and capitalization? √

8 Did I follow the proper paragraph format? √

The Self Checklist will include more specific items as you learn more about writing and editing in the course.

Proofread means that you read the paragraph from beginning to end at least one more
time to catch the errors you missed and to make sure that your writing is as good as it can
be.

Now you can save your work and submit it. Job well done!

a person dancing on a rock with sunset on horizon

27 | Unit 2 The Writing Process

 Going through the steps takes time, but you can be sure that your paragraph will be
the best you can write it. Some of you may feel that following the process is too much
trouble and that it is a waste of time, but remember that you may need longer time
redoing the assignment later if you do not properly follow the writing process. Think of
10
this as establishing a good habit of thinking and writing. Over time, you may be able to
combine some of the steps and save some time. However, you will be writing much longer,
much more complicated compositions in your future classes, and the habit of following the
writing process will definitely help you succeed.

VII. Unit Review Practice

Exercise 1. Discuss the following questions about the writing process.

1. What is the writing process? Why is it important?

2. What are the three stages in the process? What are the steps in each stage?
3. Have you tried the writing process or a similar process before? Share your experiences.

Exercise 2. Narrowing down a broad subject will help you focus better on the main idea of your paragraph.
Practice narrowing down the topics. The first two are examples. You see that the same broad topic can be
narrowed down to two different focuses depending on your experiences and preferences. Compare and discuss
your answers with your partner.

Examples:

10. establish: verb, build, set up

Unit 2 The Writing Process | 28

narrowing down ideas

narrowing down ideas exercise

29 | Unit 2 The Writing Process

narrowing down ideas exercise

Exercise 3. Look at the following ideas from brainstorming. Add some of your own to the list. Then put the ideas
into the categories. The categories will be used as supporting ideas when you write the paragraph. If an idea does
not fit the main idea, cross it out. An example is provided in each category.

Main idea: Jerry’s Burgers is my favorite lunch place.

fast service, nice decorations, fresh ingredients, clean washrooms, beautiful paintings on walls, Asian
and Middle Eastern flavors, meeting room, noisy, not many salad choices, expensive, smiling owner, no
place for kids to play, free soda, no parking, tasty soup bowls, kids’ menu, low fat menu, vegetarian
choices, background music too loud, gluten-free options, polite wait staff, no delivery…

Example:

Food Services Facilities

fresh ingredients fast service meeting room

Unit 2 The Writing Process | 30

 Exercise 4. Use three of the following topics to try free writing, listing, mind mapping. Narrow down the topic if
necessary. Then write an outline for each topic. Lastly, choose one of the three outlines to write a paragraph.

1. driving in the U.S.

2. my first class in the U.S. college
3. the neighborhood where I grew up
4. the person I admire the most
5. a childhood memory
6. a disappointing holiday
7. advantages or disadvantages of cell phones
8. characteristics of a good shopping mall

NSNT Practice

Go to The NSNT Free Writing Approach and Additional Weekly Prompts

for Writing in Appendix A. (Open Appendix A here.) Choose two topics to
practice the steps in the writing process. You may do the NSNT free writing
approach while brainstorming. Remember not to translate from your native
language and not to stop writing once you start.

An interactive H5P element has been excluded from this version of the
a pen writing in a notebook
text. You can view it online here:
https://harpercollege.pressbooks.pub/academic-writing-skills/?p=171#h5p-20

Vocabulary Review

31 | Unit 2 The Writing Process

 The words here have appeared in this unit. The best way to learn them is to
guess the meaning of each word from the context. Then hover your
computer mouse over the number beside each word to check its meaning
and part of speech. These words are also listed in the footnote area at the
end of each unit.

Here, you can use the flashcards below to review these words.

a page in a dictionary
An interactive H5P element has been excluded from this version of the
text. You can view it online here:
https://harpercollege.pressbooks.pub/academic-writing-skills/?p=171#h5p-197

Summary

1. There are three major stages in the writing process:

• pre-writing: get ideas and make an outline

◦ understand the assignment

◦ choose topic, narrow down if needed
◦ brainstorm – free writing, make a list, create a mind map

• writing: write a draft of the paragraph

◦ write a paragraph based on the outline

◦ include basic elements of a paragraph

• post-writing: revise and edit, proofread, and submit

◦ revise ideas to make them clear and interesting

◦ revise organization for unity, cohesion, and completion
◦ edit sentence structure and grammatical aspects
◦ check format, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling
◦ make a new copy, proofread, save, submit

2. The stages and steps ensure the good quality of your paragraph.

Unit 2 The Writing Process | 32

Media Attributions

• kneading dough © Photo by Salomé Watel on Unsplash

• The Writing Process © Lin Cui is licensed under a CC0 (Creative Commons Zero)
license
• Stage 1 Writing Process © Lin Cui is licensed under a CC0 (Creative Commons Zero)
license
• a mind map on English learning experience © Lin Cui is licensed under a CC BY
(Attribution) license
• a pen writing in a notebook © Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
• Stage 2 Writing Process © Lin Cui is licensed under a CC0 (Creative Commons Zero)
license
• Stage 3 Writing Process © Lin Cui is licensed under a CC0 (Creative Commons Zero)
license
• a man dancing on a rock with a sunset on horizon © Photo by Aziz Acharki on
Unsplash
• narrowing down ideas © Lin Cui is licensed under a CC0 (Creative Commons Zero)
license
• narrowing down ideas © Lin Cui is licensed under a CC0 (Creative Commons Zero)
license
• narrowing down ideas exercise © Lin Cui is licensed under a CC0 (Creative Commons
Zero) license
• a page in a dictionary © Pixabay

33 | Unit 2 The Writing Process

Unit 3 Parts and Characteristics of
a Good Paragraph

Learning Objectives

1. To identify the parts of a paragraph: title, topic sentence, supporting sentences with details,
concluding sentence, and transitions
2. To understand how each part relates to one another within a paragraph through multiple
examples
3. To learn the key characteristics of a paragraph: format, unity, cohesion, and completion through
multiple examples
4. To practice writing each part of a paragraph with key characteristics through a variety of exercises

I. Warm-Up

a group of children laughing and running outdoors

Unit 3 Parts and Characteristics of a Good Paragraph | 34

 Read the paragraph “Missing My Childhood Days” below and do the activities that follow.

Missing My Childhood Days

Thanks to two people and one place, my childhood was filled with fun. The first special person
was my cousin Hector. I was the only child to my mom, and he was the only child to his mom. We
were not lonely because we played and enjoyed family trips together. I loved playing hide and seek
1
with him the most. The running, anticipating , shouting, and laughing will always be in my memories.
Secondly, I really miss my best friend Lisandra from my elementary school. Our moms were best
friends, so it was easier for us to do many things together. For example, we used to explore the resorts
and hotels near our homes. We imagined how we could decorate our own houses as elegantly as
the hotels. Additionally, Lisandra had a little sister called Lolanda, and we loved to play with her and
care for her as if she were our own baby. We fed her and sang songs to her. Even though I lost
contact with Lisandra after she switched to a different school, our time together was very precious to
me. Lastly, I really miss my childhood home. It was a big house with a patio decorated with pots of
beautiful flowers. The house was large enough for me to ride my bike inside. There was also a pool. We
2
had many family parties there. Playing riddles by the poolside was one of the most popular games
among us. Nowadays I do not have Hector and Lisandra in my life, and my childhood house has long
been sold. However, I am grateful for having them all in my past because they have left me with
3
priceless memories.

By K. P. Checo (student), ESL Writing III, Harper College. Used with permission.

Discuss in groups:

1. What are your most unforgettable childhood memories? Why are they unforgettable?
2. What three areas of childhood does the author miss the most?
3. What is the main idea of the above paragraph? Where do you find it in the paragraph?
4. Where is the title?
5. How does the author begin the paragraph?
6. What is the spacing between one line to the next?
7. Does each new sentence start a new line?
8. What do you think a paragraph is?
9. What do you like about this paragraph?
10. How would you improve the paragraph?

1. anticipate: verb, wait for something to happen

2. riddle: noun, a game of guessing the answers
3. priceless: adjective, very valuable, cannot be measured by a price

35 | Unit 3 Parts and Characteristics of a Good Paragraph

 11. If you could ask the writer a question, what would you ask?

II. Definition of a Paragraph

A paragraph is a group of sentences about one main idea. The goal of a paragraph is to
communicate to the readers what you think of a topic (your main idea) and why you believe
this way (your supporting ideas). A paragraph also follows a certain format. Paragraph
4
writing is the foundation for all types of academic writing assignments such as essays and
research papers.

II. Paragraph Format

You can see the format of a paragraph from “Missing My Childhood Days”:

1. Center the title in the middle of the top line.

2. Start the paragraph with indentation (a few open spaces in the beginning).
3. Type or write double spaced.
4. Each sentence follows the one before it without starting a new line.
5. Use font size 12 if you type. (The font size may be hard for you to determine in this web-
book.)

III. Parts of a Paragraph

Understanding each part of a paragraph is an important step to good writing. One way to
do this is to identify and color code each part.

4. foundation: noun, basis, groundwork of something more complicated

Unit 3 Parts and Characteristics of a Good Paragraph | 36

Title – pink Topic sentence – red Supporting sentences – green

Supporting details – blue Concluding sentence – red Transitions – yellow

When you color code the parts, you know that

1. you understand the paragraph organization.

2. you are not missing any important components.
3. all the parts are in the right order.
4. the supporting details (blue) should be the longest and the most detailed.

Missing My Childhood Days

Thanks to two people and one place, my childhood was filled with fun. The first special person
was my cousin Hector. I was the only child to my mom, and he was the only child to his mom. We
were not lonely because we played and enjoyed family trips together. I loved playing hide and seek
with him the most. The running, anticipating, shouting, and laughing will always be in my memories.
Secondly, I really miss my best friend Lisandra from the elementary school. Our moms were best
friends, so it was easier for us to do many things together. For example, we used to explore the resorts
and hotels near our homes. We imagined how we could decorate our own houses as elegantly as the
hotels. Additionally, Lisandra had a little sister called Lolanda, and we loved to play with her and care
for her as if she were our own baby. We fed her and sang songs to her. Even though I lost contact with
Lisandra after she switched to a different school, our time together was very precious to me. Lastly,
I really miss my childhood home. It was a big house with a patio decorated with pots of beautiful
flowers. The house was large enough for me to ride my bike inside. There was also a pool. We had
many family parties there. Playing riddles by the poolside was one of the most popular games among
us. Nowadays I do not have Hector and Lisandra in my life, and my childhood house has long been
sold. However, I am grateful for having them all in my past because they have left me with priceless
memories.

By K. P. Checo (student), ESL Writing III, Harper College. Used with permission.

Exercise 1. Use Paragraph “Missing My Childhood Days” as an example. Read Paragraph “Difficulties in English
Writing” and identify the parts with the following colors:

Title – pink Topic sentence – red Supporting sentences – green

37 | Unit 3 Parts and Characteristics of a Good Paragraph

 Supporting details – blue Concluding sentence – red Transitions – yellow

Difficulties in English Writing

For me, writing is one of the most difficult skills to learn in English. First, with writing comes
spelling. Many words are pronounced the same but spelt completely differently, like flower and flour,
blue and blew. I need extra efforts to learn and remember how to spell and write them correctly. Another
challenge I face in English is sentence structure. There are many types of sentences in English such
as simple, compound, and complex. Each type has its own punctuation rules. It takes a lot of hard
work to understand how to build sentences effectively. Finally, grammar is challenging. My professors
emphasize the importance of grammar because it plays a significant role in writing. Unfortunately,
it is also one of the difficulties for me because it has many, many rules and exceptions. For example,
in count and noncount nouns unit, there are many confusing words like police and family. At first,
I thought the word “police” was singular, but in fact it is plural. In contrast, I thought the word “family”
was plural, but it is singular in many situations! Mistakes in singular and plural nouns lead to errors in
verbs. Despite all these difficulties in spelling, sentence structure, and grammar, writing remains to be
one of my favorite aspects of learning.

By A. Alsalman (student), ESL Writing III, Harper College. Used with permission.

Read the above two paragraphs again, and you can see that a good paragraph consists of:

1. A title – to show the topic and catch the readers’ interest pink
2. A beginning called the topic sentence – to show the main idea red
3. A middle called the supporting sentences and details – supporting sentences to
explain the main idea green ; details to explain the supporting sentences blue
4. Transitions or connecting words – to connect the ideas and guide the readers yellow
5. An ending called the concluding sentence(s) – to finish the paragraph red

Unit 3 Parts and Characteristics of a Good Paragraph | 38

 Paragraph Organization – the Hamburger Way

To make a tasty hamburger, you need to take

5
time to get the ingredients ready and stack
them up carefully. Planning and organizing
your ideas for a good paragraph can be very
similar to making a hamburger.

a hamburger

5. stack: verb, to pile or put one on top of another

39 | Unit 3 Parts and Characteristics of a Good Paragraph

 1. The sesame seeds on the top piece of
bread is what you see as you unwrap a
hamburger. It is like the title of a
paragraph.
2. The top piece of the bread is the first
part of the hamburger. It is like the
topic sentence.
3. The middle part is what makes the
hamburger delicious. The more
ingredients you add, the tastier the
hamburger is. This part is like the
supporting sentences with details.
More details for the paragraph will
make it more interesting to read.
4. You also add condiments like mustard,
ketchup, and mayonnaise to not only
make the hamburger juicier but also
help the other ingredients like tomato
slices and beef patties stick together.
Those condiments are like transitions.
5. The last piece of the bread makes the
hamburger complete. The bread is
made with the same ingredients as
the top piece but with a different
shape. This is like the concluding
sentence. It restates the topic
sentence but in a different way.
parts of a hamburger between two hands

Below, you are going to learn how to write each part.

Unit 3 Parts and Characteristics of a Good Paragraph | 40

 IV. Title of a Paragraph

A title gives the readers information about what you write in the paragraph. It usually states
6
or implies the topic of your writing.

1. A good title is often very short. Sometimes it is only one word or one phrase. It is usually
not a complete sentence.

The Best Invention

The Reasons for My Mediterranean Diet

The Characteristics of a Good Boss

2. A good title catches the readers’ interest. It tells the readers about the main topic, but
it does not tell everything.

Why Not Studying Hard?

A Long-Kept Secret

To Mask or Not to Mask

3. A good title follows capitalization and punctuation rules.

• The first letter of the first word is always capitalized.

• Do not capitalize a short preposition, an article, or a coordinating conjunction unless it
is the first word.
• Never capitalize the entire title.
• Do not put a period at the end.
• Do not put quotation marks around the title.
• Do not underline the title.

6. imply: verb, say indirectly

41 | Unit 3 Parts and Characteristics of a Good Paragraph

Discuss each pair of the titles below and notice how the errors are corrected.

the day I arrived in Chicago X

The Day I Arrived in Chicago √

THE MAKING OF A DOCTOR X

The Making of a Doctor √

A Very Frustrating Experience. X

A Very Frustrating Experience √

“Advice from My Mother” X

Advice from My Mother √

The Mysterious Noise X

The Mysterious Noise √ lots of books showing titles on

shelves

For more explanations and examples in capitalization, please refer to Appendix B

Capitalization. (Open Appendix B here.)

Exercise 2. Here are the titles of some paragraphs. Do they follow the rules? Write the correct title in the box. After
you finish all the titles, you can check your answers by clicking the “Check” button. You may retry the exercise or
see all the answers.

Example:

From my home to school

Correction: From My Home to School

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V. Topic Sentence

A topic sentence is a sentence that contains the main idea of a paragraph. It is usually put
in the beginning of a paragraph. A good topic sentence has two essential parts and one
optional part:

1. the topic of your paragraph

2. the controlling idea – your attitude/opinion about the topic
3. (optional but preferred) predictors – the points you are going to explain in the body of
the paragraph

In each pair of topic sentences below, one contains the topic and controlling idea. The other
has the topic, controlling idea, and predictors. Identify each part and discuss which topic
sentence you like better. Explain your reasons.

• My writing class is important in helping me prepare for college study.

• My writing class is important in helping me prepare for college study because I learn
how to plan, write, and edit my own writing.

• I enjoy three aspects of my writing class.

• I enjoy three aspects of my writing class: my professor, my classmates, and the course
materials.

• Many students feel stressed out in the writing class for three reasons.

43 | Unit 3 Parts and Characteristics of a Good Paragraph

 • Because of long class periods, daily homework assignments, and lots of tests, many
students feel stressed out in the writing class.,

• Writing in English is very different from writing in my native language.

• Writing in English differs from writing in my nature language in style, sentence
structure, and punctuation.

Rules for a good topic sentence:

1. It must be a complete sentence that contains a subject and a verb.

• My interesting writing class (not a

complete sentence) X
• How to improve writing skills (not a
complete sentence) X
• My writing class is interesting for three
reasons. (a complete sentence) √
• In my writing class, I am learning how to
improve writing skills in three ways. (a
a light bulb surrounded by six circles
complete sentence) √

2. It can be a positive or negative statement, not a question. If you ask a question in

the beginning of the paragraph, you should answer it in the next sentence. That second
sentence is the topic sentence.

• Why is learning English important? (a question) X

• What is the best way to improve writing skills? (a question) X
• Why is learning English important? It is so because good English skills benefit people
in their study, work, and daily life. (The second part is the topic sentence.) √
• What is the best way to improve writing skills? I have three suggestions for ESL
students to improve writing skills. (The second part is the topic sentence.) √

3. Narrow down your topic. General topics are difficult to focus on and write.

Unit 3 Parts and Characteristics of a Good Paragraph | 44

 • Year 2020 was a difficult year for me. (too broad) X
• The COVID pandemic in Year 2020 made it difficult for me to study. (more specific) √
• The COVID pandemic in Year 2020 made it difficult for me to study for three reasons:
my classes went totally online in March, I could no longer use the college library and
the Language Lab, and the poor Internet connection at home often interrupted my
study on the course Blackboard site. (more specific) √

4. Do not make an announcement.

• In this paragraph, I am going to talk about the disadvantages to online learning. (an
announcement) X
• Let me explain the disadvantages to online learning. (an announcement) X
• This paragraph is about the disadvantages to online learning. (an announcement) X
• There are three disadvantages to online learning. (not an announcement) √
• There are three disadvantages to online learning: no immediate feedback from the
professors, no interactions with the classmates, and unstable Internet connection at
home. (not an announcement) √

5. Do not write a fact because your opinion (the controlling idea) is missing.

• Harper College is a community college. (a fact) X

• My classmates come from twelve different countries. (a fact) X
• Harper College offers the best ESL programs in Illinois in three aspects: experienced
professors, free tutoring, and the Language Lab. (Controlling idea “best” is added.) √
• Representing twelve countries, my classmates are great resources for learning
different cultures. (Controlling idea “great resources for learning different cultures” is
added.) √

Exercise 3. Read the following topic sentences. Identify the topic, controlling idea, and predictors. Type your
answers in the boxes. When you complete the entire exercise, you can click “Check” for feedback. You may retry or
see all the answers.

45 | Unit 3 Parts and Characteristics of a Good Paragraph

Example:

I miss my high school life for three reasons: friends, sports, and time for myself.

topic: my high school life

controlling idea: miss for three reasons

predictors: friends, sports, time for myself

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Exercise 4. Are the following good topic sentences? If not, why not? How do you improve them? Click “True” for
good topic sentences and “False” for the wrong ones. You will receive instant feedback after each sentence. If a
topic sentence is wrong, you will see the correction and explanation in blue.

Example:

Electric cars

This is not a good topic sentence because it is not a complete sentence and the controlling idea is
missing.

Correction: I like electric cars more than gas-powered cars.

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Unit 3 Parts and Characteristics of a Good Paragraph | 46

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47 | Unit 3 Parts and Characteristics of a Good Paragraph

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Unit 3 Parts and Characteristics of a Good Paragraph | 48

 VI. Supporting Ideas and Paragraph Unity

Supporting means “holding up”, just as the bridge is

“holding up” the man in the image on the left.
Supporting sentences are crucial in “holding up” the
main idea while making your paragraphs interesting
7
and convincing . They must support or explain the main
idea in the topic sentence.

A good strategy for logical supporting sentences is to

predict the question the readers may ask about your
topic sentence. The result of this planning is actually the
paragraph outline you learned in Unit 2 The Writing
Process.(Open Unit 2 here.)

a man sitting on a bridge over a

river

Parts in a Paragraph Outline Ideas

Young people should not live in their parents’ house after graduating from
Topic sentence
college.

Question: Why not?

Supporting Sentence 1 practice independence in daily life

Details 1 cooking, cleaning, money, my struggles to be mature

Supporting Sentence 2 experience real meaning of life
make decisions, take risks, manage time, my involvement in communit
Details 2
service
Supporting Sentence 3 learn to appreciate parents

Details 3 their teaching, their love, give them time to rest, joy in visiting my paren

Paragraph Unity

Unity comes from the verb “unite” and means “hold tight, together”. In a paragraph,

7. convincing: adjective, make people believe

49 | Unit 3 Parts and Characteristics of a Good Paragraph

it means that all the supporting sentences work together to serve the same purpose:
explaining the main idea.

Imagine two bouquets of flowers. Both look beautiful and in perfect harmony within
themselves. However, if one sunflower is inserted in the middle of the roses, it will look out
of place because it breaks the unity of the rose bouquet.

a rose bouquet a sunflower bouquet

Then how do you tell if your paragraph has unity? There are two easy ways:

1. Ask yourself, “Does each supporting sentence explain the controlling idea in the topic
sentence?” If yes, your paragraph has unity. If not, you need to delete or change the
supporting sentence. It is helpful to circle or underline your controlling idea in the
topic sentence for easier checking.
2. Always make an outline of the paragraph before you write. If you come up with a new
idea while drafting the paragraph, put it in your outline first and ask yourself the first
question.

Does the following paragraph outline show unity?

Unit 3 Parts and Characteristics of a Good Paragraph | 50

 Parts of a Paragraph Outline Ideas
Taking online classes helps college students in three significant
Topic sentence
ways.

Question: What are these three ways?

Supporting Sentence 1 provide convenience
no driving, flexible study time, no transportation issue, hard to
Details 1
focus because of noisy children in the same house
Supporting Sentence 2 practice time management skills
Details 2 set study time and follow it, learn to deal with distractions

Supporting Sentence 3 not get professor’s in-person help

Details 3 difficult materials, questions not answered right away

8
No, it does not show unity. It contains irrelevant ideas because they do not support the
main idea “help college students”. Here are ways to improve the outline:

• Cross out the irrelevant ideas.

• Add relevant information to support the main idea.
• In the second support, a personal example is also added to make the paragraph more
interesting.
• In the third support, the new idea “manage time better” is a repetition of the second
support “practice time management skills”. Therefore, it should be deleted. It is
important not to repeat the same information that is already explained in other parts
of the support.

8. irrelevant: adjective, not related, having nothing to do with the main idea

51 | Unit 3 Parts and Characteristics of a Good Paragraph

Parts of a Paragraph Outline Ideas
Taking online classes helps college students in three significant
Topic sentence
ways.

Question: What are these three ways?

Supporting Sentence 1 provide convenience
no driving, flexible study time, no transportation issue, hard to
Details 1 focus because of noisy children in the same house,childcare
easier, enjoy time together
Supporting Sentence 2 practice time management skills

set study time and follow it, learn to deal with distractions, my
Details 2
example of learning from procrastination mistakes
Supporting Sentence 3 not get professor’s in-person helplearn to study independently

difficult materials, questions not answered right away solve

Details 3 problems, rely on oneself, YouTube, Khan Academy, other
resources, manage time better

Exercise 5. Use the above as an example. Read the outlines below. Cross out the supporting ideas/details that are
irrelevant. Revise each outline so that all the supporting ideas explain the main idea in the topic sentence.

#1

Parts of a Paragraph Outline Ideas

Topic sentence Social distancing is important in preventing the spread of coronavirus.
Question: Why is social distancing important in prevention?

Supporting Sentence 1 lower chance of passing the virus

Details 1 talking, sneezing, coughing, passing one person to the next

Supporting Sentence 2 the virus highly contagious

through physical contact, Delta variant 60% more transmissible than the
Details 2
one before
Supporting Sentence 3 hospitals with good medical equipment

Details 3 ICU, respirators, oxygen tanks, N95 masks

Supporting Sentence 3 some people catch virus easily

Details 4 sick people, older people, children

#2

Unit 3 Parts and Characteristics of a Good Paragraph | 52

 Parts of a Paragraph Outline Ideas
Topic sentence I suffered from severe mental stress during the Covid 19 lockdown in April 2020.

Question: Why did you suffer from stress?

Supporting Sentence 1 worry about my health the health of my family

Details 1 brother essential worker, baby at home

Supporting Sentence 2 worry about money

Details 2 lost restaurant job, pay bills, good unemployment benefits

Supporting Sentence 3 online classes very hard

convenient time, hard to learn Blackboard, no face-to-face practice, missed
Details 3
deadline of first assignment

#3

Parts of a Paragraph Outline Ideas

Topic sentence My cousin did not want to get the Covid-19 vaccine for three reasons.
Question: What were the reasons?
Supporting Sentence 1 vaccine safety not sure

Vaccine developed in a short time, worry about reactions and long-term

Details 1
side effects, reports about blood clots after vaccine
Supporting Sentence 2 He’s healthy
Details 2 strong, seldom sick, good immunity

Supporting Sentence 3 stayed home all the time

not contact other people, study online, get bored, want to have parties with
Details 3
friends

Exercise 6. Use the topic sentences below to build relevant supporting ideas. Check to make sure that all the ideas
support the main idea in the topic sentence. Share your outline with your partner and discuss each other’s ideas.

Example:

53 | Unit 3 Parts and Characteristics of a Good Paragraph

 Parts of a Paragraph Outline Ideas

Topic sentence Owning a car is a necessity for community college students.

Question: Why is a car necessary?

Supporting Sentence 1 need it for study

on time to class, stay late in lab and library, not relying on friends or
Details 1
family, in control of time, my example of schedule
Supporting Sentence 2 need it for extra curricula activities and community service

student clubs, volunteer work, my example of community service in the

Details 2
homeless shelter

Supporting Sentence 3 need it for fun

Details 3 party and movie with friends, regardless of time

1. Topic sentence: Men can often be better care givers than women.
2. Topic sentence: People 18 years and older should serve two years in the military.
3. Topic sentence: Chicago is the most romantic city in the U.S.
4. Topic sentence: Chicago is the best place for children to visit on the weekend.

Exercise 7. The following paragraph about a special place does not have unity. There are four additional
sentences to be deleted (not including the example). Type the numbers of the irrelevant sentences in the boxes
below. When you complete the entire exercise, you can click “Check” for answers. You may also retry or see all the
answers. Sentence #4 is an example.

Unit 3 Parts and Characteristics of a Good Paragraph | 54

 a balcony with a table, two chairs, and some plants

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Types of Supporting Sentences

Good supporting sentences not only explain the main idea but also include interesting
details such as

facts – numbers, general truths, scientific truths…

reasons – logical explanations…

experts’ opinions – research findings, quotes by experts in the field…

examples – stories of well-known people, personal experiences, personal quotes…

Read Paragraph “Good Roommates” below and discuss how the writer uses the types of
details. Color supporting ideas in green and the details in blue.

55 | Unit 3 Parts and Characteristics of a Good Paragraph

 Good Roommates

Having good roommates makes lives more enjoyable. First, good roommates understand each
other’s need for peace and quiet after a day’s study. 1They do not make unnecessary noises. For
example, my roommate Abia and I have different class schedules. She spends the day at school, and
I attend night classes. When I come back to the apartment very tired at 10 pm, she always turns
down her music or speaks very softly on the phone with her friends. Moreover, good roommates
share useful information. 2Writer Barbara Dana once said, “A good roommate may be the single
most important thing to have when one is away at school.” It is true because Abia’s and my families
are far away. I have taken more courses at college, so I give Abia advice about classes, student
clubs, and scholarships. She helps me in a different way. While I was looking for a part-time job last
year, she told me about the job openings in her workplace. Finally, good roommates respect each
other’s differences. 3As the U.S. is a land of immigrants, it becomes the land of opportunities to learn
different cultures and religions. I have learned about the significance of Ramadan for Abia, and she
has understood the importance of Easter for me. Together, we have developed a good understanding
of each other’s beliefs. In brief, good roommates help each other become more caring, supportive,
9
and tolerant . They make living easier in this complicated world.

In the first supporting details (first blue block marked with 1): personal examples of Abia
and me

In the second supporting details (second blue block marked with 2): a quote by an expert,
personal examples of Abia and me

In the third supporting details (third blue block marked with 3): general truth, logic,
personal examples of Abia and me

Exercise 8. Use Paragraph “Good Roommates” as an example, read Paragraph “No Capital Punishment” and
discuss what types of interesting details the writer uses. Color the supporting ideas in green and the details in blue.

9. tolerant: adjective, accepting differences

Unit 3 Parts and Characteristics of a Good Paragraph | 56

 10
No Capital Punishment
11
Capital punishment should be banned because the result cannot be changed, it is killing a life,
12
and it does not stop the crime. First of all, the result of capital punishment is irreversible ; therefore,
it is important to be absolutely certain of a person’s guilt. Nevertheless, in some cases, this is simply
impossible to prove a person’s guilt with 100% certainty. What if a person is wrongly charged? The death
penalty will affect that person and his or her family forever. Next, capital punishment is killing. Killing
people for any reason is wrong. Life is sacred, and humans do not have the right to decide the lives of
others. Some people believe that capital punishment will stop criminals from committing crimes as they
will be afraid to die. However, this is not the reality. Violent cases still occur daily. For instance, on the
weekend of July 4th, 2021, Chicago Sun times reported that over 100 people were shot in Chicago and
19 of them died. That weekend was considered the deadliest and most violent in the city that year. This
shows that putting criminals to death will not reduce the crime. For these reasons, death penalty should
13
not be supported. The people and the government must find a better solution to punishing the law
breakers.

data from

https://chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2021/7/3/22561910/chicago-weekend-shootings-july-2-5-homicide-
gun-violence. Last accessed on July 10, 2021.

VII. Transitions and Paragraph Cohesion

Cohesion focuses on the link between ideas so that they flow naturally from one to the
next. When a paragraph has cohesion, ideas progress smoothly to create a connected
whole.

10. capital punishment, noun phrase, a type of punishment to kill a criminal

11. ban: verb, stop, not allowed to happen
12. irreversible: adjective, cannot go back to the original situation
13. solution: noun, the answer to a problem

57 | Unit 3 Parts and Characteristics of a Good Paragraph

 14
Imagine cohesion as a waterfall cascading smoothly and
continuously.

There are different ways to achieve cohesion. One of them

is by using transitions.

waterfall in Yellowstone National Transitions are also called connecting words. They help
Park the writer organize thoughts and guide the readers in
understanding the order of ideas clearly. Transitions are
often needed not only between supporting sentences but also within them.

Compare the two paragraphs “Applying for the John & Melanie Frieburg ESL Student
Scholarship” below. Which one is better? Why is it better? Underline the transitions in
Paragraph 2 that you do not see in Paragraph 1.

Paragraph 1

Applying for the John & Melanie Frieburg ESL Student Scholarship

Applying for the John & Melanie Frieburg ESL Student Scholarship online is not hard if you
follow these steps. Go to the scholarship page on the Harper College website and search for this
specific scholarship. Read all the information related to it: the requirements, the deadline, and the
amount of the award. Fill out the application form online completely and accurately. There are twelve
15
supplemental questions including your grades and financial situation. Do you have an average
grade of C? A paragraph about your educational aspiration is required. Get two recommendation
letters from two people who know you well. Be sure to ask them first and give them enough time
to write the letters. Proofread your application and submit before the deadline. You can always ask

14. cascade: verb, flow from high to low smoothly

15. supplemental: adjective, extra, additional

Unit 3 Parts and Characteristics of a Good Paragraph | 58

 help from the Scholarship Office, the ESL Department, or the One Stop Center. The process is easy to
follow and well worth your efforts for this special honor.

Frieburg ESL Student Scholarship winners 2015/2016

Paragraph 2

Applying for the John & Melanie Frieburg ESL Student Scholarship

Applying for the John & Melanie Frieburg ESL Student Scholarship online is not hard if you
follow these steps. First, go to the scholarship page on the Harper College website and search for this
specific scholarship. Read all the information related to it, such as the requirements, the deadline, and
the amount of the award. When you are ready, fill out the application form online completely and
accurately. There are twelve supplemental questions including your grades and financial situation.
For example, do you have an average grade of C? A paragraph about your educational aspiration is
also required. Another step is to get two recommendation letters from two people who know you
well. Be sure to ask them and give them enough time to write the letters. Finally, proofread your
application and submit before the deadline. At any stage of your application, you can always ask for
help in the Scholarship Office, the ESL Department, or the One Stop Center. As you can see, the
process is easy to follow and well worth your efforts for this special honor.

With connecting expressions like “First”, “such as”, “When you are ready”, and other
underlined transitions, Paragraph 2 explains the steps much more clearly.

How are the transitions used?

59 | Unit 3 Parts and Characteristics of a Good Paragraph

 1. The transition for the first supporting idea is often optional.
2. “Finally” is usually used to show the last supporting idea in the body of the paragraph.
It is not used right before the conclusion.
3. The transition before the concluding sentence is optional. It is actually more common
without it.
4. After most transitions, there is usually a comma, but this is not always true. There are
different types of transitions with different punctuation rules. You will learn them step
by step throughout the course.
5. Do not overuse transitions; otherwise, the paragraph will read very unnatural. As you
read and write more, you will gradually develop a sense of when a transition is or is not
necessary.

Here are some common transitions:

Meaning Transitions

Addition first, second, then, next, in addition, also, furthermore, moreover, last, finally …

but, yet, on the other hand, on the contrary, however, nevertheless, though, even
Contrast
though, although …

first, second, then, next, at ____ (clock time), in the morning (afternoon, etc.), after
Time that, soon, in the beginning, at the same time, meanwhile, at first, at last, before,
after, later, when, while, as soon as, until …

Reason for, due to, because of, because, since, as …

Result so, therefore, thus, consequently, as a result …

near, beside, next to, in front, behind, around, on the top, on the bottom, on the
Location
right/left, to the right/left, under, opposite, above, below …

Conclusion in conclusion, in summary, to sum up, in brief, for those reasons …

Example like, such as, including, for example, for instance …

Study Paragraph “Good Roommates” again. Notice how the three transitions (first,
moreover, finally) connect the supporting ideas and the transition (in brief) is used before
the concluding sentences.

Study Paragraph “No Capital Punishment” again. Notice how the transitions (first of all,
therefore, nevertheless, next, however, for instance) are used to connect ideas between
supporting ideas and within them. The transition (for these reasons) is placed before the
concluding sentence.

Unit 3 Parts and Characteristics of a Good Paragraph | 60

 Exercise 9. Choose the appropriate transitions below and type them in the boxes to finish the paragraph about a
daughter. There may be more than one correct answer, but type just one. Not all listed transitions are needed.
When you complete the entire exercise, you can click “Check” for feedback. You may retry or see all the answers.
The first one is an example.

first, second, next, in addition, also, furthermore, moreover, last, finally, for example, to sum up

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Exercise 10. Choose the appropriate transitions below and type them in the boxes to finish the paragraph about a
life lesson. There may be more than one correct answer, but type just one. Not all listed transitions are needed.
When you complete the entire exercise, you can click “Check” for feedback. You may retry or see all the answers.
The first one is an example.

however, on the first Saturday, then, after crying for an hour, while I was eating breakfast, now, at night,
finally, after that, after I arrived

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61 | Unit 3 Parts and Characteristics of a Good Paragraph

 VIII. Concluding Sentence(s)

A concluding sentence signals the end of a paragraph.

You can also write two or three sentences in this part with one or

more of the following methods:

16
1. Restates the main idea but in different
words or sentence structure.
2. Summarize the main points in the body of
the paragraph.
3. Express an opinion, make a prediction, put
forth a recommendation, or ask a question
related to the topic.
words “THE END” on wooden pieces

A conclusion must not bring up a new topic.

× For those three reasons, I enjoy swimming the most. I will also start playing
basketball next week.

16. restate: verb, write again, repeat

Unit 3 Parts and Characteristics of a Good Paragraph | 62

 Topic sentence Different ways to write a concluding sentence or concluding sentences

Restate the main idea:

• For those three reasons, I enjoy swimming the most.

Restate the main idea + summarize the supporting points in the body:

• For the benefits of physical health, mental wellbeing, and social life, I enjoy
swimming the most.

Restate the main idea + express an opinion

• For those three reasons, I enjoy swimming the most. It is the activity that
has kept me healthy in the last ten years.
Swimming is
my favorite
hobby.
Restate the main idea + make a prediction:

• For those three reasons, I enjoy swimming the most. If everyone can do this
activity regularly, this will be a very healthy country.

Restate the main idea + put forth a recommendation

• For those three reasons, I enjoy swimming the most and recommend this
healthy activity to everyone.

Restate the main idea + ask a question

• For those three reasons, I enjoy swimming the most. Shouldn’t everyone
start this hobby, too?

Exercise 11. Compare the pairs of topic sentences and concluding sentences from the paragraphs you have
studied in this unit. Then discuss in groups what method the concluding sentences use and how they relate to the
topic sentences.

63 | Unit 3 Parts and Characteristics of a Good Paragraph

 Example:

Paragraph “Missing My Childhood Days”

Topic sentence: Thanks to two people and one place, my childhood was filled with fun.

Concluding sentences: Nowadays I do not have Hector and Lisandra in my life, and my childhood
house has long been sold. However, I am grateful for having them all in my past because they have
left me with priceless memories.

The conclusion restates the main idea (they have left me with priceless memories), summarizes the
three supporting points in the body (I do not have Hector and Lisandra in my life, and my childhood
house has long been sold), and expresses an opinion (I am grateful for having them all in my past).
The conclusion relates to the topic sentence and explains the controlling idea very well.

1. Paragraph “Difficulties in English Writing”

2. Paragraph “My Special Place”
3. Paragraph “Good Roommates”
4. Paragraph “No Capital Punishment”
5. Paragraph “Applying for the John & Melanie Frieburg ESL Student Scholarship”
6. Paragraph “My Daughter”
7. Paragraph “My Valuable Life Lesson”

IX. Paragraph Completion

Each paragraph explains a complete idea and needs to have a clear ending. There are
several ways to check if the paragraph is complete:

Unit 3 Parts and Characteristics of a Good Paragraph | 64

 1. Does the paragraph have a title?
2. Is the topic sentence there?
3. If you have predictors in the topic sentence, are all
of them explained in the body of the paragraph?
4. If the supporting sentences are present, are there
details to further explain the ideas in them?
5. Do you have a concluding sentence at the end?
6. Are there proper transitions to connect ideas?

a checklist and a yellow pencil If any one part is missing, the paragraph is
incomplete.

Read the following paragraph. Is it complete? If not, discuss what is missing and how you
can improve the paragraph.

Jogging is beneficial physically, mentally, and socially. First, jogging makes people physically
fit. It not only strengthens the muscles and immune system but also helps to reduce weight. Thirty
minutes of jogging will burn about 250 calories. Extra weight causes all kinds of health problems,
17
and a daily run will help shed the extra pounds. Besides, jogging keeps people mentally healthy by
reducing their stress. Modern life is full of anxieties. Workers have project deadlines, students take
tests, parents deal with family financial challenges, and all people run into relationship issues from
18 19
time to time. According to many doctors, jogging can act as a stress reliever , boost the feel-good
hormone, and distract people from daily worries. Jogging is a simple act of activity that helps people
become healthier in many ways.

What is missing?

17. shed: verb, get rid of

18. stress reliever: noun phrase, something to reduce or take away stress
19. boost: verb, raise, improve

65 | Unit 3 Parts and Characteristics of a Good Paragraph

 1. There is no title. Add a title, such as “The Best Exercise” or “The Benefits of Jogging”.
2. The third support is missing. From the topic sentence, the readers expect to see
support in three areas: physical, mental, and social. However, the writer did not discuss
the “social” aspect of jogging. Therefore, the paragraph is incomplete. The writer
should add some information about the social benefits of jogging. Ideas could include
joining a jogging club and meeting new friends.

Exercise 12. Use the above paragraph as an example. Is the following new one complete? If not, discuss what is
missing and how you can improve the paragraph.

Unleashed dogs are dangerous to the environment, other living

beings, and even to themselves. First of all, dogs do not have minds
like humans; therefore, they often do not know what proper behavior
is in public. When they are not restricted by a leash, they can run and
step on flowers and plants in the parks. They may also leave their
waste there if their owners are unaware of it. What’s more, dogs can
frighten the pedestrians on the street. Some of them are afraid of
dogs and may experience intense fear when a dog jumps at them.
Dogs may also scare drivers. What if they lose control of their
vehicles? Other animals like ducks and geese will also find the
running and barking “strangers” threatening. Lastly, unleashed dogs
are a danger to themselves. There are many hidden holes on the
roads and in the parks, and dogs can easily fall into them and hurt
themselves. Because dogs can also cause traffic accidents, they may
be injured as well. If there is construction nearby with heavy
machinery and harmful chemicals, the consequences will be deadly
to the dogs. unleashed dogs on beach

Now you can understand better all the parts of a paragraph and how they relate to each
other. The following template is not the only way to write a paragraph, but it is a good way
to start.

Unit 3 Parts and Characteristics of a Good Paragraph | 66

a paragraph structure

X. Unit Review Practice

Exercise 13. Read the following paragraph about online learning. It is based on an outline example you studied
earlier in this unit. As you read, do the following:

Color code the paragraph:

Title – pink Topic sentence – red Supporting sentences – green

Supporting details – blue transitions – yellow Concluding sentence(s) – red

Discuss:

• Have you taken an online class? If so, have you had similar experiences as described in this paragraph?
• What types of supporting ideas and details are used to explain the main idea?
• Does the paragraph have unity?
• What types of conclusion are used?
• Is the paragraph complete?
• Is the title centered on the top line? Is the first sentence indented?
• What do you like about this paragraph?
• How do you improve the paragraph?

67 | Unit 3 Parts and Characteristics of a Good Paragraph

 Three Benefits of Online Classes
for College Students

Taking online classes helps college students in

three significant ways. First of all, online classes
provide many conveniences. Many college students
have a job, and some also need to take care of their
family. When the courses are online, the students
often do not have a fixed class time. As a result, they
can pick any shift available at work, and they can
also schedule activities with their loved ones like
going to the park or even going on a vacation. For a MacBook, a notebook, etc. on a desk
those with small children, childcare is no longer a
huge issue. In addition, some college students do not own a car, but their education will not be affected
because they can take classes remotely. Secondly, college students improve their time management
skills. I have learned to use my time more wisely. For example, during my first semester of online class, I
spent a lot of time video chatting with my friends in the beginning. My professor set all the test deadlines
by midnight each Sunday, so I postponed my study till Saturday. However, there was too much reading
and practicing then, and I simply could not complete the required study to get a good grade. In the
second half of the semester, I forced myself to make a schedule for daily study time and to be more
20
disciplined in following it. I was able to finish all the materials before the test, and my grade improved.
The most important skill through online learning is independent learning. Even though professors are
available through office hours, emails, and live sessions, students must learn to solve problems on their
own most of the times. They can do so by reading, checking dictionaries, and finding additional online
learning resources from YouTube videos or the Khan Academy website. The type of “self help” foster skills
in independent learning, which is essential in college study and future profession. Taking online classes
is challenging, but these benefits make their experiences worthwhile.

NSNT Practice

20. disciplined: adjective, self-controlled, strict with oneself

Unit 3 Parts and Characteristics of a Good Paragraph | 68

 Go to The NSNT Free Writing Approach and Additional Weekly Prompts
for Writing in Appendix A. (Open Appendix A here.) Choose two topics to
practice the steps in the writing process, including writing a paragraph for
each. You may start with the NSNT approach and then rewrite the
paragraphs. Check to see that the paragraphs have all the necessary parts
and that they follow the rules for format, unity, cohesion, and completion.

a pen writing in a notebook

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Vocabulary Review

The words here have appeared in this unit. The best way to learn them is to
guess the meaning of each word from the context. Then hover your
computer mouse over the number beside each word to check its meaning
and part of speech. These words are also listed in the footnote area at the
end of each unit.

Here, you can use the flashcards below to review these words.

a page in a dictionary
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69 | Unit 3 Parts and Characteristics of a Good Paragraph

 Summary

1. A paragraph is a group of sentences with one main idea.

2. A paragraph must follow a proper format, with the title in the center of the top line and an indent
in the beginning of the paragraph. All the sentences should be written/typed double spaced and
follow one another without starting a new line.
3. A paragraph consists of a title, a topic sentence, several supporting ideas with details, 1-2
concluding sentences, and transitions.
4. Each paragraph should have all the above necessary components. If one of them is missing, the
paragraph is not complete.
5. A title explain the topic of the paragraph or gets the readers interested in the topic. It is centered
on the first line and should follow the capitalization rules.
6. A topic sentence contains the main idea of a paragraph and is usually put in the beginning. It
must have a topic and a controlling idea. It must be a complete sentence and should not be a
fact or an announcement.
7. Supporting sentences should be detailed and should help explain the topic sentence. If anything
is irrelevant to the main idea, the paragraph will not have unity.
8. A concluding sentence restates the main idea and signals the end of the paragraph. It can include
an opinion, a suggestion, a recommendation, or a question that is related to the topic.
9. Transitions are important in guiding the readers in understanding the information in the
paragraph and providing a smooth connection between ideas. Transitions help maintain the
cohesion of a paragraph.

