Great Writing 1: Great Sentences For Great Paragraphs, 4: Teacher's Notes For Edition

Teacher’s Notes
for
Great Writing 1: Great Sentences for Great Paragraphs, 4th Edition
Keith S. Folse
April Muchmore-Vokoun
Elena Vestri Solomon
Teacher’s Notes for Great Writing 1: Great Sentences for Great Paragraphs, 4th edition
Copyright © 2014 National Geographic Learning/Cengage. Permission granted to photocopy for use in class.
1
UNIT 1 Understanding Sentence Basics
OVERVIEW
This unit introduces students to the simple sentence and its basic features, namely
capitalization and end punctuation, in addition to subjects, verbs and objects. Some students may
already be familiar with simple sentence writing, but students’ familiarity with the various
elements of a good simple sentence may vary greatly.
In Unit 1, students have a variety of both guided and independent opportunities to
practice writing simple sentences through activities that include all of the key elements. These
activities help the teacher assess how familiar students are with sentence structure from the very
beginning of the course. In addition, Unit 1 introduces students to Building Better Sentences and
Building Better Vocabulary found throughout the text.
The activities in this unit range from guided sentence activities in which students
manipulate the parts of a simple sentence, to more independent writing activities in which
students produce their own work. For further support, you may use the Great Writing 1
Assessment CD-ROM with ExamView® to produce quizzes on the grammar, vocabulary,
editing, or writing that is covered in this unit.
OBJECTIVES
1. Understand what a sentence is and what elements it includes. (pp. 4–9, 11, 15–18)
2. Become familiar with the basic relationship between sentences and paragraphs. (p. 4)
3. Become familiar with the parts of a sentence. (pp. 6–9, 18)
4. Learn to identify the subject, verb, and object and their order in a sentence. (pp. 6–9, 11, 13,
21)
5. Become familiar with identifying sentence fragments. (p. 10)
6. Review the use of be in simple sentence structure. (pp. 11–13)
7. Review the use of the there is/there are in simple sentences (pp. 11–14)
8. Become familiar with prepositions of place—at, on, and in. (pp. 13–14)
9. Understand the importance of when to use capitalization in sentences. (pp. 15–21)
10. Understand the importance of using end punctuation in sentences. (pp. 15–21)
11. Learn to identify and punctuate statements, questions, and exclamations. (pp. 17–21)
12. Become familiar with the process of editing written work for mistakes. (pp. 23, 24–28)
13. Write an original paragraph (on a country) by following a guided writing activity.
(pp. 23–24)
14. Become familiar with the importance of journal writing in developing personal writing skills.
(pp. 29–30)
2
TEACHING NOTES
Unit 1 introduces students to the basics of writing a simple sentence. The unit introduces
the main features that every good simple sentence has, namely: (1) capitalization, (2)
punctuation, and (3) subjects, verbs, (and many times) objects.
If students are already familiar with the basics of writing simple sentences, then start at a
point in Unit 1 that matches your students’ needs. Any pages that the class does not complete can
be used as review work for students who need extra practice.
Unit Opener
Each unit begins with a two-page opening spread featuring a photo, a set of objectives,
and a culminating writing task.
Direct students’ attention to the photo and ask them to tell you what they see. This photo
shows the view of London, including the Palace of Westminster, the Parliament building (and
Big Ben), and the London Eye.
Go over the objectives on the top of page 2. Explain that students will do these things in
the unit. Have students look at the question at the bottom of page 2. Tell them you will come
back to this question at the end of the unit.
What is a Sentence? p. 4
After presenting the information, check comprehension by asking questions: What is a
sentence? What makes a sentence? What makes a paragraph?
Suggest students write sentences in their first language on the board.
Activity 1: Changing Words into Sentences, p. 5

Use this activity as a quick review of basic sentence organization. Students will use the
simple present tense of be and have, two verbs with which they need to be familiar, in order to
talk about themselves and their families. This activity prepares students for the diagnostic writing
activity on the next page.
Activity 2: Writing Simple Sentences, p. 6

