Writing II (Week 12): Writing mechanics

• Prior: Writing II (Week 11)
• Next:
• Subject: Writing II

This week we focus on varous aspects of writing mechanics as we begin thinking about a new topic to write about. We’ll also introduce how to present opposing viewpoints.

Benjamin L. Stewart

Monday

• Return paragraphs from Week 11 and upload grades to ESIIMA.
• Review list of topics for constructing an argumentative essay and complete written activity in group – focus on the claim.
  • Autonomous vehicles reduce traffic accidents and improve road safety among novice drivers. Driving school who train drivers should receive financial assistance from the government, so that new drivers learn how to rely on an autonomous vehicle (). Also, drivers who attend driving school experience less automotive accidents during their first three years of driving (). Therefore, the government should subsidize autonomous vehicle manafactures if they want to reduce car accidents and improve the safety of its drivers.
• Team leaders for this week: Salma (1), Pablo (2), Danae (3), Santi (4), Dany (5), DianaC (6), Eddie (7)

Tuesday

• Review list of topics for constructing an argumentative essay and complete written activity in groups – focus on the counterclaim.

Wednesday

No class

Thursday

• Can you identify how playing cards is functioning and where a comma is needed (if at all) in each of the examples below? On a clean sheet of paper with your name and date at the topic, write one through six and identify the phrase “playing cards” and how the phrase is functioning.
  1. Playing cards is fun. Noun phrase as the subject
  2. My parents are playing cards. “Playing” is part of the verb phrase and “cards” is DO
  3. I enjoy playing cards. Gerund (noun) phrase as the DO
  4. Playing cards on the porch with the family, Grandpa decided to call it quits. Participial phrase functioning as an introduction.
  5. Grandpa who enjoys playing cards loves to spend time with the family. Noun phrase as the DO of relative clause
  6. Do you have a deck of playing cards? Noun phrase as the object of the preposition
• Feedback
  • Write text with your peers as a single paragraph.
  • Avoid “people” and the passive voice.
  • Avoid overusing “could” and “would” when the simple present would suffice.
  • Avoid demonstratives: this, that, these, those.
  • Review Articles and using weak verbs in the main clause of a topic sentence.
    • A government should legalize marijuana…
    • *A governments should legalize marijuana…
    • The government should legalize marijuana…
    • The governments should legalize marijuana…
    • *Government should legalize marijuana…
    • “The college education should be free” or “A college education should be free…”?
  • Using the same sheet of paper (below the playing cards activity), rework the following sentences by writing them as they appear below and below each the corrected sentence (avoiding any simple sentences):
    • *The technology integration have advantages when implemented in society.
    • *Climate change fighting should start with deforestation.
    • *Marijuana increases the health of its customers because is a natural relaxing.
    • *Fast fashion makes it easy to buy affordable and fashionable clothing for customers.
    • *Building cities in space require people and materials.
    • *Food in society changes very often while adopting daily diet.
    • *Scientist work on searching for possible solutions.
• Group activity as instructed in class

Friday

• Finish reworking the seven sentences from yesterday’s activity.
• Similar to Monday’s activity, based on the topic you chose from the list of topics for constructing an argumentative essay,create one paragraph (below the two activities that we began yesterday) by creating a topic sentence based on the counterclaim provided and then have three classmates create two evidence sentences and one analysis sentence. Consider the following:
  • No cell phones or other devices may be used. Help each other with grammar and vocabulary and ask me as well.
  • Write one paragraph without beginning a sentence on a new line.
  • The topic sentence should begin with the main clause.
  • The topic sentence should begin with a noun phrase.
  • The topic sentence should not have a linking verb in the main clause (e.g., “to be”, etc.)
  • The topic sentence should be a complex sentence with either a relative clause and/or a subordinating clause.
  • The two sentences after the topic sentence should be evidence sentences (citations not required) and should be either a complex, compound, or complex-compound sentence.
  • The two evidence sentences should provide examples, details, or facts related to the topic sentence.
  • The fourth sentence should be an analysis sentence that connects the evidence to the topic sentence and should be either a complex, compound, or complex-compound sentence.
  • Below your completed paragraph, write the names of those who wrote their respective sentences.
• Example
  • Counterclaim: Homeschooling can isolate children and may not provide a balanced education.
  • Homeschooling isolates children and does not provide a balance education because school is not just an academic experience but also a social one. Students who are learning different subjects like math and science often rely on each other to work together to complete different tasks. Moreover, social events outside of school helps students to learn how to relate to each other and they learn how to get along in a variety of settings. As a result, learning how to form relationships is a skill set that helps learners become a more productive member of society.