Media Attributions

• a group of children running and laughing outdoors © Photo by MI PHAM on Unsplash

• a hamburger © Photo by amirali mirhashemian on Unsplash
• parts of a hamburger © Photo by Pablo Merchán Montes on Unsplash
• lots of books showing titles on shelves © Photo by CHUTTERSNAP on Unsplash
• a light bulb surrounded by six circles © Pixabay
• a man sitting on a bridge over a river © Photo by Alex Azabache on Unsplash
• a rose bouquet © Photo by Enrique Avendaño on Unsplash
• a sunflower bouquet © Photo by Farrinni on Unsplash
• a balcony with a table, two chairs, and some plants © Photo by Nguyen Dang Hoang

Unit 3 Parts and Characteristics of a Good Paragraph | 70

 Nhu on Unsplash
• waterfall in Yellowstone National Park © Lin Cui is licensed under a CC BY (Attribution)
license
• ESL Scholarship winners 2015/2016 © Lin Cui is licensed under a All Rights Reserved
license
• words “THE END” on wooden pieces © Photo by Ann H from Pexels
• a checklist and a yellow pencil © Tumisu on Pixabay
• unleashed dogs on beach © Photo by Laura Stanley from Pexels
• a paragraph structure
• a MacBook, a notebook, etc. on a desk © Photo by Nick Morrison on Unsplash
• a pen writing in a notebook © Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
• a page in a dictionary © Pixabay

71 | Unit 3 Parts and Characteristics of a Good Paragraph

PART TWO PARAGRAPH WRITING
SKILLS AND ESSAY INTRODUCTION

Part Two Paragraph Writing Skills and Essay Introduction | 72

Unit 4 Enumerative Paragraphs

Learning Objectives

1. To understand what an enumerative paragraph focuses on

2. To learn to write topic sentences, supporting sentences with details, conclusion, and transitions in
enumerative paragraphs through multiple examples
3. To apply the writing process to plan and write enumerative paragraphs

I. Warm-up

washing machines and dryers in a laundromat

Read Paragraph “Public Laundromats in the U.S.A.” and do the activities that follow.

73 | Unit 4 Enumerative Paragraphs

 Public Laundromats in the U.S.A.

When I moved to Chicago, I was shocked because I had to use a public laundromat. Most
people living in the apartments do not have their own washer and dryer, but I think this situation
creates some problems for them. The transportation of dirty linen and clothes is the first problem.
People need to collect everything and go down to the apartment basement where the machines
are. Sometimes, they have to drive to the nearest laundromat if all washing machines are occupied
by their neighbors. They may wait even half a day for a free washer or dryer. The second problem
is having the exact change. Each washing costs $2.75 to $3.50. People need to frequently collect
quarters or change money in the bank. The problems do not end here. The biggest problem of using
public laundromats is hygiene. No one knows what kind of things people have washed in the same
machines: underwear, linen, cloth diapers, even shoes. One day, while waiting for an available washer,
I decided to take out a neighbor’s laundry from the washing machine because the laundry had been
there for a long time. When I did this, I felt sorry and angry. I found different things which could not be
washed together because it was not hygienic to do so. Of course, for eight months in America, I had
to use the public laundromat more than a few times because I did not have another choice. Imagine
1
my happiness and relief when I finally bought my own first washing machine!

By E. Yugay (student), ESL Writing III, Harper College. Used with permission.

1. Color code the paragraph:

Title – pink Topic sentence – red Supporting sentences – green

Supporting details – blue Transitions – yellow Concluding sentence(s) – red

2. Discuss:

• Have you had similar experiences or witnessed similar situations as described in this
paragraph?
2
• Does the writer focus on telling a story, arguing for a controversial issue, or listing
points to explain an idea?
• What types of supporting ideas and details are used to explain the main idea?
• Does the paragraph have unity?

1. relief: noun, a feeling when the worry disappeared

2. controversial: adjective, causing argument because of different opinions

Unit 4 Enumerative Paragraphs | 74

 • What information is included in the conclusion?
• Is the paragraph complete?
• Is the title centered on the topic line? Is the first sentence indented?
• What do you like about this paragraph?
• How would you improve the paragraph?
• If you could ask the writer a question, what would you ask?

II. Focus of Enumerative Paragraphs

To enumerate is to list or to count. It focuses on explaining some points to support a main

idea. You have actually studied many enumerative paragraphs in Unit 2 and Unit 3, in
addition to Paragraph “Public Laundromats in the U.S.A.” above.

• Unit 2 The Benefits of NSNT for Me

• Unit 3 Missing My Childhood Days
• Unit 3 Difficulties in English Writing
• Unit 3 My Special Place
• Unit 3 Good Roommates
• Unit 3 The Best Exercise
• Unit 3 Unleashed Dogs
• Unit 3 Three Benefits of Online Classes for College Students

Review those paragraphs for ideas, organization, language use, and format. In this unit, you
are going to learn from more examples and to write your own enumerative paragraphs.
3
Here are some more topics typical of enumerative paragraphs:

4
• Communication barriers among family members
• Characteristics of a good boss
• Benefits of owning a dog
• Reasons for coming to the U.S.
• Advice to new international students

3. typical: adjective, common, showing the nature of something

4. barrier: noun, a challenge or a difficulty that stops people from doing something

75 | Unit 4 Enumerative Paragraphs

III. Topic Sentence in Enumerative Paragraphs

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For detailed explanations and examples of topic sentences, open Unit 3 here.

The same topic can produce many different topic sentences if the controlling idea is
changed. Of course, the paragraph will be different as a result. This shows that you have the
flexibility to decide on your focus based on your interests. Write from your heart!

Study the following topic sentences and discuss how writers focus on different areas of the
same topic. You will notice that some topic sentences are more formal/academic in nature
and some are more personal.

Unit 4 Enumerative Paragraphs | 76

 Topics Topic sentences with different controlling ideas

• Three subjects often cause disagreement between teenagers and their

communication
parents.
barriers among
• I have learned to improve communication with my siblings in three
family members
areas: timing, topic, and tone.

• A good boss usually displays the following characteristics:

characteristics of a
understanding, flexibility5, and humility6.
good boss
• I love my former boss for his encouragement, fairness, and generosity7.

benefits of owning • There are thee benefits to owning a dog.

a dog • My neighbor’s puppy Skippy has brought much joy to my family.

• Pursuing freedom in religion, speech, and political affiliation is the main

reason why many people choose to immigrate to the U.S.
Reasons for
• My family came to the U.S. because we wished for good economic
coming to the U.S.
prospects8, equal educational opportunities, and a multicultural
environment.

Exercise 1. Try different controlling ideas and write at least two different topic sentences with each of the following
topics.

Example:

Advice to new international students

Topic sentence 1: New international students will adapt to a new environment better if they prepare
themselves well before leaving their native country.

Topic sentence 2: Finding a caring host family, working closely with professors and counsellors, and
joining student clubs are the best ways for new international students to succeed.

5. flexibility: noun, the quality of being willing to change

6. humility: noun, the quality of being humble, not proud
7. generosity: noun, the quality of being willing to give things to others or sharing things with others
8. prospect: noun, something about future

77 | Unit 4 Enumerative Paragraphs

 1. Ways to improve grades in this writing class
2. Advantages of technology for elderly people
3. Disadvantages of technology for young children
4. The best kitchen appliance for you
5. Your least favorite store

IV. Supporting Ideas in Enumerative Paragraphs

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For detailed explanations and examples of supporting sentences, open Unit 3 here.

In an enumerative paragraph, the supporting ideas follow a logical order. The most
important point is usually listed last. Study the paragraph below and discuss how the
writer uses different types of details – explanations, examples, and a quote – to support the
topic sentence.

The Joy of Having My Three Children

It is a blessing that I have three children, aged 15, 11, and 6. First, they are not lonely anymore.
When I had two children, they complained to me many times. My son wanted a younger brother, and
my daughter wanted a baby sister. They also fought for toys. After my third child was born, their life
changed a lot. Most times, they played with her and even taught her how to use chopsticks. Now all
three children are very happy together. As a result, I am delighted. However, with three children, I
feel really old sometimes, but they make me feel young. Each of my children has many activities, and
I am very involved in their lives. Last month, when my second child participated in a cross-country
9
competition organized by the school district, I ran next to her and cheered her on. I felt young and
energetic as if I were 16 years old again. The part I love the most is that they help me become a better
person. Each child has a different personality. Sometimes, I cannot understand why they act in a

9. cross-country competition: noun phrase, a sport of running long and different paths

Unit 4 Enumerative Paragraphs | 78

 10
certain way, but I find out that they are trying to imitate my husband and me. “Children are mirrors
of their parents”. This saying is so true. I can see my own problem through them because their action
reflects my behavior. Now I am more careful when they are around. I do not yell, I do not judge other
people, and I always say “Thank you”. I want to set a good example for them. Even though I am often
physically tired, I love them because love makes miracles happen. My children are the joy of my life.

By D. Kim (student), ESL Writing III, Harper College. Used with permission.

Exercise 2. Use two of the topic sentences you have developed from Exercise 1 to make a paragraph outline for
each. Check to see that the ideas support the topic sentence.

Example:

Parts of a Paragraph Outline Ideas

Topic sentence Three subjects often cause disagreement between teenagers and their parents.
Question: What are the three subjects?
Supporting
about friends
Sentence 1

Details 1 Teenagers: appearance, popularity; Parents: good students, good behavior

Supporting
about free time
Sentence 2

Details 2 Teenagers: games, movies, relaxing; Parents: reading, exercising, housework

Supporting
about school work
Sentence 3

Details 3 Teenagers: study not the only thing, favorite subjects; Parents: study, grades,
college majors

#1

10. imitate: verb, follow or copy someone else's behavior

79 | Unit 4 Enumerative Paragraphs

 Parts of a Paragraph Outline Ideas

Topic sentence
Question:

Supporting Sentence 1

Details 1
Supporting Sentence 2

Details 2
Supporting Sentence 3

Details 3

#2

Parts of a Paragraph Outline Ideas

Topic sentence
Question:

Supporting Sentence 1
Details 1
Supporting Sentence 2
Details 2
Supporting Sentence 3

Details 3

Exercise 3. Use Paragraph “The Joy of Having My Three Children” as an example. Add relevant information to
make Paragraph “Ways to Reduce Stress” more interesting.

Ways to Reduce Stress

Unit 4 Enumerative Paragraphs | 80

 Modern life creates a lot of anxieties in people,
but there are different ways to control stress.
Physical exercises are a common solution. (Add
some details here about how physical exercises
help reduce stress .) Another idea is talking to a
friend or family member. Someone says that
sharing feelings and experiences with others is like
releasing at least half the burdens. (Add some
details here about talking helps reduce stress.)
Besides working out and sharing, doing some a red pencil writing the word “stress”
chores will help relieve stress for some people. Many
people do not like housework, but they do not know that household work may bring a sense of calm and
normalcy. (Add some details here about how doing chores helps reduce stress.) Stress has become an
integral part of modern life. Isn’t it time for each person to find a way to handle it?

V. Conclusion in Enumerative Paragraphs

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For detailed explanations and examples of concluding sentences, open Unit 3 here.

Discuss what types of conclusion (reinstatement, summary, opinion, prediction,

recommendation, and/or question) are used in the two paragraphs you have read in this
unit.

• Public Laundromat in the U.S.A.:

Of course, for eight months in America, I had to use the public laundromat more than a

81 | Unit 4 Enumerative Paragraphs

 few times because I did not have another choice. Imagine my happiness and relief when I
finally bought my own first washing machine!

• The Joy of Having My Three Children:

Even though I am often physically tired, I love them because love makes miracles happen.
My children are the joy of my life.

Exercise 4. Read the following paragraph. Fill in the missing information as instructed.

Transportation in the Suburbs

(Start the paragraph with a topic sentence

here.) To begin with, the buses run very
11
infrequently . Some buses come once an hour,
even during the rush hours. If people miss the bus,
they will have to wait for an hour for the next one.
In that case, they will be late for their work or school.
Additionally, it is not healthy to wait for a long time
in winter. Winters can be very harsh, with heavy
snow and biting winds. People can easily catch cold.
a man waiting at a bus stop The worst part is that the buses do not cover all the
areas. (Add some details here about some
inconveniences when buses do not cover all the areas.) (Add a conclusion here to complete the
paragraph.)

VI. More Enumerative Paragraph Examples

11. infrequently: adverb, not often

Unit 4 Enumerative Paragraphs | 82

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Read each of the paragraph examples below and do the following activities:

1. Color code the paragraph:

Title – pink Topic sentence – red Supporting sentences – green

Supporting details – blue Transitions – yellow Concluding sentence(s) – red

2. Discuss:

• Have you had similar experiences or witnessed similar situations as described in this
paragraph?
• Does the writer focus on telling a story, arguing for a controversial issue, or listing
points to explain an idea?
• What types of supporting ideas and details are used to explain the main idea?
• Does the paragraph have unity?
• What information is included in the conclusion?
• Is the paragraph complete?
• Is the title centered on the topic line? Is the first sentence indented?
• What do you like about this paragraph?
• How do you improve the paragraph?
• If the writer were here, what question would you ask him/her about the paragraph?

Click for each paragraph:

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83 | Unit 4 Enumerative Paragraphs

 Exercise 5. Read the following paragraph. Is there a topic sentence? If not, add one. Is the paragraph unified? If
not, cross out the irrelevant information. Can you add more interesting supporting details?

Winter Fun at Home

Winters in some areas of America are very cold.

Many people have to stay indoors. The first
interesting thing they can do is make home a fun
zone. For example, they can set up a simple but
comfortable home theatre with just a TV and a
couch. A bag of popcorn and a cup of hot chocolate
can add to a feeling of warmth and relaxation no
matter how heavily it is snowing outside. A home
theater like this is also fun in other seasons, so they
can enjoy it year round. Second, they can make
athletic shoes, weights, jumping rope household chores into a competition, with prizes.
For instance, they have a cleaning game every
week. The older child will vacuum the carpet, the younger child will dust the furniture, and the parents
will mow the lawn. They can rotate being the judge and deciding on the prizes. Children are usually
happier to do housework when it is fun. Lastly, they can continue with physical activities at home. Gyms
can be expensive, and people have to drive there. If they have a treadmill or stationary bike at home, that
will be great. However, it is still fine without them. On the Internet, there are many training videos with
no equipment needed, so everyone can choose what he or she likes to do including aerobics and tai chi.
Winters can be long, but they do not have to be boring.

VII. Transitions in Enumerative Paragraphs

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For detailed explanations and examples of transitions, open Unit 3 here.

Unit 4 Enumerative Paragraphs | 84

You already know very well how to use transitions like “first, second, next, in addition,
finally”. They are very useful expressions but not the only ones. Take a look at a variety of
transitions used in the paragraphs in this unit. Notice the punctuation as well.

85 | Unit 4 Enumerative Paragraphs

Enumerative paragraphs in this Transitions between the supporting sentences and before
unit the conclusion

• … is the first problem.

Public Laundromats in the USA
• The second problem is …
• The problems do not end here. The biggest problem is …
• (It is OK not to have a transition before conclusion.)

• First,
• However, I feel really old sometimes, but they make me
The Joy of Having My Three
feel young.
Children
• The part I love the most is that …
• (It is OK not to have a transition before conclusion.)

• To begin with,
• The second topic the adolescents and their parents
To Communicate or Not to
often fight about is …
Communicate?
• The most frequent fight happens when …
• To sum up, (before conclusion)

• (It is OK to not to have a transition before the first

My Favorite Hobby supporting idea.)
• Besides helping me learn English,
• Third,
• For these reasons,

• First,
• Secondly,
Writing Diary
• Finally,
• (It is OK not to have a transition before conclusion.)

• First of all,
Unforgettable High School Years
• Besides the PE class,
• The last good memory comes from …
• (It is OK not to have a transition before conclusion.)

Unit 4 Enumerative Paragraphs | 86

 • (It is OK not to have a transition before the first
supporting idea.)
Homesick for Spain
• One of the reasons I miss my parents is their food. (to
connect with missing parents in the first support.)
• Finally,
• (It is OK not to have a transition before conclusion.)

• The first trouble is to …

• Once their visa is ready and they are all excited to leave,
they must …
The Inconveniences of Overseas • When the travelers are lucky to pass the security, they
Travels must face …
• In addition,
• The inconveniences do not end here.
• (It is OK not to have a transition before conclusion.)

Exercise 6. The following paragraph is adapted from one in Unit 3. The transition before each supporting sentence
is missing. Add an appropriate transition. The three supporting sentences are underlined, and you can combine
each supporting idea with the a transition. Try at least two transitions for each blank. Be careful with punctuation.
The first one is an example.

Example:

__________(transition) The balcony has a beautiful

lake view.

First, the balcony has a beautiful lake view.

The first reason I like the balcony is that it has a

lake view.

My Special Place

Most people have their own special place in the

house, and mine is my balcony. It is a wooden
structure about 2 meters wide and 8 meters long. a balcony with a table, two chairs, and some plants
__________(transition) The balcony has a beautiful
lake view. The balcony faces a small lake, and sometimes I see ducks swimming there. In the evening,
the fountain in the middle of the lake lights up with soft music in the background. I always feel serene
and mysterious with the night sky enveloping around me. __________ (transition) The balcony is a place
where I rest after a day of hard study. No one bothers me there, and the noise from the house feels far
away. My three young children often play in the living room, but they make an effort to play quietly when

87 | Unit 4 Enumerative Paragraphs

 they see me in the balcony. They know it is “mommy time”. __________ (transition) It is a place where I
reflect on my life. There are 2 pots of geranium flowers and 2 pots of cacti, a perfect harmony of pink
and green, round and thorny, soft and spiky – just like life itself, I think about my life experiences while
admiring the plants. I love my balcony!

VIII. Unit Review Practice: Writing Assignments

Now you are ready to write your own enumerative paragraph! As you have learned in Unit
2 The Writing Process (Open Unit 2 here), the best way to plan a paragraph is to follow the
proper steps.

Enumerative Paragraph Writing Assignments

You will be writing two at-home enumerative paragraphs. The second one will start after the
first one is complete. For both assignments, follow the instructions below.

Purpose: To show your understanding of planning and writing an enumerative paragraph. Use
the writing process to help you.

Topic: Choose from the list below.

Brainstorm and Outline: Brainstorm for ideas. Then organize the ideas by using one the outline
templates below. Your outline is due on _________. Bring it to class.

Paragraph: Your paragraph should have a title, a topic sentence, three supporting ideas with
details, and a conclusion. Use proper transitions to connect ideas.

Format: Type your paragraph, double spaced, font size 12, with 1-inch margins on four sides of
the page. Type your name, class, and date on the upper right-hand corner of the page. The first
line of your paragraph should be indented. Save your paragraph in a Word file.

Self Checklist: When you finish writing, use the Self Checklist below. Put a checkmark beside
each item if you think you did a good job in that area. Otherwise, improve your paragraph until
you can check off the item. Save your work again.

Unit 4 Enumerative Paragraphs | 88

 Submission: Submit your paragraph on the Blackboard. Go to your Blackboard course site and
follow the instructions there. Due by __________.

Choose one of the following topics. If you wish to write about a topic of your own, discuss with your professor
first.

1. What is the most significant change you have experienced in your life since you turned sixteen?
Explain three reasons why it is so important. (not three changes)
2. What are three reasons some students like to sit with their friends in the class?
3. What are the three reasons some people hold prejudices against some other people?
4. What are the three difficulties ESL students (or you) have in reading?
5. What are three good qualities of _____(a leader)? (Name a specific leader)
6. What are the three words to describe your personality?
7. What is an American custom you like very much? Explain three reasons why you like it. (Just one
custom, not three)
8. What is an American custom you do not like? Explain three reasons why you do not like it. (Just
one custom, not three)

Enumerative Paragraph Outline Template #1

89 | Unit 4 Enumerative Paragraphs

 Parts of a Paragraph Outline Ideas

Topic sentence
Question:

Supporting Sentence 1

Details 1
Supporting Sentence 2

Details 2
Supporting Sentence 3

Details 3

Enumerative Paragraph Outline Template #2

hamburger paragraph outline

Unit 4 Enumerative Paragraphs | 90

 Enumerative Paragraph Self Checklist

Questions Paragraph Revising and Editing Self Checklist √

1 Is my paragraph on topic and clear to understand?

2 Is my paragraph interesting to read?

3 Did I include a topic sentence with a clear controlling idea?

4 Did I include 3 supporting ideas and connect them with transitions?

5 Did I include a concluding sentence?

6 Is my paragraph unified and complete?

Did all my verbs agree with their subjects (subject-verb agreement)? Did I use proper
7
verb tenses (verb tense shift)?

8 Did I try my best to use correct sentence structure (simple, compound, complex)?

9 Did I try my best to use correct grammar such as nouns, pronouns, and others?

10 Did I try my best to have correct spelling, punctuation, and capitalization?

11 Did I follow the proper paragraph format?

Note: #7 – #10 may include more specific aspects of grammar depending on how many editing
units you have already studied.

NSNT Practice

Go to The NSNT Free Writing Approach and Additional Weekly Prompts

for Writing in Appendix A. (Open Appendix A here.) Choose two topics to
write a paragraph each. You may start with the NSNT approach and then
revise and edit the paragraphs using the Self Checklist above. You are
encouraged to share your writing with your partner and help each other
improve.

a pen writing in a notebook

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Vocabulary Review

The words here have appeared in this unit. The best way to learn them is to
guess the meaning of each word from the context. Then hover your
computer mouse over the number beside each word to check its meaning
and part of speech. These words are also listed in the footnote area at the
end of each unit.

Here, you can use the flashcards below to review these words.

a page in a dictionary
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Summary

Unit 4 Enumerative Paragraphs | 92

 1. An enumerative paragraph focuses on explaining a few points (reasons, ways, approaches,
aspects, etc.) to support a main idea.
2. An enumerative paragraph should have a title, a topic sentence, 2-4 supporting ideas with details,
a conclusion, and transitions.
3. Following the writing process (pre-writing, writing, and post-writing) can ensure a well –
organized and well – supported paragraph.

Media Attributions

• washing machines and dryers in a laundromat © Photo by Marshall Williams on

Unsplash
• a red pencil writing the word “stress” © Photo by Pedro Figueras from Pexels
• a man waiting at a bus stop © Photo by MART PRODUCTION from Pexels
• athletic shoes, weights, jumping rope © Photo by Alexandra Tran on Unsplash
• a balcony with a table, two chairs, and some plants © Photo by Nguyen Dang Hoang
Nhu on Unsplash
• hamburger paragraph © Chris Dobson is licensed under a CC0 (Creative Commons
Zero) license
• a pen writing in a notebook © Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
• a page in a dictionary © Pixabay

93 | Unit 4 Enumerative Paragraphs

Unit 5 Narrative Paragraphs

Learning Objectives

1. To learn what a narrative paragraph focuses on

2. To understand and practice narrative paragraphs with a focus on the use of time transitions, past
tenses, descriptive vocabulary, and specific supporting details
3. To study narrative paragraphs through analyzing multiple models
4. To apply the writing process to plan and write narrative paragraphs

I. Warm – Up

a man sitting on a chair at an airport

Read Paragraph “My Worst Trip” and do the activities that follow.

Unit 5 Narrative Paragraphs | 94

 My Worst Trip

My experiences at Miami Airport and during the flight to Chicago on September 29, 2007
were terrible because I could not understand English. I came from Mexico, and that was my first
connecting trip out of my own country. After a long flight from my native country, I arrived at Miami
Airport. I had been so excited walking in an American airport until a uniformed officer asked me
something in English. I felt nervous because I did not speak English and did not know how to answer
her questions. I just shook my head. I was not walking excitedly anymore because I realized that I did
not speak the language. I already began to miss my own country! Suddenly, I looked at my watch, and
it said 12:30 pm. I was so hungry that I needed to eat something. I had not eaten much on my first
flight. I went to a small restaurant in the airport, looked at the pictures of the menu on the screen,
and decided to have a coke and a sandwich. I could not see clearly or read what kind of sandwich
1
that was, but it looked scrumptious . I was just going to point to the picture and tell the waiter what I
wanted. He came and spoke fast. Because I did not understand, I felt I had to say “Ok”. Well, he gave
2
me a different meal, and it cost me almost $20! This situation was awful . I ate the meal in sad silence.
I could not tell what it tasted like because I was tired and upset. Finally, I got on my flight to Chicago
in the evening. On the plane, I wanted to drink water, but I did not know how to ask for it. I just stayed
3
in my seat quietly and felt despondent . In the end, I met my family at the airport in Chicago at 11:30
pm. On our way home, I told them about my nightmare. They comforted me, “Don’t worry. All will be
4
fine.” However, I could not shake off the feeling that I had just had a rocky start on my life in this new
country. On that day, I made a promise to myself that I would have to study English really hard.

By student, ESL Writing III, Harper College. Used with permission.

1. Color code the paragraph:

Title – pink Background information– purple

Topic sentence – red Beginning of the story – green

Middle of the story – blue End of the story – green

Transitions – yellow Concluding sentence(s) – red

1. scrumptious: adjective, delicious

2. awful: adjective, terrible
3. despondent: adjective, feeling sad and hopeless
4. a rocky start: noun phrase, not a smooth beginning

95 | Unit 5 Narrative Paragraphs

2. Discuss:

• What was your experience on your trip to the U.S.? Did you have a similar experience
as the writer?
• Does the writer focus on telling a story, arguing for a controversial issue, or listing
points to explain an idea?
• How is this paragraph similar to the ones you have studied in Unit 4 Enumerative
Paragraphs?
• How is this paragraph different from the ones in Unit 4?
• What types of supporting ideas and details are used to explain the main idea?
• What do you like about this paragraph?
• How would you improve the paragraph?
• If you could ask the writer a question, what would you ask?

II. Focus of Narrative Paragraphs

Narration is a description of an experience, an event, a story, or a situation to show a point

of view. You have already studied a narrative paragraph in Unit 3: My Valuable Life Lesson.

Narrative paragraphs have:

• a beginning: How did the story start?

• a middle: How did it progress?
• an ending: How did it end?

As you are telling a story in this type of

paragraph, it is important to:

1. provide the background information about

the story: what, who, when, where. If
an opened book with a leaf
applicable, include the information on why
and how. The information is usually given in the beginning.
2. use past tenses as you narrate a past experience or event.
3. guide the readers in understanding the event by using appropriate time expressions
and arrange the information in chronological order, meaning time order.
4. use appropriate descriptive words and details to help the readers feel as if they were

Unit 5 Narrative Paragraphs | 96

 experiencing the event in person.

Exercise 1. Read the following paragraph titles. Which ones can be appropriate titles for narrative paragraphs?
What will the paragraphs be about? Click “True” for appropriate narrative titles and “False” for non-narrative
titles. You will get instant feedback after each sentence. The explanation is given in blue.

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III. Topic Sentence in Narration

Read Paragraph “My Worst Trip” again. How does the writer start the paragraph? The
beginning contains the topic sentence and background information.

Unit 5 Narrative Paragraphs | 98

 Parts for the Beginning of
Ideas
the Paragraph
What (topic) my experiences at Miami Airport and during the flight to Chicago

Controlling Idea terrible

Who I
When September 29, 2007, after a long flight from my native country

Where Miami Airport and on the plane to Chicago

Why (if applicable) I could not understand English.

How (if applicable) –

• My experiences at Miami Airport and during the flight to

Ways to Write the
Chicago on September 29, 2007 were terrible because I could
Beginning
not understand English. I came from Mexico, and that was my
first connecting trip out of my own country. After a long flight
from my native country, I arrived at Miami Airport. (3 sentences)

Study one more example:

Parts for the Beginning of

Ideas
the Paragraph

What (topic) a shopping trip

Controlling Idea exhausting

Who my sister and I

When Black Friday, 2019

Where Woodfield Mall

Why (if applicable) to get good deals on Christmas gifts for family and friends
How (if applicable) –

• My sister and I had an exhausting5 shopping trip in the

Woodfield Mall. It was Black Friday, 2019. We wanted to get good
deals on Christmas gifts for our family and friends. (3 sentences)
Ways to Write the
• On Black Friday in 2019, my sister and I had an exhausting
Beginning
shopping trip in the Woodfield Mall. We wanted to get good
deals on Christmas gifts for our family and friends. (2 sentences)
• To get good deals on Christmas gifts for our family and friends,
my sister and I had an exhausting shopping in the Woodfield
Mall on Black Friday in 2019. (1 sentence)

99 | Unit 5 Narrative Paragraphs

 Exercise 2. Use the above examples as models. Fill in the information for the next three topics. In #3, you think of a
topic of your own. Try writing your topic sentence with background information in one, two, or three sentences.

#1

Parts for the Beginning of the

Ideas
Paragraph
What (topic) My first visit to Harper College

Controlling Idea
Who

When
Where
Why (if applicable)

How (if applicable)

Ways to Write the Beginning

#2

Parts for the Beginning of the

Ideas
Paragraph
What (topic) My family’s most important day
Controlling Idea

Who
When
Where
Why (if applicable)

How (if applicable)

Ways to Write the Beginning

#3

5. exhausting: adjective, very tiring

Unit 5 Narrative Paragraphs | 100

 Parts for the Beginning of the
Ideas
Paragraph

What (topic)

Controlling Idea
Who

When
Where

Why (if applicable)

How (if applicable)

Ways to Write the Beginning

IV. Supporting Ideas in Chronological Order and with

Time Transitions

Chronological Order

The information in the middle of the paragraph is going to be the main part of the story.
All the events are arranged chronologically. What happened first is written first, what
happened next is explained next, and so on. One way to make sure of the correct order is to
draw a timeline. This could be used as a brief outline for a paragraph. Below is a timeline for
an interview experience:

an interview timeline

101 | Unit 5 Narrative Paragraphs

Time Transitions

Another important aspect of narration is to use appropriate time expressions. They are
transitions to guide the readers through the narration. You have already learned different
transitions in Unit 3 Parts and Characteristics of a Good Paragraph and Unit 4 Enumerative
Paragraphs. (For reviews, open Unit 3 here and Unit 4 here.)

Here are some time transitions. As you study them, pay attention to their punctuation.

Adverbs Other adverbs and adverbial Prepositional phrases

phrases
(in the beginning of a sentence (in the beginning of a sentence
– comma after them) (in the beginning of a sentence – comma after them)
– comma after them)
(at the end of a sentence – no
(at the end of a sentence – no comma)
comma)

First, Right away, At first,

Second, Immediately, At last,

Next, Suddenly, At the end,

Meanwhile, Quickly, After that,

Then (usually no comma after Soon, After a while,

it)
Moments later, In the meantime,
Finally,
A short while later, In an instant,
Lastly,
Initially, Subsequently, Before dinner,
…
That morning, At 10 am,

The following day, At noon,

… In the morning,

Until the end of the class,

Unit 5 Narrative Paragraphs | 102

 Dependent clauses
Complete sentences
(before independent clauses – comma after them)
(period after them)
(after independent clauses – no comma)

When I woke up, Time went by quickly.

While I was driving, This was not the end of the ordeal.

Until it was midnight, Surprises continued.

Since he started the semester, Misfortune goes hand in hand6.

As it was happening, More good news followed.

As soon as they arrived home, Two hours passed.

Before he left for work, I was not prepared for the next event

After the test was over, My work finally ended at 5 pm.

… …

Review Paragraph “My Worst Trip” in the beginning of this unit and discuss how the writer
uses a variety of time transitions.

Read the new paragraph “My Memorable Interview” below. It is developed based on the
timeline above. The time transitions are underlined. Discuss:

1. How does the writer begin the paragraph? What is the topic sentence? What is the
controlling idea? What is the background information (what, who, when, where)?
2. Does the paragraph follow chronological order?
3. How are different types of time transitions used with different punctuations?
(underlined)

6. Misfortune goes hand in hand: a saying, bad things happen one after another.

103 | Unit 5 Narrative Paragraphs

 My Memorable Interview

In my last year of high school in Japan, I learned an important lesson from a memorable
interview. I had applied to the Social Welfare Department of the college that I wanted to enter. To be
accepted, I had to pass an interview and answer questions about a book the college professors had
assigned. The book, What is the True Wealth, was a very famous book among the people studying
social welfare in Japan. One month before the interview, I read the book but understood the topic
7
only superficially . To help myself understand the topic better, I then bought another book
that described the current social situation in Japan. After reading it many times, I was able to
understand the topic of social welfare more clearly. In the middle of February, I flew to the college
for the interview. It was not a cold day, but I had chills because of tension. I had never visited the
prefecture where the college was located, so I felt the strain I had never felt before. The interview
day arrived. The applicants were called in one by one from the waiting room. As soon as my name
was called, I took a deep breath before entering with a smile. The interview room was small, with
six professors sitting across the table. It appeared to be a normal interview situation, but when five
cards were put side by side on the table, I realized that it was not! I could not understand what the
cards were for. My nervousness grew. One professor instructed, “Please choose one card on the desk.
You will see our first question there about the assigned book.” It was like a card game! Fortunately,
I answered the question calmly and clearly. During the interview, I expressed my opinions
with confidence, thanks to the two books which I had read. At the end of the interview, one professor
asked me, “Have you read another book besides our assigned one?” At that time, I thought, “Good for
me!” I spoke about my additional book and explained why I had chosen it, what I had learned from
it, and how it had helped me with the interview. The professors looked impressed. I was so glad that
I almost jumped for joy. They nodded to me and to each other. That afternoon, I flew back home,
feeling happy. From this experience, I have learned a lesson essential to my success. It is important
8
to prepare elaborately before an important event. Hard work in advance would give me confidence
and help me in unexpected situations.

By C. Kotani (student), ESL Writing III, Harper College. Used with permission.

Exercise 3. Read Paragraph “The Day My Daughter Was Born” and discuss:

1. How does the writer begin the paragraph? What is the topic sentence? What is the controlling idea? What is
the background information (what, who, when, where, why)?
2. Does the paragraph follow chronological order?

7. superficially: adverb, on the surface, not deeply

8. elaborately: adverb, with great care and effort

Unit 5 Narrative Paragraphs | 104

 3. Underline the time transitions. How are different types of time transitions used with different punctuations?

The Day My Daughter Was Born

The day I met my daughter Ela has been the most significant day in my life. When I was in my
38th week of pregnancy, my husband and I went to the hospital for a routine pre-natal exam. While the
doctor was checking me, she said, “We have to take the baby.” We were so shocked. If I had not had
a problem, she would not have said such a thing. Right away, she started to explain my problem. My
daughter could not move herself because there was not enough water in my womb. Upon hearing this,
I wanted to go back to my house to bring the baby stuff, but she did not allow me. My husband was little
panicked, for he did not know what to do. Actually, I was so scared and also excited at the same time.
My daughter was coming to my life! Our family had been waiting for her arrival for a long time, and we
could not wait to take her into our arms. In the next ten minutes, the doctor did some tests on me and
took me to the surgery room. I was not aware how many minutes or hours had passed. When I opened
my eyes, everything had already finished. My first question was if she was OK. My doctor reassured me,
“Don’t worry. She is OK”. After that, the medical staff took me to my room. All my family members were
waiting eagerly there. I asked my husband if he had seen our daughter. He said no. We could not wait to
see her, and we were so happy, for she was born without any problem. Everybody in the room was happy
and asking how I was feeling. I had totally forgotten myself! Soon, the doctor brought her to the room,
and I will never forget the moment when I laid my eyes on her for the first time. I cried so much from
happiness. There was my little baby Ela, so tiny and soft, and most important all, so beautiful! Her “baby
smell” was the most heart-warming scent. My husband’s face was full of joyful pride. Everyone wanted
to hold Ela for a second but stopped as she was sleeping soundly. At that moment, I understood that
my life would change forever because of this precious new life. I promised myself and her that I would
always be by her side.

By Z. Turkmen (student), ESL Writing III, Harper College. Used with permission.

V. Past Tenses in Narration

In most narrative paragraphs, you are describing past events, so you need to use mostly
past tenses even though present and future tenses are also possible in some parts of the
paragraph. Past tenses include simple past, past progressive, past perfect, and past perfect
progressive, and future past. However, the most common one is the simple past.

105 | Unit 5 Narrative Paragraphs

There are detailed explanations and practice in verb tenses from Unit 11 through Unit 14 in
this book. (Open Unit 11 Present Tenses, Unit 12 Past Tenses, Unit 13 Future Tenses, Unit 14
Mixed Tenses here.)

Review paragraphs “My Worst Trip”, “My Memorable Interview”, and “The Day My Daughter
Was Born”. Underline all the past tense verbs and discuss how these verbs are used.

Read another new paragraph “A significant Meeting” below and discuss:

1. What is the topic sentence? What is the controlling idea?

2. What is the background information (what, who, when, where)?
3. Does the writer explain the event in chronological order?
4. How are different types of time transitions used?
5. Underline all the verbs in past tenses. Why are some verbs in past perfect (bold-faced),
one in past progressive (bold-faced), and one in simple future (bold-faced)?

A Significant Meeting

My first meeting with my future husband in real life on

March 18, 2017 was so significant that it changed my life. This was
my first visit to the U.S.A when I met Sergey. We had
communicated and seen each other only through the Internet
before that. Our meeting happened in beautiful New York City.
The smell of early spring, with blooming trees, sunny weather,
and breathtaking views of this city, reinforced my romantic mood.
I woke up very early to prepare for the meeting that was
supposed to happen at breakfast. I arrived at the restaurant
before 10 am. 10 am was not a perfect time for a romantic date,
but we had planned to spend the whole day together and visit
sights. Just then, Sergey called to apologize that he had overslept
on his flight to New York and would not arrive until 11 pm. I
became very angry and disappointed. I could not believe how a

a hand holding pink and blue

heart-shaped lollipop candy

Unit 5 Narrative Paragraphs | 106

 9 10 11
person could approach such an important event so irresponsibly . As a result, I assumed that he
would not be my destiny and my second half. When I arrived back at the hotel, I suddenly noticed
a man standing with flowers and staring at me with a guilty look. He was wearing a formal gray
suite with a matching tie. After a couple of seconds, I realized this man was Sergey! He had gotten
a few transfers to arrive earlier than expected. I was so surprised to see him at that moment. I did
not know whether to be joyful or angry, but I instantly forgot about the morning case. Of course, I
12
gave him one star for diligence . During our live communication, all invisible borders were erased.
We quickly connected and understood each other. His surprises did not end at our lunch. He gave me
a helicopter flight over the city! I was in heaven with happiness and beauty around me. In addition,
Sergey had another surprise at dinner. He produced two tickets, for the most anticipated fight show
of the year by my favorite boxer Gennady Golovkin in the famous Madison Square. I could not believe
that another dream would come true that day. At the end of that fantastic day, I came to realize that
13
my future husband was very attentive . He had remembered everything that I loved and dreamed
14
about. He fulfilled my one desire after another. Sergey was like a genie , and I possessed his lamp.
By the end of our first day together, I had decided to give him all stars and pluses. Our meeting
15
transformed my whole life, and these first happy moments will remain forever in my memories.

By E. Yugay (student), ESL Writing III, Harper College. Used with permission.

Exercise 4. Read Paragraph “Meeting My Best Friends” and fill in each blank with the correct verb tense. When
you finish this exercise, you can click “Check” to see how you did. You can retry or see all the answers. The first one
is an example.

9. approach: verb, handle, deal with

10. irresponsibly: adverb, not responsibly, carelessly
11. assume: verb, guess or think based on what has happened
12. diligence: noun, good efforts
13. attentive: adjective, giving careful attention
14. genie: noun, a spirit that makes wishes come true for people
15. transform: verb, change in significant ways

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VI. Descriptive Vocabulary and Details in Narration

Words are your tools in writing. Choosing specific, descriptive words will help your readers
“see” or “picture” the event you are describing. Read the pairs of sentences below and
discuss which sentence is better in each pair.

• They have a large house.

• They have a 2-story, red brick house.

• An old man walked on the street.

16
• An eighty-seven-year-old man stumbled along Algonquin Road.

• Mrs. Kim is the best teacher I have ever had.

• Mrs. Kim is the most humorous and hardworking teacher I have ever had.

In each pair, the second sentence helps the reader “see” the house, the man, and Mrs.

16. stumble: verb, walk unsteadily, as if going to fall

Unit 5 Narrative Paragraphs | 108

 17
Kim more vividly . Using descriptive words will make your writing more interesting and
effective.

Words like “big, good, nice, great, bad” are very general and can be replaced by other better,
more interesting ones. Many of the words below are “sensory” words that describe sight,
sound, smell, flavor, and feeling.

General Vocabulary Descriptive Vocabulary

Afraid fearful, frightened, petrified, scared, terrified …
Ask/Say/Tell beg, command, instruct, murmur, order, plead, whisper, wonder …

Bad damaging, detrimental, disadvantageous, harmful, negative …

Big bulky, colossal, enormous, gigantic, huge, immense, massive, vast…

Delicious appetizing, flavorful, rich, mouth-watering, savory, scrumptious, succulent …

Happy cheerful, content, delighted, ecstatic, elated, exhilarated, joyful …

critical, crucial, essential, life-changing, momentous, significant, vital,

Important
weighty …

Look gaze, glance, glare, glimpse, inspect, marvel, peep, stare …

Nervous anxious, concerned, fretful, uneasy, unsettled, worried …

Walk hop, ramble, scamper, scuttle, stride, stroll, strut, stumble, tiptoe …

Before you use any new vocabulary, make sure you check an English-English dictionary
to see its exact meaning and use it only when appropriate. Try using two or three new
descriptive words in each paragraph you write.

Details are the key to interesting paragraphs. In a narrative paragraph, details in the middle
18
of the narration – how the story progresses – are even more critical .

As you learned in the earlier units, color-coding is a helpful strategy to make sure:

• The paragraph has all the essential parts.

• All the parts are in the right order.

17. vividly: adverb, lively and brightly

18. critical: adjective, extremely important

109 | Unit 5 Narrative Paragraphs

 • Some parts need to be longer and more detailed.

Here is the color-coded paragraph “The Worst Trip” you read in the beginning of this unit.
Discuss:

1. Which color covers the most information?

2. How does the part in blue help you “see” or “experience” what the writer was going
through?
3. Underline some descriptive or specific vocabulary . In what way does it make the
paragraph more interesting?

My Worst Trip

My experiences at Miami Airport and during the flight to Chicago on September 29, 2007
were terrible because I could not understand English. I came from Mexico, and that was my first
connecting trip out of my own country. After a long flight from my native country, I arrived at Miami
Airport. I had been so excited walking in an American airport until a uniformed officer asked me
something in English. I felt nervous because I did not speak English and did not know how to answer
her questions. I just shook my head. I was not walking excitedly anymore because I realized that I did
not speak the language. I already began to miss my own country! Suddenly, I looked at my watch, and
it said 12:30 pm. I was so hungry that I needed to eat something. I had not eaten much on my first
flight. I went to a small restaurant in the airport, looked at the pictures of the menu on the screen,
and decided to have a coke and a sandwich. I could not see clearly or read what kind of sandwich
that was, but it looked scrumptious. I was just going to point to the picture and tell the waiter what I
wanted. He came and spoke fast. Because I did not understand, I felt I had to say “Ok”. Well, he gave
me a different meal, and it cost me almost $20! This situation was awful. I ate the meal in sad silence.
I could not tell what it tasted like because I was tired and upset. Finally, I got on my flight to Chicago
in the evening. On the plane, I wanted to drink water, but I did not know how to ask for it. I just stayed
in my seat quietly and felt despondent. In the end, I met my family at the airport in Chicago at 11:30
pm. On our way home, I told them about my nightmare. They comforted me, “Don’t worry. All will be
fine.” However, I could not shake off the feeling that I had just had a rocky start on my life in this new
country. On that day, I made a promise to myself that I would have to study English really hard.

By student, ESL Writing III, Harper College. Used with permission.

Exercise 5. Try to write a new sentence with descriptive vocabulary by replacing the words underlined.

Unit 5 Narrative Paragraphs | 110

 Example:

The family carried the big mattress into the small apartment.

Improved: The family carried the bulky mattress into the one-bedroom apartment.

1. The big cruise ship has 18 decks and is 1188 feet long.
2. My upcoming interview is going to be important to my career.
3. The family made a big decision to immigrant to the U.S. one year
ago.
4. The mother walked into the baby’s room quietly.
5. The graduates walked proudly onto the stage to receive their
diploma.
6. Some parents have a bad influence on their children.
7. In darkness, I was very afraid when I heard a strange noise behind
me.
a cruise ship
8. I love looking at the stars in the night sky.
9. The mom said no, but the boy still asked for more ice cream.
10. The students are nervous about their grades.

Exercise 6. Use Paragraph “My Worst Trip” you just discussed as an example. Color code Paragraph “My
Memorable Interview” as follows and discuss the questions below.

1. Color code the paragraph:

Title – pink Background information– purple

Topic sentence – red Beginning of the story – green

Middle of the story – blue End of the story – green

Transitions – yellow Concluding sentence(s) – red

2. Discuss:

• Which color covers the most information?

• How does the part in blue help you “see” or “experience” what the writer was going through?
• Underline the descriptive or specific vocabulary. In what way does it make the paragraph more
interesting?

111 | Unit 5 Narrative Paragraphs

VII. More Narrative Paragraph Examples

As you read more narrative paragraphs below, you may color code them as you have done
for the earlier paragraphs.