Students can complete this activity in the book or on a separate sheet of paper. It allows
the instructor to get a basic idea of a student’s writing abilities at the beginning of the course. As
a result, it can help you determine if students need reinforcement in specific areas presented in
Unit 1, or if there are sections that can be skipped altogether.
Engage students in applying simple sentences to authentic conversation by having them
interview one another about their families and then report the information back to the class. Or
have them interview and identify students in the class who meet specific descriptions, such as:
Find someone who…
____________ has a brother or a sister.
____________ is from [specify country/ies that reflect student demographics].
3
Grammar for Writing
Parts of a Sentence: Subjects, Verbs, and Objects, pp. 6–7
It is very important that students understand the terms that are explained at length on
page 6. Because some students may have little to no prior experience with this material, it may
be helpful to provide extra opportunities for practice such as additional worksheets and online
practice activities.
Direct students’ attention to the chart. Ask students to read the sentences aloud. Have
students identify the subject, verb, and object or other information. Check comprehension by
asking questions: What is the subject? What does the verb tell us? What is an example of a verb?
Where is the object in the sentence? What kind of words are objects? What other information is
in a sentence sometimes?
Activity 3: Identifying Subjects, Verbs, and Objects, pp. 7–8

Correct the items by having students first compare their answers in pairs, and then ask
volunteers to write them on the board.
Activity 4: Unscrambling Sentences, pp. 8–9

Remind students that a sentence begins with a capital letter and ends with a period. Write
the following words on the board or on chart paper: like / sports / some people. Demonstrate how
to correctly put the words in order to create a simple sentence: Some people like sports.
Emphasize the capital letter at the beginning of the sentence and the period at the end by
underlining the capital S and circling the period at the end of the sentence.
Activity 5: Using Subject-Verb Word Order in a Paragraph, p. 9

Before students complete the activity, have them identify the subjects and verbs in the
box.
Point out that the subject usually comes before the verb in the sentence. Remind students
how to identify the subject by reviewing the definition of a subject. Write the following
definition and sample sentence on the board or post them on chart paper for students to reference
while completing Activity 5:
Subject: The person or thing that does the action. The subject comes before the verb.
Billy plays the guitar.
Verb: The action word in the sentence. The verb comes after the subject.
Billy plays the guitar.
Grammar for Writing

A Fragment—An Incomplete Sentence, p. 10
It’s very important that students understand the difference between a complete sentence
and a fragment. Students who speak first languages in which the subject position is not always
4
filled (e.g., Spanish) may have particular difficulty with this. After you go over the information,
write examples of fragments on the board (e.g., Mary a good student; Is very sunny today). First,
elicit what is missing, then have students come to the board to correct the sentences.
Activity 6: Editing: Sentence or Fragment?, p. 10

If time allows, work as a class to make edits to the fragments in this activity to make
them complete sentences.
Post a sample of a fragment along with a complete sentence on chart paper in the
classroom. Review the steps on how to determine whether or not a sentence is complete (by
making sure there is both a subject and a verb).
Grammar for Writing

The Verb Be, p. 11
This section provides a brief overview of the verb be in the simple present tense and
focuses on the four major sentence patterns that use this verb. Point out that in the fourth pattern,
the form of be is determined by the subject—a singular subject takes a singular verb, and a plural
subject takes a plural verb.
A helpful and quick reinforcement activity could include writing out 20–30 sentences that
represent the various patterns and then having students work in partners to put the sentences into
the groups by category.
Activity 7: Identifying Subjects and Verbs, p. 11

If additional practice is needed, write a list of words on chart paper, on the board, or
display it on the screen, that includes both subjects and verbs, in no specific order or categories.
Then have students categorize the list of words under two headings, Subject and Verb, on their
own piece of paper. Circulate around the room and check student responses or have several
students volunteer to read their lists aloud to the class.
Activity 8: Identifying Words and Phrases, p. 12

