Writing II Module 15

Monday

Review Thesis statement: transition, topic, main claim, connector or preposition, and key points.
Review A Claim.
Review Topic sentence-heading-thesis alignment
1. Begin with the main clause.
2. Avoid Copula (linking) verbs in the main clause.
3. Avoid “very”, “important”, etc.
4. Support an initial claim in the first topic sentence and a counterclaim in the second topic sentence.
Review a block method when writing an Argumentative Essay.

On a clean sheet of paper with your name and date at the top, write out your thesis statement as instructed above.
Below your thesis statement, write your first topic sentence (initial claim).
Below your first topic sentence, write your second topic sentence (counterclaim).
Turn in by the end of class.

No class - ELT Conference

No class - ELT Conference

Remember the three ways to paraphrase an original text
1. vocabulary
2. structure
3. focus
Example of paraphrase activity 1

Original (direct quote): “Many teenagers sleep fewer than eight hours per night, which can reduce their attention and memory in school” (Smith, 2023, p. 14).

Step 1: Underline 5–8 key words (example): Many teenagers sleep fewer than eight hours per night, which can reduce their attention and memory in school.

Step 2: Paraphrase without using the underlined words (example): A large number of adolescents do not get the recommended amount of rest, and this may negatively affect how well they concentrate and remember information in class (Smith, 2023).
Tip: Linking sentence transitions for concluding first and second body paragraphs (linking sentence that connects the main idea of the current paragraph to the main idea of the next body paragraph)
- “While it is true that , this view overlooks .”
- “Admittedly, ; however, .”
- “This argument seems convincing because , yet it fails to consider .”
- “Although opponents claim , the stronger evidence indicates .”
- “Even if , it does not follow that .”
- “The key issue is not , but rather .”

On a clean sheet of paper with your name and date at the top, write out your thesis statement and make sure to include 1) a transition, 2) topic, 3) main claim (A Claim), 4) connector or preposition, and 5) key points.
Write your idea that comes from an outside source as a direct quote (use quotation marks) and include a parenthetical citation with the author’s last name(s), year, and page or paragraph number(s).
Paraphrase Activity 1
1. Underline 5–8 “key words” in the original sentence (direct quote) (topic-specific nouns, numbers, names).
2. Paraphrase the sentence without using any of the underlined words (except unavoidable terms like the topic name).
3. This activity forces lexical + structural change in one go.
4. If absolutely necessary you may include two “rescue words” to keep in the paraphrased version.

Remember the three ways to paraphrase an original text
1. vocabulary
2. structure
3. focus
Example of paraphrase activity 1

Original (direct quote): “Many teenagers sleep fewer than eight hours per night, which can reduce their attention and memory in school” (Smith, 2023, p. 14).

Step 1: Underline 5–8 key words (example): Many teenagers sleep fewer than eight hours per night, which can reduce their attention and memory in school.

Step 2: Paraphrase without using the underlined words (example): A large number of adolescents do not get the recommended amount of rest, and this may negatively affect how well they concentrate and remember information in class (Smith, 2023).

Complete Argumentative Essay Outline Handout.docx and submit it as a Word document (only the second part - not the example) to View assignment: “Paraphrasing Activity 2 (in-class participation)”.

tags	module, archive
subject	Writing II