Discuss:

1. How does the writer start the paragraph? How many sentences does the writer have
for the topic sentence and background information? What is the controlling idea?
2. Does the background information include what, who, when, and where?
3. Are the events arranged in chronological order?
4. What different types of time transitions are used?
5. Does all the information in the story support the main idea?
6. Is the middle of the story the longest in the paragraph?
7. Underline some specific descriptions. How do they help make the story more
interesting?
8. Does the writer use past tenses to narrate the story? Are present and future tenses
used? If so, why is the past tense changed to a present or future one?
9. What do you like about the paragraph? How would you like to improve it?
10. If you could ask the writer one question, what question would it be?

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Exercise 7. Read the following two paragraphs. You may color code them as you have done for the earlier
paragraphs. Discuss the following questions in your group.

Unit 5 Narrative Paragraphs | 112

 1. What is the topic sentence? Is there a controlling idea in the topic sentence? If not, write one.
2. Does the background information include what, who, when, and where? If something is missing,
add it.
3. Are the events arranged in chronological order? If not, correct the order.
4. Does all the information in the story support the main idea? If anything is irrelevant, cross it out.
5. Are the transitions used appropriately? If a transition is wrong, correct it. If a transition is missing,
add it.
6. Are there enough descriptive details in the middle of the story? What more ideas can you add?
7. Does the writer use correct past tenses to narrate the story?
8. Are there any present and future tenses? If so, why is there a shift in verb tenses?
9. What do you like about the paragraph?
10. If you could ask the writer one question, would question would you ask?

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VIII. Unit Review Practice: Writing Assignments

Now you are ready to write your own narrative paragraph! As you have learned in Unit 2 The
Writing Process, (Open Unit 2 here.) the best way to plan a paragraph is to follow the proper
steps.

Narrative Paragraph Writing Assignments

You will be writing two at-home narrative paragraphs. The second one will start after the first one is
complete. For both assignments, follow the instructions below.

113 | Unit 5 Narrative Paragraphs

Purpose: To show your understanding of planning and writing a narrative paragraph. Use the writing
process to help you.

Topic: Choose from the list below.

Brainstorm and Outline: Brainstorm for ideas. Then use one of the templates below to make an outline.
Your outline is due on _________. Bring it to class.

Paragraph: Your paragraph should have a title, a topic sentence, background information, beginning of
the story, middle of the story with details, the end of the story, a conclusion, and appropriate time
transitions. Include at least 5 descriptive vocabulary from Section VI in this unit (Descriptive Vocabulary
and Details in Narration).

Format: Type your paragraph, double spaced, font size 12, with 1-inch margins on four sides of the page.
Type your name, class, and date on the upper right-hand corner of the page. The first line of your
paragraph should be indented. Save your paragraph in a Word file.

Self Checklist: When you finish writing, use the Self Checklist below. Put a checkmark beside each item
if you think you did a good job in that area. Otherwise, improve your paragraph until you can check off
the item. Save your work again.

Submission: Submit your paragraph on the Blackboard. Go to your Blackboard course site and follow
the instructions there. Due by __________.

Choose one of the following topics. If you wish to write about a topic of your own, discuss with your professor
first.

1. Your first class (reading, writing, grammar, communication skills, or another class) experience at
Harper College
2. A time when you helped someone in need
3. Your proudest moment
4. Your most embarrassing experience
5. A disappointing shopping trip
6. An experience where you got to know yourself better
7. An experience where you got to know another person better
8. An experience that changed your opinion of an event
9. An interview you had (any kind of interview)
10. The day when you got your first cell phone

Unit 5 Narrative Paragraphs | 114

 Narrative Paragraph Outline Template #1

Topic: _____________________

Controlling idea: ____________________

Background information:

What: ____________________________________

When: ____________________________________

Where: ___________________________________

Who: _____________________________________

Topic + controlling idea + background information (1 – 3 complete sentences):

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________

a narrative timeline

Narrative Paragraph Outline Template #2

Topic: _____________________

Controlling idea: ____________________

Background information:

What: ____________________________________

115 | Unit 5 Narrative Paragraphs

When: ____________________________________

Where: ___________________________________

Who: _____________________________________

Topic + controlling idea + background information (1 – 3 complete sentences):

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________

Beginning of the story:

Middle of the story:

End of the story:

Narrative Paragraph Self Checklist

Unit 5 Narrative Paragraphs | 116

 Questions Paragraph Revising and Editing Self Checklist √

1 Is my paragraph on topic and clear to understand?

2 Did I include a topic sentence with a clear controlling idea?

Did I include background information on what, who, when, and where in the
3
beginning?

4 Did I include interesting, descriptive details that support the main idea?

5 Did I have a beginning, a middle (the longest), and an ending?

6 Did I narrate the story in chronological order? Did I use proper time expressions?

Did all my verbs agree with their subjects (subject-verb agreement)? Did I use proper
7
past tenses and other tenses?

8 Did I try my best to use correct sentence structure (simple, compound, complex)?

Did I try my best to use correct grammar such as nouns, pronouns, word form, word
9
order, and others?

10 Did I try my best to have correct spelling, punctuation, and capitalization?

11 Did I follow the proper paragraph format?

12 Did I include at least 5 vocabulary words from Section VI?

Note: #7 – #10 may include more specific aspects of grammar depending on how many editing
units you have already studied.

NSNT Practice

Go to The NSNT Free Writing Approach and Additional Weekly Prompts

for Writing in Appendix A. (Open Appendix A here.) Choose two topics to
write a paragraph each. You may start with the NSNT approach and then
revise and edit the paragraphs using the Self Checklist above. You are
encouraged to share your writing with your partner and help each other
improve.

a pen writing in a notebook

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117 | Unit 5 Narrative Paragraphs

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Vocabulary Review

The words here have appeared in this unit. The best way to learn them is to
guess the meaning of each word from the context. Then hover your
computer mouse over the number beside each word to check its meaning
and part of speech. These words are also listed in the footnote area at the
end of each unit.

Here, you can use the flashcards below to review these words.

a page in a dictionary
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Unit 5 Narrative Paragraphs | 118

 Summary

1. A narrative paragraph focuses on describing an event, an experience, or a story.

2. A narrative paragraph should have a title, a beginning with a topic sentence and background
information, a middle with details, and an ending.
3. Descriptive vocabulary and details will make the paragraph interesting.
4. The story should be narrated in the chronological order and should use proper time transitions.
5. Past tenses are used primarily, but other tenses are often needed, too.
6. Following the writing process (pre-writing, writing, and post-writing) can ensure a well- organized
and well-supported paragraph.

Media Attributions

• a man sitting on a chair at an airport © Photo by Marco López on Unsplash

• an opened book with a leaf © Photo by Kaboompics .com from Pexels
• an interview timeline © Lin Cui is licensed under a CC0 (Creative Commons Zero)
license
• a hand holding pink and blue heart-shaped lollipop candy © Photo by Sharon
McCutcheon on Unsplash
• a cruise ship © Lin Cui is licensed under a CC0 (Creative Commons Zero) license
• a narrative timeline © Lin Cui is licensed under a CC0 (Creative Commons Zero) license
• a pen writing in a notebook © Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
• a page in a dictionary © Pixabay

119 | Unit 5 Narrative Paragraphs

Unit 6 Essay Introduction

Learning Objectives

1. To learn what an essay is

2. To understand the similarities and differences between a paragraph and an essay
3. To learn through writing samples how to transition from writing a paragraph to writing an essay
4. To understand how the components of an essay relate to each other: hook, thesis statement,
introductory paragraph, supporting paragraphs, and concluding paragraph
5. To practice writing a five-paragraph essay

I. Warm-up

people pressing hands together

Read the following paragraph and essay. Discuss the questions that follow.

Unit 6 Essay Introduction | 120

 Paragraph

Places in Making American Friends

There are three places to make friends in the United States. The first place is in the
neighborhood. When I visited the U.S. as a child ten years ago, I met an American girl whose house
was near mine. We were shy in the beginning but soon started riding our bikes in the neighborhood.
1
We chased each other and had a good time. A few months later, her family moved to another state.
2
I have fond memories of her and think that we will be able to reconnect and renew our friendship
if we meet again. Secondly, going to an American school provides an opportunity to make friends.
I attended an American elementary school for about six months. I was very nervous about being
the only one who looked different. However, some classmates and teachers were kind enough to
approach me. They were very understanding even though I did not always understand them. Some
of them even helped me with school work and in the gym class. As a young girl in a foreign country,
I was very grateful for their friendship. Now I am in America again. I need and value friendship as
much as when I was a child. I go to a church once a week and attend a Bible study class where I
meet many young adults. There, I have made some friends with whom I talk about not only God but
also different cultures. For example, some of them are interested in Japanese music and Anime, so
I share some of my favorite music and Anime with them. Sometimes I teach Japanese to them, and
they teach English to me. Exchanging information with each other is a good way of establishing and
3
strengthening the relationship. I have learned from my experiences in the neighborhood, school,
and church in America over the years that with an open and sincere heart, I am able to find good
friends.

By M. Ohbayashi (student), ESL Writing III, Harper College. Used with permission.

Essay

Places in Making American Friends

When I was a child, I had an opportunity to come to the United States a few times to visit
my grandmother, uncle, and aunt, who were living in the U.S. Many years later, in January 2020, my
mother and I were able to immigrate here. Since I was not an outgoing type of person, I had just a

1. chase: verb, run in order to catch someone

2. fond: adjective, good, loving
3. strengthen: verb, make or become strong

121 | Unit 6 Essay Introduction

 few friends in Japan. However, I have met a lot of Americans and have been able to make friends with
some of them. The three places to make friends in the U.S. for me are my neighborhood, school, and
church.

The first place is in the neighborhood. When I visited the U.S. as a child ten years ago, I met an
American girl whose house was near mine. We were shy in the beginning but soon started riding our
bikes in the neighborhood. We chased each other and had a good time. I also went to the pool with
my grandmother and her family in summer. Although the pool was deep and I was scared, she and
her family helped me enjoy swimming without fear. Besides riding bikes and swimming, we both
loved dogs. We each had one. Even the dogs became friends as we played with them with balls. A
few months later, her family moved to another state. I have fond memories of her and think that we
will be able to reconnect and renew our friendship if we meet again.

Secondly, going to an American school provides an opportunity to make friends. I attended an

American elementary school for about six months. I was very nervous about being the only one who
looked different. I also did not know how to behave differently in an American school. However, some
classmates and teachers were kind enough to approach me. They spoke slowly and patiently with
simple English words. They were very understanding even though I did not always understand them.
Some of them even helped me with school work and in the gym class. As a young girl in a foreign
country, I was very grateful for their friendship. Thanks to them, school became wonderful to me.

Now I am in America again. I need and value friendship as much as when I was a child. I go to
a church once a week. One day I met a girl who was studying Japanese. We began to talk with each
other. She invited me to a Bible study class, and there I met many young adults. In the beginning, I felt
nervous and shy just like the time when I attended the American elementary school for the first time
many years before. However, as time went by, I started to like the Bible study class and made some
friends with whom I talk about not only God but also different cultures. For example, some of them
are interested in Japanese music and Anime, so I share some of my favorite music and Anime with
them. Sometimes I teach Japanese to them, and they teach English to me. Exchanging information
with each other is a good way of establishing and strengthening the relationship.

Fortunately, I have met many kind Americans who have become my good friends. Though
my shyness sometimes stands in the way, I have been trying hard to overcome it by initiating
conversations with as many people as possible. I have learned that with an open and sincere heart, I
am able to find good friends.

By M. Ohbayashi (student), Writing III, Harper College. Used with permission.

Discussion Questions:

1. How do you make American friends? Do you share some of the experiences the writer
has described?
2. What is the main idea in the paragraph? What is the main idea in the essay?

Unit 6 Essay Introduction | 122

 3. How many paragraphs does the essay have?
4. What are the three places of making American friends in the paragraph? Are the
same three places explained in the essay?
5. What does the essay have that the paragraph does not? Do the extra details make the
essay better supported and more interesting?
6. From the above two pieces of writing, what have you discovered about the similarities
and differences between a paragraph and an essay?
7. If you could ask the writer one question, what would you ask?

You have learned and practiced how to write well-organized, well-developed paragraphs.
4
Now it is time to expand your writing expertise to essays!

II. Similarities and Differences Between a Paragraph

and an Essay

In Unit 3 Parts and Characteristics of a Good Paragraph, you learned that a paragraph is a
group of sentences about one main idea. (Open Unit 3 here.)

In this unit, you will learn that an essay is a group of paragraphs about one main idea.
5
An essay can be as short as three paragraphs but as long as many paragraphs that span
multiple pages.

Here is a summary of similarities and differences between a paragraph and an essay:

4. expertise: noun, expert knowledge and skills

5. span: verb, cover, extend to

123 | Unit 6 Essay Introduction

Similarities Paragraph Essay

• Focus on one topic and one main idea √ √

• Contain academic writing characteristics: logical,

√ √
direct, formal, clear, and concise

• Follow a clear organizational pattern, with a title, a

√ √
beginning, a body, and a conclusion

• Need interesting and detailed supporting ideas that

√ √
explain the main idea

• Use transitions to connect ideas and guide readers √ √

• Use good sentence structures, grammar, spelling,

√ √
punctuation, capitalization, and format

Differences Paragraph Essay

• Name and position of topic sentence, usually in the thesis statement, usually at
main idea beginning end of introduction

• Supporting details some details more details

three or more paragraphs (In

• Length one paragraph this course, we are studying
five-paragraph essays.)

• Planning and writing time shorter time longer time

Unit 6 Essay Introduction | 124

 III. Essay Organization

Essay assignments are very common in college courses. In this course, you are going to
learn only the basic concepts and organization of essays that contain five paragraphs.
There are other ways of writing built on this basic model, and you will learn them in future
semesters.

As you already have much experience writing paragraphs, a good start with essays is to
6
expand an existing paragraph, as you have seen in the beginning of this unit. Below is a
structural comparison between a paragraph and an essay.

6. expand: verb, make bigger or longer

125 | Unit 6 Essay Introduction

comparing paragraph and essay structures

Read the following paragraph and then the essay. Compare the two by answering the
questions that follow.

Paragraph

Unit 6 Essay Introduction | 126

 My Joy in Baking

Baking is my favorite hobby. When I was a

child, I liked sweets a lot, especially pastry. Since
my mom could not bake, I always went to my
friend Natalia’s house to learn baking because
her mom was excellent in it. Though the learning
process was not that easy, I enjoyed it. I tried and
7
ruined a lot of ingredients, but I did not lose
hope. Then I started to get better and better. I
tried cupcakes and cookies. It gave me
5 cupcakes with sprinkles
confidence and excitement to think that I could
bake for myself. Now I am an adult with a family of my own, and this hobby has not changed. It
relaxes me to bake. When I have an exhausting day or feel stressed out, the idea of creating
8
something sweet and fresh makes me feel relaxed. I also like to share the fruit of my hobby with my
family and friends. Baking for them gives me joy. To have a happy moment together on any
9
occasion with sweet treats makes my relationship with them stronger. These are all the reasons why
baking is my favorite hobby. I would recommend it to anyone who loves sweets and is looking for
ways to bring happiness to other people.

By N. Mamurova (student), ESL Writing III, Harper College. Used with permission.

Essay

My Joy in Baking

A hobby is a regular activity performed for enjoyment during spare time. People can choose any
hobbies that are right for them: music, sports, cooking, sewing, gardening, and so on. As a child, I
liked sweets lot, especially pastry. This is why baking became and has always been my favorite hobby.

Though the learning process was not easy, I enjoyed it. Since my mom could not bake, I always
went to my friend Natalia’s house to learn baking because her mom was excellent in it. I tried and
ruined a lot of ingredients, but I did not lose hope. After a few months, I started to get better and

7. ruin: verb, destroy, waste

8. fruit: noun, products, results
9. occasion: noun, situation

127 | Unit 6 Essay Introduction

 better. On Natalia’s 10th birthday, I made pretty cupcakes, even with yellow and pink icings on them.
Her mom was very impressed. It gave me confidence and excitement to think that I could bake by
myself and bring more happiness to an already joyful event.

Now I am an adult with a family of my own, and this hobby has not changed. It relaxes me to
bake. When I have an exhausting day or I am stressed out, the idea of creating something sweet and
fresh makes me feel relaxed. Being a mom and a student, my schedule is full. However, nothing else
relieves my stress more than baking after a difficult examination at the college: the aroma of butter
and sugar, the slowly forming cookies in the oven, and the pleasant and crunching sound as I bite
into my creations – all eases the tension of my whole being.

Most importantly, sharing my baking has strengthened my relationship with my family and
friends. Enjoying a happy moment together on any occasion with sweet treats gives me joy. Once a
friend of mine was sick, but she immediately got much better when I brought her a home-baked,
10
mouth-watering apple pie. I have learned that helping others does not have to be a huge endeavor .
Small acts of kindness are just as valuable and meaningful.

A hobby takes time to perfect but brings joy in the process. I am so glad that I have found my
pleasure in baking, and I intend to enjoy it for many more years to come. I would recommend it to
anyone who loves sweets and is looking for ways to bring happiness to other people.

By N. Mamurova (student), ESL Writing III, Harper College. Used with permission.

Discuss:

10. endeavor: noun, many efforts, hard work

Unit 6 Essay Introduction | 128

 Questions Paragraph Essay

• What is the sentence that contains the main idea?

• Where is the main idea located?

• How many paragraphs are there?

• What are the three supporting ideas?

• What are the details?

• What are the transitions connecting supporting ideas?

• What does the conclusion include?

• What is the format like?

IV. Hook, Thesis Statement, Introductory Paragraph

Hook

The word “hook” may remind you of a piece of plastic or metal on the wall on which you
can hang your coat. The hook holds the coat and prevents it from falling to the floor. In
the same way, a hook in the beginning of an essay aims to hold the readers’ attention so
that they keep reading. The main purpose of a hook is to introduce the topic and to get the
readers interested.

129 | Unit 6 Essay Introduction

There are different ways to write a hook. The most common ones are introducing the
background or discussing some general information related to the topic.

Discuss the hook in the essays “Places in Making American Friends” and “My Joy in Baking”.
Does it introduce the topic and get you interested in reading the essay?

Thesis Statement

The thesis statement is a sentence that contains the main idea of the entire essay.

• A topic sentence shows the main idea of a paragraph. It is usually put in the beginning
of a paragraph.
• A thesis statement shows the main idea of an essay. It is usually placed as the last
sentence in the introductory paragraph.

The rules for the topic sentence also apply to the thesis statement.

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Exercise 1. Use the expressions below to develop thesis statements.

Example:

surprises / U.S.

Thesis statement: I encountered some surprises in my first few weeks of living in the U.S.

1. children / parents’ influence

2. marriage / fights

3. dream job / hard work

4. self-discipline / success

Unit 6 Essay Introduction | 130

 5. bilingual / benefits

6. money / problems

7. government / assisting college students

8. personality / happiness

Exercise 2. Study the introductory paragraph in “Places in Making American Friends” and “My Joy in Baking”. Then
choose two of the thesis statements from Exercise 1 to write two introductory paragraphs.

1.

2.

V. Transitions, Supporting paragraphs, and Concluding

Paragraph

The principles for the transitions, supporting ideas, and conclusion in a paragraph also
apply to an essay. In an essay, there are more supporting details than in a paragraph.

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Study and discuss the following outline developed from the example thesis statement in
Exercise 1.

131 | Unit 6 Essay Introduction

Parts of an Essay Outline ideas
Introductory
Paragraph

Hook my background of coming to the U.S. and love travelling

Thesis
I encountered some surprises in my first few weeks of living in the U.S.
Statement

Supporting
Paragraphs
Topic sentence
surprise about nature
1

from airport to house, saw trees, flowers, squirrels, geese, cardinal, not in my
Details 1
country

Topic sentence
surprise about customs
2
Details 2 no air dry laundry outside, dandelions not ok, clean lawn

Topic sentence
surprise about friendly people
3
friendly to strangers, parks, stores, smile, not in my country, afraid of getting
Details 3
hurt, teach children

Concluding
three good surprises about nature, customs, people. Like US, second home.
Paragraph

Exercise 3. Use the above outline as an example. From the two topics you worked on in Exercise 1 and Exercise 2,
write an essay outline for each.

#1

Unit 6 Essay Introduction | 132

 Parts of an Essay Outline ideas

Introductory Paragraph
Hook

Thesis Statement

Supporting Paragraphs
Topic sentence 1

Details 1
Topic sentence 2

Details 2

Topic sentence 3
Details 3

Concluding Paragraph

#2

Parts of an Essay Outline ideas

Introductory Paragraph
Hook
Thesis Statement
Supporting Paragraphs

Topic sentence 1
Details 1
Topic sentence 2
Details 2
Topic sentence 3

Details 3
Concluding Paragraph

VI. More Essay examples

Read the two essays below. The first one is developed from an earlier outline. As you read,
discuss the questions:

Discuss:

133 | Unit 6 Essay Introduction

 1. What is the hook? Is it interesting?
2. What is the thesis statement? Where is it located?
3. In each body paragraph, what is the topic sentence? What are the
details?
4. What transition does the writer use in the beginning of each body
paragraph?
5. Is the paragraph mainly enumerative or narrative in organization?
How do you know? In what order are the supporting paragraphs
organized (order of importance or chronological order)?
6. Does all the information in the body paragraphs support the thesis
statement?
7. What types of information does the writer use in the conclusion?
8. What do you like about this essay?
9. How would you improve the essay?
10. If you could ask the writer one question, what would you ask?

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VII. Unit Review Practice: An Essay Writing

Assignment

Now you are ready to write your own essay! As you have learned in Unit 2 The Writing
Process (Open Unit 2 here), the best way to plan a paragraph is to follow the proper steps.

An Essay Writing Assignment

Unit 6 Essay Introduction | 134

 Purpose: To show your understanding of planning and writing an essay. Use the writing process to help
you.

Topic: You have three choices from below.

Brainstorm and Outline: Brainstorm for ideas. Then organize the ideas by using the outline template
below to make an outline. Your outline is due on _________. Bring it to class.

Essay: Your essay should have a title, an introductory paragraph with a hook and a thesis statement, 3
supporting paragraphs each starting with a topic sentence followed by lots of details, and a concluding
paragraph. Use appropriate transitions to connect the supporting paragraphs. There should be a total
of 5 paragraphs in the essay.

Format: Type your essay, double spaced, font size 12, with 1-inch margins on four sides of the page. Type
your name, class, and date on the upper right-hand corner of the page. The first line of each paragraph
should be indented. Save your essay in a Word file.

Self Checklist: When you finish writing, use the Self Checklist below. Put a checkmark beside each item
if you think you did a good job in that area. Otherwise, improve your essay until you can check off the
item. Save your work again.

Submission: Submit your essay on the Blackboard. Go to your Blackboard course site and follow the
instructions there. Due by __________.

You have three choices for your topic.

Choice 1:

Choose one of the paragraphs you have written in this course and expand it into an essay.

Choice 2:

Choose one of the thesis statements, introductory paragraphs, and outlines in Exercise 1, 2, and 3
in this unit. Then write an essay based on your outline.

Choose 3:

Choose one of the following new topics. If you plan to have a different one, please talk with your
professor first.

▪ What are the three things that you want to change about Harper College?
▪ What are the three things (or events, or people) you wish to forget?
▪ What are the three most important ways people in your country express love?
▪ What has been the most memorable day in your life?
▪ How did you overcome a challenge in your life?

135 | Unit 6 Essay Introduction

Essay Outline Template

Parts of an Essay Outline ideas

Introductory Paragraph

Hook

Thesis Statement
Supporting Paragraphs

Topic sentence 1
Details 1

Topic sentence 2
Details 2
Topic sentence 3

Details 3
Concluding Paragraph

Essay Self Checklist

Unit 6 Essay Introduction | 136

 Questions Essay Revising and Editing Self Checklist √

1 Is my essay clear to understand?

Do I have an interesting hook and a clear thesis statement? Is the thesis statement
2
located at the end of the introductory paragraph?

Did I begin each supporting paragraph with a topic sentence? Did I include lots of
3
details in each paragraph?

4 Did I connect the supporting paragraphs with appropriate transitions?

5 Did I include a concluding paragraph?

6 Did I try my best to use correct sentence structure (simple, compound, complex)?

Did I try my best to use correct grammar such as nouns, pronouns, word form, word
7
order, and others?

8 Did I try my best to have correct spelling, punctuation, and capitalization?

9 Did I follow the proper paragraph format?

Note: #6 – #8 may include more specific aspects of grammar depending on how many editing
units you have already studied.

NSNT Practice

Go to The NSNT Free Writing Approach and Additional Weekly Prompts

for Writing in Appendix A. (Open Appendix A here.) Choose two topics that
you have not written about. You may start with the NSNT approach. Then
revise and edit at least one of them into an essay. You are encouraged to
share your writing with your partner and help each other improve.

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137 | Unit 6 Essay Introduction

Vocabulary Review

The words here have appeared in this unit. The best way to learn them is to
guess the meaning of each word from the context. Then hover your
computer mouse over the number beside each word to check its meaning
and part of speech. These words are also listed in the footnote area at the
end of each unit.

Here, you can use the flashcards below to review these words.

a page in a dictionary
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Summary

1. An essay is a group of paragraphs about one main idea. It consists of a title, an introductory
paragraph with a hook and a thesis statement, a few supporting paragraphs, and a concluding
paragraph.
2. A hook consists of a few sentences to introduce the topic and to get readers interested in the
essay.
3. A thesis statement is a sentence containing the main idea of the entire essay. It is usually placed
at the end of the introductory paragraph.
4. Transitions are used to provide connections between supporting paragraphs.
5. Paragraphs and essays share some common features. They both focus on one central idea which
is explained and developed through supporting ideas and details.

Unit 6 Essay Introduction | 138

Media Attributions

• people pressing hands together © Photo by Hannah Busing on Unsplash

• comparing paragraph and essay structures © Lin Cui is licensed under a CC0 (Creative
Commons Zero) license
• 5 cupcakes with sprinkles © Photo by Brooke Lark on Unsplash
• a pen writing in a notebook © Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
• a page in a dictionary © Pixabay

139 | Unit 6 Essay Introduction

PART THREE EDITING / GRAMMAR
SKILLS

Part Three Editing / Grammar Skills | 140

Unit 7 Sentence Essentials

Learning Objectives

1. To distinguish between a phrase and a sentence

2. To identify the four basic parts of a sentence: subject, verbs, object, subject complement
3. To understand the five basic sentence patterns
4. To learn how to expand a basic sentence by adding adjectives, adverbs, phrases, and clauses
5. To learn and practice three sentence structure types – simple, compound, and complex – with
appropriate punctuation through multiple examples and exercises

From this unit on, you will be focusing on editing / grammar skills to enable to you to
express your ideas accurately and effectively in paragraphs and essays.

I. Pretest

frame at entrance of Early Childhood Lab School at Harper

College

141 | Unit 7 Sentence Essentials

 The following ten parts are about the Early Childhood Laboratory School at Harper College. Identify the structure
by choosing one of the choices. After you finish one sentence, you will get instant feedback on your answer before
the next sentence. If you make mistakes, you can retry all the questions or see all the answers at the end of the
pre-test.

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Adapted from https://www.harpercollege.edu/labschool/index.php. Last retrieved on August 1, 2021.

II. Differences Between a Phrase and a Sentence

A phrase is two or more words used together to represent part of an idea but not a
complete idea. There is not a “subject + verb” structure in the phrase. The following are
examples of some common types of phrases:

• Noun phrases: boys and girls, an excellent school, picture books…

• Verb phrases: play together, read a story, learn shapes and colors…
• Prepositional phrases: in the classroom, on the wall, from home to school…

A sentence may contain different phrases. It has the following features:

• It must have a “subject + verb” structure.

• The first letter of the first word is always capitalized.
• It must end with a period, a question mark, or an exclamation mark.
• It must express a complete idea.

Read the three sentences below. All of them show these features.

1. The boys and girls play together in the Early Childhood Laboratory School.

Unit 7 Sentence Essentials | 142

 2. Are they learning shapes and colors in the classroom?
3. What a beautiful painting it is on the wall!

A sentence is usually longer than a phrase but not always. Do not judge by how long it is;
instead, look for the “subject + verb” structure.

• Phrase: after a long nap on a beautiful mat in the corner of the nap room (no “subject
+ verb” structure)

• Sentence: He woke up. (“subject + verb” structure)

For explanations and examples with periods, question marks, exclamation marks,
commas, semi colons, colons, apostrophes, and quotations marks, please refer to
Appendix C Punctuation. (Open Appendix C here.)

Exercise 1. Identify whether the following are phrases or sentences. Type in the box “phrase” or “sentence”. The
first one is an example. When you complete the entire exercise, you can click “Check” for feedback. You may retry
or see all the answers.

Building D at Harper College

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III. Basic Sentence Parts and Sentence Patterns

Four Basic Parts of a Sentence

1. Subject: It shows who/what does the action. It can also show who/what the sentence is
about. It usually comes first in the sentence.

• The writing class is important.

• The students work hard in this class.

2. Verb: It usually comes after the subject and shows the action or explains the ideas in a
sentence.

• The teacher meets the students in Room D-144 every week.

• The homework assignments seem interesting.

3. Object: It is usually the receiver of the action and is placed after the verb.

• All the students have finished homework on time.

• They have received good grades.

4. Subject complement: It usually follows a linking verb and shows what the subject is
about. It can be a noun or an adjective.

• This is a writing class. (noun)

• The students grow confident in writing. (adjective)

Linking Verbs are verbs that can be immediately followed by an adjective. They
include

Unit 7 Sentence Essentials | 144

 ◦ all “Be” verbs
◦ some “Do” action verbs: become, turn, get, grow (all of them with the same
meaning as “become”)…
◦ some “Do” non-action verbs: look, seem, appear, smell, sound, taste, feel…

For more detailed explanations and examples of types of verbs, please refer to Unit 9
Verb Basics in Academic Writing. (Open Unit 9 here.)

Five Basic Sentence Patterns

1. Subject + verb

• The semester has started.

• Professors teach in colleges.

2. Subject + linking verb + subject complement (noun or adjective)

• This is a writing class. (noun)

• The weather turns cold as the semester goes on. (adjective)

3. Subject + verb + direct object

• We are taking a writing class.

• I like my classmates.

4. Subject + verb + indirect object + direct object

• The professor gives the students homework assignments.

• The students left the professor a note yesterday.

5. There + a form of “be” verb

• There are twenty students in this class.

• There was a quiz last week.

With these basic patterns, you can expand the sentences by adding descriptive information

145 | Unit 7 Sentence Essentials

 with adjectives, adverbs, phrases, clauses, etc. The underlined parts are added to make the
above sentences more interesting.

• This is an interesting writing class.

• All the students work really hard in this important class in order to improve their
writing skills.
• The weekly homework assignments seem very interesting because students write on
different topics.
• The students gradually grow more confident in writing as the semester goes on.
1
• There are twenty young and energetic students from different countries in this
writing class.

Exercise 2. Here is more information about the Early Childhood Laboratory School at Harper College. Arrange the
words and phrases into sentences. When you complete each sentence, you can click “Check” for feedback. You
may retry or see the answer.

Then try to expand the sentences by adding adjectives, adverbs, phrases, or clauses. Capitalize and punctuate
where necessary. Underline the added parts. You can do this second part in your notebook. Compare your
expanded sentences with your partner’s.

Example:

provides/to many families/a childcare option/The Early Childhood Laboratory School

Sentence: The Early Childhood Laboratory School provides a childcare option to many families.

Expand the sentence: The Early Childhood Laboratory School at Harper College provides an excellent
child care option to many busy families in the community.

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1. energetic: adjective, active, full of energy

Unit 7 Sentence Essentials | 146

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IV. Sentence Structure #1: Simple Sentences

A simple sentence has only one “subject + verb” group from the beginning of the sentence
(with a capitalized letter) to the end (with a period, a question mark, or an exclamation
mark).

1. Students take classes.

2. Learning is important.
3. Maria and Sung have three classes.
4. Maria and Sung study and work every day.
5. They are taking classes and working part time.
6. Ana goes to only one class.
7. Ana does not have a job.
8. Are Maria, Sung, and Anna busy?
9. Ana is not busy.
10. Maria and Sung have been working too hard!

All the above sentences have only one “subject + verb” group, so they are all simple
sentences.

Read #3 and #8 again. You see a compound subject in each.

Compound subject: two or more subjects share the same verb.

3. Maria and Sung have three classes.

Unit 7 Sentence Essentials | 148

8. Are Maria, Sung, and Anna busy?

Read #5 again. You see a compound verb in it.

Compound verb: the same subject performs two or more actions.

5. They are taking classes and working part time.

Read #4 again. You see a compound subject and a compound verb in each. Here, multiple
subjects perform the same multiple actions.

4. Maria and Sung study and work every day.

The above sentences are all simple sentences, with one subject-
verb group in each.

Each sentence is also called an independent clause because it

explains a complete, independent idea.

You can understand a simple sentence as an unmarried adult

like the single person in the image on the right. He lives an
independent life.

a single person smiling and

holding a skateboard

Exercise 3. Read the following paragraph about Harper College. Separate each complete, simple sentence with a
capital letter in the beginning and a period in the end. Identify the subject and the verb in each sentence.
Capitalize the first letter after a period. The first one is an example. (Commas have already been added.)

149 | Unit 7 Sentence Essentials

 Example:

in September 1967, Harper College formally opened in Palatine,

Illinois

With corrections: In September 1967, Harper College formally

opened in Palatine, Illinois.

Subject: Harper College

Verb: opened

Some Information about Harper College

in September 1967, Harper College formally opened in

Palatine, Illinois it uses the name William Rainey Harper to honor
the pioneer in the community college movement in the United
William Rainey Harper statue on Harper States Dr. William Rainey Harper was the first president of the
Campus
University of Chicago Harper College is now one of the nation’s
2
premier and largest community colleges every year, it serves
more than 35,000 students in Chicago’s northwest suburbs its academic programs have been preparing
students for their future study and their careers students can choose to become full time or part time
students Harper offers scholarships and financial aids to help students financially. Students should
check the college website or call 947-925-6000 for information a registration specialist will provide step-
by-step guidance

Adapted from https://www.harpercollege.edu/about/index.php. Last accessed on August 1, 2021.

V. Sentence structure #2: Compound Sentences

3
Too many simple sentences will make your writing sound choppy . Therefore, you can
combine the ideas to form compound sentences.

• Students take classes, and Anna is no exception. (compound)

• Learning is important, so Maria and Sung are taking three classes. (compound)
• Maria and Sung study every day; besides, they also work part time. (compound)

2. premier: adjective, first in rank, leading

3. choppy: adjective, broken, not connected

Unit 7 Sentence Essentials | 150

 4
• Maria and Sung are very busy; however, they feel accomplished . (compound)

A compound sentence has two subject-verb groups and uses words such as “and, so,
besides, however” to connect the two parts.

While a simple sentence is like an

independent, unmarried person, a
compound sentence is similar to a married
couple, each independent but connected by
love. That connection (love) is called a
conjunction.

a couple with a heart in between

There are different types of compound sentences. In this course, you are going to learn the
two below:

• with one of the coordinating conjunctions FANBOYS

• with an adverbial conjunction

Coordinating Conjunctions: FANBOYS

Coordinating Conjunctions: FANBOYS (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so)

for: to explain a reason or: to give a choice

to show an opposite point
and: to add a point yet:
(stronger)

nor: to add a negative point so: to explain a result

but: to show an opposite point

4. accomplished: adjective, successful in doing something

151 | Unit 7 Sentence Essentials

Compound sentences with FANBOYS should follow the sentence pattern below:

Independent Clause Comma + FANBOYS Another Independe

, for

, and

, nor (notes below)

Subject + verb subject + verb
, but

, or

, yet

, so

1. We have taken three writing classes, for writing is a very important skill.
2. We have a writing class, and we like it.
3. We do not have a test this week, nor are we going to have one next week.
4. I try to be on time for my writing class, but it’s hard to get up in the morning.
5. Next semester, I may take another writing class, or I may choose a grammar class.
6. One of my classmates has failed most tests, yet he does not care.
7. Writing is challenging, so I am studying very hard.

Nor: The conjunction “nor” requires a slightly different word order: the helping verb comes
before the subject. “Nor” already indicates negative, so do not add another “no” or “not”.

1. I do not like hot dogs, nor do I like hamburgers.

2. He is not going to the library after class, nor is he going home.
3. I did not have a good winter break last year, nor did I have a fun spring break.

For explanations and practice in helping verbs, please refer to Unit 9 Verb Basics in
Academic Writing. (Open Unit 9 here.)

Not all the sentences with FANBOYS are compound sentences. They must follow the above
format to be called compound sentences.

• We are taking this writing course for three reasons.(simple)

Unit 7 Sentence Essentials | 152

 • We are taking this writing course, for writing is important. (compound)
• Last week, we had an editing quiz, a vocabulary quiz, and an oral presentation.
(simple)
• Last week, we had two quizzes, and we did well in both. (compound)

Exercise 4. The following paragraph is about differences between a university and a community college. Decide
whether each sentence is a simple or a compound sentence. Type “S” in the blank if it is a simple sentence and “C”
if it is a compound sentence. Explain to your partner why you think so. The first sentence is an example.

University Center at Harper College

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Adverbial Conjunctions

They are also called transitions, as in the earlier units. This type of compound sentences is
more formal.

153 | Unit 7 Sentence Essentials

 Adverbial Conjunctions (Transitions)

also, besides,
for example, for instance…
furthermore, in to add a point to give an example
:
addition, moreover… :
as a result,
to show an opposite
consequently, to show a result however, nevertheless… :
point
therefore, thus… :

Compound sentences with adverbial conjunctions should follow the sentence pattern
below:

Independent Clause Semi Colon + Adverbial Conjunction + Comma Another In

; also,

; besides,

; furthermore,

; in addition,

; moreover,

; as a result,
Subject + verb subject + v
; consequently,

; therefore,

; thus,

; however,

; nevertheless,

; for example,

; for instance,

1. The teachers give us lots of materials in class; also, they require us to study in the

Unit 7 Sentence Essentials | 154

 Language Lab once a week.
2. I am taking two courses at Harper College; in addition, I have a full-time job.
3. They have finished all the ESL courses; as a result, they are registering for English 101.
4. They had studied very hard; therefore, they passed the test with an A.
5. He liked to go on a vacation; however, he was too busy with her classes.
6. Many students want to take day classes; nevertheless, they have a job during the day.
7. We have many tests this semester; for example, we have one editing quiz in the
writing class and one unit exam in the reading class every week.

It is common to break one compound sentence into two simple sentences, with the same
adverbial conjunction in the beginning of the second simple sentence. This happens more
often when the sentences are long. Put a period after the first independent clause and
capitalize the first letter of the adverbial conjunction. Everything else remains the same.
There is always a comma after the conjunction.

155 | Unit 7 Sentence Essentials

Independent Clause Period + Adverbial Conjunction + Comma Another Inde

. Also,

. Besides,

. Furthermore,

. In addition,

. Moreover,

. As a result,
Subject + verb . Consequently, subject + verb

. Therefore,

. Thus,

. However,

. Nevertheless,

. For example,

. For instance,

1. I am taking 2 courses at Harper College. In addition, I have a full time job.

2. They had studied very hard. Therefore, they passed the test with an A.
3. He liked to go on a vacation. However, he was too busy with her classes.
4. We have many tests this semester. For example, we have one editing quiz in the
writing class and one unit exam in the reading class every week.

Exercise 5. Use the given adverbial conjunctions to combine the simple sentences into compound sentences. Then
use the same conjunctions to write two simple sentences.

Example:

Unit 7 Sentence Essentials | 156

 Studying a second language is difficult. It is very useful in finding a job. (however)

Compound sentence: Studying a second language is difficult; however, it is very useful in finding a
job.

Two simple sentences: Studying a second language is difficult. However, it is very useful in finding a
job.

1. Almost all the jobs require good speaking skills. They need good writing skills. (moreover)
2. Many people from other countries have good technical skills. They need time to perfect their
communication skills. (however)
3. They are highly motivated to learn. They work very hard. (furthermore)
4. They try different ways to improve. Some of them take classes. (for instance)
5. They are able to do well at work. Hard work pays off. (therefore)

VI. Sentence Structure #3: Complex Sentences

A complex sentence has at least two subject-verb groups. They are connected with
subordinating conjunctions such as “because, as soon as, if”. There are different types of
complex sentences. You are focusing on adverbial clauses in this course.

Subordinating Conjunctions

as soon as, before, since, although, though, even to show a

to express a time
until, when, while… though… contrast

as, because, since… to give a reason if, unless… to state condition

As you recall, a simple sentence is like an unmarried person living an independent life. A
5
compound sentence resembles a couple living together as two independent adults but
connected by love.

5. resemble: verb, is similar to

157 | Unit 7 Sentence Essentials

 A complex sentence is like a parent with a baby.
Life is certainly more complex with a baby! The
parent is independent, representing the
independent clause. The baby is dependent on the
parent for food, shelter, love, etc., so the baby
resembles the dependent clause.

a parent pushing a baby in a stroller baby : parent = dependent : independent

A baby cannot live by himself or herself. In the same way, a dependent clause cannot exist
by itself. It must be connected with an independent clause.

Dependent Clause: Subordinating Independent Clause

Conjunction + subject + verb + Comma

As soon as

Before

After

Since

Until

When

While

As subject + verb,

Because subject + verb

Although

Even though

Though

If

Unless …

Unit 7 Sentence Essentials | 158

 1. When I got home, my sister was watching TV.
2. Because I wanted to finish my homework, I did not go to bed till 12 am this morning.
3. Although English is a difficult language, I am trying my best to learn it.

The same complex sentences can also be written as follows. Notice that there is no comma
in the middle of the sentence.

Dependent Clause:
Independent Clause
Subordinating Conjunction + subject + verb

as soon as

before

after

since

until

when

while
Subject + verb
as subject + verb

because

although

even though

though

if

unless …

1. My sister was watching TV when I got home.

2. I didn’t go to bed till 12 am this morning because I wanted to finish my homework.
3. I am trying my best to learn English although it is a difficult language.

159 | Unit 7 Sentence Essentials

 Exercise 6. The following sentences are about my classmates. Join two simple sentences into a complex one with
the subordinating conjunctions given. Use commas where necessary.

Example:

At 9 am yesterday, Jose was listening to the radio. He was driving to Harper. (while)

Complex: At 9 am yesterday, Jose was listening to the radio while he was driving to Harper.

1. Priti has decided to travel to Aruba during the semester break. She has always been interested in its
culture. (because)
2. This is Amy’s first year in the U.S. She speaks English fluently. (although)
3. Lilly did not wake up early on time yesterday. She missed the first part of the class. (as)
4. Yuri started an ESL class. He arrived in this city. (as soon as)
5. Max had never used a computer. He liked his first online class. (even though)
6. Misako ran into her former classmate. She was looking for her new textbook in the bookstore. (while)
7. At the end of last semester, Kang Sun returned to Korea to visit her family . She had saved enough money
for a plane ticket. (after)
8. The next semester starts two months later. Every student needs to decide what classes to take. (before)

VII. Sentence Variety

Just like a balanced diet that keeps the body healthy, a good piece of writing also uses a
variety of sentences including simple, compound, and complex structures. Here are some
strategies to help you achieve that.

6
1. Try not to repeat the same conjunctions. It is common to overuse words like “and”,
“because”. Try a different expression. For example, you may replace “and” with “in
addition” and replace “because” with “since”. Change the sentence structure and
7
punctuation accordingly .
2. When you finish writing, count how many simple, compound, and complex sentences

6. overuse: verb, use too many times

7. accordingly: adverb, as a result, therefore

Unit 7 Sentence Essentials | 160

 8
you have included. Ideally, the number of each should be comparable . For example, if
there are ten simple sentences and only two complex ones, you may combine some of
the simple ones to form one or two more complex sentences. On the other hand, too
many compound and complex sentences may be hard to read, and you can improve
your writing by changing some of them to simple sentences.

Read the following two paragraphs. Count the number of different sentence types in each
paragraph. Discuss which paragraph is better and why.

#1

Fast Track information session announcement on College website

Fast Track Programs

Harper College has special programs called “Fast Track”. Some students want to finish their
study fast. They can choose this option. There are different fast track certificate programs. Each is five
to eight weeks long. The certificates include business management, human resources management,
web design and interactive media, and others. Each program has a limited number of students, so
9
they can get more personalized interaction with professors. Classes are usually from 6 pm to 10
pm. Students can still work during the day. Besides the certificate programs, there are also fast track
degree programs in AAS Degree (Associate in Applied Science) in Business Administration and AAS
Degree in Supply Chain Management. Students do not always need to start from the beginning
because they can get credit from their previous college or work experience. The fast track programs

8. comparable: adjective, similar

9. personalized: adjective, customized, according to the needs of each person

161 | Unit 7 Sentence Essentials

 are convenient and beneficial for many students. It may not suit everyone. The best way to start is to
attend an information meeting.

Adapted from https://www.harpercollege.edu/fasttrack/index.php. Last retrieved on November 4,

2021.

In this above paragraph, there are 12 simple sentences, 1 compound sentence, and 1
complex sentence.

#2

Fast Track Programs

Harper College has special programs called “Fast Track”. If some students want to finish
their study fast, they can choose this option. There are different fast track certificate programs, and
each is five to eight weeks long. The certificates include business management, human resources
management, web design and interactive media, and others. Each program has limited number of
students, so they can get more personalized interaction with professors. Since classes are usually
from 6 pm to 10 pm, students can still work during the day. Besides the certificate programs,
there are also fast track degree programs in Associate in Applied Science (AAS) Degree in Business
Administration and AAS Degree in Supply Chain Management. Students do not always need to start
from the beginning because they can get credit from their previous college or work experience.
The fast track programs are convenient and beneficial for many students; however, it may not suit
everyone. The best way to start is to attend an information meeting.