Post a simple chart in the classroom with an example of an adjective, a noun, and a place
phrase. Use the chart for reference as you work with students to identify words and phrases, and
encourage them to reference the chart as they complete Activity 15. A sample chart might
include the following information:
Adjective Noun Place Phrase

red pencil on the chair
5
Activity 9: Completing Sentences with Be, pp. 12–13
Point out to students that be is the most frequently used verb in the English language and
that it has five main forms. Write these forms (am, is, are, was, and were) on the board and ask
students to volunteer writing a sample sentence for each one.
Remind students to check that the verb agrees with the subject, particularly in sentences
beginning with there.
Grammar for Writing

Prepositions of Place—At, On, and In, pp. 13–14
Prepositions are difficult for students to master at any level. This note introduces three
prepositions of location: in, at, and on. Use the pyramid diagram on page 13 to explain specific
cases when each preposition is used. Because this graphic does not work for ALL examples (for
example, in the bank—meaning inside), be prepared to provide examples that are exceptions to
the graphic.
If necessary, provide students with extra practice by giving them an index card or piece
of paper with the name of a place written on it. Then have them place the card under the correct
preposition posted on the board. For example:
At On In
the store the corner India
the post office 42nd Street the river
Point out that the pyramid on page 13 covers only three prepositions (at, on, and in), and
these are three of the most frequently used prepositions in English. However, you should note
that:
1. There are many other prepositions not covered here (e.g., by, for, with).
2. These prepositions have other uses, some of which are idiomatic (in other words, this
pyramid explains much about at/on/in but it does not explain everything).
Additional information on these prepositions can be found in the Brief Writer’s
Handbook, The Prepositions At, On, and In, pages 240–242.
Activity 10: Choosing the Correct Preposition, p. 14

If students have difficulty with this activity, review the information on page 13.
Activity 11: Choosing the Correct Preposition, p. 14

Remind students of the relationship between sentences and paragraphs. Point out that
paragraphs are indented and the sentences do not start on a new line.
6
Capitalization and Punctuation in a Sentence
Beginning a Sentence with a Capital Letter, p. 15
Provide students with a quick review about the names of two kinds of letters in English—
capital (or uppercase) letters and lowercase letters. If necessary, review uppercase and lowercase
letters with students. Display a capital and lowercase letter on the board or on chart paper and
point to each one as you say the name: capital A, lowercase a; etc. Have students repeat after you
several times. Say the names of specific letters such as capital R and lowercase p, and have
students write them down on a sheet of paper. Remind students that sentences always begin with
a capital letter. Point out that additional capitalization rules can be found in the Brief Writer’s
Handbook, page 232. If time allows, have students turn to those pages in the Handbook.
Ending a Sentence with a Period, p. 4

Provide an overview of how punctuation gives a reader direction—similar to a traffic
light—about when to go, stop, or slow down. First, draw a traffic light on the board or chart
paper, and ask students to explain what each color tells the driver to do. Explain that a capital
letter at the beginning of a sentence tells the reader to begin. Then ask: What tells a reader to
slow down? (commas and semi-colons–which will be discussed at a later); and finally, What
makes a reader stop? (periods, question marks, and exclamation points). After each answer,
write an example of the punctuation mark you review on the board.
Activity 12: Practicing Capitalization and Punctuation, p. 15

Do the first item as an example on the board. First unscramble and then have students add
capitalization and punctuation.
Activity 13: Writing Simple Sentences, p. 16

Provide students with scaffolded opportunities for extra practice and applying what they
learn to new contexts. When students write the sentences they unscrambled in Activity 12 and
replace the subject (spaghetti with ice cream, most kids with Erika and Zahra), they will need to
determine if other changes to the sentences are necessary.
While this activity can provide students with additional supported writing practice,
instructors who feel that their students are more advanced can skip to this activity and use it as
the writing diagnostic.
Capital Letters for Proper Nouns, p. 16

Have students make flashcards by writing each of the titles on separate index cards:
Proper Nouns, and Common Nouns. On the back of each card, have them write the examples
from their book of the specific words that use capital letters. Students can use these cards to
review the use of capital letters individually or with a partner. Additional capitalization rules can
be found in the Brief Writer’s Handbook, page 232.
7
Activity 14: Editing Simple Sentences, pp. 16–17
Engage students in this editing activity by displaying the sentences on the board, on chart
paper, or on a screen. Have students work in partners or small groups and correct the displayed
sentences as a team. Or pass the chart around to individual groups and have them make the
corrections at their seats. Then display the chart and discuss the various corrections.
Ending a Sentence with a Question Mark or Exclamation Point, p. 17

