ГУМАНИТАРНО-ЭКОНОМИЧЕСКИЙ ИНСТИТУТ

МОСКОВСКИЙ ГОСУДАРСТВЕННЫЙ

Excursions into Russian and American History in Writing and Stories

by Edward Fadeev and Svetlana Bogatireva

Writing Skills

Moscow – 2015

Excursions into Russian and American History in Writing and Stories, Writing Skills, is a third part of a comprehensive rhetoric and sentence structure textbook/workbook for high-intermediate English language learners who are in college. This book teaches writing in a straightforward manner, using a step-by-step approach. Clear, relevant models illustrate each step, and varied practices reinforce each lesson.

The first part of the book provides a quick review of importance of proper vocabulary activity. The second unit shows some useful aspects and practices in describing people. The third unit informs on descriptive composition and variety of proper ways to organize it. The following units 4 and 5 provide students with necessary points regarding principles in paragraph structuring and types of writing. These units offer comprehensive chapters on process, cause/effect, comparison/contrast, and argumentative essays. Sentence structure, with special emphasis on subordinated structures, is taught in the third part of tire book.

The course introduces students with varieties of personal and official letters, which can play a vital role in improving writing skills.

Throughout the book, models and practices feature general academic and historic topics that are timely and relevant to students living in a rapidly changing world. In addition, readings from current, real-world publications conclude the chapters on different essay forms. Most chapters offer a variety of writing assignments, and each chapter ends with a review of the main teaching points.

Appendixes explain the writing process; give punctuation rules; show charts of connecting words, transition signals, and editing symbols; and teach students basic research and documentation skills. Self-editing and peer-editing worksheets and model scoring rubrics are also provided. References to the appendixes appear within the chapters where students are likely to benefit most from using this material.

To the Student

Writing is a very important part of your university study. Yon will write assignments that may range from one paragraph to several pages long, and will write answers on tests and exams that may be a few sentences long or a complete essay.

Academic writing in English may he different not only from academic writing in your own language, but even from other writing in English. The purpose of this textbook is to help you recognise and produce the sort of writing that you will do for your university courses.

During this course, you will have many opportunities to.study and discuss examples of English academic writing. Naturally, you will also have many opportunities to discuss your own academic writing and the writing of your classmates. You will learn how important the reader is to the writer, and how to express clearly and directly what you mean to communicate. We hope that what you learn in this course will help you throughout your academic studies and beyond.

You should come to your writing class every day with energy and a willingness to work and learn. Your teacher and your classmates have a lot to share with you, and you have a lot to share with them. By coming to class with your questions, taking chances and trying new ways, and expressing your ideas in another language, you will add not only to your own English world but to the world of those around you. Good luck!

To the Teacher

Writing Skills course consists of 7 units which cover all types of composition writing (descriptions, narratives, transactional and other types of letters, argumentative essays, articles, reviews) required at FCE level. Each unit starts with a lead-in listening activity through which the basic plan for the type of writing the unit deals with is introduced. This also serves as a brainstorming activity, giving the teacher the chance to elicit useful language and ideas on the topic under discussion. Detailed theory and plans are provided to be used as a reference by students. A variety of models in which the theory is applied are followed by exercises to improve students’ writing skills, focusing on register and style. The exercises are graded, leading to the acquisition of those skills needed for students to be able to write successfully at FCE level. Topic identification, revision boxes and study check sections reinforce students’ knowledge and remind them of the structures previously presented, thus helping them revise the writing areas covered in the book. At the back of the book are marked model letters and visual materials to help teachers mark students’ compositions.

The units can either be presented in the order they appear in the book or teachers can select the unit they want to present according to their own judgement and their students’ needs. The course can be covered in approximately 50 one-hour lessons.

Brainstorming Technique

The brainstorming technique can be used in all the units presented in this book. The technique may be applied each time the students come across a new topic, whether in a model or a writing assignment.

The technique is used as follows: the teacher invites students to say as many words or ideas as possible related to the topic and writes them on the board. The teacher may choose to guide the students further by having them link or categorise related terms. Students then proceed to do the exercise on their own.

This technique aims to stimulate students’ knowledge about the topic, thus drawing together ideas and vocabulary necessary for writing a successful composition. e.g. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of living in the country.

Brainstorming: quiet, noisy, no flats, nice gardens, lots of trees, not many cars, few hospitals, no stress, few schools, not many cinemas, no pollution, healthy surroundings, etc. e.g. Describe your best friend.

CONTENTS

UNIT ONE. BUILDING YOUR VOCABULARY

UNIT TWO. DESCRIBING PEOPLE

2.1. Describing People Appearance

2.2. Describing People Character

UNIT THREE. DESCRIPTIVE COMPOSITION

UNIT FOUR. PARAGRAPH STRUCTURE

UNIT FIVE. PARTS OF A PARAGRAPH

5.1. Describing of process

5.2. Cause and Effect in essays

5.3. Comparison and Contrast

5.4. Argumentative essays

UNIT SIX. TYPES OF WRITING

UNIT SEVEN. LETTER WRITING

VISUAL MATERIALS FOR DESCRIPTION

APPENDIX 1. PUNCTUATION

APPENDIX 2. SIGNS OF THE ZODIAC

APPENDIX 3. FILLING OUT FORMS AND PRACTICE IN VOICE PRESENTATIONS

APPENDIX 4. PERSONAL VIGNETTES

APPENDIX 5. FILLING OUT OF FORMS (APPLICATIONS)

APPENDIX 6. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PARAGRAPHS OR ESSAYS

INTRODUCTION

Narrative techniques (use of direct speech, weather description, use of dramatic language to create mystery/suspense, reference to feelings/ moods, etc.) can be used when describing people. This will make your composition more interesting to the reader. See how an ordinary beginning can be made more exciting:

Instead of saying: / First I met Steven, the secretary of the manager of Best Block Ltd. last Monday.

You could say:

- A cold wind was blowing down the street last Monday morning as I pushed open the heavy glass door of Best Block Ltd. Chilled and nervous, I walked up to Mr Armstrong' secretary. A pair of friendly dark eyes met mine. So this was John! (weather description, your feelings, suspense)

" Mr Armstrong is at a meeting. Would you like to wait? He’ll be back about ten minutes." He had a sharp clear voice, and a narrow intelligent face. I could see why Mr Armstrong, the manager of Sunnington Ltd, spoke so highly of John, (direct speech, mystery)

The six steps of the writing process:

Read about the writing process. These are major steps, which you will practice in this book.

Process writing

When we write, we do more than just put words together to make sentences. Good writers go through several steps to produce a piece of writing.

PRE-WRITING ACTIVITY: GETTING READY TO WRITE.

STEP ONE: Choose a topic.

STEP TWO: GATHER IDEAS ON TOPIC. When you have decided on a topic, take some time and think over what exactly you will write about that topic.

STEP THREE: ORGANISE. Make up your mind on which ideas you want to use and where you want to use them. Choose ideas to write about first, and what you will write next, and what exactly you will write last.