Adapted from https://www.harpercollege.edu/fasttrack/index.php. Last retrieved on November 4,

2021.

In the #2 improved version, there are 4 simple sentences, 3 compound sentence, and 3
complex sentences. Work with your partner to identify each type of sentences. Discuss
why #2 is better.

Unit 7 Sentence Essentials | 162

 Exercise 7. Choose a paragraph you have written this semester and try the following:

1. Count how many simple, compound, and complex sentences are in it.
2. In what ways can you edit some of them so that the whole piece has a better balance of different
structures?

VIII. Unit Review Practice

Exercise 8. Read the following paragraph about the student clubs at Harper College. Identify the types of
structures of the underlined sentences. In the boxes, type “simple” for a simple sentence, “compound” for a
compound sentence, and “complex” for a complex sentence. The first one is an example. You will get instant
feedback on your answers. When you finish the entire exercise, you can retry or see all the answers.

163 | Unit 7 Sentence Essentials

 International Students Club doing community service at Feed My
Starving Children

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Exercise 9. Read the following paragraph about different ways people learn. Identify the types of structures of the
underlined sentences. In the boxes, type “simple” for a simple sentence, “compound” for a compound sentence,
and “complex” for a complex sentence. The first one is an example. You will get instant feedback on your answers.
When you finish the entire exercise, you can retry or see all the answers.

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Unit 7 Sentence Essentials | 164

 online here:
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Exercise 10. Read the paragraph below about the writer’s learning and working experiences. It has too many
simple sentences. Combine the underlined simple sentences into compound or complex sentences with the
conjunctions given.

Example:

I came to the United States. I had never touched a computer (before).

Before I came to the United States, I had never touched a computer.

Learning and Hoping

Learning and hoping keep me going. Two years ago, I got a job at a company called TechInnova.
Now I use the computer at work every day. I came to the United States. I had never touched a computer
(before). It did not take me very long to learn basic computer skills. I had already taken a course in typing
(for). I left my country four years ago. I had finished secretarial school (by the time). I was looking for a
job here, I took a course in information technology (while). Soon I found the job at TechInnova. I have
continued to learn new things since then. For example, now I am learning web design through the Fast
Track program at Harper College. My company is paying half the tuition for me. I am grateful for that
(and). The program is very intensive. I am very busy (therefore). The new skills have boosted my self-
confidence and made me feel more hopeful for my future.

Exercise 11. Choose and highlight the most appropriate conjunction for each blank in the paragraph below about
learning to play the piano. Look carefully at the punctuation before you decide. The first one is an example. When
you complete the entire exercise, you can click “Check” for feedback. You may retry or see all the answers.

165 | Unit 7 Sentence Essentials

 black and white keys on a piano

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Exercise 12. Read the following paragraph about my uncle and me. There are five more mistakes in the use of
commas (not including the example). Find them and correct them. The first one is an example.

My Uncle and I

My uncle has had a very positive influence on me in several ways. He came from Pakistan to the
U.S. in the 1990s and has made a life for himself and his extended family. First he (First, he…) sponsored
me to come to the U.S. a year ago. He made it possible for me to have a chance for a better life. For
10
instance, I am now living in a much cleaner, and safer environment. Second his accomplishments have
reminded me to work hard for my own life and for the life of my family. My uncle had worked as a waiter,
a construction worker, and a newspaper delivery man before he enrolled at Harper College with a major
in business ten years ago. He is now working as regional manager for a food company. He loves his job.
Thanks to my uncle, I started a new life, as soon as I arrived here. I have followed his footsteps and have

10. accomplishment: noun, success, achievement

Unit 7 Sentence Essentials | 166

 been working very hard since last year. My dream is to work in a finance field so I have been taking math
11
and English as a Second Language courses to prepare for my major. Meanwhile, I have not abandoned
my hobby – swimming. I swim a few times a week in the college swimming pool. My uncle always says,
12
that a good future needs good health. I am thankful to my uncle for the inspirations and opportunities.

Exercise 13. Use the suggested conjunctions to expand the following simple sentences by adding one more clause
to make new and meaningful compound or complex sentences. Use proper punctuation in each sentence. Share
your sentences with your partner.

Example:

I love my community college. (for, as a result, because)

My sentence: I love my community college, for there are many interesting classes like piano and
drawing.

My sentence: I love my community college; as a result, I am enjoying my study there.

My sentence: I love my community college because it is close to my home.

1. Many people come to the community college. (since, in addition, because)

2. Some young people prefer four-year universities. (so, consequently, although)
3. Nothing is perfect in all areas. (however, nor, since)
4. It all depends on which option works better for each student. (therefore, and, when)

NSNT Practice

11. abandon: verb, give up

12. inspiration: noun, good influence, example

167 | Unit 7 Sentence Essentials

 Go to The NSNT Free Writing Approach and Additional Weekly Prompts
for Writing in Appendix A. (Open Appendix A here.) Choose two topics that
you have not written about. You may start with the NSNT approach. Then
revise and edit at least your paragraphs. Include some compound and
complex structures. Pay attention to punctuation. You are encouraged to
share your writing with your partner and help each other improve.

a pen writing in a notebook

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Vocabulary Review

The words here have appeared in this unit. The best way to learn them is to
guess the meaning of each word from the context. Then hover your
computer mouse over the number beside each word to check its meaning
and part of speech. These words are also listed in the footnote area at the
end of each unit.

Here, you can use the flashcards below to review these words.

a page in a dictionary
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Unit 7 Sentence Essentials | 168

 Summary

1. A phrase is two or more words used together to form part of meaning but not complete meaning.
It does not have a “subject + verb” structure.
2. Every sentence must explain a complete idea and have a subject and a verb.
3. The most basic sentence parts are subject, verb, object, and subject complement.
4. The most basic sentence patterns are

• Subject + verb
• Subject + verb + object
• Subject + linking verb + subject complement (noun or adjective)
• Subject + verb + indirect object + direct object
• There + a form of “be”

5. A simple sentence is an independent clause with one subject-verb group.

6. A compound sentence has two independent clauses with two subject-verb groups. They are
connected by a coordinating conjunction (FANBOYS) or an adverbial conjunction such as
“moreover” or “however”.
7. A complex sentence has one dependent clause (a subordinating conjunction + subject + verb)
and one independent clause (subject + verb).
8. It is important to include a variety of sentence types in writing.

Media Attributions

• frame at entrance of Early Childhood Lab School at Harper College © Lin Cui is
licensed under a CC0 (Creative Commons Zero) license
• Building D at Harper College © Lin Cui is licensed under a CC0 (Creative Commons
Zero) license
• a single person smiling and holding a skateboard © Photo by Monstera from Pexels
• William Rainey Harper statue on Harper Campus © Lin Cui is licensed under a CC0
(Creative Commons Zero) license
• a couple with a heart in between © Photo by Josh Hild from Pexels
• University Center at Harper College © Lin Cui is licensed under a CC0 (Creative
Commons Zero) license
• a parent with a baby © Image by Prawny from Pixabay
• Fast Track information session as appeared on Harper College website © Lin Cui is

169 | Unit 7 Sentence Essentials

 licensed under a CC0 (Creative Commons Zero) license
• International Students Club at Feed My Starving Children © Kathleen Reynolds is
licensed under a CC0 (Creative Commons Zero) license
• black and white keys on a piano © Photo by Amir Doreh on Unsplash
• a pen writing in a notebook © Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
• a page in a dictionary © Pixabay

Unit 7 Sentence Essentials | 170

Unit 8 Three Common Errors in
Sentence Structure and
Punctuation

Learning Objectives

1. To review the three sentence structure types: simple, compound, and complex
2. To identify the three common errors: fragments, run-ons, and comma splices
3. To learn correct punctuation in sentences containing “for example, for instance, such as, like,
including”
4. To practice fixing fragments, run-ons, and comma splices through multiple examples and
exercises

171 | Unit 8 Three Common Errors in Sentence Structure and

Punctuation
I. Pretest

a child holding a magnifying glass over a plant

In the following ten sentences about science, some have the correct sentence structure and punctuation, but
some do not. If the sentence is correct, choose “correct”. If not, choose the other answer. After you finish one
sentence, you will get instant feedback on your answer before the next sentence. If you make mistakes, you can
retry all the questions or see all the answers at the end of the pre-test.

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II. Three Common Errors in Sentence Structure and

Unit 8 Three Common Errors in Sentence Structure and Punctuation | 172

Punctuation

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For detailed explanations and practice in sentence structure and punctuation, open Unit
7 here.

The above sentence types are essential in writing. They will help you avoid and correct the
three types of common errors:

• Sentence fragment
• Run-on sentence
• Comma splice sentence

III. Sentence Fragments

173 | Unit 8 Three Common Errors in Sentence Structure and Punctuation

A fragment means “a part”, “not a whole”. All the
large and small pieces in the image on the right
are fragments because they are only parts of a
complete puzzle.

A sentence fragment refers to an incomplete

sentence, just like the puzzle pieces. While
some fragments are acceptable in spoken
English, they are serious mistakes in formal
writing.
pieces of a puzzle
Read the following conversation:

Student A: Do you like science?

Student B: No.

Student A: Why not?

Student B: Because it’s hard for me.

In a conversation, it is very common and perfectly fine to have the above incomplete
sentences. However, in formal situations, each sentence must express a complete thought
and must contain a subject and a verb. Therefore, the conversation would become:

Student A: Do you like science?

Student B: No, I don’t.

Student A: Why don’t you like science?

Student B: I don’t like it because it’s hard for me.

Sentence Fragments in Two Common Situations

1. Missing subject, missing verb, or missing both subject and verb

• Is an important class. (no subject)

• I afraid of science. I not good at it. (no verbs)
• Too hard. (no subject, no verb)
1
• I admire scientists. For their contributions . (second part, no subject, no verb)

Unit 8 Three Common Errors in Sentence Structure and Punctuation | 174

 2. A period between dependent and independent clauses in complex sentences

• Science is very important for all human societies. Because it brings new discoveries
2
and innovations .
• When students graduate. They apply the scientific knowledge to their work.

Ways to Fix Sentence Fragments

1. Always check for both the subject and the verb in a sentence. If one is missing or both
are missing, add the subject, the verb, or both. Sometimes, you can attach the
fragment to the complete sentence before or after it. In the following sentences, the
subjects are underlined, and the verbs are bold-faced.

• Science is an important class.

• I am afraid of science. I am not good at it.
• Science is too hard.
• I admire scientists for their contributions.

2. If you see a subordinating conjunction such as “when” and “if”, check to see that there is
not a period between the dependent and independent clauses. If the dependent clause is
3
before the independent clause, a comma is needed in between. If the order is reversed , do
not add a comma.

• Science is very important for all human societies because it brings new discoveries
and innovations.
• Because science brings new discoveries and innovations, it is very important for all
human societies.
• When students start working, they apply the scientific knowledge to their work.
• Students apply the scientific knowledge to their work when they start working.

1. contribution: noun, give money, time, knowledge, etc. for a good purpose
2. innovation: noun, new creation or discovery
3. reversed: adjective, going the opposite direction

175 | Unit 8 Three Common Errors in Sentence Structure and Punctuation

Exercise 1. The following sentences are about citizen scientists. Some of them are complete sentences, but some
are fragments. Choose “True” for a complete sentence and “False” for a fragment. You will get instant feedback. If
a sentence is a fragment, you will also see the correction in blue.

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Unit 8 Three Common Errors in Sentence Structure and Punctuation | 176

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Exercise 2. The following paragraph explains a citizen science project. There are four additional sentence
fragments (not including the example). Find them and correct them. Be careful with punctuation and
capitalization. The first one is an example.

Example:

If so. A citizen science project called NeMo-Net might be for you.

Correction: If so, a citizen science project called NeMo-Net might be for you.

Playing While Contributing

Do you like playing computer games? If so. A citizen science project called NeMo-Net might be for
you. One of the tasks is playing an iPad game to help the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
(NASA) classify coral reefs by painting 3D and 2D images of coral. In this project help rebuild underwater
environments and create maps. These maps “can be used to better understand and protect coral reefs

177 | Unit 8 Three Common Errors in Sentence Structure and Punctuation

 globally”. This citizen science project covers many subject areas such as animals, biology, climate and
weather, computers and technology, geography, nature, and many others. The project started on April
4
22, 2020 and is still actively recruiting volunteers. After the volunteers are accepted. They will be involved
in “annotation, data analysis, data entry…measurement, observation, problem solving, sample analysis”.
For more information. Please check https://www.citizenscience.gov/catalog/519/#. You should apply as
soon as possible. If you are interested.

adapted from https://www.citizenscience.gov/catalog/519/#. Last accessed on June 1, 2020.

IV. Run-On Sentences

The expression “run-on” gives the image of

two cars, the second one trying to run on
5
top of the first one – a huge traffic violation
causing damage to the cars as well as
6
harm to the people inside.

Writing follows the same principle. Just as

7
some sports cars with one on top of another cars must maintain a safe distance from
each other, sentences need to be separated
by a proper punctuation and/or a conjunction.

A run-on sentence occurs when two complete sentences are written one after another
without anything to separate them.

Examples of Run-On Sentences

1. We have just learned about citizen science have you heard of citizen journalism?

4. recruit: verb, look for new members for a group, an organization, etc.
5. violation: noun, an action that breaks the rule or law
6. harm: noun, injury
7. maintain: verb, keep, remain

Unit 8 Three Common Errors in Sentence Structure and Punctuation | 178

 2. It is a new expression it simply means that ordinary people can publish news stories
and photos online.
3. You have posted messages and photos on Facebook you are a citizen journalist.
4. You can change your posts you can also delete them.

In #1 – #4 above, there are actually two complete sentences with two complete ideas in
8
each. The second sentence seems super aggressive and is running on top of the first one.

Ways to Fix Run-Ons

1. Separate the two sentences with a period and capitalize the first letter of the second
sentence.

• We have just learned about citizen science. Have you heard of citizen journalism?
• It is a new expression. It simply means that ordinary people can publish news stories
and photos online.

2. Combine the two sentences into a compound sentence by adding a proper coordinating
or adverbial conjunction. Add appropriate punctuation.

• You can change your posts, or you can delete them.

• You have posted messages and photos on Facebook, so you are a citizen journalist.
• You have posted messages and photos on Facebook; therefore, you are a citizen
journalist.

3. Combine the two sentences into a complex sentence by adding a proper subordinating
conjunction. Add a comma if needed.

• If you have posted messages and photos on Facebook, you are a citizen journalist.

4. Combine the two sentences into one simple sentence.

• You can change or delete your posts.

8. aggressive: adjective, violent and attacking

179 | Unit 8 Three Common Errors in Sentence Structure and Punctuation

 Exercise 3. The following sentences are about citizen journalism. Each is a run-on sentence. Use one of the
strategies above to correct each error. Be careful with punctuation and capitalization.

Example:

People receive news in different ways now it is easier than ever.

Correction: People receive news in different ways. Not it

is easier than ever.

1. In the past, people relied on newspapers, radios, and

TV for news now they check news on their cell phone
app or computer.
2. It is much more convenient to use a digital device it is
fast.
3. Digital technology has made it possible to spread
news more quickly people can find out what is going a person video taping an event with a smart
phone
on in the world right away.
4. They do not need to wait for professional journalists to report news they can read or watch news
9
instantaneously while it is happening.
5. Anyone with a smart phone can take photos and videos he/she shares them on the social media .
6. People usually learn about world events within seconds events are happening in the other parts of the
globe.
7. News is not only fast it is free.
8. People used to pay for newspapers and cable subscriptions news from their smart phone costs no
money.
9. Citizen journalism is changing the way the news is shared is this good?
10. It depends it can bring both positive and negative results.

Exercise 4. The following paragraph about citizen journalism has five more run-on sentences (not including the
example). Correct the errors. Be careful with punctuation and capitalization. The first one is an example.

Example:

9. instantaneously: adverb, right away, at the same time

Unit 8 Three Common Errors in Sentence Structure and Punctuation | 180

 On the one hand, it provides news quickly at no cost it may also have more interesting photos, videos,
and comments.

Correction: On the one hand, it provides news quickly at no cost. In addition, it may have more
interesting photos, videos, and comments.

A Mixed Blessing

Citizen journalism is a mixed blessing. On the one hand, it provides news quickly at no cost it may
also have more interesting photos, videos, and comments. Sometimes, such news can bring important
changes to the world. Most importantly, it is a very powerful tool ordinary citizens can be actively involved
in changing the world. On the other hand, the news may not be reliable the citizen journalists are not
10
trained professionally. It is possible that their news is biased it is also possible that the stories are
11 12
inaccurate . Therefore, readers may be confused or misled . Besides, inappropriate images and reports
may affect other people’s privacy or damage their reputation. Another effect is on the traditional media
industry and professional journalists. Readers are not buying as many newspapers as before they are not
13
reading news from the authoritative sources. Some newspaper offices have to close down and find
new ways to survive. Before the digital technology, people had never thought of sharing and receiving
news through citizen journalism it is hard to imagine what news reporting would be like in twenty years.

10. biased: adjective, with prejudice

11. inaccurate: adjective, not correct, with mistakes
12. mislead: verb, cause misunderstanding
13. authoritative: adjective, as an expert

181 | Unit 8 Three Common Errors in Sentence Structure and Punctuation

 V. Comma Splice Sentences

While a run-on sentence resembles one car on

top of another, a comma splice is similar to two
vehicles too close to each other causing a
14
fender bender accident .

Sometimes, students try to correct a run-on

sentence by placing a comma in between. They
actually have created a new type of mistake
called comma splice. When two complete
sentences are separated by just a comma, it
becomes a comma splice issue. It is a tricky and
a fender bender crash
common issue because it is not considered a
mistake in some other languages.

Examples of Common Splices

1. One of the largest news events in 2012 was the 3rd Annual iReport Awards, the event
was sponsored by the Cable News Network (CNN).
2. The goal was to show the best citizen journalism work in stories, photos, and videos,
many people were interested.
3. People from different countries sent more than 100,000 stories to a special CNN
15
website, thirty-six pieces of work were finally nominated for the awards in 2012.
4. The event showed the power and popularity of citizen journalism, CNN stopped the
iReport project in 2015.
5. The project ended, there had been different issues.

Adapted from https://www.cnn.com/2013/04/03/opinion/ireport-awards-hawkins-gaar/

index.html, last retrieved on June 14, 2021, and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IReport, last
retrieved on June 14, 2021.

Ways to Fix Comma Splices

14. fender bender accident: noun phrase, a car accident with minor damage to the cars
15. nominate: verb, name, propose

Unit 8 Three Common Errors in Sentence Structure and Punctuation | 182

1. Separate the two sentences with a period and capitalize the first letter of the second
sentence.

• People from different countries sent more than 100,000 stories to a special CNN
website. Thirty-six pieces of work were finally nominated for the awards in 2012.

2. Combine the two sentences into a compound sentence by adding a proper coordinating
or adverbial conjunction with appropriate punctuation.

• The goal was to show the best citizen journalism work in stories, photos, and videos;
therefore, many people were interested.
• The event showed the power and popularity of citizen journalism, but CNN stopped
the iReport project in 2015.

3. Combine the two sentences into a complex sentence by adding a proper subordinating
conjunction. Add a comma if needed.

• The project ended because there had been different issues.

• Because there had been different issues, the project ended.

4. Combine the two sentences into one simple sentence.

• One of the largest news events in 2012 was the 3rd Annual iReport Awards sponsored
by Cable News Network (CNN).

Exercise 5. The following sentences tell a real experience in sharing information in the social media. Some
sentences contain comma splice errors, and some contain run-on mistakes. Identify which type of error it is in each
and correct it. Be careful with punctuation and capitalization.

Example:

People do not check facts some terrible mistakes may occur in the social media.

This is a run-on sentence.

Correction: When people do not check facts, some terrible mistakes may occur in the social media.

1. This is a true story, it happened a few years ago.

2. I was in a social media chat group with forty-five former classmates we had attended the same

183 | Unit 8 Three Common Errors in Sentence Structure and Punctuation

 junior high school class many years before.
3. One day, one of the classmates posted a message, it said that Mr. Wu, one of our teachers, had
just passed away.
4. We were very sad we shared our old memories of that teacher in the chat.
5. Two days later, a message popped up it was from Mr. Wu!
6. Some classmates had invited him to join the chat group a while back. He seldom spoke we forgot
that he was in the group.
7. Mr. Wu protested nicely that he was still alive, he even posted his recent photo to prove that.
8. We were relieved we started to greet him.
9. The student who had posted the wrong news was embarrassed, we did not blame him.
10. This incident shows the importance of checking the facts we were pleased that the fact was a
happy one in our case.

Exercise 6. The following paragraph about OhmyNews contains six more run-on and comma splice sentences (not
including the example). Find the errors and correct them. Be careful with punctuation and capitalization. The first
one is an example.

Example:

One of the largest and best known is OhmyNews, it is a news website from South Korea.

Correction: One of the largest and best known is OhmyNews from South Korea.

OhmyNews

There are many citizen journalism news websites. One of the largest and best known is OhmyNews,
it is a news website from South Korea. It was established by Oh Yeon Ho in 2000 it is the first in
Korea for readers to publish news. Oh Yeon Ho was born in 1964 he majored in literature, journalism,
and mass communication in his studies. He believes that every citizen is a reporter. The reporters of
OhmyNews come from all areas of the society – doctors, office workers, farmers, students, and many
others they provide reports on politics, economy, education, culture, and other topics from around the
world. OhmyNews is popular the reporters are people in the local communities. It is also powerful, for
instance, many people believe that OhmyNews played an important role in the 2002 South Korean
presidential election. After the election, President Roh Moo-hyun gave his first interview to OhmyNews,
this shows that citizen journalism can be influential in a country’s politics.

Adapted for editing purpose from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OhmyNews and

http://www.ohmynews.com/. Last retrieved on June 14, 2021.

Unit 8 Three Common Errors in Sentence Structure and Punctuation | 184

VI. Sentences with “for Example, for Instance, Like,
Such as, Including”

In Exercise 6, you noticed the expression “for instance”. It is very common to have “for
example, for instance, like, such as, including” when you give examples. This also means
that the mistakes associated with them are also common.

Errors in Giving Examples

• Fragment: There are many citizen journalism sites. For example, Global News Voices
and Highway Ukraine Citizen Journalism Online.
• Run-on: There are many citizen journalism sites for example, Global News Voices and
Highway Ukraine Citizen Journalism Online are two of them.
• Comma splice: There are many citizen journalism sites, for example, Global News
Voices and Highway Ukraine Citizen Journalism Online are two of them.

When you correct the errors, you need to consider:

1. Are these expressions followed by a word, a phrase, or a complete sentence?

2. How do the punctuation and capitalization change as a result?

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For detailed explanations and practice in sentence structure and punctuation, open Unit
7 here.

There are different ways to include examples, and the following can be a good starting
point.

Common Ways to Write Examples

185 | Unit 8 Three Common Errors in Sentence Structure and Punctuation

 Writing Examples with “for Example” or “for Instance”

complete sentence . For example, complete sentence

• There are many citizen journalism sites. For example, Global News Voices and Highway
Ukraine Citizen Journalism Online are two of them.

complete sentence; for example, complete sentence

• There are many citizen journalism sites; for example, Global News Voices and Highway Ukraine
Citizen Journalism Online are two of them.

complete sentence, for example, words or phrases

• There are many citizen journalism sites, for example, Global News Voices and Highway Ukraine
Citizen Journalism Online

◦ “For instance” is used exactly the same ways as “for example”.

◦ There is a comma after “for example” and “for instance”.
◦ Capitalize the letter “F” in “For” only after a period, not after a comma or semi colon.

Writing Examples with “Such as”, “Like”, or “Including”

complete sentence + such as + words or phrases

• There are many citizen journalism sites such as Global News Voices and Highway Ukraine
Citizen Journalism Online.

complete sentence, + such as + words or phrases

• There are many citizen journalism sites, such as Global News Voices and Highway Ukraine
Citizen Journalism Online.

◦ “Like” and “including” are used exactly the same as “such as”.
◦ They are not followed by a complete sentence.
◦ The comma before them is optional.
◦ There is no comma after them.

For more explanations and examples with periods, question marks, exclamation marks,

Unit 8 Three Common Errors in Sentence Structure and Punctuation | 186

commas, semi colons, colons, apostrophes, and quotations marks, please refer to
Appendix C Punctuation. Open Appendix C here.

Exercise 7. The writer of the following sentences wants to give specific examples. You can help by filling in the
information on the lines. Pay attention to the punctuation and the structure (word, phrase, sentence).

Example:

There are many sources for people to obtain news from. For example,they can read newspapers and
magazines.

1. They can also learn about news from the social media such as ______________________________.
2. In my native country, older people prefer TV news programs, such as
______________________________.
3. However, most young people receive news from the social media; for instance,
______________________________.
4. For me, besides the social media, I also get news from people around me including
______________________________.
5. Some news websites like ______________________________ are very popular among the older people.

VII. Unit Review Practice

Exercise 8. The following sentences are about citizen science in some parts of the world. Each sentence contains a
fragment, run-on, or comma splice error. Identify each error and correct it. Be careful with punctuation and
capitalization.

Example:

Citizen science is going on in different parts of the world. Including Asia, Australia, Europe, and North
America.

The second part is a fragment.

Correction: Citizen science is going on in different parts of the world, including Asia, Australia, Europe,
and North America.

187 | Unit 8 Three Common Errors in Sentence Structure and Punctuation

 Webpage of European Citizen Science Association

1. If you are interested in a project from Asia. Check its website: https://www.facebook.com/
CitSciAsia/.
2. Australia has very active citizen science programs, one of the interesting programs in August 2021
was to match caterpillars to moths. For more information, you can check
https://citizenscience.org.au/.
3. Europe is another huge area for citizen science. The headquarters of the organization is in the
Museum für Naturkunde Berlin there are also offices in Brussels and Leiden. For projects and
events, you can check https://ecsa.citizen-science.net/.
16
4. In the U.S., many different organizations support and fund citizen science. Including the U.S.
17
government agencies as well as nonprofit organizations . The following websites give you more
information: https://www.citizenscience.gov/#; https://scistarter.org/citizen-science

Exercise 9. The following paragraph tells a brief history of citizen science. It has one error in fragment, one error in
run-on, and one error in comma splice (not including the example). Find the errors and correct them. Be careful
with punctuation and capitalization. The first one is an example.

Example:

16. fund: verb, give money to

17. non-profit organization: noun phrase, an organization whose purpose is not to make money

Unit 8 Three Common Errors in Sentence Structure and Punctuation | 188

 Scientific development has always relied on people in the local communities. Such as school children
and retired professionals.

Correction: Scientific development has always relied on people in the local communities, such as
school children and retired professionals.

The Beginning of Citizen Science

Scientific development has always relied on people in the local communities. Such as school
children and retired professionals. Even though many people have heard about the term “citizen
science” only recently. The practice of community involvement started as early as 1800s. According to the
National Geographic, Wells Cooke was probably one of the first people, he started a program about bird
18
migration . The U.S. government and volunteers started to get involved in collecting information about
19
bird migration patterns. They recorded the information on cards their efforts helped advance scientific
research and understanding of birds.

Adapted from https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/citizen-science/. Last retrieved on

June 16, 2021.

Exercise 10. The following paragraph about a citizen science project has one error in fragment, one error in run-on,
and one error in comma splice (not including the example). Find the errors and correct them. Be careful with
punctuation and capitalization. The first one is an example.

Example:

“What’s Your Water Level?” is another citizen science project it is very interesting.

Correction: “What’s Your Water Level?” is another very interesting citizen science project.

An Interesting Project

It is a global project, it is sponsored by a U.S. government agency called the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The project started on February 2, 2017, and it is still seeking more
volunteers. They will be taking photographs and recording data of water levels the information will be
used to analyze how the changing water levels affect the roads, homes, and businesses. Of course, a
camera is necessary, but like all the citizen science projects, curiosity in science and willingness to

18. migration: noun, move to live in another place

19. advance: verb, move forward

189 | Unit 8 Three Common Errors in Sentence Structure and Punctuation

 20
participate will be the key . If you are interested. You can check the website
http://noaa.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=8e4a278576964f47b4fc050e51f344ca.

Exercise 11. Choose one topic from #1-3 and one more from #4-6 to write two paragraphs. In each paragraph,
include at least two times total of “for example”, “for instance”, “such as”, “like”, or “including”. Check for fragments,
run-ons, and comma splices in your paragraphs. Be careful with punctuation and capitalization.

1. What are the benefits of citizen science for the science, community, and volunteers? For more
ideas, you may watch the TEDx video on YouTube “Citizen Science: Everyone Counts”, by Caren
Cooper. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7cQHSqfSzI&t=17s
2. What would be the potential disadvantages of citizen science? Why do you think so?
3. Have you ever participated in a citizen science project? If so, describe your project and what you
have learned from it. If not, would you be interested in one and why?
4. Click on the link and read the short report “Citizen Journalism Provided Glimpses of Mumbai
Attacks” from New York Times on November 30, 2008. According to the report, how are ordinary
citizens transforming the traditional news media? https://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/30/world/
asia/30twitter.html .
5. Do you consider yourself a citizen journalist? If yes, in what way have you been involved in citizen
journalism? If not, why not?
6. Besides citizen science and citizen journalism, what are other ways for ordinary people to
contribute to the global, national, or local communities?

NSNT Practice

20. key: noun, the most important part

Unit 8 Three Common Errors in Sentence Structure and Punctuation | 190

 Go to The NSNT Free Writing Approach and Additional Weekly Prompts
for Writing in Appendix A. (Open Appendix A here.) Choose two topics that
you have not written about. You may start with the NSNT approach. Then
revise and edit your paragraphs. Check for errors in fragments, run-ons, and
comma splices. You are encouraged to share your writing with your partner
and help each other improve.

a pen writing in a notebook

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Vocabulary Review

The words here have appeared in this unit. The best way to learn them is to
guess the meaning of each word from the context. Then hover your
computer mouse over the number beside each word to check its meaning
and part of speech. These words are also listed in the footnote area at the
end of each unit.

Here, you can use the flashcards below to review these words.

a page in a dictionary
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191 | Unit 8 Three Common Errors in Sentence Structure and Punctuation

 Summary

1. Three common errors in sentence structure and punctuation are fragments, run-ons, and comma
splices.
2. A sentence fragment is an incomplete sentence. It could be missing the subject, verb, or both. It
also occurs when a period is put in between the dependent and independent clauses in a
complex sentence.
3. A run-on sentence is two complete sentences written without anything to separate them.
4. A comma splice sentence is two complete sentences written with just a comma in between.
5. There are different ways to fix a sentence fragment:

• Add a subject, a verb, or both.

• Delete the period between the dependent and independence clauses in a complex sentence. Add
a comma if the dependent clause starts the sentence.

6. There are different ways to fix a run-on and a comma splice:

• Separate the two complete sentences with a period.

• Combine the two parts into a compound sentence.
• Combine the two parts into a complex sentence.
• Rewrite the two parts into a simple sentence.

7. “For example, for instance, like, such as, including” are often used as follows:

• complete sentence. For example, complete sentence

• complete sentence. For instance, complete sentence
• complete sentence; for example, complete sentence
• complete sentence; for instance, complete sentence
• complete sentence, for example, words or phrases
• complete sentence, for instance, words or phrases
• complete sentence, like words and phrases (The comma is optional.)
• complete sentence, such as words and phrases (The comma is optional.)
• complete sentence, including words and phrases (The comma is optional.)

Media Attributions

• a child holding a magnifying glass over a plant © Photo by Katherine Volkovski on

Unsplash
• pieces of a puzzle © Photo by Jonny Gios on Unsplash
• some sports cars with one on top of another © Photo by Abed Ismail on Unsplash
• a person video taping an event with a smart phone © Photo by Kym Ellis on Unsplash

Unit 8 Three Common Errors in Sentence Structure and Punctuation | 192

 • a fender bender crash © Geremy F. is licensed under a CC BY-NC-SA (Attribution
NonCommercial ShareAlike) license
• Webpage of European Citizen Science Association
• a pen writing in a notebook © Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
• a page in a dictionary © Pixabay

193 | Unit 8 Three Common Errors in Sentence Structure and Punctuation

Unit 9 Verb Basics in Academic
Writing

Learning Objectives

1. To understand what a verb is and why it is important

2. To differentiate between “Be” verbs and “Do” verbs, action verbs and non-action verbs, helping
verbs and main verbs, with their various uses though multiple examples and exercises
3. To be aware of the twelve verb tenses and five basic verb forms

I. Pretest

a cat and a dog

Unit 9 Verb Basics in Academic Writing | 194

 The following ten sentences are about pets. Some verbs are bold-faced. Identify what type of verb each one is by
selecting one of the two choices. After you finish one sentence, you will get instant feedback on your answer before
the next sentence. If you make mistakes, you can retry all the questions or see all the answers at the end of the
pre-test.

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of the text. You can view it online here:
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skills/?p=549#h5p-135

II. Definition of a Verb and Its Importance

Each sentence in English must have a verb. A verb expresses an action or shows a state of
1
existence .

Why are verbs important? There are two reasons:

1. They appear in every sentence in English.

2
2. Errors in verbs cause serious misunderstanding .

In order to express ideas clearly and accurately, you need to make sure:

1. You have a basic understanding of different types of verbs. This is the purpose of this
unit.
2. A subject and its verb must match each other. For detailed information and practice,
please refer to Unit 10 Subject-Verb Agreement. (Open Unit 10 here.)
3. A verb tense and its verb form must match each other. There are detailed explanations
and practice in verb tenses and forms from Unit 11 through Unit 14 in this book. (Open
Unit 11 Present Tenses, Unit 12 Past Tenses, Unit 13 Future Tenses, Unit 14 Mixed Tenses
here.)

1. existence: noun, being there, being this way

2. misunderstanding: noun, understand something in the wrong way

195 | Unit 9 Verb Basics in Academic Writing

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For detailed explanations and practice in sentence structure and punctuation, open Unit
7 here.

Exercise 1. Highlight the verbs in the following short paragraph about pet dogs. (To highlight, you position your
computer curser on the verbs and right click.)

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III. “Be” Verbs and “Do” Verbs

“Be” verbs: They look different depending on the subjects and the verb tenses. The most
common ones are “am, is, are, was, were”. A “Be” verb is often followed by a noun, a
pronoun, an adjective, a prepositional phrase, or an expression of age.

1. My neighbor’s pet is a rabbit. Her name is Bonny. (followed by nouns)

2. Bonny is not mine. (a pronoun)
3. Bonny’s tail is short and cute. (adjectives)
4. Bonny is in a cage when my neighbor is at work. (prepositional phrases)
5. Bonny was two months old when I first met her. (an age)

“Do” verbs: There are many “Do” verbs: study, get, sleep, wear, have, like, think…

Unit 9 Verb Basics in Academic Writing | 196

 Their forms also change based on the subjects and the verb tenses.

1. Bonny stays indoors most days.

2. My neighbor prepares special food for her.
3. Sometimes I see Bonnie in my neighbor’s backyard.
4. I played with her yesterday.
5. I hope that I can play with her again soon.

A “Be” verb is NEVER followed by the base form of a “Do” verb.

1. Bonny is stay indoors most days. X

2. Bonny stays indoors most days. √
3. Most rabbits are stay in a cage. X
4. Most rabbits stay in a cage. √
5. I was meet my neighbor’s pet rabbit for the first time last week. X
6. I met my neighbor’s pet rabbit for the first time last week. √

IV. Action and Non-Action Verbs

Action verbs: They show the action of the subject. All action verbs are “Do” verbs.

1. In the U.S., many pet owners treat their pets as part of the family.
2. Those pets get special food and even regular medical checkups.
3. Some of them sleep in their owner’s bed.
3 4
4. They receive toys and often wear festive outfits during holidays.
5. Most pets enjoy their good lives.

Non-action verbs: They do not show actions; instead, they show emotional or mental states,
five senses, possessions, and others. Non-action verbs are also called stative verbs or non-
progressive verbs. “Be” verbs are non-action verbs in most cases.

1. Pets love their owners.

3. festive: adjective, joyful, about holidays or festivals

4. outfit: noun, clothing

197 | Unit 9 Verb Basics in Academic Writing

 2. Pets understand how much they are loved.
3. Some pets can weigh over fifty pounds.
4. Most pets have animal doctors called vets.
5. Pets are our good friends.

Common Non-Action Verbs

Emotional/mental state:

• appreciate, believe, detest, dislike, fear, forget, hate, imagine, know, like, love, mean, mind, miss,
need, prefer, remember, respect, understand, want …

Five senses:

• appear, feel, hear, look, see, seem, smell, taste …

Possessions:

• belong, contain, have, own, possess …

Others:

• cost, find…

Sometimes, the same verb can be both an action verb and a non-action verb, with different
meanings and grammatical structures. Discuss the difference between the underlined
verbs below.

1. What do you think of my kitten? It seems that she is always thinking about playing
hide and seek with me. (non-action, action)
2. Feel the fur of my kitten. It feels so soft. (action, non-action)
5
3. My kitten measures twelve inches in length . I measure her every month to see how

5. length: noun, the noun form of the adjective "long"

Unit 9 Verb Basics in Academic Writing | 198

 much she has grown. (non-action, action)
4. I see some red pots on the kitten’s skin. I am taking her to her vet. We are seeing the
vet at 3 pm this afternoon. (non-action, action)

Non-action verbs can be used in different verb tenses except progressive tenses, but action
verbs can be used in all tenses.

6
1. The kitten has been napping for a long time. He looks (is looking) content in his sleep.
2. Samantha likes (is liking) kittens. She has (is having) two. Right now she is preparing
their favorite snacks.

7
Exercise 2. The following sentences are about color-blindness of dogs. Some verbs are bold-faced. Highlight if
each bold-faced verb is an action verb or a non-action verb. The first one is an example. When you finish the
exercise, you can retry or see all the answers. (To highlight, you position your computer curser on the verbs and
right click.)

a black dog with a yellow tennis ball in mouth

6. content: adjective, happy and satisfied

7. color-blindness: noun, not able to see the differences in colors

199 | Unit 9 Verb Basics in Academic Writing

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V. Helping Verbs and Main Verbs

Helping verbs: They are also called auxiliary verbs. These verbs “help” the main verbs to

• show verb tense

• make a negative sentence
• ask a question
• change the meaning or tone
• change the voice (from active to passive or passive to active, not addressed in this
course)

Helping verbs must work with main verbs to form complete verbs. Common helping verbs
include “do, does, did, have, had, had, will”.

helping verb + main verb = complete verb

1. Mohamod has always wanted to get his driver’s license. (helping verb “has” + main
verb “wanted”)
2. He has prepared for this driver’s test for several months. (helping verb “has” + main
verb “prepared”)
3. He does not want to carpool with his friend every day. (helping verb “does” + main verb
“want”)
4. He hopes that he will pass the road test. (helping verb “will” + main verb “pass”)
5. Should he celebrate if he passes? (helping verb “should” + main verb “celebrate”)

Unit 9 Verb Basics in Academic Writing | 200

Modals: Modals are a special type of helping
verbs. They mainly show ability, possibility,
obligation, advice, and many others. They are
followed by the base form of the main verb.

1. Every driver in the U.S. must have a driver’s

license. (modal/helping verb “must” + main
verb “have”)
2. Should he or she buy car insurance, too? two people in a car
(modal/helping verb “should” + main verb
“buy”)
3. Maintaining a car can be expensive. (modal/helping verb “can” + main verb “be”)
4. Life could become difficult without a car. (modal/helping verb “could” + main verb
“become”)

For detailed explanations and examples of modals, please refer to Unit 15 Modals. (Open
Unit 15 here.)

Exercise 3. The following is a brief account of Jose and his car. Type the helping verb in each sentence in the
appropriate boxe. The first sentence is an example. When you finish the entire exercise, you can retry or see all the
answers.

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201 | Unit 9 Verb Basics in Academic Writing

VI. Twelve Verb Tenses

While verbs show actions or states of being, verb tenses indicate the time of those actions
or states of being:

• in the past, in the present, in the future, or from past to present

• happened just once, happened repeatedly, or is still happening.

There are twelve tenses in English:

Unit 9 Verb Basics in Academic Writing | 202

 PAST PRESENT FUTURE

I will study.

I am going to study.

I studied. I study. You will study.

You studied. You study. You are going to stud

SIMPLE
He studied. He studies. He will study.

They studied. They study. He is going to study.

They will study.

They are going to stud

I will be studying.

I am going to be stud

I was studying. I am studying. You will study.

You were studying. You are studying You are going to stud
PROGRESSIVE
He was studying. He is studying. He will be studying.

They were studying. They are studying. He is going to be stud

They will be studying.

They are going to be s

I had studied. I have studied. I will have studied.

You had studied. You have studied. You will have studied.
PERFECT
He had studied. He has studied. He will have studied.

They had studied. They have studied. They will have studied

203 | Unit 9 Verb Basics in Academic Writing

 I had been studying. I have been studying. I will have been study

You had been studying. You have been studying. You will have been stu
PERFECT PROGRESSIVE
He had been studying. He has been studying. He will have been stud

They had been studying. They have been studying. They will have been st

In this course, you will be focusing on using eight of the above tenses in writing: simple
present, present progressive, present perfect, present perfect progressive, simple past, past
progressive, past perfect, and simple future tenses. You will learn the rest of the tenses in
future courses.

VII. Five Basic Verb Forms

In the above chart, the verb “study” appears in different forms – study, studies, am studying,
had been studying, will be studying, and some others. These are called verb forms. Verbs
have five basic forms:

Unit 9 Verb Basics in Academic Writing | 204

 BASE PRESENT PRESENT PARTICIPLE PAST PAST PARTI

am, is, are being was, were been

Be

Do do, does doing did done

Have having had had

have, has

Study study, studies studying studied studied

Move moving moved moved

move, moves

Speak speak, speaks speaking spoke spoken

Always remember that a verb tense and its verb forms must match each other. There are
detailed explanations and practice in verb tenses and forms from Unit 11 through Unit 14 in
this book. (Open Unit 11 Present Tenses, Unit 12 Past Tenses, Unit 13 Future Tenses, Unit 14
Mixed Tenses here.)

205 | Unit 9 Verb Basics in Academic Writing

VIII. Unit Review Practice

Exercise 4. The following paragraph about leashing the dog is from a previous unit. Highlight “Be” for “Be verbs”
and “Do” for “Do verbs”. The first one is an example. When you finish the exercise, you can retry or see all the
answers. (To highlight, you position your computer curser on the verbs and right click.)

two dogs on leash

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Unit 9 Verb Basics in Academic Writing | 206

 Exercise 5. The following is a story about two puppies in love. Some verbs are bold-faced. Select what the type of
verb each one is. You will get instant feedback after each sentence. If you make a mistake, you may also retry or
see the answer.

a dog swimming

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Unit 9 Verb Basics in Academic Writing | 208

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Exercise 6. Take a paragraph you have written in this course. Exchange it with your partner’s.

In your partner’s paragraph,

1. single underline all the “Be” verbs.

2. double underline all the helping verbs.
3. circle all the non-action verbs.

209 | Unit 9 Verb Basics in Academic Writing

When you finish, return the paragraph to your partner. Discuss if you agree with each other on all the
verbs.

NSNT Practice

Go to The NSNT Free Writing Approach and Additional Weekly Prompts

for Writing in Appendix A. (Open Appendix A here.) Choose two topics to
write a paragraph each. You may start with the NSNT approach and then
rewrite it. Pay attention to the use of verbs. Be mindful of the verbs you are
using: Are they main verbs or helping verbs? Action verbs or non-action
verbs? “Be” verbs or “do” verbs? You are encouraged to share your writing
with your partner and help each other improve.

a pen writing in a notebook

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Vocabulary Review

The words here have appeared in this unit. The best way to learn them is to
guess the meaning of each word from the context. Then hover your
computer mouse over the number beside each word to check its meaning
and part of speech. These words are also listed in the footnote area at the
end of each unit.

Here, you can use the flashcards below to review these words.

a page in a dictionary

Unit 9 Verb Basics in Academic Writing | 210

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Summary

1. A verb shows an action or a state of being and usually comes after the subject in a sentence.
2. “Be” verbs include “am, is, are, was, were” and some others.
3. There are many “Do” verbs such as “swim, study, eat, drive”.
4. A “Be” verb is NEVER followed by the base form of a “Do” verb.
5. An action verb shows the action of the subject.
6. A non-action verb shows the state, condition, or possession of the subject. A non-action verb
cannot be used in a progressive verb tense.
7. Some verbs can be both action and non-action verbs, with a different meaning.
8. A helping verb must be accompanied by a main verb in a sentence.
9. There are twelve verb tenses and five basic verb forms. Each verb tense has its own verb forms.
Verb tenses and verb forms must match each other in sentences.