Say the following question aloud: What is your name? and then ask a student to respond.
Ask the class why the student provided an answer. Confirm that she or he responded because you
asked a question. Then write: What is your name? on the board, and circle the question mark.
Remind students that a question mark signals to the reader that a question is being asked.
Demonstrate when to use an exclamation point by giving two different contexts for each
example. Explain that the first example of a simple fact: It is snowing. might be found in a
description of a typical winter day in Montreal while the corresponding example: “It is
snowing!” she said with surprise. might describe a typical winter day in a normally warm
climate.
Activity 15: Identifying Statements, Questions, and Exclamations p. 18

If necessary, provide students with extra practice identifying whether a sentence is a
statement, question, or exclamation. Have students fold a piece of paper in three columns along
the longest side of the paper. Have students write a period (.) at the top of the first column, a
question mark (?) at the top of the middle column, and an exclamation point (!) at the top of the
right-hand column. Then read a series of sentences aloud, making sure to include all three types
of punctuation, and have students write the sentence below the correct, corresponding
punctuation mark. Then ask students to read an example of a sentence they wrote in each
column.
Activity 16: Taking a World Quiz, pp. 18–19

Go over item #1 with the class. Elicit from students the capitalization and punctuation
changes that were made (first letter of first word in sentence is capitalized; proper nouns (Brazil
and Brasilia) are capitalized; question ends in a question mark; sentence ends in a period).
Review word order for sentences if necessary.
Activity 17: Interviewing a Classmate, p. 20

Before beginning this activity, elicit from students the types of words in each item that
may need capital letters (e.g., item #1 may include the names of people, which would require
capital letters).
8
Activity 18: Editing: Grammar and Sentence Review, p. 21
In order to help students articulate why a particular sentence is correct or incorrect,
brainstorm a list of strategies and write them on the board so that students can reference them as
they complete the activity. For example, students can ask themselves the following questions as
they analyze each sentence:
• Does the sentence have a subject?

• Does the sentence have a verb?
• Are there punctuation errors?
• Are there capitalization errors?
To help students work more efficiently, suggest that they track the types/number of errors
they find as they work through this activity.
Building Better Sentences, p. 21

Have students turn to the first two pages of Appendix 1 (pages 252–253) and go through
the examples of sentence-combining strategies as a class. Demonstrate the steps of combining
sentences on the board. Explain the importance of sentence variety in writing and ask students to
be conscious of the types of sentences they are creating as they write.
While working on Building Better Sentences activities, it is important that students do
NOT look at the original sentences. The goal here is to see the combinations that result and how
they are different, not just to see if the student combinations match the original. Have students
complete the activity individually, in pairs, or in small groups as needed.
Building Better Vocabulary

Activity 19: Word Associations, pp. 21–22
Explain to students that learning word associations will help enrich and expand their
vocabulary by building connections to more words. By increasing their vocabulary, students will
have more options in communicating their ideas, which will help improve their writing. Point out
to students that this activity is about word associations, not definitions. The task is to choose the
word or phrase that is most closely associated with the target word. It may be beneficial for
students to complete this activity with a partner and with a dictionary. Have partners take turns
looking up the meaning of the words they do not know.
Activity 20: Using Collocations, p. 22

Make sure that students understand what collocations are (words or groups of words that
naturally and that frequently co-occur with a target word). Explain that learning collocations will
help students build on their bank of commonly used phrases and that incorporating these phrases
in their writing will help it sound more natural and advanced.
9
Model how to select the correct answer by completing several of the items together as a
class. Have students complete the activity individually or in pairs. Encourage students to keep a
list of the most common or useful collocations and ask them to review them on their own for
reinforcement.
Activity 21: Parts of Speech, p. 23