Media Attributions

• a cat and a dog © Photo by Anusha Barwa on Unsplash

• a black dog with a yellow tennis ball in mouth © Photo by Tadeusz Lakota on Unsplash
• two people in a car © Photo by Orkun Azap on Unsplash

211 | Unit 9 Verb Basics in Academic Writing

• two dogs on leash © Photo by Bundo Kim on Unsplash
• a dog swimming © Photo by Marcia Soligo on Unsplash
• a pen writing in a notebook © Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
• a page in a dictionary © Pixabay

Unit 9 Verb Basics in Academic Writing | 212

Unit 10 Subject-Verb Agreement

Learning Objectives

1. To understand what subject-verb agreement means

2. To learn the strategies and ten rules in correctly using subject-verb agreement
3. To apply the strategies and rules of subject-verb agreement through multiple examples and
exercises

I. Pretest

snow-covered trees and houses

In the following ten sentences are about snow days, some verbs are bold-faced. If the bold-faced part in the
sentence is correct, choose “correct”. If not, choose the other answer. After you finish one sentence, you will get
instant feedback on your answer before the next sentence. If you make mistakes, you can retry all the questions or
see all the answers at the end of the pre-test.

213 | Unit 10 Subject-Verb Agreement

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II. Meaning of Subject-Verb Agreement

In English, a subject and its verb must match each other. When the subject is singular, a
singular form of the verb is used. When the subject is plural, a plural form of the verb is
used.

The subjects are boldfaced, and the verbs are underlined below.

1. Most students love snow days.

2. When the weather is too severe due to snow and ice, schools are canceled.
3. When that happens, students have a snow day.

III. Strategies for Subject-Verb Agreement

1. The best way to decide on the correct verb is to look back at the subject. Highlight the
subject if necessary, as shown in the above examples.

2. When a subject looks complicated or unclear to you, turn it into a pronoun to see its
singular/plural nature. That will help you decide on the verb.

• In Chicago, there are usually a few snow days in most winters.

Unit 10 Subject-Verb Agreement | 214

 a few snow days → they (plural)

• Though everyone has a day off, some teachers assign extra homework.

everyone → he or she (singular) some teachers → they (plural)

• The extra homework, like small projects, keeps the students busy and safe at home.

the extra homework → it (singular)

3. The ten common rules you will be learning in this unit will help you choose the correct
verbs in most situations. Some rules may be different from how people speak in informal
situations, but here you are focusing on formal, standard English usage.

• None of my classmates enjoy driving in snow. (informal)

• None of my classmates enjoys driving in snow. (formal)

4. Practice, practice, and practice while enjoying your journey of learning. Be conscious of
1
the verbs you are using. It is fun to learn a different language, and it is empowering to have
2
the assurance that you are using the language correctly in academic writing.

IV. Ten Common Rules of Subject-verb Agreement

Rule One. In general, a subject of singular nature takes the singular form of
the verb. A subject of plural nature takes the plural form of the verb.

1. We like outdoors, and our puppy loves outdoors, too.

2. The cold weather always keeps us all indoors.

1. empowering: adjective, feeling powerful

2. assurance: noun, the feeling of being sure

215 | Unit 10 Subject-Verb Agreement

 Rule Two. If a compound subject is used, understand it as “they” and use the
plural form of the verb.

1. A wool scarf and a pair of earmuffs protect us from the biting cold.
2. Besides a warm coat, gloves and boots are also essential.
3
3. Both a jumper cable and a blanket are necessary to keep in the car.

Rule Three. When “or”, “either…or…”, or “neither…nor…” is in the subject, look

at the part after “or” or “nor” to decide on the verb.

1. The GPS navigation or a detailed map is very helpful if we are driving to a new
location.
2. The GPS navigation or printed directions are very helpful if we are driving to a new
location.
3. Either a blanket or warm clothes keep us warm during long-distance driving on a
wintery day.
4. Either warm clothes or a blanket keeps us warm during long-distance driving on a
wintery day.
5. Sometimes neither loud music nor talkative passengers are able to keep the tired
driver awake.
6. Sometimes, neither talkative passengers nor loud music is able to keep the tired
driver awake.

Exercise 1. The following paragraph is about winter fun in the McCormick Tribune Plaza in Chicago. Choose and
highlight the correct verb in each sentence. Look at the subject carefully before you decide on the verb. If
necessary, turn the subject into a pronoun to help you. The first one is an example. When you finish the entire
exercise, you can retry or see all the answers. (To highlight, you position your computer curser on the verbs and
right click.)

3. a jumper cable: noun phrase, a wire to jump start a car when the car battery is not working

Unit 10 Subject-Verb Agreement | 216

 person wearing ice skate

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Rule Four. Many indefinite pronouns are singular. When such a pronoun is the
subject, use the singular form of the verb.

Common indefinite pronouns include “everybody, everyone, everything, somebody,

someone, something, nobody, no one, nothing, either of, neither of, one of, each of, none
of”.

1. Anyone in Chicago understands how difficult it is to arrive on campus on time on

snowy days.
2. One of my closest friends often comes fifteen minutes late because he is a new driver.
“Better safe than sorry!” He always says.
3. Each of our professors allows a few extra minutes for students to arrive at the

217 | Unit 10 Subject-Verb Agreement

 classroom.
4. Neither of my two courses counts attendance as part of the grade.
5. One time everyone was late except the professor!
6. Last week, none of the students was late. The whole class cheered as the professor
started the lesson.

Rule Five. When “some”, “any”, “all”, or “most” is in the subject, the subject
can be singular or plural. If the noun after these words is singular, use the
singular form of the verb. If the noun is plural, use the plural form of the verb.

1. Some of the students do not have classes early in the morning, so they can sleep in.
2. There are no accidents on the road today as some of the snow has melted.
3. All of the drivers were safe at their destination this morning.
4. All of the snow was gone early this morning.
5. Most of the professors encourage extra home study when the classes are canceled
due to severe weather.
6. Most of the extra work is optional for students.

Exercise 2. The following paragraph is about taking photos of the Bean in the Millennium Park in Chicago. Choose
and highlight the correct verb in each sentence. Look at the subject carefully before you decide on the verb. If
necessary, turn the subject into a pronoun to help you. The first sentence is an example. When you finish the entire
exercise, you can retry or see all the answers. (To highlight, you position your computer curser on the verbs and
right click.)

Unit 10 Subject-Verb Agreement | 218

 a woman taking photo of the Bean

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Rule Six. When a collective noun is used as the subject and is understood as
acting together as one unit in the context, it becomes “it” and is followed by a
singular form of the verb. If that collective noun focuses on its individual
parts, it becomes “they” and is followed by a plural form of the verb.

4 5
Examples of collective nouns include “family”, “class”, “team”, “crowd”, “committee ”, “jury ”,
6 7
“choir “, “audience ”, etc.

1. The family is very quiet. The school is announcing a snow day on the radio.
2. The family are excited to be able to spend some time with each other at home.
3. Our team always works hard.

4. committee: noun, a group of people selected to work on a special task

5. jury: noun, a group of people in the court to decide whether a person is guilty of a crime
6. choir: noun, an organized group of singers
7. audience: noun, a group of people watching or listening, such as in a movie theater or sport game

219 | Unit 10 Subject-Verb Agreement

4. When the game was canceled due to snow, the team were not disappointed. They
were excited to be able to visit each other’s homes.

If you are not sure, you can add a word like “members”.

Our team members always work hard. However, when the game was canceled due to
snow, they were not disappointed. They were excited to be able to visit each other’s homes.

Rule Seven. When a gerund or an infinitive is used as a subject, use the

singular form of the verb.

A gerund: verb + ing (It is not the same as the “verb + ing” in progressive tenses.)

An infinitive: to + base verb

1. Reading is my main activity on a snow day.

2. Postponing my homework till next week and dreaming of another snow day make
me feel guilty but happy. (compound subject)
3. Finding a parking spot close to my classroom building is almost impossible as many
spaces are covered by snow and become “unparkable”.
4. To secure a good parking space on campus around 10 am has been my struggle this
semester.

Rule Eight. In a “There + a form of be” sentence, the verb depends on the
noun after “be”.

1. There are many parking spaces on campus, but the snow blowers usually “park” some
of the snow in those spaces.
2. Some students have no choice but park their cars in the employee parking areas. This
happens more frequently when there is an important exam starting within ten
minutes.
3. There have been times when I am late for an exam just because it takes too long to
find parking.

Unit 10 Subject-Verb Agreement | 220

 Exercise 3. The following sentences are about winter fun in the Lincoln Park Zoo near Chicago. Choose and type
the correct verb in each blank. Look at the subject carefully before you decide on the verb. If necessary, turn the
subject into a pronoun to help you. You will get instant feedback on your answer. When you finish the entire
exercise, you may retry or see all the answers.

Webpage of Lincoln Park ZooLights

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Rule Nine. Some nouns are always singular even though they end with an “s”,
and some other nouns are always plural. Use verbs according to the nouns.

Always Singular Always Plural

non-count nouns: air, knowledge, milk, news, apparels: clothes, jeans, pajamas, pants, shorts
politics … …
school subjects: linguistics, mathematics,
groups: people, police …
physics …

countries: the Netherlands, the Philippines, the

tools: glasses, pliers, scissors …
United States …

221 | Unit 10 Subject-Verb Agreement

 1. Cold air is fresh and crisp on a winter morning.
2. The United States is a country where I am spending the coldest winter in my life.
3. Young people like to venture out and enjoy skiing.
8
4. Scissors are indispensable for a snow-day art project. (A pair of scissors is
indispensable. – Refer to Rule Ten below.)

Exercise 4. The following sentences are about winter fun in the Chicago Botanic Garden. Choose and type the
correct verb in each blank. Look at the subject carefully before you decide on the verb. If necessary, turn the
subject into a pronoun to help you. You will get instant feedback on your answer. When you finish the entire
exercise, you may retry or see all the answers.

Lights in Chicago Botanic Garden

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8. indispensable: adjective, absolutely necessary, essential

Unit 10 Subject-Verb Agreement | 222

Rule Ten. A subject and a verb may not always be side by side. When there is
a prepositional phrase between them, cross out that the prepositional phrase.

A prepositional phrase is a phrase consisting of a preposition plus a noun, pronoun, etc.

examples: in the room, from him …

The prepositional phrases are crossed out below to help you locate the subjects more easily.
You can see that the subjects and verbs do not change.

1. Many international students often find Chicago winter intolerably long and cold.
2. Many international students from warm countries often find Chicago winter
extremely long and cold.
3. A reliable car is essential on snowy days.
4. A reliable car with good tires is essential on snowy days.
5. A car dealership installs snow tires for customers.
6. A car dealership on Golf Road near Harper campus installs snow tires for customers.

Exercise 5. The following sentences are about winter fun in the Chicago Theatre District. Highlight the correct verb
in each sentence. Look at the subject carefully before you decide on the verb. If necessary, turn the subject into a
pronoun to help you. The first sentence is an example. When you finish the entire exercise, you can retry or see all
the answers. (To highlight, you position your computer curser on the verbs and right click.)

rows of red chairs in a theater

223 | Unit 10 Subject-Verb Agreement

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V. Unit Review Practice

Exercise 6. The following paragraph is about museums in Chicago. There are seven more errors in the use of
subject-verb agreement (not including the example). Remember to locate the subject first in each sentence. Then
Identify the verb error and correct it. The first one is an example.

Visiting Chicago Museums in Winter

Museums in Chicago is (are) famous. There is

more than sixty of them! They provide numerous
educational and recreational indoor activities,
especially in winter. There are always something for
everyone. People of all ages like to go there and
have fun. For example, the Field Museum have
displays from ancient cultures to the most modern
scientific discoveries. One of the most popular
dinosaur fossil display at Field Museum
exhibits is the largest Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton
Sue. The Museum of Science and Industry is
another well-known place. Every winter, it have a special exhibit called Christmas around the World and
Holidays of Light. This event started in 1942 with one single tree but have expanded into an annual
holiday tradition since then. Visitors see a four-story Grand Tree with forty smaller trees around it. The

Unit 10 Subject-Verb Agreement | 224

 trees represents celebrations from cultures around the world. No doubt, museums in Chicago keep
people warm, safe, and entertained during harsh winters.

Exercise 7. The following paragraph about winter fun at home is adapted from a paragraph in an earlier unit.
There are six more errors in the use of subject-verb agreement (not including the example). Remember to locate
the subjects first. Then identify the verb errors and correct them. The first one is an example.

Winter Fun at Home

Winters in some areas of America is (are) very

cold. Many people have to stay home, but they do
not need to miss fun. The first interesting thing they
can do is to make home a fun zone. For instance,
they can set up a simple but comfortable home
theatre with just a TV and a couch. A bag of popcorn
and a cup of hot chocolate adds to a feeling of
warmth and relaxation no matter how heavily it is
Zootopia movie in a home theater
snowing outside. Second, they can make household
chores into a competition. Every week, they have a cleaning game. The older child vacuum the carpet,
the younger child dust the furniture, and the parents clean the kitchen appliances. They can rotate being
the judge and deciding on the prizes. Children are usually happier to do housework when it is fun. Lastly,
they can continue with physical activities at home. If they have a treadmill or stationary bike at home,
that will be great. However, it is still fine without it. On the Internet, there is many fitness programs with
no required equipment, so everyone can choose what he or she like to do. One person can choose
aerobics, and another can do tai chi. Winters can be long, but they do not have to be boring. It depend
on the people to find fun things to do at home.

Exercise 8. In the following paragraph about winter dining in Chicago, there are ten more errors in the use of
subject-verb agreement (not including the example). Remember to locate the subjects first. Then identify the verb
errors and correct them. The first one is an example.

Winter Dining in Chicago

225 | Unit 10 Subject-Verb Agreement

 As cold as Chicago winters are, there is (are)
always many fun things to do both indoors and
outdoors for everyone. Everyone are able to find
activities to his or her liking. Young people loves ice-
skating in the McCormick Tribune Plaza and photo
9
shooting in the Millennium Park. Children delight
in light gazing in the Lincoln Park Zoo and the
Chicago Botanic Garden. Many people like to stay
indoors. Watching a play in the Chicago Theater
District or visiting Sue in the Field Museum
guarantee a warm and safe outing. There are also
many restaurants in Chicago. Believe it or not, there
10
are outdoor dining in the deep cold. “From heated
11
igloos to enclosed patios to rooftop bars, there are
tons of outdoor dining.” One of the restaurants are
12
Beatrix Fulton Market. It offer covered igloos and
heated greenhouses. Each greenhouse hold two to two igloos
four customers and have a dinning time limit of one
and a half hours. The igloo dining booking fee costs $150. Neither the food nor the drinks is included in
this fee. Eating there is expensive, but the dining experience will be unforgettable. If anyone are
interested, it is important to check for updates at https://www.choosechicago.com/blog/dining/open-
patio-rooftops-dining-chicago/.

The information about indoor dining, along with the quote, was adapted from the above website. Last
accessed on January 15, 2021.

Exercise 9. Choose two of the topics to write a paragraph each. Pay attention to the subject-verb agreement.

1. What are different ways you have fun in winter?

2. What are popular places in your native country where people like to spend the winter?

9. delight: verb, enjoy

10. heated: adjective, warm, with heating on
11. igloo: noun, a "house" made of ice and snow
12. covered: adjective, having a roof or lid

Unit 10 Subject-Verb Agreement | 226

 3. What safe winter driving tips would you like to share?
4. What are different ways children enjoy snow days?
5. Have you had a snow day? If so, what did you do?

NSNT Practice

Go to The NSNT Free Writing Approach and Additional Weekly Prompts

for Writing in Appendix A. (Open Appendix A here.) Choose two topics to
write a paragraph each. You may start with the NSNT approach. Then revise
and edit your paragraphs. Pay attention to the subject-verb agreement in
each sentence. You are encouraged to share your writing with your partner
and help each other improve.

a pen writing in a notebook

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Vocabulary Review

The words here have appeared in this unit. The best way to learn them is to
guess the meaning of each word from the context. Then hover your
computer mouse over the number beside each word to check its meaning
and part of speech. These words are also listed in the footnote area at the
end of each unit.

Here, you can use the flashcards below to review these words.

a page in a dictionary

227 | Unit 10 Subject-Verb Agreement

 An interactive H5P element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view it
online here:
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Summary

1. A subject and its verb must match each other.

2. The following strategies will help you use subject-verb agreement correctly:

• Identify the subject first.

• Turn a complicated subject into a pronoun to see its singular/plural nature before deciding on the
verb.
• Understand the rules.
• Keep practicing.

3. The following are ten common rules in subject-verb agreement:

• In general, a subject of singular nature takes the singular form of the verb. A subject of plural
nature takes the plural form of the verb.
• If a compound subject is used, understand it as “they” and use the plural form of the verb.
• When “or”, “either…or…”, or “neither…nor…” is in the subject, look at the word after “or” or “nor” to
decide on the verb.
• When an indefinite pronoun is the subject, use singular form of the verb.
• In sentences with “some”, “any”, “all”, or “most” as the subject, if the noun after these words is
singular, use the singular form of the verb. If the noun is plural, use the plural form of the verb.
• When a collective noun is used as the subject and is understood as acting together as one unit in
the context, it becomes “it” and is followed by a singular form of the verb. If that collective noun
focuses on its individual parts, it becomes “they” and is followed by a plural form of the verb.
• When a gerund or an infinitive is used as a subject, use the singular form of the verb.
• In “There + a form of be” sentences, the verb depends on the noun after “be”.
• Some nouns are always singular, and some are always plural. Use verbs according to the singular

Unit 10 Subject-Verb Agreement | 228

 or plural nature of the nouns.
• When there is a prepositional phrase between the subject and the verb, cross out that the
prepositional phrase when you look for the subject.

Media Attributions

• snow-covered trees and houses © Photo by Cloris Ying on Unsplash

• person wearing ice skate © Photo by Kelli McClintock on Unsplash
• a woman taking photo of the Bean © Photo by Laura Blanshard on Unsplash
• Webpage of Lincoln Park ZooLights
• Lights in Chicago Botanic Garden © Photo by Steven Aguilar on Unsplash
• rows of red chairs in a theater © no available is licensed under a CC0 (Creative
Commons Zero) license
• dinosaur fossil display at Field Museum © Photo by Chris Nguyen on Unsplash
• Zootopia movie in a home theater © Photo by Chauhan Moniz on Unsplash
• two igloos © Photo by Aleksandra Sapozhnikova on Unsplash
• a pen writing in a notebook © Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
• a page in a dictionary © Pixabay

229 | Unit 10 Subject-Verb Agreement

Unit 11 Expressing Meaning in
Present Tenses

Learning Objectives

1. To learn the principles in using appropriate verb tenses

2. To understand the meanings and verb forms of four present tenses – simple present, present
progressive, present perfect, and present perfect progressive – through multiple examples
3. To practice using the appropriate present tenses in a variety of writing situations

I. Pretest

currencies from different countries

Unit 11 Expressing Meaning in Present Tenses | 230

 The following ten sentences are related to the topic of money. Some of the verbs are bold-faced. If the bold-faced
verb is correct, choose “correct”. If not, choose one of the other two answers. After you finish one sentence, you will
get instant feedback on your answer before the next sentence. If you make mistakes, you can retry all the
questions or see all the answers at the end of the pre-test.

An interactive H5P element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view it
online here:
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II. Principles in Using Verb Tenses

1
1. Always start with meaning. The purpose of communication is to convey meaning.
Therefore, it is important to start with the question: What ideas am I trying to express
to others?
2. Use the appropriate verb tense and verb form as tools to express your meaning. Each
verb tense uses a different verb form. The verb form shows which verb tense is being
2
used. These two concepts are connected and must be understood as an inseparable
“pair”. For example, if you want to write about current activities, you should use a
present tense and should not use a past verb form with an “ed” ending.
3. Time words are extremely important. They are like traffic signs to guide you and your
readers. Your time words, verb tenses, and verb forms should all match each other in
order to express your meaning clearly. For example, If you are describing an event in
progress at the moment of speaking, you should not use a time word such as
“yesterday”.

1. convey: verb, express, show

2. inseparable: adjective, cannot be separated

231 | Unit 11 Expressing Meaning in Present Tenses

 III. Expressing Meaning in Simple Present

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For detailed explanations and practice in verbs, open Unit 9 here.

Verb Forms in Simple Present

1. When “am”, “is”, or “are” is the main verb, do not use a “do” verb. In the same way, when
the main verb is a “do” verb, do not use “am”, “is”, or “are”.

• Money is important.
• Money is plays an important role in our lives.

2. If “he”, “she”, or “it” is the subject of a sentence and a “do” verb is the main verb, add an “s”
to the end of the main verb.

3
• Many people save money because it gives them a sense of security .

3. If “he”, “she”, or “it” is the subject in a question or negative sentence, leave off the “s” at
the end of the main verb since you already have the helping verb “does” or “doesn’t”.

4
• Does money guarantee happiness? No, it does not.

Meaning, Common Expressions, and Examples in Simple Present

Meaning #1: facts and truths

3. security: noun, safety

4. guarantee: verb, promise, ensure

Unit 11 Expressing Meaning in Present Tenses | 232

 Common time expressions and frequency adverbs: always, constantly, frequently,
usually, often, generally, sometimes, seldom, rarely, hardly ever, never …

Examples: Facts and truths about money

1. President George Washington’s image is on one side

of the one-dollar bill.
2. One-dollar coins are not very common.
5
3. The Department of Treasury manages the currency
in the U.S.
4. Does each state government decide how much tax
money to collect?
5. How do the states collect tax money from the
residents?

Meaning #2: current habits, routines, repeated activities

the front and back sides of a U.S.
Common time expressions and frequency adverbs: one-dollar coin
every day, each night, once a week, twice a day, on
Tuesdays …

Examples: Routine activities and facts

1. My sister and I usually go shopping on the weekends.

2. The stores are always crowded then.
3. My sister tries to save money on many things, but she does not save money on shoes.
4. How much does she spend on shoes each year? Only she knows.
5. She always says, “I have only 2 feet, but I have only 365 days a year to keep my feet
happy!”

Exercise 1. Read the following paragraph about allowance. Find ten additional errors and correct them (not
including the example). The first one is an example.

5. Department of Treasury: noun phrase, a U.S. government agency to manage the financial system in
the country

233 | Unit 11 Expressing Meaning in Present Tenses

 Allowance – Beneficial or Not?

Many children in the U.S. receiving (receive) some money from their parents once a week or
every other week. This type of money is called the allowance. People have different opinions about the
allowance. Some children getting it in exchange for doing household chores like washing the dishes and
6
taking care of a younger sibling . However, should helping the family be part of the child’s education
about responsibilities? Besides, most children does not need to “work” for money. They receive it “for
free”! The amount of money start from a few dollars a week and increase as the children grow. According
to some experts, the dollar amount can be based on the child’s age. For instance, if a child be five years
old, the allowance is five dollars a week. The following year, the child will receive six dollars. Many parents
are believe that the allowance is help the children learn the value of money. They also learn to manage
their money from an early age. However, other parents does not agree. They question, “Why my children
need money? I buy everything for them.” These parents worry that the allowance will make their kids
7
materialistic. They also do not want their children to use the money for unhealthy snacks or addictive
computer games. It is hard to say which group of parents are right.

IV. Express Meaning in Present Progressive (No

Non-Action Verbs)

The present progressive tense usually expresses actions that are going on at the moment of
speaking. It is also used to indicate future planned activities. In this unit, you are focusing on
the current actions only. For the future planned activities, please refer to Unit 13 Expressing
Meaning in Future Tenses. (Open Unit 13 here.)

Verb Forms in Present Progressive: am/is/are + verb-ing

Meaning, Common Time Expressions, and Examples in Present Progressive

Meaning #1: actions or situations happening at the moment of speaking

6. sibling: noun, a brother or sister

7. addictive: adjective, becoming a habit, cannot stop

Unit 11 Expressing Meaning in Present Tenses | 234

Common time expressions: now, right now, at the moment, at the current moment, at
present …

Examples: about activities going on in the classroom right now

1. The professor is checking our homework now.

2. Is Eva sitting next to Maria?
3. My two friends and I are not sitting together.
4. What are the students discussing?

Meaning #2: Actions or situations happening during the present period of time or over an
extended period of time

Common time expressions: currently, today, these days, nowadays, this semester …

Examples: about the current ongoing situation in extended period of time

1. More students are working out in the new fitness center these days.
2. With more exercises, everyone is becoming healthier.
3. More and more students are paying attention to their health.
4. This is good news even though no one is getting younger!

For more information about non-action verbs, please refer to Unit 9 Verb Basics in
Academic Writing. (Open Unit 9 here.)

Exercise 2. The following paragraph is about finding a parking space on campus. The writer is looking for a spot
right now. There are five more errors in the use of simple present and present progressive verbs (not including the
example). Find the errors and correct them. The first one is an example.

Seeking a Parking Space

It is 9:45 am Monday morning. The parking lots at my college are looking (look) full. Many students
are try to find a parking spot close to their classroom building. I circling around and around from one
parting lot to another. I am seeing an empty space right there! Oh no, another car taking it. I am needing

235 | Unit 11 Expressing Meaning in Present Tenses

 to park my car right away because my class starts at 10 am. There, a car is backing out of a space! I am
so glad! It is only steps away from the building entrance. Lucky me! I will not be late today! It is getting
harder and harder to find a parking space these days.

V. Express Meaning in Present Perfect

Most people will agree that the present perfect tense is the most challenging of all tenses
because it can refer to the past, present, and even future situations. The good news is that
your English skills have progressed far enough to be able to understand it. Once you have
learned it, the other tenses will look a lot easier!

Have you noticed the three underlined present perfect verbs?

Verb Forms in Present Perfect: have/has + past participle

For a list of verbs with irregular past tense and past participle spelling, please refer to
Appendix D Irregular Verbs. (Open Appendix D here.)

Meaning, Common Time Expressions, and Examples in Present Perfect

Meaning #1: an action or a situation that started in the past, continues till present, and may
go on into the future

Common time words and other expressions: since, for, recently, lately, so far, to date, till
now, in the past/last two weeks, today, these days, this week, all life …

Examples: about Jiali’s stamp-collecting hobby

Unit 11 Expressing Meaning in Present Tenses | 236

 1. Jiali has loved stamps since she was a child.
2. Has her collection grown a lot in the last
two months?
3. Yes, it has. Her friends have sent her their
stamps lately.
8
4. How many years has she accumulated
stamps?

Meaning #2: an action or a situation that

two stamps indicating the Year of Rabbit
completed at an unspecified time in the past

Common time words and other expressions: already, before, just, never, yet …(sometimes
no time words)

Examples: about Jiali’s stamp-collecting hobby

1. Jiali has just joined a stamp-collecting club at her college.

2. Has Jiali ever received stamp-related gifts?
3. Yes, She has. For her birthday next week, her family has already ordered illuminated
9
magnifiers and stamp tongs.
4. The gifts have not arrived yet.

Meaning #3: an action or a situation that was repeated in an unspecified past time or since
a past time and may occur again in the future

Common time words and other expressions: once, two times, a few times, many times …

Examples: about Jiali’s stamp-collecting hobby

1. How many international stamps has Jiali accumulated?

2. So far, she has gathered over five hundred stamps from different countries.
3. She has attended the club meeting three times since the beginning of the semester.
4. She has traded[footnote]trade: verb, exchange[/footnote] eight stamps with her club

8. accumulate: verb, gather, collect

9. illuminated magnifier: noun phrase, a tool that can light up and that is made of grass to make
things look bigger

237 | Unit 11 Expressing Meaning in Present Tenses

 friends this month.

Exercise 3. Read the following paragraph about another hobby “toy Voyaging*. Fill in the blanks with appropriate
simple present or present perfect tense. The first one is an example. When you complete the entire exercise, you
can click “Check” for feedback. You may retry or see all the answers.

three monkey plastic toys holding hands and traveling

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Adapted from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ToyVoyagers. Last accessed on August 5, 2021.

Unit 11 Expressing Meaning in Present Tenses | 238

VI. Expressing Meaning in Present Perfect Progressive
(No Non-Action Verbs)

The present perfect progressive tense and the present perfect tense are similar in some
ways but different in others.

Verb Forms in Present Perfect Progressive: have/has + been + verb-ing

Meaning, Common Time Expressions, and Examples in Present Perfect Progressive

Meaning#1: an action or a situation that started in the past, continues till present, and may
go on into the future (same as Meaning #1 in present perfect but with more emphasis)

Common time words and other expressions: since, for, recently, lately, so far, to date, till
now, in the past/last 2 weeks, today, these days, this week, all life …

Examples: about Jiali’s stamp-collecting hobby

1. Jiali has been collecting stamps since she was ten

years old.
2. Has her collection been growing a lot in the last two
months?
3. Yes, it has. Her friends have been sending her their
stamps lately.
4. She has been accumulating stamps for over ten
years.

Meaning #2: an action or a situation that is still going on

without a time expression
stamps from different countries
Common time words and other expressions: not needed

Examples: about Jiali’s stamp-collecting hobby

1. With the help of her friends, Jiali’s collection has been growing fast.
2. The stamp club has been expanding.

239 | Unit 11 Expressing Meaning in Present Tenses

 3. Many friends have been showing interest in Jiali’s stamps.
4. Jiali’s best friend has been planning to join the stamp club.

Exercise 4. Read the following paragraph about Antoni’s hobby. Underline the verbs in each sentence. Then with
your partner discuss the use of the verb tense and the meaning of each sentence.

Antoni’s Hobby

Doing home improvement projects is Antoni’s

hobby. He has been fixing things for his own family
and friends’ families for ten years. He has fixed
things for his own family and friends’ families for ten
years. He did this with his brother Jakub for two
years, but then Jakub got married and moved out of
the state three years ago. However, Antoni’s interest
in home improvement has not changed all these
10
years. He has cleared sewage blockage , replaced
roof tiles, and installed new floors for his friends. So a person doing a home improvement project
far, he has resolved “house problems” for at least
twenty families. These few weeks, he has been sealing some of the window cracks in his own house. His
wife jokes, “Now you are working for me!”

VII. Unit Review Practice

Exercise 5. The following paragraph about a favorite hobby is from a previous unit. Fill in the appropriate verb
tenses. The first one is an example. When you complete the entire exercise, you can click “Check” for feedback. You
may retry or see all the answers.

10. sewage blockage: noun phrase, a problem where water cannot follow through the pipe because of
something stuck in there

Unit 11 Expressing Meaning in Present Tenses | 240

 a person opening a diary

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Exercise 6. Choose one of the following topics to write a letter. Use appropriate tenses.

1. What is your favorite hobby? How long have you been pursuing it? Why do you like it? Do you
enjoy it alone or with other people?
2. What do you think are some of the reasons why some people do not have a hobby? Can people
remain happy without a hobby? Why or why not?

NSNT Practice

241 | Unit 11 Expressing Meaning in Present Tenses

 Go to The NSNT Free Writing Approach and Additional Weekly Prompts
for Writing in Appendix A. (Open Appendix A here.) Choose two topics. You
may start with the NSNT approach. Then revise and edit your paragraphs.
Pay attention to the use of present verbs, You are encouraged to share your
writing with your partner and help each other improve.

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Vocabulary Review

The words here have appeared in this unit. The best way to learn them is to
guess the meaning of each word from the context. Then hover your
computer mouse over the number beside each word to check its meaning
and part of speech. These words are also listed in the footnote area at the
end of each unit.

Here, you can use the flashcards below to review these words.

a page in a dictionary
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Unit 11 Expressing Meaning in Present Tenses | 242

 Summary

1. Always focus on your meaning/ideas when you choose verb tenses.

2. Time words, verb forms, and verb tenses must match one another.

3. A “be” verb (am, is, are) can NEVER be followed by the base form of a “do” verb.

4. Non-action verbs cannot be used in progressive tenses.

5. The simple present tense is used in expressing

• facts and truths

• current routines

6. The present progressive tense is used in expressing

• actions or situations at the moment of speaking

• actions or situations at the present period of time

7. The present perfect tense is used in expressing

• actions or situations that started in the past, continue till now, and may go on into the future
• actions or situations that completed in an unspecified time in the past
• actions and situations that repeated a certain number of times in the past and may happen again
in the future

8. The present perfect progressive tense is used in expressing

• actions or situations that started in the past, continue till now, and may go on into the future (with
emphasis)
• actions or situations that are ongoing

Media Attributions

• currencies from different countries © Photo by Pratikxox from Pexels

• the front and back sides of a U.S. one-dollar coin © Photo by Badhan Ganesh on
Unsplash
• two stamps indicating the Year of Rabbit © Lin Cui is licensed under a CC0 (Creative
Commons Zero) license

243 | Unit 11 Expressing Meaning in Present Tenses

• three monkey plastic toys holding hands and traveling © Photo by Park Troopers on
Unsplash
• stamps from different countries © Lin Cui is licensed under a CC0 (Creative Commons
Zero) license
• a person doing a home improvement project © Photo by Erik Mclean on Unsplash
• a person opening a diary © Photo by Daria Shevtsova on Unsplash
• a pen writing in a notebook © Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
• a page in a dictionary © Pixabay

Unit 11 Expressing Meaning in Present Tenses | 244

Unit 12 Expressing Meaning in
Past Tenses

Learning Objectives

1. To understand the verb forms and meanings of three past tenses – simple past, past progressive,
and past perfect– through multiple examples
2. To practice using the appropriate past tenses in a variety of writing situations

I. Pretest

Great Fire of London

245 | Unit 12 Expressing Meaning in Past Tenses

 In the following account about the Great Fire of London in 1666, the verbs are bold-faced. If the bold-faced verbs
are correct, choose “correct’. If not, choose one of the other two answers. You will get instant feedback on your
choice. If you make mistakes, you can retry all the questions or see all the answers at the end of the pre-test.

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Adapted from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Fire_of_London. Last accessed on September 21,

2021.

II. Expressing Meaning in Simple Past

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For explanations and examples of “Be” verbs and “Do” verbs, open Unit 9 here.

Verb Forms in Simple Past

1. When “was” or “were” is the main verb, do not use a “do” verb. In the same way, when the
main verb is a “do” verb, do not use “was” or “were”.

• The Great Fire of London was a serious disaster. It was occurred in 1666.

2. Add an “ed” to the end of a regular “do” verb.

Unit 12 Expressing Meaning in Past Tenses | 246

 • It destroyed a big part of London

3. After “did” in a question and negative sentence, use the base form (without -ed) since you
already have a helping verb “did”.

• How long did it last? It lasted almost five days.

• Did it kill many people? No, it did not kill too many people. According to some reports,
it killed six people.

4. “Used to + base verb” is common for past regular activities.

1
• People in London used to talk about this fire in great terror .

For a list of verbs with irregular past tense and past participle spelling, please refer to
Appendix D Irregular Verbs. Open Appendix D here.

Meaning, Common Expressions, and Examples in Simple Past

Meaning #1: activities or situations that started and completed at a specific time in the
past

Common Time Words: yesterday, last night, two days ago, in 2000 …

Examples: about the Great Chicago Fire

1. terror: noun, intense fear

247 | Unit 12 Expressing Meaning in Past Tenses

 1. The Great Chicago Fire occurred on October
8th through October 10th in 1871.
2. It killed approximately 300 people and
destroyed about 3.3 square miles of the city.
3. It damaged 17,500 buildings and left more
than 100,000 residents homeless.
4. The fire spread quickly because the
firefighters received the wrong information
and did not come to the right place to
2
rescue . Great Chicago Fire
5. It was the biggest fire in the history of
Chicago.

Adapted from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Chicago_Fire. Last accessed on June 1,

2021.

Meaning #2: past routines, past habits, past situations.

Common Time Words and Frequency Adverbs: always, constantly, frequently, usually,
often, generally, sometimes, seldom, rarely, hardly ever, never, every day, each night, once a
week, on Tuesdays …

Examples: about a family’s past fire prevention routines

1. When I was a child, my family tried different ways to prevent house fires.
2. My mother used to make sure that the stove was off before she went to bed every
night.
3. My father used to make sure that all the electronic wires were in good working order.
4. Sometimes, we had to use candles.
3
5. Why did we have to use candles? In those years, power outage happened very often.
6. My parents did not allow my younger sister to be near the flame, but they let me
because I was old enough.

2. rescue: verb, save, put out the fire

3. power outage: noun phrase, lost power, no electricity

Unit 12 Expressing Meaning in Past Tenses | 248

 Exercise 1. An account of the Great Chicago Fire continues below. Fill in the blanks with the correct simple past
verbs. The first one is an example. When you complete the entire exercise, you can click “Check” for feedback. You
may retry or see all the answers.

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Adapted from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Chicago_Fire. Last accessed on June 1, 2021.

III. Express Meaning in Past Progressive (No

Non-Action Verbs)

Verb Forms in Past Progressive: was/were + verb-ing

Meaning, Common Expressions, and Examples in Past Progressive

Meaning #1: An action was in progress at a specific time in the past.

Common Time Expressions: at this time yesterday, at 9 am this morning, at 4 pm last

Tuesday, at that moment, at that time …
4
Examples: about encountering a car accident while driving

1. At 9 am on a Monday last December, I was driving to college.

2. My friend Angela was sitting in the passenger seat at that time.
3. At the same time, we were listening to the news on the radio. We were not talking to
each other.
4. It was snowing at that moment.

4. encounter: verb, meet, see

249 | Unit 12 Expressing Meaning in Past Tenses

Meaning #2: A long action was in progress when a short action happened.

Common Time Expressions: when, while (“when” with simple past for shorter action;
“while”‘ with past progressive for longer action)

Examples: about encountering a car accident while driving

1. I was driving to our college when we heard on the

radio that there was an accident just ahead of us.
2. When we heard the news, Angela was drinking her
morning coffee in the car.
3. While I was driving, we heard on the radio that
there was an accident just ahead of us.
4. We heard the news while Angela was drinking her
morning coffee in the car.

traffic sign slippery road

Meaning #3: Two past actions were both in progress at the same time in the past.

Common Time Expressions: while

Examples: about encountering a car accident while driving

1. I was driving while Angela was drinking coffee.

2. While we were waiting in the car for the accident to be cleared, many other drivers
were also waiting patiently in their cars.
3. While Angela and I were chatting in the car, our classmates were getting ready for the
morning class at college.

When you include “when” or “while” in your sentence, you are writing a complex sentence.

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Unit 12 Expressing Meaning in Past Tenses | 250

For detailed explanations and examples of complex sentences, open Unit 7 here.

Exercise 2. Below is a story about a man and his donkeys. Fill in the blanks with the correct simple past and past
progressive verbs. The first one is an example. When you complete the entire exercise, you can click “Check” for
feedback. You may retry or see all the answers.

three donkeys

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IV. Expressing Meaning in Past Perfect

Good news – The past perfect tense is much easier than most people think!

251 | Unit 12 Expressing Meaning in Past Tenses

Verb form in past perfect: had + past participle

For a list of verbs with irregular past tense and past participle
spelling, please refer to Appendix D Irregular Verbs. Open
Appendix D here.

Meaning, Common Expressions, and Examples in Past

Perfect

Meaning: an action or a situation that had completed or

repeated before another past action or situation

Common Time Expressions: by then, by that time, by + a

gloved hands holding a globe
specific past time, by + a past time clause, when, until, as with a face mask
soon as, before, after …

Examples: About online learning experiences

1. When the semester started in January 2021, many college students had already taken
online classes for at least one semester.
2. It was hard for new students because many of them had never had an online course
before.
3. Had all the professors taught virtually before the Covid lockdown in March 2020? No,
most of them had not.
4. What remote class had you tried before coming to the U.S?

Exercise 3. Write answers to the following questions with past perfect. Discuss the meaning of the questions and
answers with your partner.

Example:

What were three of the things you had done by the time you came to class today?

Answer: I had eaten my breakfast, driven to Harper, and visited the college library.

Unit 12 Expressing Meaning in Past Tenses | 252

 1. When you began this semester, how many English classes had you taken?
2. Before you arrived in the United States, had you ever spoken on the phone in English?
3. Before you came to the United States, what food had you never tasted?
4. Before you left for the United States, how many times had you been to the consulate in order to
get your visa?

V. Unit Review Practice

Exercise 4. In the following paragraph about learning English, some verbs are underlined. In these underlined
verbs, find and correct ten more errors in the use of verbs (not including the example). The first one is an example.

A Positive Attitude

I have a positive attitude toward English grammar. When I first came to America, things are (were)
different. I have never studied English before, so I am very confused about different verb forms and
tenses. As time goes by, my feeling toward the language began to change. I force myself to practice
even though it was hard. I write a lot, and I become more confident each time I used the language.
Now, although I am more confident about grammar, I still have many problems to overcome. I find
that learning a new language takes a great deal of time and that I had to be patient and disciplined
in order to be good at it. Sometimes, I was frustrated and impatient. For example, when I try very hard
to include wonderful details in my paragraph, my professor and classmates may not understand some
of my sentences because of many grammar mistakes. However, most times I think positively about
my learning experience. I know that mistakes helped me learn. I been practicing writing with correct
grammar since the beginning of this semester. I am sure that with my hard work, my skills in English will
get better and better.

Exercise 5. The following paragraph is about a quiz and a joke. Some sentences are correct, but others have verb
tense errors. Find ten more errors and correct them (not including the example). The first one is an example.

253 | Unit 12 Expressing Meaning in Past Tenses

 A Quiz and a Joke

In the reading class last week, we have (had) a vocabulary quiz. There are 20 questions about
idioms. While we were taking the quiz, one of the students start to laugh loudly. We all stop to see what
was going on. That student still laughed. He had forgotten that he was taking a quiz and was supposed
to be quiet. Fortunately, he stopped laughing after the teacher signaled to him. After class, we all gather
around him to ask why. He told us that the quiz is so easy that it reminds him of something funny:

Question: Why did the students eat their

test?

Answer: They ate it because their professor

5
had told them it was a piece of cake !

At the time of our quiz, he wished that the quiz

would transform itself into a piece of cake because
the quiz was easy for him. Upon hearing this, we
were all laughing. A week had passed. I still laughed
whenever I remember this incident.

a piece of cake on a plate

Exercise 6. There are fourteen more errors in the use of verb tenses in the following paragraph (not including the
example). Find the errors and correct them. The first one is an example.

Childhood Memories

I am having (have) so many wonderful memories of my childhood. When I was five years old,
my family move to Florida. My parents told me that we live in Chicago before we moved. For the first
two years in Florida, we lived in a small apartment. Then, when it is time for my brother and me to start
school, my parents were buying our first house. For the first time, I had my own room and did not had
to share with my brother. I was loving that room! My mother was liking to sew, and she made beautiful
quilts and matching curtains for each room. Sunday was my favorite day because we went to the beach.
We use to pack a big lunch from the food that Mom buy the day before. On the beach, we kids ran, laugh,
and play games. Our parents sometimes ran with us, but other times they sitting in the lawn chairs and
watching us. We often did not left the beach until dark. I will always member those fun years.

5. a piece of cake: noun phrase, something very easy

Unit 12 Expressing Meaning in Past Tenses | 254

 Exercise 7. Choose one of the following topics to write a paragraph. Use appropriate verbs.

1. Write a paragraph about your teenage years. What were you like? What did you like to do then?
Was there anything that you had experienced in your early childhood to cause you to think or
behave the way you did as a teenager?
6
2. Write a letter to your spouse, child(ren), or parent(s) and reminisce about your life together.
7
3. Write about a celebrity . What do you know about his or her life and career? If you can, include a
photo of this person.

NSNT Practice

Go to The NSNT Free Writing Approach and Additional Weekly Prompts

for Writing in Appendix A. (Open Appendix A here.) Choose two topics that
use past tenses. You may start with the NSNT approach and then rewrite
your paragraphs. Pay attention to the use of past verbs. You are encouraged
to share your paragraphs with your partners and help each other improve.

a pen writing in a notebook

An interactive H5P element has been excluded from this version of the
text. You can view it online here:
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Vocabulary Review

6. reminisce: verb, remember past experiences or events

7. celebrity: noun, a famous person

255 | Unit 12 Expressing Meaning in Past Tenses

 The words here have appeared in this unit. The best way to learn them is to
guess the meaning of each word from the context. Then hover your
computer mouse over the number beside each word to check its meaning
and part of speech. These words are also listed in the footnote area at the
end of each unit.

Here, you can use the flashcards below to review these words.

a page in a dictionary
An interactive H5P element has been excluded from this version of the
text. You can view it online here:
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Summary

1. Always focus on your meaning/ideas while choosing verb tenses.

2. Time words, verb forms, and verb tenses must match one another.

3. “Was” or “were” and the base form of a “do” verb cannot be used side by side.

4. Non-action verbs cannot be used in the past progressive tenses.

5. The simple past tense is used in expressing

• An activity or situation started and completed at a specific time in the past.

• past routines, past habits, past situations.

6. The past progressive tense is used in expressing

• An action was in progress at a specific time in the past.

• A long action was in progress when a short action occurred.
• Two past actions were both in progress at the same time in the past.

7. The past perfect tense is used in expressing

• an action or a situation that had completed or repeated before another past action or situation.

Unit 12 Expressing Meaning in Past Tenses | 256

Media Attributions

• Great Fire of London © Photo by Rowan Freeman on Unsplash

• Great Chicago Fire © Bethel University is licensed under a CC BY-NC (Attribution
NonCommercial) license
• traffic sign slippery road © Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay
• three donkeys © Photo by Francesco Frilli from Pexels
• gloved hands holding a globe with a face mask © Photo by Anna Shvets from Pexels
• a piece of cake on a plate © Photo by Karolina Grabowska from Pexels
• a pen writing in a notebook © Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
• a page in a dictionary © Pixabay

257 | Unit 12 Expressing Meaning in Past Tenses

Unit 13 Expressing Meaning in
Future Tenses

Learning Objectives

1. To understand ways to express meaning in the future – with simple future, simple present, and
present progressive tenses – through multiple examples
2. To learn future time clauses
3. To practice using the appropriate future tenses in a variety of writing situations

I. Pretest

a robot holding a computer

Unit 13 Expressing Meaning in Future Tenses | 258

 1
In the following ten sentences about artificial intelligence , some bold-faced verbs are correct in expressing future
meaning, but some do not. If the bold-faced part in the sentence is correct, choose “correct”. If not, choose one of
the other two answers. After you finish one sentence, you will get instant feedback on your answer before the next
sentence. If you make mistakes, you can retry all the questions or see all the answers at the end of the pre-test.

An interactive H5P element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view it
online here:
https://harpercollege.pressbooks.pub/academic-writing-skills/?p=615#h5p-178

II. Expressing Meaning in Simple Future

Simple Future Tense verb forms:

• “Be” verbs: will be, am/is/are going to be

• “Do” verbs: will + base “Do” verb, am/is/are going to + base “Do” verb

For explanations and examples of “Be” verbs and “Do” verbs, open Unit 9 here.

Meaning: activities or situations that will happen in the future

Common time expressions: later today, tomorrow, next week, in 2035, soon, in the future,
in the near future …

Examples: about future medical care

2
1. There will be an increased need for doctors in the remote areas of the world.

1. artificial intelligence: noun phrase, a technology to make machines act like humans
2. remote: adjective, far away

259 | Unit 13 Expressing Meaning in Future Tenses

 3
2. Medical advances are going to help terminally ill patients .
3. Will there be a cure for the common cold in the near future?
4. When will medical care become free for everyone?
5. Scientists and doctors are going to discover more effective cures for cancers in the
next few years.
6. More patients will enjoy personalized medical care ten years from now.
7. The governments in many countries will provide free medical care to all citizens soon.

“Am/Is/Are Going to + Base Verb” vs “Will + Base Verb”

Meaning am/is/are going to + base verb will + base verb

There is going to be an increased There will be an increased need

Future prediction4
need for doctors in the remote areas for doctors in the remote areas of
(same)
of the world. the world.

Future schedule The new doctors are going to begin The new doctors will begin their
(same) their medical practice next week. medical practice next week.

The hospital is going to purchase5

Prior plan some new equipment with the X
donated money.

A future action based

The patient is eating! He is going to
on strong evidence at X
recover!
present

Promise, desire, No matter how long the surgery

X
determination will be, this patient will endure6 it.

A: The patient is in pain. Who will

Decision made at the get the doctor?
X
moment of speaking
B. I will!

Will you join us in the new

Invitation X hospital opening ceremony
tomorrow?

3. terminally ill patient: noun phrase, a person who is very sick and has no chance of recovery
4. prediction: noun, a guess
5. purchase: verb, buy

Unit 13 Expressing Meaning in Future Tenses | 260

 III. Expressing Meaning in Simple Present

For verb forms in simple present please refer to Unit 11 Expressing Meaning in Present
Tenses. Open Unit 11 here.

Simple present is often used for actions or events that are part of a fixed or an official
schedule, such as plane, movie, and semester schedules. Common verbs with this use
include “start, begin, end, finish, open, close, arrive, leave, land, take off…”

1. The new Children’s Hospital opens next month.

2. Its affiliated Urgent Care Center starts two months later.

IV. Expressing Meaning in Present Progressive (No

Non-Action Verbs)

For verb forms in present progressive, please refer to Unit 11 Expressing Meaning in Present
Tenses. Open Unit 11 here.

Present progressive is often used for actions that have already been planned for the future.
They can include personal plans. Add a future time expression in the sentence. Common
verbs with this use include “go, come, move, see, fly, move, play, meet, buy…”

1. Dr. Marcus is flying in from New York this afternoon to perform the heart surgery.
2. She is meeting the patient’s family afterwards.

6. endure: verb, go through something difficult

261 | Unit 13 Expressing Meaning in Future Tenses

 Exercise 1. Correct the future verb forms in the following sentences about future houses. The first one is an
example.

Example:

What are homes going look like in one hundred years?

Correction: What are homes going to look like in one hundred years?

1. Some houses going to be in the outer space.

7
2. Some houses going to float in mid-air.
3. Are some of them going to existing under the
water?
4. Most houses will still going to be on the
ground.
5. What will happens to the existing homes?
6. A lecture about future homes starting at 9 am
tomorrow.
7. Many students are go to that lecture.
possible future houses with multicolored roofs

Exercise 2. Choose a topic below and write a paragraph about the future. Use appropriate future verbs.

1. Will there be a cure for all types of cancer in thirty years? Why do you think so?
2. What will elderly care be like in year 2060?

7. float: verb, stay on the surface of water without sinking

Unit 13 Expressing Meaning in Future Tenses | 262

V. Future Time Clauses

A future time clause is a type of dependent clause. It must be used with an independent
clause to make a complete complex sentence.

For detailed explanations and examples of complex sentences, please refer to Unit 7
Sentence Essentials. Open Unit 7 here.

A future time clause:

when/while/before/after/until/as soon as … + subject + main verb in simple present or

present progressive tense

In a time clause, simple present or present progressive is used to mean future. Keep the
future tense in the independent clause. In other words, when you look at a future time
clause, you see a simple present or present progressive verb there, but it means future.

Therefore, the look of the verb and its real time reference are
different. Try to understand this difference as if you were
looking at a Santa Claus. When children sit with him for
photos in the mall, he looks like a Santa Claus. However, when
he takes off the costume, the real person could be a neighbor
or a friend, not a Santa Claus!

1. When AI replaces more and more human jobs in the future,

many people will lose their job.
2. One of my friends will need to find another job before AI
takes over her work in three months.
3. She will be meeting some business friends while she is
traveling next month.
a Santa Claus and a child in
mall

263 | Unit 13 Expressing Meaning in Future Tenses

 Exercise 3. Combine the following sentences to form complex sentences with the conjunctions given. Each new
sentence will contain a future time clause.

Example:

People will retire. They will enjoy more leisure time. (when)

When people retire, they will enjoy more leisure time.

1. They will save enough money. They will work

hard. (after)
2. They will retire. They will not be lonely. (when)
3. They will enjoy many conveniences in daily
retirement living. There will be more inventions.
(when)
4. For example, robot pets will keep them
company. Robot pets will be available. (as soon
as)
8
5. Those pets will make the seniors happy. They
will “adopt” the robot pets. (when)
6. The robot pets will even be by their bedside.
The seniors will be sleeping. (while)

a robot pet toy

VI. Unit Review Practice

Exercise 4. “Will” and “am/is/are going to” can both be used to make predictions about future. Make predictions
about the following statements. Explain why you feel that way. Mark your choices with “yes” or “no” and then share
your thoughts with your partner..

Fifteen years later,

8. senior: noun, an old person

Unit 13 Expressing Meaning in Future Tenses | 264

 1. There will be no more war in the world.
2. There is going to be a cure for the common cold.
3. Every country is going to have free elections.
4. Everyone in the U.S. is going to have affordable
health insurance.
5. The number of homeless people in Chicago is
going to be reduced in half.
6. Harper College will have on-campus housing.
7. College tuition is going to be free for everyone.
8. I will enjoy whatever hobby I do not have time for
right now.
9. I am going to have the kind of family I have Grey and Black Tunnel Overlooking White Cloudy
always wanted (personality of my spouse, number and Blue Sky
of my children …)
10. I will run into my professor in another country.

Exercise 5. The following paragraph is about the AI technology in the future. Fill in the appropriate tenses with the
given verbs. The first one is an example. When you finish the entire exercise, you can retry or see all the answers.

An interactive H5P element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view it
online here:
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Adapted from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Applications_of_artificial_intelligence#Education. Last

accessed on September 22, 2021.

Exercise 6. Correct the six more verb errors in the following paragraph about future online learning (not including
the example).The first one is an example.

265 | Unit 13 Expressing Meaning in Future Tenses

 Online Learning: A Growing Trend

Online learning will be become (will become) more popular in colleges in the next few years. In-
person classes will still be dominant on college campuses, but there are going be more and more virtual
learning opportunities. While many students probably did not experience this mode of education in the
9
past, they will be grow increasingly accustomed to remote learning. It is possible that every student will
has the experience of remote learning. When this will happen, more students will able to complete their
study more easily. It is estimated that in five years all college students going to take at least one course
online.

Exercise 7. Choose two of the following topics to write a paragraph for each. Use appropriate tenses. Include at
least two future time clauses in each paragraph.

What will _________ become in ten years?

• education
• job search
• family
• health care
• traveling
• social media …

What will your life be like in ten years? What will you do to achieve these accomplishments?

• What will you do for a living?

• What kind of family life will you have?
• What hobbies will you enjoy?
• What will your dream trip be like in the future?
• What will you do to help your community? …

How will the artificial intelligence (or another technology) help the humanity in 2035?

• Will it do all the housework chores for families?

• Will it do all the homework assignments for students?
• Will it replace the employees in companies?
• Will it send people to the outer space?
• Will it eliminate diseases?

9. accustomed: adjective, adapted

Unit 13 Expressing Meaning in Future Tenses | 266

 • Will it better preserve the environment?
• Will it promote world peace?
• Will it improve international cooperation? …

NSNT Practice

Go to The NSNT Free Writing Approach and Additional Weekly Prompts

for Writing in Appendix A. (Open Appendix A here.) Choose two topics that
use future tenses. You may start with the NSNT approach and then rewrite
your paragraphs. Pay attention to the use of future verbs. You are
encouraged to share your paragraphs with your partners and help each
other improve.

a pen writing in a notebook

An interactive H5P element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view it online here:
https://harpercollege.pressbooks.pub/academic-writing-skills/?p=615#h5p-20

Vocabulary Review

The words here have appeared in this unit. The best way to learn them is to
guess the meaning of each word from the context. Then hover your
computer mouse over the number beside each word to check its meaning
and part of speech. These words are also listed in the footnote area at the
end of each unit.

Here, you can use the flashcards below to review these words.

a page in a dictionary

267 | Unit 13 Expressing Meaning in Future Tenses

 An interactive H5P element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view it
online here:
https://harpercollege.pressbooks.pub/academic-writing-skills/?p=615#h5p-208

Summary

1. Always focus on the meaning/ideas while choosing verb tenses.

2. Time words, verb forms, and verb tenses must match one another.
3. The verbs in the simple future tense appear as “will be”, “am/is/are going to be”, “will + base verb”,
and “am/is/are going to + base verb”.
4. The simple future tense is used in expressing activities or situations that will happen in the future.
5. The simple present tense is used for actions or events with a fixed or an official schedule.
6. The present progressive tense is used for actions or events that have already been planned for the
future. They can include personal plans.
7. In a future time clause, simple present or present progressive is used, and a future tense is used in
the independent clause.

Media Attributions

• a robot holding a computer © Photo by Alex Knight from Pexels

• Santa Claus and a child in mall © Photo by cottonbro from Pexels
• a robot pet toy © Photo by Kindel Media from Pexels
• Grey and Black Tunnel Overlooking White Cloudy and Blue Sky © Pixabay
• a pen writing in a notebook © Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

Unit 13 Expressing Meaning in Future Tenses | 268

 • a page in a dictionary © Pixabay

269 | Unit 13 Expressing Meaning in Future Tenses

Unit 14 Expressing Meaning in
Mixed Tenses

Learning Objectives

1. To learn the verb tense shift strategies

2. To identify the correlation between time expressions and verb tenses through multiple examples
3. To understand and practice tense shifts in a variety of writing situations

I. Pretest

history books

Unit 14 Expressing Meaning in Mixed Tenses | 270

 The following ten sentences are about Amy’s interests and study. Some verbs are bold-faced. If the bold-faced part
in the sentence is correct, choose “correct”. If not, choose the other answer. After you finish one sentence, you will
get instant feedback on your answer before the next sentence. If you make mistakes, you can retry all the
questions or see all the answers at the end of the pre-test.

An interactive H5P element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view it
online here:
https://harpercollege.pressbooks.pub/academic-writing-skills/?p=628#h5p-180

II. Strategies in Correctly Switching Verb Tenses

1
This unit culminates Unit 9 through 13 and serves as a review of what you have learned
about verbs.

It is very common to rely on more than one or two tenses in expressing your ideas
effectively and in helping your readers understand you clearly. In fact, an integration of
present, past, and/or future tenses is often necessary in many forms of writing. Therefore, it
is important not only to understand each individual tense well but also to switch between
tenses within the same piece of writing. Here are some strategies:

1. Understand the individual tenses.

Study each verb tense and know the differences between different tenses. Review Unit 9
through 13 whenever needed.

1. culminate: verb, reach the final or highest point

271 | Unit 14 Expressing Meaning in Mixed Tenses

 2. Match verb tense changes with time expressions.

The verb tense and the time expressions go hand in hand. For example, when you switch
from present to past or from future back to present in the middle of your paragraph or
essay, you need to switch your time words. Mark your verbs and time words for self check.
For instance, you may underline the verbs and highlight the time expressions, as shown in
Exercise 1 below.

3. Match verb forms with verb tenses.

2
Once you decide on the correct verb tense, think what verb form corresponds to this
particular tense. Remember that verb tenses and verb forms also have to match each other.

4. Pay attention to the context.

Sometimes, a time word is omitted to make the flow of ideas more natural. When this
3
occurs, there should be clear in-context clues to help the readers follow your thoughts.

5. Imagine that you are the reader.

Think about what you want your readers to understand. Look at your writing from a
reader’s perspective. Read your writing out loud and listen to yourself. Do you understand
the sequence of actions or the flow of logic clearly?

6. Proofread.

Always proofread before submitting your writing. You will be surprised how many errors
you are able to catch and fix.

2. correspond: verb, match, fit

3. clue: noun, a hint or an idea to help others understand

Unit 14 Expressing Meaning in Mixed Tenses | 272

 Exercise 1. Discuss how many times the verb tense is changed in the following sentences. Then discuss how the
verb tenses (underlined) and time words and related expressions (boldfaced) work together to create clear
meaning.

1. My brother liked history in high school. However, he fell in love with science when he started
college. Now he is enjoying physics, chemistry, and ecology courses in addition to a world history
class.
2. My friend Lucy was a history major in college and has been teaching world history in a local high
school for the last four years. She always says that the mankind’s best teacher is its own past. I
agree, but l like to look ahead and imagine what the future will be like.
3. By the time the Internet was invented, students had learned history through books and movies.
Since the Internet started, YouTube videos have become one of the popular means of learning.

III. Time Words in Switching Tenses

Seasons : Clothes = Time Words: Verb Tenses

4
The above analogy will help you understand the relationship between verb tenses and
time words. The seasons decide what clothes you wear: In summer, you wear a T-shirt,
while a coat is needed in winter. In the same way, time words determine the verb tenses:
yesterday for past tenses and tomorrow for future tenses.

Of course, you may prefer out-of-season clothes. In writing, there are also exceptions to the
above principle, but they are rare.
5
Below is a compilation of times words and tenses. The chart is just for general reference.
When you write, focus on your context as well as the following time expressions.

4. analogy: noun, a comparison based on similarities

5. compilation: noun, collection, gathering

273 | Unit 14 Expressing Meaning in Mixed Tenses

Verb Tenses and Forms Time Words and Related Expressions

Simple Present: always, frequently, usually, often, generally, sometim

“Be” verbs: am, is, are ever, never …

“Do” verbs: work / works every day, each night, once a week, on Tuesdays …

Present Progressive: now, right now, at the moment, at the current mom

am/is/are working today, these days, nowadays, currently, this semeste

since, for, recently, lately, so far, to date, till now, in th

Present Perfect: already, before, just, never, yet …

“Be” verbs: have/has been once, two times, a few times, many times, …

“Do” verbs: have/has worked today, these days, this week, all life …

no time words

since, for, recently, lately, so far, to date, till now, in th

Present Perfect Progressive:
today, these days, this week, all life …
have/has been working
no time words

yesterday, last night, two years ago, in 2000 …

Simple Past:
always, frequently, usually, often, generally, sometim
“Be” verbs: was, were
ever, never …
“Do” verbs: worked
every day, each night, once a week, on Tuesdays …

at this time yesterday, at 9 am this morning, at that

Past Progressive:
when
was/were working
while

Past Perfect:
by then, by that time, by + a specific past time, by +
“Be” verbs: had been
when, until, as soon as, before, after …
“Do” verbs: had worked

Unit 14 Expressing Meaning in Mixed Tenses | 274

 Simple Future:

“Be” verbs: will be

later today, tomorrow, next week, in 2035 …
“Be” verbs: am/is/are going to be
soon, in the future, in the near future, …
“Do” verbs: will work

“Do” verbs: am/is/are going to work

Exerciser 2. Use the sentences in Exercise 1 as examples. Underline the main verbs and highlight related time
expressions in the following paragraph about the American dream. Then discuss how the verb tenses and time
words work together to express clear meaning.

The American Dream

For many generations, the American dream

has promised an equal society and material
prosperity. For millions of Americans in the 1950s,
the American Dream meant the chance to have a
house of their own, a car, a dog, and two kids. The
Big Three – Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler –
began producing more cars. The construction of
thousands of miles of high-speed roads started. At
houses in the suburbs
the same time, many families decided to have more
6 7
children after the Second World War, and the country enjoyed a postwar baby boom . Meanwhile,
thousands of people began to move to the suburbs. With the ability to own a home, many Americans
soon enjoyed better living conditions than their parents. Shopping centers and fast food restaurants
8
made the suburban life easier. The American dream had gained a new meaning by then. Today,
suburbs are still attracting people for better schools, fewer crimes, and wider space.

Adapted from “Suburban Growth”

http://www.oercommons.org/courses/american-history-from-pre-columbian-to-the-new-millennium-
ushistory-org/view. Last accessed on September 22, 2021.

6. postwar: adjective, after the war

7. baby boom: noun phrase, a time when many babies are born
8. gain: verb, get, obtain

275 | Unit 14 Expressing Meaning in Mixed Tenses

IV. Unit Review Practice

Exercise 3. Read the following paragraph about American activism. Based on the underlined time expressions, fill
in the blanks with the correct verb tenses. The first one is an example. When you complete the entire exercise, you
can click “Check” for feedback. You may retry or see all the answers.

Martin Luther King Jr. and other people

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Adapted from “Activism in the US”. https://www.oercommons.org/courses/activism-in-the-us/view. Last

accessed on September 22, 2021.

Unit 14 Expressing Meaning in Mixed Tenses | 276

 Exercise 4. The following paragraph is about a famous case “Brown v. Board of Education” in the American history.
Based on the underlined time expressions, fill in the blanks with the correct verb tenses. The first one is an
example. When you complete the entire exercise, you can click “Check” for feedback. You may retry or see all the
answers.

a yellow school bus on the road

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Adapted from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_v._Board_of_Education, last accessed on September 25, 2021.

Exercise 5. Read the following paragraph about Clarence Earl Gideon. There are ten more errors in the use of verb
tenses (not including the example). Find the errors and correct them. Use the time words and context as your
guide. The first one is an example.

Clarence Earl Gideon

277 | Unit 14 Expressing Meaning in Mixed Tenses

 Clarence Earl Gideon was born in a city in
Missouri in 1910. He has (had) a very hard childhood
and ran away from home at age fourteen. He
9
committed robbery, burglary , and other crimes. As
a result, he was arrested multiple times. On June 3,
1961, he break into a pool hall in Panama City,
Florida. After he was arrested, he has no money to
10
hire a lawyer to represent him in the court.
Clarence had to act as his own lawyer. He does not
have an education, nor does he have any legal
training. Naturally, he lose the case and was
a pen and a notebook with the word “lawyer”
sentenced to five years in prison. However, Clarence
11
believed that the court not give him a fair trial. He did not give up. He appealed to the Florida Supreme
12
Court, but the court decision remained the same. He then asked the help of the U.S. Supreme Court .
The Court appointed a lawyer to represent him. With the help of the lawyer, Clarence had received a new
trial, and he was finally set free. Clarence Earl Gideon died of cancer in Florida in 1972.

Clarence did not just help himself. He helped many others. Before his case, the court send many
people to Florida jails because they could not afford a lawyer. After his case, those people had new trials,
and some of them have been able to go home. Since then, the U.S. courts allow poor people to have legal
13
representation without spending too much money. Now it is the law that every defendant has a right
to a lawyer.

Adapted from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clarence_Earl_Gideon. Last accessed on September 26,

2021.

Exercise 6. Choose one of the following topics to write one or more paragraphs. Use appropriate time words and
verb tenses.

1. Write about a social justice issue in your native country or in the U.S.
2. Write about an important event in the history of your native country and its causes.

9. burglary: noun, a crime of breaking into other people's house to steal things
10. represent: verb, to speak for a person and defend that person in the court
11. appeal: verb, formally ask a higher court to review the case
12. the U.S. Supreme Court: noun phrase, the highest court in the United States
13. defendant: noun, a person who is charged with a crime and who appears in a court

Unit 14 Expressing Meaning in Mixed Tenses | 278

 3. Write about an important event in the world history and its effects.
4. Write about a worsening environmental issue, the reasons for it, and its possible solutions.
5. Write about a period of your life, for example, your teenage years.

NSNT Practice

Go to The NSNT Free Writing Approach and Additional Weekly Prompts

for Writing in Appendix A. (Open Appendix A here.) Choose two topics that
you have not written about. You may start with the NSNT approach. Then
revise and edit your paragraphs. Pay attention to the use of verbs and time
words. You are encouraged to share your writing with your partner and help
each other improve.

a pen writing in a notebook

An interactive H5P element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view it online here:
https://harpercollege.pressbooks.pub/academic-writing-skills/?p=628#h5p-20

Vocabulary Review

The words here have appeared in this unit. The best way to learn them is to
guess the meaning of each word from the context. Then hover your
computer mouse over the number beside each word to check its meaning
and part of speech. These words are also listed in the footnote area at the
end of each unit.

Here, you can use the flashcards below to review these words.

a page in a dictionary

279 | Unit 14 Expressing Meaning in Mixed Tenses

 An interactive H5P element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view it
online here:
https://harpercollege.pressbooks.pub/academic-writing-skills/?p=628#h5p-209

Summary

1. Use appropriate time words and related expressions to signal the verb tense shift.
2. The verb tense, verb form, and time words must match each other.
3. Remember Seasons : Clothes = Time Words: Verb Tenses
4. Always proofread before submitting your writing.

Media Attributions

• history books is licensed under a Public Domain license

• houses in the suburbs © Photo by David McBee from Pexels
• Martin Luther King Jr. and other people © Photo by Unseen Histories on Unsplash
• a yellow school bus on the road © Photo by Maximilian Simson on Unsplash
• a pen and a notebook with the word “lawyer” © Photo by RODNAE Productions from
Pexels
• a pen writing in a notebook © Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
• a page in a dictionary © Pixabay

Unit 14 Expressing Meaning in Mixed Tenses | 280

Unit 15 Modals

Learning Objectives

1. To understand what modals are and what principles they follow

2. To learn the challenges and strategies in using appropriate modals
3. To learn the meanings and uses of modals and modal-like expressions through multiple examples
4. To practice using modals through a variety of writing situations

I. Pretest

showcase of culture artifacts at entrance of ESL & Linguistics

Department at Harper College

The following ten sentences are about some customs from different countries. The modal and main verb are bold-

281 | Unit 15 Modals

 faced in each sentence. If the bold-faced part is correct, choose “correct”. If not, choose the other answer. After you
finish one sentence, you will get instant feedback on your answer before the next sentence. If you make mistakes,
you can retry all the questions or see all the answers at the end of the pre-test.

An interactive H5P element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view it
online here:
https://harpercollege.pressbooks.pub/academic-writing-skills/?p=636#h5p-183

II. Principles of Using Modals

As you have learned in Unit 9 Verb Basics in Academic Writing (Open Unit 9 here), modals
are an important part of the verb family. They are considered helping verbs, also called
auxiliary verbs. Most modals follow the following principles:

1. They cannot exist by themselves. They are followed by the base form of main verbs to
show different meanings and tones.

modal + base form of main verb = complete verb

• In the United States, people should call ahead before visiting someone. (no “calls,
called, calling, to call”)
1
• People must not show the “OK” gesture with the thumb and index finger in Mexico.
(no “shows, showed, showing, to show”)

1. gesture: noun, a movement of hands, arms, or another part of the body to express an idea or
emotion

Unit 15 Modals | 282

2. Contractions are common are in modals, such as “shouldn’t” and “mustn’t”. However,
“may” and “might” do not have a contraction form. It is wrong to write “mayn’t” and
“mightn’t”.

• Small children mayn’t stay (may not stay) alone at home

in the United States.
• It mightn’t be (might not be) a good idea for children to
stay in their friend’s home overnight.

3. Some expressions are called modal-like expressions.

There is a “to” in them, and the base form of the verb
follows the “to”. These expressions include: be able to, be
supposed to, have to, have got to, ought to, and some
others.

• People have to come on time for an appointment in the two words “yes” and “no” with
United States. “yes” crossed out

• They are supposed to explain the reasons if they are late.

4. Some modals and modal-like expressions are often used in conversations only.

• In Thailand, people had better not touch the head of a statue.

• In the U.S. restaurants, customers have got to tip the waiters and waitresses.

Exercise 1. The following sentences are about dining customs in some countries. There are mistakes in the form of
modals and main verbs. Identify each mistake by underlining the whole verb (modal + main verb) and then correct
the mistake. If the main verb is missing, add it.

Example:

People can to learn (can learn) about different customs and traditions when they travel abroad.

283 | Unit 15 Modals

 1. Dinning traditions may the most interesting to
most people.
2. In Kenya, guests should to wash their hands both
before and after the meal. They cannot sitting with
their feet and toes pointing toward any of the other
2
guests or the food. Kenyans do not use utensils .
They eat with their right hand. They must not to
use their left hand during the whole meal.
3. Americans and Europeans have opposite dinning
3
etiquettes . Americans should holds the knife in
their right hand and the fork in their left hand, but
the Europeans are suppose to hold the knife in
their left hand and the fork in their right hand.
4
4. People in Morocco practice communal eating.
This means that they eat from the communal bowl
closest to them. A person must eats using his or
her right hand. The left hand mayn’t be used to get a plate of food with a fork and a knife

food. If a bone is taken, the person supposed to

5
suck the marrow from it.

III. Challenges in Learning Modals and the Strategies

in Using Them

Challenges

1. The same modal may have different meanings in different contexts.

• I can drive a car because I have a driver’s license. (permission)

• I can drive a car because I know how to drive. (ability)

2. utensil: noun, a dining tool such as a spoon or a fork

3. etiquette: noun, a rule or tradition for proper social behavior
4. communal: adjective, used or shared by everyone in the group
5. marrow: noun, the soft, fatty part inside a bone

Unit 15 Modals | 284

 2. The same meaning can be expressed with different modals, but the tone or level of
strength is different.

• In order to drive in the U.S, a person must have a driver’s license. (stronger)
• In order to drive in the U.S, a person has to have a driver’s license. (less strong)

3. Some modals have the appearance of past tense, but they have a present or future
meaning.

• Most cultural traditions stay for generations, but some might change quickly.
• People had better learn the customs of another country when they travel there.

Strategies:

1. Understand a modal, its meaning, its time (past, present, future), and its form together as
a “package”.

• In many countries in the past, young people had to follow the custom of the arranged
marriage.
• In some countries nowadays and in the near future, some young people still must
follow the custom of the arranged marriage.

In both sentences, “had to follow” and “must follow” have the same meaning:
obligation, responsibility, necessity.

However, the first sentence shows the meaning in the past, and its form is “had to +
follow”.

In the second sentence, the same meaning is expressed in present and future sense,
and its form is “must + follow”.
6
Therefore, try not to study modals in isolation . Instead, understand them in the
context and study the “package”.

6. in isolation: prepositional phrase, separately, apart from each other

285 | Unit 15 Modals

2. Use the same strategy as in learning other aspects of English: practice, practice, and
practice.

IV. Uses of Modals and Modal-Like Expressions

Meaning: advice, suggestions

1. In the United States, customers should tip the waiters or waitresses for their service.
(present)
2. Customers ought to tip the waiters or waitresses for their service. (less common)
(present)
3. They can tip /could tip 10 – 20% of the food bill. (present, softer tone)
4. Customers should not leave the restaurant without tipping the waiters or waitresses.
(present)

Exercise 2. Give at least two suggestions for each of the following situations.

Example:

One of your classmates is going to visit your country as a tourist in summer.

Suggestion #1 : You should bring a few extra bottles of sunscreen because my country Colombia is
near the equator and the sun is very intense.

Suggestion #2: You ought to try bandeja paisa. It is Colombia’s unofficial national dish.

1. One of your siblings has found an American boyfriend (or girlfriend)

2. One of your relatives is planning to study at Harper College for the first time.
3. One of your American friends is going to study at a university in your native country.
4. One of your professors is considering studying your native language.
5. One of your friends is nervous about meeting his parents-in-law for the first time.

Unit 15 Modals | 286

Meaning: abilities

1. There are many languages in India. Many

people there can speak more than 5
different ones. (present)
2. They are able to speak Hindi, English, and
some regional dialects. (present)
3. The Indian government recognizes twenty-
three official languages, but most people
cannot speak all of them. (present)
A 19th-century illustrated Sanskrit
4. manuscript from the Bhagavad Gita,
5. People in ancient Indian could speak composed c. 400 BCE – 200 BCE.

Sanskrit, one of the earliest languages.

(past)
6. They were able to speak Sanskrit as early as 2000 BC. (past)

Meaning: permissions

1. In Canada, college students can address / may address their professors by the first
name. (present)
2. In Canada, college students could not drink alcohol in class fifty years ago, and they
still cannot. (past, present)
3. In Ukraine, college students cannot call / may not call their professors by the first
name. It is considered very impolite. (present)

Exercise 3. Finish the following sentences to express ability and permission.

Example:

When I was a child, I could climb a tree. (ability)

1. When I was a child, I could ____________________. (ability)

2. When I was a child, I could not ____________________ (ability)

287 | Unit 15 Modals

 3. Now I am an adult. I can ____________________ (ability)
4. Now I am an adult. I cannot ____________________. (ability)
5. When I was a student in my home country, I could ____________________ (permission)
6. When I was a student in my home country, I could not ____________________ (permission)
7. Now I am a student in the U.S. I can ____________________ (permission)
8. Now I am a student in the U.S. I cannot ____________________ (permission)

Meaning: necessity, obligation, responsibility

1. In Iraqi formal greetings, people must use a person’s surname and title, for example,
Dr. Kazem. (present)
2. Men have to stand to greet a woman when she enters the room. (present)
3. A long time ago in Iraq, everyone had to stand when an elderly person arrived. This
custom has remained to this day. (past)
4. In Iraqi culture, people do not have to kiss each other as a way of greeting.
Handshaking is common. (present)

7
Meaning: prohibition

1. People must not whistle inside a

Mongolian ger, a round-shaped dwelling.
(present)
2. In a ger, people must not point their feet to
the north end. (present)

three Mongolia gers

Exercise 4. Discuss the following questions. What are the answers in your home country? What are the answers in
the United States?

7. prohibition: noun, things that are not allowed

Unit 15 Modals | 288

 1. Must people get married first if they want to live together?
2. Do people have to get their parents’ permission to get married?
3. Must men serve in the military?
4. Do school children have to wear uniforms?
5. What are the things you must not do on the street?
6. What are the things you must not do during a test?
7. What are the questions you must not ask a lady?

Meaning: possibilities

1. In Japan, parents do not kiss each other in front of their children. They must think /
8
may think / might think / could think it improper for the children to see their
9
intimacy . (present)
2. This custom may change / might change /could change in the near future. The young
generation should welcome / may welcome / might welcome / could welcome this
change. (future)
3. Some words are the same in writing in both Chinese and Japanese. However, the
meanings of these words may not be / might not be the same. (present)

Meaning: expectations

1. On March 8, the International Women’s Day, men are supposed to buy flowers for
women in Russia and many other Eastern European countries. (present)
2. On that day, women are not supposed to do much housework. They are supposed to
take a day off. (present)
3. Last year, Natalia’s husband was supposed to buy flowers for her, but he forgot. (past)

Meaning: preferences

1. In some countries, people prefer arranged marriages. Parents would rather pick

8. improper: adjective, not appropriate, not right

9. intimacy: noun, a very close, loving relationship

289 | Unit 15 Modals

 someone as their future son-in-law or daughter-in-law than let their child decide.
(present)
2. Some young people would rather not get into a marriage than marry someone they
do not love. (present)

Exercise 5. Write sentences according to the instructions.

1. Use modals of possibility to write three guesses why seafood is popular on Valentine’s Day in the
U.S.
2. Use modals of expectation to write three things you are supposed to know when you go to an
American family for dinner.
3. Use modals of preference to write three choices of food on New Year’s Eve in your home country.

V. Unit Review Practice

Exercise 6. Read the following sayings. Each contains a modal. Discuss what the saying means and whether you
agree with it. Do you have similar sayings in your native language? How do you say them? If you can think of
additional sayings with modals, please list them below.

1. No man can serve two masters.

2. You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink.
3. You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.
4. You can’t have your cake and eat it too.
5. Beggars can’t be choosers.
6. People in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.
7. Children should be seen, not heard.
8. Bitter pills may have blessed effects.
9. Be careful what you wish for; you just might get it.
10. You should fail in order to understand true success.

Unit 15 Modals | 290

 ________________________________________

________________________________________

________________________________________

________________________________________

Exercise 7. The following sentences are about school uniforms. The

modals and main verbs are underlined. Discuss their different
meanings and time references (past, present, future) in the context.
The first one is an example.

a dog balancing a ball

four girls in school uniform doing hand signs

1. School uniforms could be (possibility, present) an important part of school traditions. Students in
some schools must wear the school uniform. They may not attend school without their uniform.
The uniform must be important.
10
2. A uniform reflects the school and its reputation. Therefore, students are supposed to be in their
best behavior.
3. Students with totally different uniforms cannot belong to the same school even though they may
be siblings. They must not exchange their uniforms with students from other schools.
4. In some schools, uniforms are optional. Students may choose to wear one. They could also wear

10. reflect: verb, show, represent

291 | Unit 15 Modals

 their own clothes. Some students would rather have the uniform. They would rather not spend
half an hour each morning choosing what to wear.
5. In most cases, uniforms are not free. Students have to purchase them. Most families are able to
afford them, but some are not. This might increase the financial burden for some families.
6. Even though the students must wear their uniform while in school, they do not have to wear one
after school.
11
7. Should schools require uniforms? There have been many debates . If most students do not like
them, they may disappear in the near future. Otherwise, they should stay for a long, long time.

Exercise 8. The follow is an essay on how high school students in different countries spend time in the summer.
Underlined the modals and their main verbs. Then discuss what they means in the context and whether they
express present, past, or future time. The first one is an example.

After you finish reading and understanding the first three paragraphs, write a new supporting paragraph about a
person you know who spent last summer vacationing and relaxing. Then write a conclusion for the essay. Include
at least five modals and modal-like expressions. You may write in the box below or in your own notebook.
(Warning: Once you leave this page, you will lose what you have written in the box.)

sunglasses on sand

How to Spend the Summer?

High school students in different countries may spend (possibility, present) their summer very
differently. Some might value life experiences by working on a job, some could use the time catching up

11. debate: noun, an argument

Unit 15 Modals | 292

 with their academic work, and others might consider it an opportunity to relax and have fun. How they
spend their summer might reflect some of the customs and values of their cultures.

It is common for many high school students in the United States to work during the summer
months. They could work in any type of job: food, travel, secretarial, health care, summer camp, and
many others. Last summer, Joan worked as a summer camp activity leader. She was happy that the
job provided her with valuable work experience as well as a small income. Both the experience and the
money should be helpful in her future college study.

In Korea, however, it is not usual for high school students to hold a job in summer. They are
supposed to take extra classes to prepare for university. Last summer, Ji-hoon kept himself busy by
taking a few science and English classes in a cram school. Though he was very busy, he had to do so. He
was determined to be better prepared for his university entrance exam.

An interactive H5P element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view it
online here:
https://harpercollege.pressbooks.pub/academic-writing-skills/?p=636#h5p-20

Exercise 9. Choose two of the following topics and write a paragraph for each. Use proper modals.

1. Describe one of the holiday dinning traditions in your native country.

2. Describe some customs about naming a baby in your native country.
12
3. Explain one of the taboos for a wedding ceremony in your native country.
4. Some people say that elderly parents should live with their adult children. Do you agree or
disagree? Why do you think so?
5. In America, it is common to “go Dutch” (split the food bill in the restaurant) when people dine out.
Is this practice common in your native culture? If not, why not? who usually pays for the meals?
6. Write about the joys and challenges of living in two cultures (your native culture and the
American culture). What was your biggest cultural shock during your first two weeks in the U.S.?

12. taboo: noun, an unacceptable word or behavior especially in a group setting

293 | Unit 15 Modals

NSNT Practice

Go to The NSNT Free Writing Approach and Additional Weekly Prompts

for Writing in Appendix A. (Open Appendix A here.) Choose two topics that
involve modals. You may start with the NSNT approach. Then revise and edit
your paragraphs. Pay attention to the use of modals. You are encouraged to
share your writing with your partner and help each other improve.

a pen writing in a notebook

An interactive H5P element has been excluded from this version of the
text. You can view it online here:
https://harpercollege.pressbooks.pub/academic-writing-skills/?p=636#h5p-20

Vocabulary Review

The words here have appeared in this unit. The best way to learn them is to
guess the meaning of each word from the context. Then hover your
computer mouse over the number beside each word to check its meaning
and part of speech. These words are also listed in the footnote area at the
end of each unit.

Here, you can use the flashcards below to review these words.

a page in a dictionary
An interactive H5P element has been excluded from this version of the
text. You can view it online here:
https://harpercollege.pressbooks.pub/academic-writing-skills/?p=636#h5p-210

Unit 15 Modals | 294

 Summary

1. Modals are helping verbs (also called auxiliary verbs). They must be used with a main verb to serve
as the complete verb in a sentence: Modal + Main Verb = Complete Verb
2. A modal is followed by the base form of the main verb.
3. The same modals may mean differently in different contexts, and some others may share similar
meanings but have differences in tone and level of emphasis.
4. Some modals have their unique forms of past tense. Some of them look like the past tense but
mean present or future.
5. Do not use “mayn’t” and “mightn’t”.
6. A good strategy is to understand modals is by learning each modal, its meaning, its time
reference, and its form together as a “package”.

Media Attributions

• showcase of culture artifacts at entrance of ESL Department at Harper College © Lin

Cui is licensed under a CC0 (Creative Commons Zero) license
• two words “yes” and “no” with “yes” crossed out © Photo by cottonbro from Pexels
• a plate of food with a fork and a knife ©
medium:after_download_modal.copy_text.photo: https://www.pexels.com/photo/
boiled-potatoes-with-salad-and-meat-rissole-4210862/
• A 19th-century illustrated Sanskrit manuscript from the Bhagavad Gita, composed c.
400 BCE – 200 BCE. © Unknown artist is licensed under a Public Domain license
• three Mongolia gers © Photo by Audrius Sutkus on Unsplash
• a dog balancing a ball © Photo by RODNAE Productions from Pexels
• four girls in school uniform doing hand signs © Photo by 周 康 from Pexels
• sunglasses on sand © Photo by Ylanite Koppens from Pexels
• a pen writing in a notebook © Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
• a page in a dictionary © Pixabay

295 | Unit 15 Modals

Unit 16 Nouns

Learning Objectives

1. To learn different types of nouns: proper nouns, common nouns, count nouns, noncount nouns,
singular nouns, and plural nouns
2. To identify and understand the above types of nouns in a variety of contexts through multiple
examples
3. To apply different rules and uses of nouns through a variety of writing situations

I. Pretest

U.S. government new food plate icon

Unit 16 Nouns | 296

 In the following ten sentences about the U.S. government’s new plate food groups, some nouns are bold-faced and
may contain mistakes. If the bold-faced part in the sentence is correct, choose “correct”. If not, choose the other
answer. After you finish one sentence, you will get instant feedback on your answer before the next sentence. If you
make mistakes, you can retry all the questions or see all the answers at the end of the pre-test.

An interactive H5P element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view it
online here:
https://harpercollege.pressbooks.pub/academic-writing-skills/?p=651#h5p-70

Adapted from myplate.gov. Last accessed on April 2, 2021.

II. Types of Nouns

Nouns are names: names of people, names of places, names of things, and names of ideas.
There are different ways to classify nouns. A few usual ones are described below.

types of nouns

297 | Unit 16 Nouns

III. Proper Nouns and Common Nouns

Abraham Lincoln, Albert Einstein, Ann, Vrej…

Proper nouns are usually specific Central America, Australia, Illinois, Chicago,
Proper
names of people, places, Michigan Avenue, Grand Park…
nouns organizations, and others. The first
letters are usually capitalized. the United Nations, the Department of
Agriculture, Harper College, Smoque BBQ, Jewel
Osco…

president, scientist, friends, professors…

Common Common nouns are general names. restaurants, organization, office, city, colleges,
The first letters are usually not
nouns stores…
capitalized.
computer, classes, safety…

Proper nouns (bold-faced) and common nouns (underlined) are often used in the same
sentences.

1. Gogi and Smoque BBQ are two of the most famous restaurants in Chicago.
(https://guide.michelin.com/en/restaurants)
2. Harper College offers Culinary Arts Certificate to students interested in becoming
cooks or chef’s assistants.
3. There are many grocery stores in my neighborhood such as Jewel Osco and Whole
Foods.
4. The United States government has published Dietary Guidelines for Americans
(DGA), 2020-2025. This document provides many guidelines for a healthy diet.

Exercise 1. Read each sentence carefully and identity the types of nouns used in each. The first one is an example.

Example:

Two United States government agencies, the Secretaries of Agriculture and Health and Human
Services, publish the Dietary Guidelines for Americans every five years.

Unit 16 Nouns | 298

 Proper nouns: United States, Secretaries of Agriculture, Health and Human Services, Dietary
Guidelines for Americans

Common nouns: government, agencies, recommendations, years

1. The Guidelines provide advice on what to eat more and what to eat less in order to stay healthy.
2. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025 offers recommendations for each life stage, from
birth through older adulthood
3. There are three key principles: choose mainly from the food with high nutrition, select a variety of
choices from each of the five food groups, and pay attention to the portion size.
4. It is never too early or too late to improve dietary choices for a healthy lifestyle.

Adapted from “Make Every Bite Count with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans”.

https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/sites/default/files/2020-12/
DGA_2020-2025_Infographic_MakeEveryBiteCount.pdf . Last accessed on September 27, 2021.

IV. Singular Nouns and Plural Nouns

one egg, one meal, one supermarket, one

Singular Singular nouns refer to one person, computer, one store, one office…

nouns one place, one thing, one idea… an egg, an office, a meal, a supermarket, a
computer, a store…

Plural
Plural nouns refer to two or more two eggs, three offices, four meals, five
people, places, things, ideas .. supermarkets, several computers, many stores…
nouns

Singular nouns (underlined) and plural nouns (bold-faced) are often used in the same
sentences.

1. One egg contains many nutrients.

2. Most people eat three meals a day, with a snack in between.
3. There are many stores in my neighborhood. Some sell computers, and some sell
groceries.

299 | Unit 16 Nouns

Most count nouns follow fixed patterns in forming their plural forms, but some are irregular.

Unit 16 Nouns | 300

 From singular nouns to plural nouns Examples

For most singular nouns,

apple – apples, cucumber – cucumbers, grape – grapes…
add “s”.

glass – glasses, dish – dishes, brush – brushes,

For nouns ending in “ch, sh, x,-s,
church – churches, bus – buses, box – boxes…
-ss, z”,
Exceptions:
add “es”.
quiz – quizzes, ox – oxen

For nouns ending in “vowel + y”,

add “s”. day – days, key – keys, boy – boys, toy – toys…

(Vowels are a, e, i, o, u.)

For nouns ending in

family – families, lady – ladies, butterfly – butterflies,
“consonant + y”,
strawberry – strawberries…
delete “y” and add “ies”.

For nouns ending in “vowel + o”,

radio – radios, video – videos, zoo – zoos…
add “s”.

hero – heroes, potato – potatoes, tomato – tomatoes…

For nouns ending in “consonant + o”,
Exceptions:
add “es”.
piano – pianos, auto – autos, photo – photos, video –
videos…

leaf – leaves, life – lives, knife – knives, shelf – shelves, half

– halves, loaf – loaves, wife – wives, wolf – wolves…
For nouns ending in “f” or “fe”,

delete “f” or “fe” and add “ves”: Exceptions:

chef – chefs, cliff – cliffs, sheriff – sheriff, roof – roofs, belief

– beliefs…

301 | Unit 16 Nouns

 man – men, woman – women,

child – children,

person – people (more common than “persons”),

For some nouns, their plural forms are
irregular: foot – feet, tooth – teeth, goose – geese,

mouse – mice,

crisis – crises, analysis – analyses…

Some nouns usually remain singular sheep – sheep, deer – deer, moose -moose, fish – fish,
for both singular and plural forms. shrimp – shrimp…

Some nouns always appear in plural

glasses, scissors, jeans, pants, pajamas, shorts…
forms.

Exercise 2. Choose the singular or plural forms of the nouns to finish the following paragraph about the Dietary
Guidelines. Type your choices in the boxes. You will receive instant feedback. When you finish the entire exercise
you may retry or see all the answers.

Example:

There are many __________ (idea, ideas) to keep us healthy in

the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

An interactive H5P element has been excluded from

this version of the text. You can view it online here:
https://harpercollege.pressbooks.pub/academic-writing-
skills/?p=651#h5p-217

cover of Dietary Guidelines for Americans,

2020-2025

Unit 16 Nouns | 302

V. Count and Noncount Nouns

When people or things can be counted by

Count 1, 2, 3…, they are usually count nouns. If one brother, two sisters …
there are more than one, use the plural
nouns form. one pound, two cups, three eggs …

Some things cannot be counted or are too water, coffee, snow, rice, sand, salt …
small to be counted. They are usually
Noncount
noncount nouns. English, math, biology …
nouns
Noncount nouns are always singular. danger, love, anger …

Count nouns (underlined) and noncount nouns (bold-faced) are often used in the same
sentences or groups of sentences.

1. My meal often includes rice, some vegetables, and some seafood.

2. In our nutrition class, we are discussing the five food groups. We are surprised that a
cup of 100% fruit juice is considered a serving of fruit.
3. Many people read the Nutrition Facts label when they buy food. The label tells them a
lot of useful information.
4. Overweight and obesity can cause many diseases.

Exercise 3. There is one error in the use of count or noncount noun in each of the following sentences about the
Nutrition Facts labels. Find the error and correct it.

Example:

There is a lot of advices (advice) on leading a healthy life.

1. The Nutrition Facts label tells consumers a lot of informations about the food they are buying.
2. It lists how many servings there are in the package, how many calories each serving has, and how
many gram of nutrients each serving contains.
3. In the label for frozen lasagna below, there are four serving in the package, and each serving
equals 1 cup, with 280 calories.

303 | Unit 16 Nouns

 4. Knowing how many servings we are eating is important. If we have 2 servings of lasagna for
dinner, we will eat 2 cup, with 560 calories and 18 grams of fat!
5. We should always remember to add vegetables to the dinner plate: tomatoes, peppers, corns, and
others.
6. Eating healthy seems like a lot of works, but it is worth our time and efforts.

nutrition facts label for frozen lasagna

VI. Rules in Using Nouns

1. Do not put “a/an” or a number (one, two…) in front of a noncount noun. Do not add an
“s” to the end of it.

• The restaurant has installed three new equipments: a big-screen TV and two deep

Unit 16 Nouns | 304

 freezers.
• The restaurant has installed some new equipment: a big-screen TV and two deep
freezers.
• The restaurant has installed three pieces of new equipment: a big-screen TV and two
deep freezers.

• Each customer will receive a free dessert: a large strawberry dipped in a chocolate.
• Each customer will receive a free dessert: a large strawberry dipped in chocolate.

2. Do not put “a/an” in front of a count noun and add an “s” after it at the same time.

• Many children eat an apples every day.

• Many children eat an apple every day.
• Many children eat apples every day.

3. Singular count nouns usually cannot stand alone. They need some kind of
“determiners” in front of them. These “determiners” include articles (a, an, the), numbers
(one, two…), possessive adjectives (my, his, your…), or demonstrative adjectives (this,
that).

• I eat apple every day.

• I eat an apple every day.
• I eat one apple every day.

• Please join discussion on healthy living next Monday.

• Please join our discussion on healthy living next Monday.
• Please join the discussion on healthy living next Monday.

• Label shows how much fat one serving of lasagna has.

• This label shows how much fat one serving of lasagna has.

305 | Unit 16 Nouns

 4. Use the singular form of the verb with a singular count noun. Use the plural form of
the verb with a plural count noun. Use the singular form of the verb with a noncount
noun. The pronouns also change accordingly.

• A medium tomato has about twenty-two calories and one gram of protein. It does not
contain any cholesterol.
• Fresh tomatoes are on sale in the supermarket near my home. They taste great.
• There are two slices of bread in my lunch box. I will use them to make a sandwich.
• My sandwich is delicious and healthy. It contains two slices of whole wheat bread, two
pieces of iceberg lettuce, a slice of low-fat shedder cheese, and a piece of grilled
chicken breast.

For more explanations and examples of subject-verb agreement, please refer to Unit 10.
Open Unit 10 here.

For more explanations and examples of noun-pronoun agreement, please refer to Unit 19.
Open Unit 17 here.

5. In the phrase “one of ________”, use a plural noun, but use the singular form of the verb
because the subject is “one”.

• According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025, one of the daily goals is
1 2
to have 85% of our calories from nutrient-dense foods and beverages .
• One of the five food groups contains dairy. For children two to three years old, dairy is
especially important.
• One of the nutrients from dairy is calcium. It helps children build stronger bones.

6. Some nouns are used in the singular form even though they imply plural meaning.
This is because they act like adjectives. Adjectives in English are always singular.

• Nutrition 101, also called Fundamentals of Nutrition, carries 3 credit hours at Harper
College. It is a 3-credit-hour course.

1. nutrition-dense: adjective, full of nutrients

2. beverage: noun, a drink

Unit 16 Nouns | 306

 • It is interesting to notice that anyone 9 years
or older should take the same amount of
dairy: 3 cups a day. This means that 9-year-
old boys or girls should not take in more
diary than 40-year-old men or women.
• It seems that the daily dairy needs are the
same for a growing 12-year- old boy and a
mature 60-year-old man.

Adapted from https://www.myplate.gov/

eat-healthy/dairy. Last accessed on
September 27, 2021.

MyPlate.gov dairy logo

7. Use the singular form of a count noun after
“each” and “every”.

• Each glass is filled with juice for children and wine for adults.
• Every guest is having a fun time.

Exercise 4. There is one error in the use of noun or its “determiner” in each of the following sentences about
healthy eating. Correct the noun or its determiner. Do not change anything else in the sentence.

Example:

307 | Unit 16 Nouns

 If we are concerned about our weight, drinking skim milk instead of
whole milk might help us lose an extra pounds. (extra pounds or
an extra pound)

1. Although juice is a convenient source of vitamin, it is low in

fiber.
2. It is better to have whole orange than a cup of orange juice.
3. One of the problem in the modern diet is having too much
sodium.
3
4. When we eat cooked bean from a can, we should dump the
sauce in the can and rinse the beans with water before eating
them. That way, we will take in less sodium.
5. A five-courses meal may look delicious, but it almost always
has too much fat, cholesterol, and sodium contents.
6. A two-years-old child should eat about three ounces of grains
every day. A child nine years old should eat about five ounces.
7. If the children are nine year old, they should eat about five some oranges and a glass of juice
ounces of grains every day.
8. We should not forget to drink a water every day.
9. One of the best way for us to stay healthy is to watch what we eat and drink daily.
4 5
10. At last night’s party, the hosts made sure that every dishes was hot and decorated with garnish
made of vegetables.

Some information adapted from https://www.myplate.gov/myplate-plan/results/1000-calories-

ages-2-3

and https://www.myplate.gov/your-myplate-plan-1400-calories-ages-9-13.

Last accessed on September 27, 2021.

3. dump: verb, drop, empty out

4. host: noun, a person who receives and entertains guests in his home
5. garnish: noun, food or drink decoration to increase flavor, color, etc.

Unit 16 Nouns | 308

 VII. Unit Review Practice

Exercise 5. You may often hear sayings about food. Choose a saying below and free write for five minutes whether
or not you agree and why you think so. The authors’ names are included in the parentheses. If you are interested in
them, you can search for their information online later.

6
1. Life is uncertain . Eat dessert first. (Ernestine Ulmer)
2. The secret of success in life is to eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside. (Mark Twain)
7
3. All happiness depends on a leisurely breakfast. (John Gunther)
8
4. One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.
(Virginia Woolf, A Room of One’s Own)
5. There is no love sincerer than the love of food. (George Bernard Shaw, Man and Superman)
6. One must eat to live, not live to eat. (Jean-Baptiste Poquelin)
7. Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live. (Jim Rohn)

9
Exercise 6. The following paragraph is about nutrition needs of vegetarians . In the underlined nouns, find twelve
more errors (not including the example). Correct the errors. The first one is an example.

6. uncertain: adjective, unsure

7. leisurely: adjective, relaxing
8. dine: verb, eat
9. vegetarian: noun, a person who eats only vegetables

309 | Unit 16 Nouns

 Nutrients for Vegetarians

The American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics advises

vegetarians to meet the daily needs of five important nutrient
(nutrients). They are calcium, iron, protein, Vitamin B12, and Vitamin
D. If some vegetarians do not eat dairy product, they should get their
calciums from plant-based foods such as tofu and almond milk. Iron
is another essential nutrients, and vegetarians should get it from
dark, leafy vegetables like spinaches and chard. One of the iron
source is fortified breakfast cereals. For example, a cup of multigrain
cheerios provides about 75% daily value of iron. Since vegetarians do
not eat meat, protein can be taken from beans, nut, and whole
grains. For those who do not eat egg or dairy products, a Vitamin B12
supplements is recommended. Fortified cereals are also a
convenient and inexpensive sources. The same cup of multigrain
cheerios contains about 75% daily value of Vitamin B12. Another
essential nutrients is Vitamin D. Not many foods naturally contain
a plate of vegetables
Vitamin D, so it is important for vegetarian who do not eat dairy
products to get adequate sunlights or take a Vitamin D supplement.

Adapted from https://www.eatright.org/food/nutrition/vegetarian-and-special-diets/food-sources-of-

important-nutrients-for-vegetarians. Last accessed on September 28, 2021.

Exercises 7. In the following paragraph about my grandmother and me, there are twelve more errors in the use of
nouns (not including the example). Find the errors and correct them. The first one is an example.

With My Grandma in the Kitchen

Learning to cook from my grandmother remains one of the sweetest memories in my life. She
taught me how to cook while I was living with her during my high school years. At that time, she was
in her 60s and had been preparing meals for the family for decades. One of my favorite dish (dishes)
to make was broccoli apple salad. She would get fresh ingredient from a local grocery stores in the
morning, and we would make the salad in the afternoon after I came back from school. There was not
a lot of homeworks then, so I was able to enjoy my times with my grandma in the kitchen. (four more
errors in this paragraph)

When I got home, she had already laid all the ingredients on the kitchen table: a pound of broccoli,

Unit 16 Nouns | 310

 10
two apple, a small onions… We would wash every apple and every broccoli florets. I even rinsed each
walnut piece and every raisins under water as well. The fun part was to make the sauce by mixing
mayonnaise, lemon juice, salt, and sugar. (four errors in this paragraph)

My grandma would add each ingredients a little at a time to make sure all was mixed perfectly.
However, I did not have the patiences, and I was usually hungry by then. I would use a huge spoons to
11
shovel sugar and salt into the mix, which usually turned out to be either too sweet or too salty . This
often led to a loving scolding from my grandma, but I knew that she loved me and would never get
upset with me. Many year have passed, but my memories with my grandma in the kitchen have always
been dear to my heart. (four errors in this paragraph)

Exercise 8. Read the following recipe. There are ten more errors in the use of nouns (not including the example).
Find the errors and correct them.

Baked Soy Ginger Salmon

A plate of baked soy ginger salmon is a weekly

12
fixture on my family’s dinner table. It is very easy
to make when I follow the following step (steps).
The first step is to get all the ingredient ready. I need
one pounds of salmon fillet and one teaspoon of
each: seasoned salt, cooking wines, and vegetable
oil. Besides, I prepare two teaspoon of low sodium
soy sauce, half a teaspoon of sugars, and half a cup
of water. There are two more dry ingredients: some
a plate of salmon fillet with vegetables thin slice of ginger roots and green onions for flavor.
When everything is ready, sprinkle seasoned salt
over the salmon fillet and keep it refrigerated for 30 minute. Mix the remaining ingredients in a bowl. At
the same time, preheat the oven to 350 degree Fahrenheit. Line a tray with a piece of aluminum foil. The
aluminum foil is essential because I will not need to scrub the stains off the tray later. As soon as the oven
reaches the desired temperature, place the marinated fillet in the center of the tray and pour the rest of
the ingredients over the fillet. Put the tray in the center rack of the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
Put the baked fillet on a plate, garnish with some colorful vegetable. An easy-to-make dishes is created
for my family to enjoy!

10. rinse: verb, wash lightly by pouring water over something

11. salty: adjective, containing too much salt
12. fixture: noun, something that is fixed in a place

311 | Unit 16 Nouns

Exercise 9. Click the weblink below to open “Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025”. Follow the instructions
below.

https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/sites/default/files/2020-12/
Dietary_Guidelines_for_Americans_2020-2025.pdf

1. Turn to page i and ii (Table of Contents) to choose a topic you are interested in. Then go to the
given page(s) for that topic.
2. Read the information there and highlight all the nouns.
3. Free write for five minutes what you have learned from the information on the page you have just
read. What is the information? Is it new to you? How will it impact your diet?
4. Exchange your work to share ideas with your partner.

Exercise 10. Look for a recipe in the weblink below. Examine the ingredients and the amount of each ingredient.
Then look at the Nutrition information and MyPlate Food Groups below the recipe.

Write a review of this recipe. In what ways do you like or dislike about it? You can submit your review
right there on the website.

https://www.myplate.gov/myplate-kitchen/recipes

Exercise 11. Discuss or write a paragraph for each of the following topics.

1. What is your favorite food from your native country? What food group does it belong to? Why is it
your favorite? Is it available in stores in the U.S.? Share a picture and a recipe if possible.
2. Choose two food items that you eat on a regular basis. Search for their Nutrition Facts labels
online (for example, google.com). Discuss the serving size, number of servings, number of calories,
grams of fat, etc. Then discuss whether or not these items contribute to a healthy diet.

Unit 16 Nouns | 312

 NSNT Practice

Go to The NSNT Free Writing Approach and Additional Weekly Prompts

for Writing in Appendix A. (Open Appendix A here.) Choose two topics that
you have not written about. You may start with the NSNT approach. Then
revise and edit your paragraphs. Pay attention to the use of nouns. You are
encouraged to share your writing with your partner and help each other
improve.

a pen writing in a notebook

An interactive H5P element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view it online here:
https://harpercollege.pressbooks.pub/academic-writing-skills/?p=651#h5p-20

Vocabulary Review

The words here have appeared in this unit. The best way to learn them is to
guess the meaning of each word from the context. Then hover your
computer mouse over the number beside each word to check its meaning
and part of speech. These words are also listed in the footnote area at the
end of each unit.

Here, you can use the flashcards below to review these words.

a page in a dictionary
An interactive H5P element has been excluded from this version of the
text. You can view it online here:
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313 | Unit 16 Nouns

 Summary

1. Nouns are names of people, places, things, ideas, etc. There are different types of nouns.
2. Proper nouns are specific names of people, places, and organizations. Common nouns are
general names.
3. Count nouns are in their singular forms when referring to one and in their plural forms when
referring to two or more. Noncount nouns are always singular.
4. The following uses about nouns are important:

• Do not put “a/an” or a number (one, two…) in front of a noncount noun. Do not add an “s” to the
end of it.
• Do not put “a/an” in front of a count noun and add an “s” after it at the same time.
• Singular count nouns usually cannot stand alone. They need a “determiner” in front of them, such
as articles (a, an, the), numbers (one, two…), possessive adjectives (my, his, your…), or demonstrative
adjectives (this, that).
• Singular nouns are followed by the singular forms of verbs and pronouns. Plural nouns are
followed by the plural forms of verbs and pronouns.
• In the phrase “one of ________”, use a plural noun, but use the singular form of the verb.
• Some nouns like the word “year” in “a ten-year-old boy” are used in the singular form when they
are part of an adjective.
• Use the singular form of a count noun after “each” and “every”.

Media Attributions

• U.S. government new food plate icon © U.S. Depart of Agriculture

• types of nouns © Lin Cui is licensed under a CC0 (Creative Commons Zero) license
• cover of Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025 © United States Department of
Agriculture
• nutrition facts label for frozen lasagna © United States Food and Drug Administration
• MyPlate.gov dairy logo © United States Department of Agriculture is licensed under a
Public Domain license
• some oranges and a glass of juice © Photo by aliet kitchen on Unsplash
• a plate of vegetables © Photo by Polina Tankilevitch from Pexels

Unit 16 Nouns | 314

 • a plate of salmon fillet with vegetables © Photo by Caroline Attwood on Unsplash
• a pen writing in a notebook © Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
• a page in a dictionary © Pixabay

315 | Unit 16 Nouns

Unit 17 Pronouns

Learning Objectives

1. To learn personal, indefinite, and demonstrative pronouns

2. To understand the common uses of pronouns as in subject, object, possessive, and reflexive forms
3. To apply the noun-pronoun agreement rule and other uses of pronouns through multiple
examples and a variety of writing situations

I. Pretest

people moving around on street

In the following ten sentences about the world population, some pronouns and their related verbs are bold-faced
and may contain mistakes. If the bold-faced part in the sentence is correct, choose “correct”. If not, choose the
other answer. After you finish one sentence, you will get instant feedback on your answer before the next sentence.

Unit 17 Pronouns | 316

 If you make mistakes, you can retry all the questions or see all the answers at the end of the pre-test.

An interactive H5P element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view it
online here:
https://harpercollege.pressbooks.pub/academic-writing-skills/?p=673#h5p-5

Statistics from https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/. Last accessed on May 15, 2021.

II. Personal Pronouns and Their Uses

1
All pronouns are words to represent nouns. They can help avoid repeating the same nouns
2
and make the language more concise . When you write a pronoun, you are using it to
replace a noun in the previous sentence or previous part of the sentence.

1. The Worldometer is an organization located in the U.S. It provides real time statistics to
everyone in the world.

• “It” refers to “the Worldometer”.

2. Some people might think that 3,000 was not significant. They might be expecting a
much larger number.

• “They” refers to “some people”.

1. avoid: verb, keep away from

2. concise: adjective, clear, without unnecessary words

317 | Unit 17 Pronouns

There are different types of pronouns depending on their functions in sentences. Pronouns
that refer to people are called personal pronouns: I, you, he, she, we, they, herself, etc. “It”
also belongs to this group.

Pronouns Subject Pronouns Object Pronouns Reflexive Pronouns

I Me Myself

You You Yourself

Singular He Him Himself

She Her Herself

It It Itself

We Us Ourselves

Plural You You Yourselves

They Them Themselves

Unit 17 Pronouns | 318

 Possessive Adjectives
Pronouns (Although these are adjectives, they are Possessive Pronouns
related to pronouns.)

My Mine

Your Yours

Singular His His

Her Hers

Its (none)

Our Ours

Plural Your Yours

Their Theirs

A subject pronoun is used as the subject of a sentence. In most cases, it is placed before a
verb.

1. There are many people in the world. They live in different parts of the globe.
2. It is interesting to know that the population is growing faster in developing countries
than in developed countries.

An object pronoun is used as the object of a sentence or the object of a preposition. It is

used after a verb or after a preposition.

1. When my niece was born, my whole family celebrated the event. We celebrated it with
a big party.
3
2. The baby was able to crawl at three months old. We were very proud of her.

3. crawl: verb, move along with hands and legs

319 | Unit 17 Pronouns

A reflexive pronoun is used while referring back to the subject. It is also used with “by” to
mean “independently” or “without help”.

1. My niece was able to feed herself at ten months old.

2. Children like to try out new things by themselves.

A possessive adjective is followed by a noun to show ownership.

1. When my uncle came to the U.S. to work a few years ago, he brought his whole family.
2. My aunt was very happy with her new life here.

A possessive pronoun is used to replace the “possessive pronoun adjective + noun” already
mentioned. It is also used in phrases like “a friend of mine” and “a coworker of hers”.

1. Our company hires foreign workers, but Vishal’s company hires more. His company
hires more foreign workers than ours. (ours = our company)
2. The population in each country changes. Many years ago, there were more people in
my country than in Nina’s. Now, hers has more than mine. (hers = her country; mine =
my country)
3. My new co-worker is also a friend of mine. I am a friend of his.

Exercise 1 . Read the following information about migrant workers. Some pronouns are boldfaced. Highlight the
closest noun that each underlined pronoun refers to. Highlight only one noun for each pronoun. When you finish
the entire exercise, you can retry or see all the answers. (To highlight, you position your computer curser on the
verbs and right click.)

Unit 17 Pronouns | 320

 The first sentence is an example:

“They” refers to “people”.

An interactive H5P element has been

excluded from this version of the text. You
can view it online here:
https://harpercollege.pressbooks.pub/academic-
writing-skills/?p=673#h5p-6
three migrating birds

Adapted from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/

Migrant_worker#:~:text=A%20migrant%20worker%20is%20a,region%20in%20which%20they%20work.

Last accessed on July May 20, 2021.

III. Indefinite Pronouns and Their Uses

Indefinite pronouns refer to people, things, or ideas in general and can be the subject or
object of a sentence.

everyone, everybody, anyone, anybody, someone, Use these words the same
for people
somebody, no one, nobody way as “he” or “she”.

for things Use these words the same

everything, anything, something, nothing
and ideas way as “it”.

Indefinite pronouns are singular. The easiest way to remember them is to think of them as
he/she/it. Therefore, the verbs and other pronouns related to the indefinite pronouns must
take the singular form as well.

1. Everyone is doing his/her best for the family.

2. Everything is ready for the family reunion. Everybody is excited to see his/her family
again.

321 | Unit 17 Pronouns

 3. No one needs to bring a gift for the reunion.

4
Repeating “he or she”, “his or her”, or “himself or herself” can be awkward , especially when
it is used multiple times in the same piece of writing. Therefore, it is very common to turn
an indefinite pronoun or a noun to its plural form.

1. All people are doing their best for the family.

2. All things are ready for the family union. All members are excited to see their family
again.

Exercise 2. Choose and highlight the correct form of pronoun for the blanks in sentences 1-3. Choose and highlight
the correct form of verb for the blanks in sentences 4-6. When you finish the entire exercise, you can retry or see all
the answers. (To highlight, you position your computer curser on the verbs and right click.)

Examples:

When a migrant worker works elsewhere, there are both positive and negative effects on __________ (hi
s/her , their) family.

A migrant worker often __________ (have, has ) to adjust to a new environment.

An interactive H5P element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view it
online here:
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IV. Demonstrative Pronouns and Their Uses

There are four demonstrative pronouns: this, that, these, those.

4. awkward: adjective, unnatural, uncomfortable

Unit 17 Pronouns | 322

 Demonstrative pronouns Close by Far away

Singular this that

Plural these those

5
1. This is the money from Joe. It will help the family tremendously .
2. Joe is working in construction in another city. That is hard work for him.
3. Last year, Joe was able to have a two-week vacation. He was very excited about that.
4. Joe went on two short trips with his family. Those were happy trips.

“This” and “that” can also be used to mean the idea or situation just mentioned.

1. Joe was coming home for a two-week vacation. This made the whole family very
excited.
2. Joe had not been home for two years. That was hard for the family.

This = the idea or situation that Joe was coming home for a two-week vacation

That = the idea or situation that Joe had not been home for two years

Exercise 3. The demonstrative pronouns and their related verbs are bold-faced in the following sentences about
census. Click “True” for correct sentences and “False” for the wrong ones. You will get instant feedback on your
answer. If a sentence is wrong, you will also see the correct answer and explanation in blue.

5. tremendously: adverb, very much

323 | Unit 17 Pronouns

 US Census 2020 paper

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Unit 17 Pronouns | 324

 An interactive H5P element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view it
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Adapted from https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/3-ways-that-the-u-s-population-will-change-

over-the-
nextdecade#:~:text=The%20U.S.%20population%20today%2C%20at,just%20under%201.4%20billion%2C
%20respectively. Last accessed on May 20, 2021.

V. Noun-Pronoun Agreement

Noun-pronoun agreement means that whenever a pronoun is used, it must match the
noun it refers to in number and gender.

Agreement in number: A singular pronoun must match a singular noun, and a plural
pronoun must match a plural noun. In the following sentences, the underlined pronouns
refer to the nouns in bold.

1. When my niece was born, my whole family celebrated the event. We celebrated it
with a big party. (singular)
2. There are many people in the world. They live in different parts of the globe. (plural)

Agreement in gender: A masculine pronoun should match a masculine noun, and a

feminine pronoun should match a feminine noun. A gender-neutral pronoun should match
a gender-neutral noun. In the following sentences, the underlined pronouns refer to the
nouns in bold.

1. When my uncle moved to the U.S. a few years ago, he brought his whole family.
(masculine)
2. My niece could walk steadily at age one. We were very proud of her. (feminine)
3. Many children have to take care of themselves at an early age. (gender-neutral)
4. They love the U.S. for its better educational and career opportunities. (gender-neutral)

325 | Unit 17 Pronouns

When you read the sentences you have already studied earlier in this unit, you will see that
all the pronouns follow the noun-pronoun agreement rule.

Exercise 4. Here is the paragraph from the pretest of this unit. This time, fill in the correct pronoun for each blank.
When you finish the entire exercise, you can click “Check” for feedback. You may also retry or see all the answers.

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VI. Other Rules in Pronouns

1. When there is already a subject in the sentence, do not add a pronoun as part of the
subject.

• My neighbors they migrated to the U.S. last year to work as data analysts.
• My neighbors migrated to the U.S. last year to work as data analysts.
• Sanjay he is working in a trading company downtown.
• Sanjay is working in a trading company downtown.

2. Do not use “me and my…”.

• Me and my cousin live in the same city.

• My cousin and I live in the same city.
• Our grandparents visit me and my cousin every year.
• Our grandparents visit my cousin and me every year.

Unit 17 Pronouns | 326

3. Make the pronoun and the noun it refers to very clear. If the pronoun causes confusion,
write the noun instead.

• Sanjay told Guang that he was happy about his job. (Who is “he”, Sanjay or Guang?)
• Sanjay told Guang, “I am happy about my job.”
• Sanjay told Guang, “I am happy about your job.”
• Sanjay was happy about his job, and he told Guang so.
• Sanjay was happy about Guang’s job, and he told him so.

4. Change the pronouns used in the reported speech if needed to keep the meaning of
the sentence logical.

• When I asked my friend about the 2020 Census results, he said that you should check
them online.
• When I asked my friend about the 2020 Census results, he said, “You should check
them online.”
• When I asked my friend about the 2020 Census results, he said that I should check
them online.
• My grandmother always reminds me that you must take good care of yourself in the
new country.
• My grandmother always reminds me, “You must take good care of yourself in the new
country.”
• My grandmother always reminds me that I must take good care of myself in the new
country.

5. Do not be confused by the following:

they are = they’re ≠ their

you are = you’re ≠ your

it is = it’s ≠ its

• The computer and medical fields provide a lot of employment. Their very popular
among migrant workers.
• The computer and medical fields provide lot of employment. They are (They’re) very

327 | Unit 17 Pronouns

 popular among migrant workers.
• The job application has started. Your welcome to apply.
• The job application has started. You are (You’re) welcome to apply.
• The new position is out of town. Its 100 miles away from home.
• The new position is out of town. It is (It’s) 100 miles away from home.
• It’s location is not convenient, but it’s salary is good.
• Its location is not convenient, but its salary is good.

Exercise 5. The following paragraph is about census in other countries. There are six more errors in the use of
pronouns (not including the example). Find them and correct them. The first one is an example.

What about Other Countries?

A census helps a country know how many

6
people there are and how policies can be adjusted
to best serve it (them). The U.S. it is not the only
country that has a census every ten years. Other
countries such as China and Thailand do the same.
Some countries like Japan and Canada they have a
census every five years. Whether in our native
country Thailand or in the U.S., me and my family
participate in the census every time it happens. My
people on boats in Bangkok, Thailand parents always say that you should not miss any
census because the government will use it’s results
to better manage the country. My parents are model citizens. Their always doing their best.

VII. Unit Review Practice

6. adjust: verb, make changes based on needs

Unit 17 Pronouns | 328

 Exercise 6. Read the following paragraph about foreign-born workers. Choose and highlight the most appropriate
pronouns in the blanks. When you finish the entire exercise, you can retry or see all the answers.

The first sentence is an example:

When migrant workers go to another country instead of another city of __________ (they, their) own
country, they are often called foreign-born workers.

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Adapted from https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2020/foreign-born-workers-made-up-17-point-4-percent-

of-labor-force-in-2019.htm, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 29, 2020. Last accessed on June 1, 2021.

Exercise 7. Fill in the blanks with the most appropriate pronouns in the following paragraph about a going-away
party. You will get instant feedback on your answers. At the end of the exercise, you may retry or see all the
answers.

The first sentence is an example:

The party for Yuko was fun. Yuko, Elena, and I met
in our ESL class two years ago. Since then, we have
become good friends.

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a bunch of colorful balloons writing-skills/?p=673#h5p-2

329 | Unit 17 Pronouns

 Exercise 8. Read the following paragraph about Americans teaching English overseas. There are six more errors in
the use of pronouns (not including the example). Find them and correct them. The first one is an example.

7
Teaching English Overseas

Many Americans go overseas to work. He

(They) can work in a U.S.-based company or in a
company of the foreign country where their living.
One of the most popular overseas jobs is teaching
English as a foreign language (EFL). Native English
speakers are very welcome because they not only
teach English but also share different cultural
8
perspectives . Its also a great learning experience
for the American teachers themselves. Of course, it
will be extremely helpful if the EFL teachers can
speak the local language. However, there are many
a person with a toy plane on a world map
opportunities for them to learn when their overseas.
EFL teachers can teach in all types of settings –
kindergartens, elementary schools, high schools, colleges and universities, and even companies.
Depending on the country and type of setting, the qualifications and benefits may be different. For
example, for most positions in elementary and high schools, an American teacher needs to have a
bachelor’s degree, a teaching certificate or something similar, and some related work experience. It will
be better if he or she has taught in another similar overseas program. Naturally, if someone accepts the
job, they must have a passport and a working visa before leaving the U.S. The benefits usually include a
reasonable salary, housing, and travel expenses. Some Americans apply for an overseas position directly
by himself because the process might be more direct. Some others like to use an agency to help them
as it can provide useful resources and tell them what to do. If anyone is interested in teaching overseas,
they can find a lot of information online.

Exercise 9. Choose one of the following topics to write a paragraph. Pay attention to the use of pronouns.

7. overseas: adverb, across the ocean

8. perspective: noun, an idea or a thought

Unit 17 Pronouns | 330

 1. What do you think of leaving home to work in a far-away city or country? What would be the
advantages and disadvantages for you and your family?
9
2. Does your native country conduct a census regularly? If so, how often? How are the census
results used?
3. Have you ever participated in a census? If so, where was it? When was it? Were there any
questions that you found interesting or surprising?
4. The following is from U.S. and World Population Clock https://www.census.gov/popclock/. Is any of
the information below surprising or interesting to you? Why do you think so?

◦ At 3:30 pm on May 17, 2021

◦ 332,339,884 people in the U.S.
◦ One birth every 8 seconds.
◦ One death every 12 seconds.
10
◦ One net international migrant every 670 seconds.

NSNT Practice

Go to The NSNT Free Writing Approach and Additional Weekly Prompts

for Writing in Appendix A. (Open Appendix A here.) Choose two topics that
you have not written about. You may start with the NSNT approach. Then
revise and edit your paragraphs. Pay attention to the use of word forms. You
are encouraged to share your writing with your partner and help each other
improve.

a pen writing in a notebook

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9. conduct: verb, have, perform, do

10. net: adjective, related to the leftover after deductions

331 | Unit 17 Pronouns

Vocabulary Review

The words here have appeared in this unit. The best way to learn them is to
guess the meaning of each word from the context. Then hover your
computer mouse over the number beside each word to check its meaning
and part of speech. These words are also listed in the footnote area at the
end of each unit.

Here, you can use the flashcards below to review these words.

a page in a dictionary
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Summary

1. A pronoun refers to a noun.

2. Subject pronoun – as the subject of a sentence, usually used before a verb.
3. Object pronoun – as the object of a verb or a preposition, usually used after a verb or a preposition.
4. Possessive adjective – to show who or what owns it, followed by a noun.
5. Possessive pronoun – to replace the “possessive adjective + noun” already mentioned.
6. Indefinite pronoun – to represent people, things, and ideas in general. All indefinite pronouns are
singular and must take a singular form of the verb and the singular form of other related
pronouns (he, she, it).
7. Demonstrative pronoun – to point to a close-by or a far-away person, thing, or idea. There are four
such pronouns: this, that, these, those.
8. Pronoun rules include:

• All pronouns must follow the noun-pronoun agreement rule; that is, they must match the noun

Unit 17 Pronouns | 332

 they are referring to in number and gender.
• Do not use a subject pronoun when there is already a subject of the sentence.
• Do not use “me and my…”.
• When the use of pronoun causes confusion, use a noun instead.
• Change to appropriate pronouns in a reported speech.
• they are = they’re ≠ their; you are = you are ≠ your; it is = it’s ≠ its

Media Attributions

• people moving around on the street © Photo by Timon Studler on Unsplash

• three birds migrating © Photo by Chris Briggs on Unsplash
• US Census 2020 paper © Photo by Enayet Raheem on Unsplash
• people on boats in Bangkok, Thailand © Photo by Frida Aguilar Estrada on Unsplash
• a bunch of colorful balloons © Photo by Gaelle Marcel on Unsplash
• a person with a toy plane on a world map © Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels
• a pen writing in a notebook © Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
• a page in a dictionary © Pixabay

333 | Unit 17 Pronouns

Unit 18 Word Forms

Learning Objectives

1. To learn the word forms of nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs as well as the strategies in using
them correctly
2. To identify the different positions where nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs are located in
sentences
3. To learn the common suffixes of nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs
4. To differentiate the uses of “-ing / -ed” ending adjectives as well as comparative/superlative nouns,
adjectives, and adverbs
5. To understand and practice the different word forms through multiple examples and a variety of
writing situations

I. Pretest

Facebook and other apps on a phone screen

Unit 18 Word Forms | 334

 In the following ten sentences about the social media, some words are bold-faced and may contain mistakes in
word form. If the bold-faced part in the sentence is correct, choose “correct”. If not, choose the other answer. After
you finish one sentence, you will get instant feedback on your answer before the next sentence. If you make
mistakes, you can retry all the questions or see all the answers at the end of the pre-test.

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II. Strategies in Using Correct Word Forms

All words in English have their parts of speech, and the most common ones are nouns,
verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. Word forms are associated with parts of speech. For
example, a “-tion” ending word is usually a noun, and an “-ly” ending word is usually an
adverb.

Using the appropriate word form will ensure that the sentence is correct and that its
meaning is clear. Here are some strategies:

1. Always learn vocabulary from the context.

Some words have multiple forms or parts of speech, with or without change in meaning.
For example, the word “present” can be a verb and a noun with totally different meanings.
Do not try to learn the word form in isolation; instead, put it in sentences so that you
understand its meaning accurately.

2. Try not to translate the words into your native language.

Many words like “success, succeed, successful, successfully” may be used in similar ways

335 | Unit 18 Word Forms

 in some languages but not in English. Therefore, understanding these words as they are
positioned in English sentences is crucial in learning how to use them correctly.

3. Practice writing sentences with different word forms.

Consider them as word families. For example, take “success, succeed, successful,
1
successfully” as one word family. Notice the changes in their suffixes . In addition, if you
try to write these sentences based on your own life stories, you may understand and
remember them better.

4. As in studying any language, read as much as you can.

If possible, read out loud to listen to yourself, feel the movement of your tongue in the
2
mouth, and hear what an English sentence sounds like. This will help improve the dexterity
3
of your tongue while articulating sentences in English. It will also help you get more
familiar with the sound of English.

III. Positions of Different Word Forms

The following are common places to find nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs in
sentences.

Nouns – names of people, places, things, and ideas

1. Before a verb (as the subject of the verb)

◦ Facebook is a social media site.

1. suffix: noun, something such as "ly" or "er" added to the end of a word
2. dexterity: noun, the ability to move freely and naturally
3. articulate: verb, speak clearly

Unit 18 Word Forms | 336

2. After a verb (as the object of the verb)

◦ More and more people are using Facebook to post stories and opinions.

3. After a preposition

◦ On Facebook, there are many images and videos.

4. After another noun

◦ People like to show their birthday on the timeline page.

5. After an adjective

◦ New features such as dark mode are very popular among young people.

6. After a determiner (article, possessive noun, possessive adjective, etc.)

◦ One of the features is having three-dimensional images.

◦ My cousin’s posts are full of gaming videos. His videos are especially interesting.

Verbs – to show actions or states of being

1. After the subject (as the main verb of the

sentence)

◦ Some people like Facebook, and some

others prefer Instagram.

2. After “to” (to + base verb, called infinitive)

◦ Many people use both Facebook and

Instagram to post their news.
Instgram 3D icon concept
3. After some causative verbs like “make, let,
get”

◦ Parents do not always let their young children use the social media.

337 | Unit 18 Word Forms

Adjectives – to describe nouns

1. Before a noun

◦ Instagram is becoming a more popular site for young people.

2. After a linking verb

◦ Instagram is full of images and videos.

◦ This is one of the reasons Instagram has grown popular.

Adverbs – to describe verbs, adjectives, other adverbs, or the whole sentences

1. Before or after a verb

◦ News on the social media can quickly spread. It travels fast.

2. Before an adjective

◦ There is both very good news and very bad news on the social media.

3. Before another adverb

◦ My cousin’s videos are posted extremely frequently on Facebook.

4. Before or after a whole sentence

◦ Unfortunately, not everyone in my family likes my cousin’s posts.

◦ I do not always like his posts, either.

Exercise 1. Identify and highlight the part of speech required for each paragraph. Pay attention to their position in

Unit 18 Word Forms | 338

 the sentence. Highlight only one word at a time. When you finish the entire exercise, you can retry or see all the
answers. (To highlight, you position your computer curser on the verbs and right click.)

two words: social media

The first sentence is an example: Long before the social media…

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IV. Word Suffixes

Besides the location in a sentence, the suffix provides another way to show whether a word
is a noun, a verb, an adjective, or an adverb. Here are some common suffixes.

Common Noun Suffixes

339 | Unit 18 Word Forms

 Suffixes Examples

(people)

-er/-or employer, dancer, doctor, teacher

employee, interviewee4, mentee, refugee5

-ee

-ist artist, dentist, pianist, scientist

electrician, mathematician, musician, physician

-ian
accountant, assistant, consultant, immigrant
-ant

–ance/–ence assistance, importance, difference, excellence

–cy accuracy, consistency, democracy, efficiency

-hood brotherhood, childhood, motherhood, parenthood

-ion/-tion/-sion application, decision, communication, religion

-ment achievement, argument, encouragement, government

-ness darkness, happiness, politeness, sadness

-ship dictatorship6, friendship, relationship, scholarship

-ty activity, ability, beauty, possibility

Common Verb Suffixes

4. interviewee: noun, the person being interviewed

5. refugee: noun, a person who has to leave his or her country because of politics, religion, war, natural
disaster, etc.
6. dictatorship: noun, a form of government where the leader has absolute control

Unit 18 Word Forms | 340

 Suffixes Examples

-ate activate, create, graduate, investigate

-en darken7, lighten8, strengthen, threaten

-ify identify, notify, simplify9, verify10

-ize criticize, hospitalize, realize, socialize

Common Adjective Suffixes

7. darken: verb, make or become dark

8. lighten: verb, make or become light
9. simplify: verb, make something simple
10. verify: verb, check, confirm

341 | Unit 18 Word Forms

 Suffixes Examples

-able/-ible acceptable, comfortable, responsible, valuable

-al educational, equal, legal, social

-ant/-ent dependent, different, efficient, important

-ary/-ery angry, elementary, primary, secondary

-ful beautiful, careful, helpful, useful

-ic allergic, historic, electric, magic

-ing/-ed amazing/amazed, boring/bored, exciting/excited, interesting/interested

-ish childish11, foolish, greenish, selfish

-ive active, competitive, creative, expensive

-less careless, helpless, selfless, useless

-ly daily, friendly, lonely, silly

-ous curious, dangerous, famous, religious

-y funny, healthy, scary, rainy

Common Adverb Suffixes

11. childish: adjective, immature, thinking or acting like a child

Unit 18 Word Forms | 342

 Suffixes Examples

-ly carefully, comfortably, happily, sadly

frequency adverbs: always, often, sometimes, never …

others
others: very, late, hard, fast, quite, well …

The above charts show only the common suffixes and words you often use. There are many
exceptions in English. It is not uncommon for the same suffix to be used for different parts
of speech.

For example, not all words with the “-ly” ending are adverbs, and not all adverbs end with
“-ly”. The best approach is to look at the context.

1. It is hard to catch up with all the daily posts from my friends on the social media, so I
do not read everything daily. (adjective, adverb)
2. My cousins update their information on Facebook fast; however, I am not a fast reader.
(adverb, adjective)

Exercise 2. The following paragraph about the social media is taken from the pretest of this unit. Some words are
bold-faced. Choose and highlight the part of speech related to each bold-faced word. Pay attention to its suffix
and location in the sentence. When you finish the entire exercise, you can retry or see all the answers. (To highlight,
you position your computer curser on the verbs and right click.)

The first sentence is an example:

On February 4, 2004, Mark Zuckerberg and his friends launched (noun, verb , adjective, adverb)
Facebook successfully.

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V. Difference Between “-ed” and “-ing” Ending

Adjectives

“-ed” ending adjectives describe someone’s feelings

1. The young players were excited during the soccer game yesterday.
2. The parents were amused by the children’s behaviors. Some children were running in
12
the wrong direction, and some were kicking the ball into their opponents ’ goal.
3. A mother in the audience was holding a baby. The baby was frightened by the loud
noise from the soccer field. He certainly had no idea what was going on.

“-ing” end adjectives describe the person or thing that produces those feelings

1. The soccer game was very exciting yesterday.

2. The children’s behaviors were amusing.
3. The loud noise from the soccer field was frightening to the baby.
4. All in all, the game was very interesting, and everyone was interested except the baby!

12. opponent: noun, a person from the opposite team

Unit 18 Word Forms | 344

 Exercise 3. One of the parents watching the above soccer game posted the following in her family Facebook chat
group later that day. Select the correct word for each blank. When you finish the entire exercise, you can retry or
see all the answers.

The first sentence is an example:

First of all, the weather was __________

(amazing , amazed).

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toddlers playing soccer

VI. Comparisons

Using nouns, adjectives, and adverbs in comparison is common. The following chart shows
different word forms used in comparison.

345 | Unit 18 Word Forms

a happy family in the kitchen

Unit 18 Word Forms | 346

 Comparisons Examples

the same + noun + (as)

• My sister and I have the same hair color.

• My hair has the same color as my sister’s.
Showing similarity
as + adjective/adverb + as

• My hair is as long as my sister’s.

• My hair grows as quickly as my sister’s.

347 | Unit 18 Word Forms

 more + plural count noun/singular noncount noun + than

fewer + plural count noun + than

less + singular noncount noun + than

• My brother watches more soccer games than my sister.

• My sister watches fewer soccer games than my brother.
• My brother has more time playing sports than my sister.
• My sister has less time playing sports than my brother.

1 – syllable adjective/adverb -er + than

Comparing between 2
• My sister is shorter than my brother.
(comparative forms) • My brother runs faster than my sister.

2-syllable adjective ending in “y” -ier + than (Delete “y”.)

• My brother is heavier than my sister.

more/less + 3-syllable adjective + than

more/less + adverb with “ly” + than

• My brother is more athletic than my sister.

• My sister swims more slowly than my brother.
• My sister is less passionate about sports than my brother.

the most + plural count noun/singular noncount noun

• My sister collects the most stamps in my family.

• My sister has the most patience of us all.

the + 1-syllable adjective/adverb -est

• My sister is the shortest of all in my family.

Comparing 3 or more the + 2-syllable adjective ending in “y” -iest (Delete “y”.)

(Superlative forms) • My sister is the easiest to talk with in my family.

the + most/least + 3-syllable adjective

the + most/least + adverb with “ly”

• My sister is the most interesting of all the people I know.

• My sister enjoys movies the most enthusiastically of all the people I know
• My sister is the least athletic in my family.

Unit 18 Word Forms | 348

 bad – worse – worst

good / well – better – best

far – farther / further – farthest / furthest

little – less – least

Exceptions
many / much – more – most

• I can speak English as well as my brother.

• I speak English the best in my family.
• I live farther from our childhood home than my brother.
• Among the siblings, I live the farthest from our childhood home.
• My sister is the least talkative in my family.

Exercise 4. The following sentences compare Android phones and iPhones . Choose the right word form for each
sentence. You will get instant feedback on your answers. You may also retry the sentence or see the answer.

a pile of cell phones

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349 | Unit 18 Word Forms

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VII. Unit Review Practice

Exercise 6. Choose and highlight the correct word form to complete each sentence about young children learning
their heritage language. When you finish the entire exercise, you can retry or see all the answers.

Example:

351 | Unit 18 Word Forms

Many young children do not receive much __________

(encourage, encouragement) to speak their heritage

language at home.

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“I love you” in different

languages

Exercise 7. Choose the correct word form in each group of sentences. Drag the correct answer to the box. You will
get instant feedback on your choices. After each set of questions, you may retry or see all the answers.

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Exercise 8. Find and correct eight more word form errors in the following paragraph about housing (not including
the example). The first is an example.

353 | Unit 18 Word Forms

 A Condo or a House?

At certain point in their lives, many people need to decide: to buy a condo or to buy a house?
Which choice is best (better) for them? It can be hard to decide. A condo offers many convenient. It is
often more cheap than a house, and it usually has an association office to help the residents with various
issues. Besides, some condos have a swimming pool and a children’s playground. These facilities help
families meet each other and have fun together. On the other hand, a house is definite larger and more
comfortably than a condo. Each person in the family can enjoyment more privacy as well. Most houses
have a backyard, too. People also have the free to keep pets in their house, but pets may not be allowed
in a condo. A condo or a house? This could be a difficulty choice. It depends on what people think is most
suitable for them.

Exercise 9. Follow the examples to write your own sentences with the words given.

Examples:

Lying on the beach on a summer evening is relaxing.

I feel relaxed when I lie on the beach on a summer evening.

boring/bored, disappointing/disappointed, embarrassing/embarrassed, confusing/confused,

surprised/surprising, tiring/tired, fascinating/fascinated

Exercise 10. Choose one of the topics and write at least eight sentences of comparison. .

1. two or more social media sites

2. two or more phones
3. two or more members of your family
4. two or more vacations you have had
5. two or more books you have read.
6. Two or more kinds of food

Unit 18 Word Forms | 354

 NSNT Practice

Go to The NSNT Free Writing Approach and Additional Weekly Prompts

for Writing in Appendix A. (Open Appendix A here.) Choose two topics that
you have not written about. You may start with the NSNT approach. Then
revise and edit your paragraphs. Pay attention to the use of word forms. You
are encouraged to share your writing with your partner and help each other
improve.

a pen writing in a notebook

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Vocabulary Review

The words here have appeared in this unit. The best way to learn them is to
guess the meaning of each word from the context. Then hover your
computer mouse over the number beside each word to check its meaning
and part of speech. These words are also listed in the footnote area at the
end of each unit.

Here, you can use the flashcards below to review these words.

a page in a dictionary
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355 | Unit 18 Word Forms

 Summary

1. Word forms are associated with nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs.

2. Each word form has some common suffixes.

3. Some of the strategies in using word forms correctly are:

• Learning from the context.

• Do not translate into native languages.
• Practice writing sentences with different word forms.
• Read as much as possible.

4. Nouns are names of people, places, things, and ideas. They usually appear:

• Before or after a verb

• After a preposition
• Before or after another noun
• After an adjective
• After a determiner

5. Verbs are used to show actions or states of being. They usually appear:

• After the subject

• After “to”
• After some causative verbs

6. Adjectives describe nouns. They usually appear:

• Before a noun
• After a link verb

7. Adverbs describe verbs, adjectives, other adverbs, or the entire sentences. They usually appear:

• Before or after a verb

• Before an adjective
• Before another adverb
• Before or after the whole sentence

8. Adjectives with an “-ed” ending usually describe a person’s feeling.

9. Adjectives with an “-ing” ending usually describe the person/thing that causes the feeling.

10. Different word forms are used in comparison.

• To show similarity: the same … as, as…as

• Compare between the two: -er than, more … than
• Compare among three or more: the -est, the most …

Unit 18 Word Forms | 356

Media Attributions

• Facebook and other apps on a phone screen © Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash
• Instgram 3D icon concept © Photo by Alexander Shatov on Unsplash
• two words: social media © Photo by Merakist on Unsplash
• toddlers playing soccer © Photo by Lukas from Pexels
• a happy family in the kitchen © Photo by August de Richelieu from Pexels
• a pile of cell phones © Photo by Hal Gatewood on Unsplash
• “I love you” in different languages © Photo by Hannah Wright on Unsplash
• a pen writing in a notebook © Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
• a page in a dictionary © Pixabay

357 | Unit 18 Word Forms

Unit 19 Word Orders

Learning Objectives

1. To learn the word orders in basic sentences, time and location expressions, frequency words,
adjectives, and embedded questions
2. To understand and practice different word orders through multiple examples and a variety of
writing situations

I. Pretest

a computer with lines of codes on a desk

In the following ten sentences about the MOOCS, some parts are bold-faced and may contain mistakes in word
order. If the bold-faced part is correct, choose “correct”. If not, choose the other answer. After you finish one

Unit 19 Word Orders | 358

 sentence, you will get instant feedback on your answer before the next sentence. If you make mistakes, you can
retry all the questions or see all the answers at the end of the pre-test.

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II. Importance of Word Order

Word order refers to the arrangement of words in a sentence. While the word order in some
sentences can be flexible, there are certain rules to show the proper sequence of words. If
such rules are not followed, the sentences may sound very strange.

• Always MOOCs are online. X

• MOOCs are always online. √
• Students spend every week about two to three hours. X
• Students spend about two to three hours every week. √

III. Basic Word/Sentence Orders

You have studied basic sentence patterns in Unit 7 Sentence Essentials. For review, open
Unit 7 here. Those patterns also show the basic word orders:

subject + verb + direct object

1. MOOC stands for Massive Open Online Course.

359 | Unit 19 Word Orders

 2. MOOCs cover different areas such as natural sciences, business, linguistics, computer
science, engineering, and many more.
3. Many of them take three to ten weeks to complete.
4. Many world-class universities offer MOOCs.

subject + verb + indirect object + direct object

1. My friends gave my sister and me some information on MOOCs yesterday.

2. The information showed us the courses in computer science.

subject + linking verb + subject complement

1. MOOCs are open and free to everyone

2. Some of them are at very low cost, below $100 each.
1
3. MOOCs are self-paced .
4. They have grown more and more popular.

IV. Order of Time and Location Words

Time and location words can be placed in the beginning or end of a sentence. The general
principle is to order them from a smaller unit to a larger one. If there are both time and
location words in the same sentence, the location usually comes before time. Another
option is to place one of them in the beginning and the other in the end of the sentence.

1. Next week, my friend and I are starting a new MOOC course in Spanish.
2. We are starting a new MOOC course in Spanish next week.
3. The last time it was offered was in January 2021. (month before year)
4. We are able to choose the course from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona in
Spain or the Metropolitan Autonomous University in Mexico. (university before
country)
5. We are starting our Spanish MOOC course from the Metropolitan Autonomous
University in Mexico next week. (place before time)
6. Next week, we are starting our Spanish MOOC course from the Metropolitan

1. self-paced: adjective, learning at one's own speed

Unit 19 Word Orders | 360

 Autonomous University in Mexico. (time expression in the beginning and location
expression in the end)

V. Order of Frequency Words

Frequency words and expressions are common, but their positions in a sentence can be
confusing. The following charts shows some general rules.

361 | Unit 19 Word Orders

 Middle of Sentence:

Beginning of Before “do” verbs End

Frequency words
Sentence
After “be” verbs Sen

Between helping verb and main verb

Always X √ X

Usually √ √ X

Often X √ √

Frequently √ √ √

Sometimes √ √ √

Occasionally √ √ √

Seldom √* √ X

Rarely √* √ X

Never √* √ X

Every day √ X √

Every other week √ X √

Once every three months √ X √

Twice a year √ X √

*A helping verb is required before the subject.

Yellow areas: The 1-word frequency words can be placed in the middle of a sentence –
before a “do” verb, after a “be” verb, or between a helping verb and a main verb.

For detailed explanations and examples of “do”, “be”, helping, and main verbs, please refer
to Unit 9 Verb Basics in Academic Writing.Open Unit 9 here.

Unit 19 Word Orders | 362

 1. Students always like to take interesting online classes.
2. For working students, MOOCs are often more convenient than in-person classes.
3. Many students had never taken an online class before the Covid19 pandemic.

With gray checkmarks√ : Frequency adverbs like “ frequently, sometimes, occasionally”

can be placed in the beginning, in the middle, or at the end of a sentence.

1. Some working parents frequently take MOOCs.

2. Sometimes MOOCs charge a small fee for students who want to have a certificate
upon completion.
3. Some of my friends take MOOCs occasionally.

Green areas: When “seldom, rarely, never” are used to begin a sentence, there should be
a helping verb before the subject.

1. Seldom do full time students take extra courses outside of their college because they
are already very busy.
2. Rarely are parents and their adult children studying in the same college, but the trend
is growing.
3. Never will there be a time when MOOCs disappear, I hope.

Purple areas: Most frequency expressions with 2+ words are usually placed in the
beginning or at the end of a sentence, not in the middle of a sentence.

1. Some MOOCs are offered several times a year.

2. Every week, students study for certain hours.

1. For example, CS50’s Introduction to Artificial Intelligence with Python is offered free
by Harvard University. It takes seven weeks to finish. Students will study ten to thirty
hours a week. (https://online-learning.harvard.edu/course/cs50s-introduction-
artificial-intelligence-python?delta=0. Last accessed on October 3, 2021.)

363 | Unit 19 Word Orders

Exercise 1. The following sentences are about taking MOOCs. Some words are bold-faced. Mark “True” for the
sentences with the correct word order and “False” for the sentences with the wrong word order. If you make a
mistake, you can retry the sentence. The corrections for the wrong sentences are provided in blue.

computer screens showing “MOOC”

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Unit 19 Word Orders | 364

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365 | Unit 19 Word Orders

 2
Exercise 2. Below are links to some MOOC courses offered through Coursera by the University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign, Yale University, and University of Michigan. Open the links to see the course information.
Would you be interested in any of them now or in the near future?

• Course #1: Writing and Editing: Structure and Organization

https://www.classcentral.com/course/writing-editing-structure-19554

• Course #2: Introduction to Classical Music

https://www.classcentral.com/course/introclassicalmusic-2987
3
• Course #3: Fundamentals of Accounting

https://www.coursera.org/programs/coursera-for-illinois-gp2ja/
browse?authProvider=illinois&productId=2zesAZFiEeaDSw63XnFBtQ&productType=course&que
ry=accounting&showMiniModal=true
4
• Course #4: Cloud Computing Concepts Part 1

https://www.coursera.org/programs/coursera-for-illinois-gp2ja/
browse?authProvider=illinois&productId=op_vMOGiEeWr4g7T_DyXNw&productType=course&qu
ery=computer+science&showMiniModal=true

• Course #5: Essentials of Global Health

https://www.classcentral.com/course/essentials-global-health-7337

For more information, check MOOC.org.

(Links last accessed on July 20, 2021)

VI. Order of Adjectives

Adjectives describe nouns and are placed before nouns. Adjectives give more specific and

2. Coursera: noun, an online course provider that works with many universities.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coursera
3. fundamentals: noun, basics
4. cloud computering: the delivery of computer services such as servers and storage
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/overview/what-is-cloud-computing/

Unit 19 Word Orders | 366

 interesting information such as shape, smell, taste, color, and other qualities. When using
5
more than one adjective in succession , it is important to know which one comes first and
which one comes next.

1. The baby is sleeping in a quiet beautiful room. X

2. The baby is sleeping in a beautiful quiet room. √
3. He is covered with a cotton square blanket. X
4. He is covered with a square cotton blanket. √

Adjectives usually follow the order below:

Nou
Determiner Opinion Size Age Shape Color Origin Religion Material Purpose
Adje

a/an/the
bowling colo
a lot of Buddhistic (ball) (pen
a few useful big 1-year-old oval blue American Catholic cotton
hiking groc
each/every difficult short old round green Colombian Christian silk (boots)7 (stor

many/some friendly small teenaged square black Turkish Hindu silver paring kitch
(knife)8 (sink
my/your happy tall young circular6 red Ukrainian Jewish wooden
picnic offic
one, two… … … … … … … Islamic … (table) (bui

several … … …

5. in succession: prepositional phrase, one after another

6. circular: adjective, round, like a circle
7. hiking boots: noun phrase, boots that people wear when they are hiking
8. paring knife: noun phrase, a small knife for kitchen tasks like cutting, chopping, and slicing

367 | Unit 19 Word Orders

Exercise 3. Drop the given adjectives and nouns in the right order in each sentence about a baby and his room.
You will get instant feedback on your choices. After each question, you may retry or see the answers.

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Unit 19 Word Orders | 368

 VII. Order in Embedded Questions

Sometimes there is a question inside a sentence or inside another question. That is why it is
9
called an “embedded question”. It is common to hear some people incorrectly say or ask:

• We would like to know where is the childcare center.

• Could you tell us which room should my child go to?

In such “embedded questions”, the question part should not follow the usual question
order. Instead, it should be:

question word + subject + verb

The correct way:

• We would like to know where the childcare center is.

• Could you tell us which room my child should go to?

Study more examples:

1. “What time is the childcare center open?” (direct question)

2. Please tell me what time the childcare center is open. (embedded question)
3. “Who is my child’s teacher?” (direct question)
4. Do you know who my child’s teacher is? (embedded question)
5. “How many children are there in one class?” (direct question)
6. The teacher has not told us how many children there are in one class. (embedded
question)
7. “What time must we pick up our child?” (direct question)
8. I want to be certain what time we must pick up our child. (embedded question)

Exercise 4. Choose the correct word order in the following sentences with embedded questions about a day care
center. You will receive instant feedback. You may retry the sentence or see the answer after you complete each
question.

9. embedded: adjective, located in the middle of something

369 | Unit 19 Word Orders

 a kindergarten classroom

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VIII. Unit Review Practice

Exercise 5. Choose the correct word order for the following sentences about a pet dog. In the right order, drag the
words or phrases to the boxes. You will receive instant feedback. After each question, you may retry or see the
answers.

Example:

friend, Teddy, dog, good, my, pet, is

My pet dog Teddy is my good friend.

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Exercise 6. The following paragraph about two puppies in love is adapted from a previous unit. Arrange the given
words in the right order and type them in the boxes. Type only one word in each box. You will get instant feedback
on your answers. When you complete the entire exercise, you may retry or see all the answers.

Unit 19 Word Orders | 372

 The first sentence is an example:

The story happened on a small Japanese

(Japanese, small) island Aka in the 1980s.

An interactive H5P element has been

excluded from this version of the text. You
can view it online here:
a dog jumping from ocean
https://harpercollege.pressbooks.pub/academic-
writing-skills/?p=731#h5p-35

Exercise 7. Choose one of the following topics to write a paragraph. Include some adjectives and frequency words.

1. Whom do you love the most? Describe him or her.

2. What is the best gift you have received? Describe it.
3. Which is your favorite room in your house or apartment? Describe it.
10
4. What has been the most exciting scene you have seen? (for example, a parade , a party, a
ceremony, etc.) Describe it.

NSNT Practice

10. parade: noun, a large public procession to celebrate an important event, usually with music

373 | Unit 19 Word Orders

 Go to The NSNT Free Writing Approach and Additional Weekly Prompts
for Writing in Appendix A. (Open Appendix A here.) Choose two topics that
you have not written about. You may start with the NSNT approach. Then
revise and edit your paragraphs. Pay attention to the word order. You are
encouraged to share your writing with your partner and help each other
improve.

a pen writing in a notebook

An interactive H5P element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view it online here:
https://harpercollege.pressbooks.pub/academic-writing-skills/?p=731#h5p-20

Vocabulary Review

The words here have appeared in this unit. The best way to learn them is to
guess the meaning of each word from the context. Then hover your
computer mouse over the number beside each word to check its meaning
and part of speech. These words are also listed in the footnote area at the
end of each unit.

Here, you can use the flashcards below to review these words.

a page in a dictionary
An interactive H5P element has been excluded from this version of the
text. You can view it online here:
https://harpercollege.pressbooks.pub/academic-writing-skills/?p=731#h5p-215

Summary

Unit 19 Word Orders | 374

 1. Word order means the sequence of words in a sentence.

2. The basic word/sentence orders are:

• Subject + verb + direct object

• Subject + verb + indirect object + direct object
• Subject + link verb + subject complement

3. When there are time words and location words,

• They can be placed in the beginning or end of a sentence.

• Arrange the time or location from a smaller unit to a larger unit.
• Location words usually come before time words.

3. Frequency adverbs and expressions may be placed:

• in the beginning of a sentence

• in the middle (before an action verb, after a “be” verb, or between a helping verb and a main verb)
• at the end of a sentence

4. With more than one adjective in succession, arrange them in proper order: determiner, opinion, size,
age, shape, color, origin, religion, material, purpose, noun as adjective.

5. An embedded question needs to follow the order: question word + subject + verb.

Media Attributions

• a computer with lines of codes on a busy desk © Photo by Christopher Gower on

Unsplash
• computer screens showing “MOOC” © Ilonka Hebels is licensed under a CC BY-NC-SA
(Attribution NonCommercial ShareAlike) license
• a kindergarten classroom © Photo by Monica Sedra on Unsplash
• a dog jumping from ocean © Photo by Blue Bird from Pexels
• a pen writing in a notebook © Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
• a page in a dictionary © Pixabay

375 | Unit 19 Word Orders

Unit 20 Editing / Grammar
Review

a typewriter typing “rewrite…edit…”

This unit aims to give you a broad review of the editing / grammar skills covered in this
book. You may find the corresponding information from Unit 7 through Unit 19.

The materials in this unit are adapted from the work written by former ESL intermediate
level (Writing III) students at Harper College. The errors represent typical mistakes in
student writing. Anything that identifies the student writers, such as their names and
native countries, has been removed.

I. Suggestions for Completing the Unit

1. Unlike those in previous units, the sentences in this unit are unrelated. Therefore, you can
work on each sentence individually without worrying about the context.

2. You may do the exercises under each topic as you finish the related editing / grammar
unit(s) in the previous part of this book. For example, you can do “Review Sentence
Structure and Punctuation” after completing Unit 7 Sentence Essentials and Unit 8 Three

Unit 20 Editing / Grammar Review | 376

Common Errors in Sentence Structure and Punctuation. The links to the related editing
units are provided.

3. You may also do all or some of the parts in this unit before your major tests. However,
allow yourself enough time to finish the exercises and to study your weak areas if necessary.

4. As you work though Unit 20, grow more mindful of the common errors and ways to
fix them. Try to avoid those types of errors in your writing. In fact, the best approach to
improvement is through writing and then editing your own writing.

II. Review Sentence Structure and Punctuation

For the corresponding editing / grammar units, click:

Unit 7 Sentence Essentials

Unit 8 Three Common Errors in Sentence Structure and Punctuation

Correct the error(s) in each sentence below. All the mistakes are related to sentence
structure and punctuation. There may be more than one mistake in some sentences.

1. I have a lot of writing homework, also I have tons of reading homework.

2. When I saw the horse I was surprised and happy.
3. When you go to Building A, on the first floor you’ll see a very big place, that is our
cafeteria.
4. First you will do the job well with only a bit training.
5. The fish is very beautiful but it’s hard to feed.
6. I think, that collecting marine fish is an exciting hobby.
7. I go to class on time, and finish my homework on time.
8. The best type of job for me, is to be a travel agent.
9. Dogs are helpful, they can help blind people on the street.
10. In my opinion she has a bad character.
11. Also she likes traveling alone.
12. When he went to work he took the cell phone with him.
13. When I opened the door I saw my husband.
14. Although, it was windy, we finished our daily walk.

377 | Unit 20 Editing / Grammar Review

15. Even though, it was hard to get my visa I got it after two months.
16. My wife does not like sports, nor she likes gardening.
17. In the end, we did not work in the garden, nor we did not go out.
18. Everybody enjoyed the game because of the weather was so nice.
19. During we were having our writing class, it started snowing. My first time to see snow.
20. The food in the school canteen was very tasty, it still makes my mouth water whenever
I think of it.
21. I hope, I could get a chance to go back and enjoy these things again.
22. As soon as I have the opportunity to go there I will gladly go.
23. I love this boy he gives me power in my life.
24. I will see her in a few weeks, she will come to Chicago.
25. Many of us went through many experiences some of them are interesting and happy
and others are difficult and sad.
26. Is rich in vitamin C.
27. That why I think that dogs are better than cats.
28. People like cats because they quieter than dogs.
29. I love her big brown eyes. And long black hair.
30. When my friends come to my house, they do not ask for me, ask for my mom because
she always invites them to eat.
31. My mom the most important member of my family.
32. During this uncertain trip went twenty hours.
33. Whenever, a storm comes, I remember that difficult winter day.
34. I do not like to go out even the weather is nice.
35. Elderly parents should live with their family because is the last part of their lives and is
very important that they feel love, respect, and enough attention from their adult
children.

III. Review Verbs

For the corresponding editing / grammar units, click:

Unit 9 Verb Basics in Academic Writing

Unit 10 Subject-Verb Agreement

Unit 11 Expressing Meaning in Present Tenses

Unit 20 Editing / Grammar Review | 378

Unit 12 Expressing Meaning in Past Tenses

Unit 13 Expressing Meaning in Future Tenses

Unit 14 Expressing Meaning in Mixed Tenses

Unit 15 Modals

Appendix D Irregular Verbs

Correct the error(s) in each sentence below. All the mistakes are related to the use of
verbs. There may be more than one mistake in some sentences.

1. The teacher do not wanted to put much pressure on his students.

2. Weightlifting will helps your muscle get stronger.
3. My younger son had sick.
4. If you have a car, it can helps you a lot.
5. Nobody have enough time to do everything.
6. There is a lot of benefits of having a car in the U.S.
7. Many people wants to have a car to protect themselves from the bad weather.
8. In the U.S., going someplace by bus or train take more time than by car.
9. In my country, most people lives near the coast because the interior is too dry.
10. Doing exercises help us have a healthier life.
11. This supermarket have fresh and frozen products.
12. Walmart supply not only food but also home appliances.
13. Everyone perceive and feels things differently.
14. Lake Michigan is a very big lake, and it surrounding a half of Chicago.
15. If someone like to visit Chicago, it is the perfect place. It have a lot of skyscrapers.
16. Most of the customers is fine and friendly.
17. They were really likes her cartoon book.
18. He doesn’t afraid to do or try anything new or strange.
19. She is pray to god.
20. She is always help me.
21. Lack of grammar cause many problems.
22. I have never studies psychology in my life.
23. In the beginning, I thought that it will not be that hard to study.
24. My mom generally go to buy groceries in Fresh Market.
25. A good supermarket should has fresh products.
26. She enjoy her school work.

379 | Unit 20 Editing / Grammar Review

27. He like to read journals and romantic books.
28. He always ask me if I want to buy something.
29. Every week he collect the garbage and take it out of our house.
30. She love to cook, and she is making delicious food too.
31. She always prepare lunch for me.
32. My mom take care of my family.
33. She wake up early in the morning.
34. Household chores makes me tired.
35. There are no dirt on my carpet or my bed.
36. She committed suicide because she were a victim of bullying.
37. There is lots and lots of books in the library.
38. My classmates and I felt relaxed and was able to say anything we wanted to.
39. Doing household chores are a waste of time.
40. She was well educated because both of her parents was teachers.
41. We tried to hold each other and decided to go back because moving forward through
the bridge were more dangerous.
42. Last weekend, there was so many people in the mall, and I cannot find my parents.
43. We went swimming together when my husband come home.
44. I couldn’t imagine that we were survive and everything went well.
45. I took a shower and then was go down for breakfast.
46. Everybody should to work hard.
47. Teenagers must to learn how to take care of themselves.
48. Suddenly something happened, and I must take a look.
49. The dress maybe mine.
50. Everyone should has a textbook.
51. If I can to get an A in this class, I very happy.
52. I was able to go to school and to go grocery shopping as many times as I need to.
53. In my high school, they never have conversation with me about how I feel or if I need
help with my classes.
54. When I arrived in Los Angeles, I see smog and not sunshine.
55. You may think you never visit the supermarket again.
56. I was afraid that we may have to use a different pharmacy.
57. Since that day, I going to Mariano’s regularly.
58. I thought that he probably isn’t a nice person, so I stayed away from him and play with
other children.
59. Since that day, I learned that we should check the weather before going anywhere.
60. Two police officials came up to me and asked what happen. I told them everything.
61. She is helping me every time I need her.
62. I feel like someone just used a big eraser and clear my brain.

Unit 20 Editing / Grammar Review | 380

63. Another car crash her car; as a result, she came back home late and feel frustrated.
64. Twelve people have died in the shooting last weekend.
65. If you late, you will miss part of the lesson.
66. Some students afraid about their school life.
67. You must go to your class on time and don’t absent.
68. You will never bored because Chicago has a lot of amazing sites.

IV. Review Nouns

For the corresponding editing / grammar unit, click: Unit 16 Nouns

Correct the error(s) in each sentence below. All the mistakes are related to the use of
nouns. There may be more than one mistake in some sentences. In some cases, when
the noun is corrected, the verb needs to be changed as well.

1. When I was a child, I enjoyed three thing.

2. Tree climbing was my favorite activities.
3. They are the main reason to make my childhood complete.
4. The third things I liked was football.
5. Every kids wanted to win this competition.
6. All of them gave me a good presents.
7. We read a lot of history book and novels.
8. I remember my childhood for several reason.
9. I remember my parents’ advices.
10. They fed some chickens, gooses, cows, and planted different vegetable on the farm.
11. We entered the store and saw a lot of new phone.
12. I chose six phone, but I needed to buy just one.
13. I waited ten minute in line.
14. I really wanted to grow up to be a beautiful women.
15. I saw a lot of beautiful view.
16. We had ten minute of break between two classes.
17. It was one of the happiest day of my life.
18. I liked to draw differents kind of horse.
19. The smell of my grandmas perfume is wonderful. It smells like mix of different kind of

381 | Unit 20 Editing / Grammar Review

 flowers.
20. Sometimes we can give an advice to each other.
21. A benefit in a good job is a good money.
22. The president of the U.S. is one of the most famous person in the world.
23. A travel agents learn about each airports.
24. Cats eat less than dog.
25. Some cat are good hunters.
26. Cats are very smart animal.
27. Dogs can be a real friends for us.
28. Several of my friend are also student at Harper College.
29. The most common language in the country are Igbo and Yoruba.
30. I do not have enough vocabularies for many different reason.
31. There are many psychologist in the world.
32. In all those three semester, Psychology 101 was the most difficult class for me.
33. The unit just includes all the main point and some definition.
34. After one and a half hour, we get five minutes break.
35. I never saw any dust on the shelfs or any papers on the floor.
36. We can see different products in every supermarkets.
37. Not all supermarket have quality products.
38. For family with small children, Chicago has many schools to choose from.
39. When you work in a big city, you are surrounded by many peoples. This crowd can
mold you in different way.
40. I could not say we were good friend, but at least we understood each other.
41. I cannot forget one of my American friend.
42. After I worked there for three month, they realized that I was a fast learner.
43. As an adults, we should not tolerate any violence from the kids even if they are our
kids.
44. If we see or hear something, it is not OK to just be witness and do nothing.
45. Outside my building, I see a lot of tree, grass, and flower.
46. Their son is eight year old.
47. They have an eight-years-old son.
48. When I got to the mall, I saw a new stores.
49. Homeworks are essential in reinforcing what we learn in class.
50. Many woman has a large family and a lot of houseworks.
51. Everyone has a lot of works to do.
52. He’s holding two job to make ends meet.
53. The newspapers provide a lot of informations to the readers.
54. The defense lawyer presented a facts that the defendant was innocent.
55. My brother gave me two suggestion about what kind of car to buy.

Unit 20 Editing / Grammar Review | 382

56. I had chickens for dinner yesterday.
57. Hurricane Sandy killed many life.
58. I spend a lot of times doing my homework every week.
59. Do you have free times today?
60. I must wear my glass when I drive at night.
61. When my daughter was a 14 days infant, a very severe snow storm started .
62. We played so many game and enjoyed every single one.
63. I hope that in the future more vacation and some good adventure will be waiting for
us.

V. Pronouns

For the corresponding editing / grammar unit, click: Unit 17 Pronouns

Correct the error(s) in each sentence below. All the mistakes are related to the use of
pronouns. There may be more than one mistake in some sentences.

1. Every country has their own beauty.

2. Each student should bring their own book.
3. Cats are better pets than dogs because it is very clean.
4. Me and my friend, we came back to our home after shopping.
5. Me and my husband just came to the U.S.A., and he started working right away.
6. She especially wants to go to Italy because this country is a living museum.
7. The parents should not live with their adult children because they are so busy.
8. Old people are not able to take care them self.
9. We were enjoying and continued singing songs.
10. In class, some classmates tried to talk with me, but I did not give him a response.
11. I was very excited about the gifts, but my mother did not allow me to open it.
12. I and my cousins played some games.
13. I was afraid to take those rides, but my friends forced me to take it.
14. In one ride, it took me so high that you could see the whole city from there.
15. One ride it was so fun we took that ride three times.
16. All my friends and cousins we ate the leftover cake.
17. This experience has taught me that you must be more careful and prepared when you

383 | Unit 20 Editing / Grammar Review

 travel to a foreign country.
18. There are three things I miss the most about my native country, and that is my
parents, my friends, and my city where I was born.

VI. Review Word Forms

For the corresponding editing / grammar unit, click:Unit 18 Word Forms

Correct the error(s) in each sentence below. All the mistakes are related to the use of
word forms. There may be more than one mistake in some sentences.

1. Playing in a musical group was very excited to him.

2. Sports make people happy, fun, and interest.
3. Dogs are more friendly and smart than cats.
4. Adopting a cat is easy than adopting a dog.
5. Cats are more smaller than dogs.
6. For some students, writing is more easy than reading.
7. She is beautiful and middle age.
8. Her jokes make her students laugh, so they do not feel boring.
9. When I saw the horse, I was surprise and happy.
10. The nursing home really smelled bad, but it was interested to me.
11. The thunder sounded really scared.
12. I was so scare.
13. My mother and grandmother have a deeply regret.
14. The interview started good.
15. It was excited to learn something new.
16. People judge others very fast and easy.
17. It was a really disappointed shopping trip.
18. Studying English will be very benefit to my career.
19. Students in this class are allowed to speak free.
20. That gentleman treated us kind.

Unit 20 Editing / Grammar Review | 384

VII. Review Word Orders

For the corresponding editing / grammar unit, click: Unit 19 Word Orders

Correct the error(s) in each sentence below. All the mistakes are related to the use of
word order. There may be more than one mistake in some sentences.

1. She is a person very energetic.

2. The teacher always is smiling and trying to learn something about the students.
3. That cell phone I had for many years.
4. I every afternoon do my homework.
5. He comes frequently late to class.
6. She frequently is late to class.
7. Always the tutors are very helpful.
8. Our math teacher was a young tall man, about 25 years old.
9. He was driving a Chrysler new pickup truck.
10. The bride had a white elegant gown.
11. Our family every year goes to the Taste of Chicago.
12. My brother eats often the most, every two hours.
13. When my son is hungry, he eats a meal very big.
14. On the first day of class, we did not know where was the classroom, so we went to the
ESL office to ask how could we find it.
15. Could you tell us what time is it?

VIII. Mixed Editing

The sentences below contain multiple errors in sentence structure and punctuation,
verbs, nouns, pronouns, word forms, and/or word orders. Some other types of errors may
also exist. Improve each sentence by correcting the errors so that the meaning is clear.

1. I love my son very much, he is my older son, he is twenty years old.

2. When she say something, people wants to listen her.
3. Another class students asked why your class always funny?

385 | Unit 20 Editing / Grammar Review

 4. I was in the military two years ago, and I was having a vacation time.
5. People in my native country is expert in making clothes and jewelries.
6. The man chased us, and he said that “why do you take my daughter?”
7. On that day I decided, I will never be scared. However if I ever got scared, then I will
start praying.
8. With the cell phone, I was able to call whenever I needed. For example, to know that
my husband is working longer today.
9. The worker said my name, girl with pink dress and white cap was lost.
10. One day, he went to his friend’s house by his bike . About three hours later, he hit
against a car on a drive way while he was riding the bike home.
11. My favorite hobby is running in the park. When I wake up in the morning, always I feel
so refreshed and good. Usually in the morning, I go running outside, I run for thirty
minutes.
12. On Monday, at 5pm in the evening, me and my friend went mall for shopping. We
visited mall and bought some clothes and shoes. After that, when we were coming
back on the bus, suddenly, weather changed to windy and stormy.
13. As soon as we were going up, we both were panicking and stop watching down. We
closed our eyes and then we heard a voice of an attractive boy who was singing a
song.
14. The most experiences that learned me a lot that not to judge people quickly through
appearances and specific attitude or behavior.
15. Sisters help to cope with everyday problems and to reduce stress, promoting
happiness, and optimism.
16. During the study if some fails exam, it could be a still to study more for strong person,
when weak person could leave it..
17. As we are the best helper for our babies, so we who are our parents’ daughter or son
are best person to help them.
18. Respecting people are an important factor in creating a good and strong relationship
among the members of the community. People should not without looking or caring
on their races, religious, or clothings.
19. We don’t know exactly how another person feels even if they tell us what they are
experiencing, we still do not fully understand what is going on inside the other person.
20. One day, when my cousin go to buy the things she need for dinner, she park in the
wrong place because she not saw the yellow lines.
21. I want to work independently by myself. Therefore, I choose interior design for my
profession. I eventually went to a school, and I got a license. Now I enjoy my career.
22. My parents pass away, and I make a decision to bring my brother and sister to U.S.
because we didn’t have any opportunities in our country.
23. My company send me to work in the U.S. for one year. After one year, I have to decide

Unit 20 Editing / Grammar Review | 386

 to go back or stay here. It’s hard for me to decide, but I decide to stay in the US. I am
going tell my manager this afternoon.

Media Attributions

• a typewriter typing “rewrite…edit…” © Photo by Suzy Hazelwood from Pexels

387 | Unit 20 Editing / Grammar Review

PART FOUR APPENDICES

Part Four Appendices | 388

Appendix A Non-Stop
Non-Translation (NSNT) Free
Writing with Additional Weekly
Prompts

a pen writing in a notebook

I. Non-Stop Non-Translation (NSNT) Free Writing

• Do you often translate from your native language to English when you think, write,
and speak?
• Do you find it hard to write your paragraphs and essays without translating from your
native language?
• Have you had challenges in making other people understand you?

If your answer to any of these three questions is a yes, you may want to learn to think and
write in English through the Non-Stop Non-Translation (NSNT) free writing approach. It is
one of the most effective ways to practice thinking and writing without translating. Free

389 | Appendix A Non-Stop Non-Translation (NSNT) Free

Writing with Additional Weekly Prompts
writing may serve different purposes, such as generating ideas and expressing viewpoints.
However, in this NSNT approach, the goal is to help you think and write in English. As you
gradually train yourself not to rely on your native language in your thinking, you will be able
to speak, read, AND write more naturally in just English.

II. Importance of Thinking in English While Writing

1. As you learned from Unit 1 Introduction to Academic Writing, (Open Unit 1 here.) in
the very beginning of this course, the purpose of writing is to communicate your ideas
accurately and effectively. As no two languages are exactly the same, your meaning usually
gets lost or misinterpreted to some degree during direct translation from one language to
the other. Consequently, your writing may confuse the readers or cause misunderstanding.

2.. When you formulate ideas in your native language and then translate them into English,
the process takes longer than when you deal with only one language. As you prepare for
your academic study in the U.S., you will be required to read and write a lot. You will not
have enough time to complete them within the time frame set by your professors if you
have to translate most of the times.

3. Old habits die hard. This saying means that it is hard to break an old habit. The longer
you rely on translating, the harder it will be to quit the habit. At this intermediate level of
English, you are in a good position to START switching the language in which you normally
think when you are writing in English: from your native language to English.

III. Steps in NSNT Free Writing

1. Prepare a notebook just for this practice. If you choose to type, set up a special folder or
file on your computer. Record the date. You need to write or type in English nonstop so that
you will have no time translating from your native language to English. Try three minutes,
four times a week, and then gradually increase the duration and frequency as you feel more
comfortable. Set your timer if needed.

2. You may decide on your own topic or choose one of the topics provided to get started.

Appendix A Non-Stop Non-Translation (NSNT) Free Writing with Additional Weekly Prompts | 390
If you start rambling or end up writing something totally different, it is OK! The most
important is that there is only one language – English – in your mind.

3. If you run out of ideas, just keep writing. You may write “Oh, I don’t know what more to
write. Need ideas… 2 more minutes…” If you are really stuck, just write “Monday, Tuesday…”,
or “January, February …”, or even “one, two, three…” Do not let the tip of your pen leave your
notebook page, or do not stop typing.

4. Do not worry about grammar and spelling. Do not stop to check your dictionary. The
purpose is not to produce perfect writing, but to think in English. If you want to correct
mistakes, do so after you complete the NSNT practice for that day.

Example:

1/15/2022

My first time to write like this. teacher said no stopping, it’s hard, but I’ll try. The first topic my
feelings about this new semester. I feel writing is hard, but important. I want to take college classes
after ESL. I want to practice good writing. What else? No stop now, keep writing. One, two, three,
four, five, Oh, yes, writing. I took writing II last semester, I did well. I want to learn more and take this
class. what else to write? no stopping, no translate, it’s hard, no native language, keep writing,
writing. My language different from english, no translate is hard. Many mistakes but teacher said
don’t worry about spelling, grammar, just keep writing. I feel uncomfortable with mistakes. Teacher
say no stopping and no translate most important.

The above is a very typical example in the first few days or even weeks of your NSNT
practice, but soon you will feel much more comfortable and have more ideas to write about,
all in English!

It takes time to acquire this new skill, but if you keep practicing, you will be well on your way
to thinking and writing in English. It may take some students a semester or even a year or
more, so do not feel discouraged if you do not see progress right away.

Just like working out, it takes consistent efforts to strengthen muscles.

391 | Appendix A Non-Stop Non-Translation (NSNT) Free Writing with Additional Weekly Prompts
 three people lifting barbells

IV. Weekly Writing Prompts

To get you started, here are some suggested topics for each week of the semester. You can
modify them as you wish.

An interactive H5P element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view it online here:
https://harpercollege.pressbooks.pub/academic-writing-skills/?p=817#h5p-66

V. Links to Additional Topics

The following websites lead you to images and additional topics.

An interactive H5P element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view it online here:
https://harpercollege.pressbooks.pub/academic-writing-skills/?p=817#h5p-193

Appendix A Non-Stop Non-Translation (NSNT) Free Writing with Additional Weekly Prompts | 392
The journey to good writing continues…

sailboat on water near island

Media Attributions

• a pen writing in a notebook © Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

• three people lifting barbells © Photo by Sven Mieke on Unsplash
• sailboat on water near island © Photo by Szelei Robert from Pexels

393 | Appendix A Non-Stop Non-Translation (NSNT) Free Writing with Additional Weekly Prompts
Appendix B Capitalization

some capital letter cutouts in a box

Capitalization in English may be different from that in other languages in many ways.
Before you start, remember that it is wrong to write a whole piece of writing in all capital
letters. Instead, you should capitalize letters only when appropriate.

I. Capitalization Rules

1. Capitalize the first letter of the first word in a sentence.

• Books are expensive here.

• Two textbooks cost me over a hundred dollars.

2. The pronoun “I’ is always capitalized when referring to oneself.

• I am a student.
• You andI are both students.

Appendix B Capitalization | 394

3. The first letters of all the words related to specific names of continents, countries,
nationalities, ethnicities, and languages are always capitalized.

• My classmates come from Asia, Europe, Africa, North America, Central America, and
South America.
• They are from Korea, India, Ukraine, Egypt, Mexico, Guatemala, and Peru.
• They are Korean, Indian, Ukrainian, Egyptian, Mexican, Guatemalan, and Peruvian.
• They speak Korean, Gujarati, Ukrainian, Arabic, and Spanish.

4. The specific names of the months and days of the week are always capitalized.

• The fall semester usually runs from late August to mid-December, spring from mid-
January to mid-May, and summer from early June to end of July.
• Most classes run on Mondays and Wednesdays, or Tuesdays and Thursdays.

5. Capitalize the first letter of each word in the proper nouns (except prepositions,
articles, coordinating conjunctions, and “to” in an infinitive).

Proper nouns are specific or exact names of people, places, companies, colleges, cities,
countries, nationalities, religions, holidays, product brands, school courses, etc. Do not
capitalize the common names unless they are the first word in a sentence.

Please refer to Unit 16 Nouns for more explanations and examples about common nouns
and proper nouns. (Open Unit 16 here.)

395 | Appendix B Capitalization

Common Nouns (General Names) Proper Nouns (Specific or Exact Names)

There are many international students in In Spring 2016, there were 107 international
American colleges. students at Harper College.

Those international students came from 26 They came from Brazil,Congo,China,

different countries. Quatar,Moldova, etc.

Of course, many languages were Those languages included Portuguese, French,

represented by those students. Chinese,Arabic, Romanian, etc.

Some of the religions were

They also believed in different religions.
Christianity,Islam,Buddhism, andHinduism.

At Harper, some international students take

The advanced ESL courses are Reading V and
ESL reading and writing courses for one or
Writing V.
two semesters.

All the courses are taught by experienced They are usually taught by Professor Nelson and
professors. Professor Garcia.

Of course, textbooks are required. In Reading V, the textbook is “Reader’s Choice”.

Other international students take classes in Some of the popular courses are CSC 121, ACC 101,
computer, business, and science. and Bio 160.

The fall and spring semesters are 16 weeks

In Summer 2021, ESL students took their writing
long, while the summer semester is only 8 or
class in 10 weeks and reading class in 8 weeks.
10.

Most international students plan to transfer Many Harper students transfer to University of
to other universities after they finish their Illinois at Chicago and University of Illinois at
study at Harper. Champion-Urbana.

The International Students Club provides games,

The student clubs at Harper help them meet
prizes, and snacks besides the opportunities to
friends.
meet friends.

The International Students Club meets every

Most student clubs meet once a week.
Thursday afternoon.

The clubs hold their regular meetings in one

A few clubs meet in Building D.
of the buildings on campus.

Sometimes, the college president comes to Dr. Proctor, Harper’s current president, has been
greet the students. very impressed with what the clubs are doing.

Appendix B Capitalization | 396

 Many international students love the Their favorite places are Museum of Science and
museums, parks, and lakes in Chicago. Industry, Millennium Park, and Lake Michigan.

On 4th of July, American’s Independent Day, there

During the holidays, Chicago hosts many
are usually fireworks. Taste of Chicago also attracts
celebrations and events.
many people.

The number of international students and their countries of origin are taken from
http://dept.harpercollege.edu/international/documents/GoingGlobalFebruary2016.pdf

II. Capitalization in Titles

1. Capitalize the first letter of all major words (nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and
pronouns)
2. Do not capitalize articles (a, an, the), prepositions (in, on, from, etc.), and
coordinating conjunctions (and, but, or, etc.). However, capitalize them if they are
the first words in the titles.
3. Do not capitalize “to” in an infinitive unless it is the first word in the title.

• The Best ESL Program

• The Story of Our Mother and the Little Cat
• My Reasons for Taking a Writing Course
• Five Interesting Ways to Make a Living

Media Attributions

• some capital letter cutouts in a box © Photo by Alexander Andrews on Unsplash

397 | Appendix B Capitalization

Appendix C Punctuation

a group of question marks and exclamation marks

I. Common Punctuation Marks

punctuation marks

II. Rules for Punctuations

Appendix C Punctuation | 398

 An interactive H5P element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view it online here:
https://harpercollege.pressbooks.pub/academic-writing-skills/?p=849#h5p-68

Media Attributions

• a group of question marks and exclamation marks © "if you ever wondered where all
your punctuation went..." by ▓▒░ TORLEY ░▒▓ is licensed with CC BY-SA 2.0. To view a
copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/ is licensed
under a CC BY-SA (Attribution ShareAlike) license
• punctuation marks © Lin Cui is licensed under a CC0 (Creative Commons Zero) license

399 | Appendix C Punctuation

Appendix D Irregular Verbs

an arrow on target

Below is a chart of verbs with irregular past tense and past participle forms.

Appendix D Irregular Verbs | 400

 Base Form Simple Past Past Participle

be was, were been

beat beat beat/beaten

become become become

begin began begun

bend bent bent

bet bet bet

bite bit bitten

bleed bled bled

blow blew blown

bring brought brought

break broke broken

build built built

burn burned burned

401 | Appendix D Irregular Verbs

buy bought bought

catch caught caught

choose chose chosen

come came come

cost cost cost

cut cut cut

deal dealt dealt

dig dug dug

do did done

draw drew drawn

drink drank drunk

drive drove driven

eat ate eaten

Appendix D Irregular Verbs | 402

 fall fell fallen

feed fed fed

feel felt felt

fight fought fought

find found found

fit fit fit

flee fled fled

fly flew flown

forbid forbade forbidden

forget forgot forgotten

forgive forgave forgiven

freeze froze frozen

get got got

403 | Appendix D Irregular Verbs

give gave given

go went gone

grow grew grown

hang hung hung

have had had

hear heard head

hide hid hidden

hit hit hit

hold held held

hurt hurt hurt

keep kept kept

know knew known

lay laid laid

Appendix D Irregular Verbs | 404

 lead led led

leave left left

lend lent lent

let let let

lose lost lost

make made made

mean meant meant

meet met met

pay paid paid

put put put

quit quit quit

read read read

ride rode ridden

405 | Appendix D Irregular Verbs

ring rang rung

rise rose risen

run ran run

say said said

see saw seen

seek sought sought

sell sold sold

send sent sent

set set set

shake shook shaken

shoot shot shot

show show shown

shut shut shut

Appendix D Irregular Verbs | 406

 sing sang sung

sink sank sunk

sit sat sat

sleep slept slept

speak spoke spoken

spend spent spent

spread spread spread

stand stood stood

steal stole stolen

stick stuck stuck

strike struck struck/stricken

swear swore sworn

sweep swept swept

407 | Appendix D Irregular Verbs

swim swam swum

take took taken

teach taught taught

tear tore torn

tell told told

think thought thought

throw threw thrown

understand understood understood

wake woke waken

wear wore worn

weep wept wept

win won won

wind wound wound

Appendix D Irregular Verbs | 408

 withdraw withdrew withdrawn

write wrote written

Media Attributions

• an arrow on target © Photo by Ricardo Arce on Unsplash

409 | Appendix D Irregular Verbs

Appendix E Answer Key to Some
Non-Interactive Exercises
Please check with your professor about the answer key.

Appendix E Answer Key to Some Non-Interactive

Exercises | 410