Draw students’ attention to the prefixes and suffixes listed at the bottom of the activity
and encourage students to keep a list of and memorize these affixes. If needed, provide
additional examples of words that use these affixes. Point out that the words in bold face are the
original words that appear in this unit.
Original Student Writing

Activity 22: Original Writing Practice, pp. 23–24
Have students complete this guided writing activity first in the book. Then, if appropriate,
have students use a separate piece of paper to write one of the sets of activity questions in the
form of a simple paragraph. Before students write their activity sentences in paragraph form,
remind them to self-edit using the checklist at the bottom of page 24. Remind them to check for
correct end punctuation, as well as correct capitalization.
Editing Your Writing, p. 24

Emphasize to students that because editing is such an important part of the writing
process, it is important that they learn how to self-edit. Students should understand that this
means they must read their own work for mistakes before a classmate reads their work to help
them make it better.
Activity 23: Editing Simple Sentences, p. 25

When students are finished, have them compare answers with a partner. Use the board or
a projector to display corrected sentences.
Peer Editing, p. 26
The peer editing sheets online at NGL.Cengage.com/GW1 provide a way for readers to
provide constructive feedback to their classmates. Suggest students download and print the sheet
before each original writing assignment. Remind students that peer editing is a process that
provides a writer with feedback and suggestions from a classmate and that can help the writer
find out if his or her writing is clear.
Activity 24: Editing: Grammar and Sentence Review, pp. 26–27

Have students rewrite the corrected paragraph on a separate sheet of paper for extra
practice.
10
Writer’s Note: Writing Helpful and Polite Peer Editing Comments, p. 28
As the class begins learning how to peer edit, do role-playing as a class activity to model
how to choose words carefully and constructively when providing feedback to peers.
Activity 25: Editing: Practice with Peer Editing Comments, p. 28

Provide examples of positive and polite comments on the board.
Activity 26: Peer Editing, p. 28

Suggest students rewrite the paragraph after they exchange feedback with a peer editor.
Journal Writing, p. 29
Review the extensive explanation of the journaling process on page 29 so that students
understand why it so important, how to do it, and what to expect in terms of how you may
respond to their writing. Based on your students’ needs, decide if journaling is best implemented
on a daily, weekly, bimonthly, or voluntary basis. Remember that a key element of successful
journaling involves the instructor’s response to student writing.
Sample Journal, p. 30
Have students look over the Sample Journal page on page 30. Point out to students that
not only does journal writing provide them with an opportunity to write about topics that are
meaningful or interesting to them, but it also creates an ongoing record of how their writing is
progressing, which can help them identify areas in which they need extra practice, review, or
clarification.
Additional Topics for Writing, p. 31

Review with students the list of journal writing prompts that are tailored to fit the content
of this particular unit. Point out to students that in order to become better writers, they need to
write as much as possible. Tell students that while this is an opportunity to create original
writing, they should try to include vocabulary and grammar structures that they have learned
throughout the unit. In this way, the material that they have learned in this unit can become
integrated into their daily vocabulary and writing practices.
EXPANSION ACTIVITIES
Provide students with extra practice in choosing the correct prepositions by having them
create their own sentences, one for each day of the week, that describe where they are usually are
each day using the prepositions at, in and on. Write the following sentence stems on the board
and provide a word bank of common locations as additional support:
11
On Monday, I am ______________________. Locations
On Tuesday, I am ______________________.
On Wednesday, I am ____________________. post office bank
On Thursday, I am ______________________. grocery store dentist
On Friday, I am ________________________. library restaurant
On Saturday, I am ______________________. car bakery
On Sunday, I am _______________________. desk 1st Avenue
Suggest students write paragraphs about the opening spread, or another photo in the unit.
You may want to brainstorm vocabulary for the photo before students write their sentences.
VOCABULARY ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES

Because vocabulary is such an important point in moving to a higher proficiency level,
instructors may want their students to maintain a vocabulary journal to correspond to the
vocabulary, which is something that we strongly advocate.
Making a Vocabulary Journal

An easy way to accomplish this is to do the following:
1. Ask students to separate a piece of paper into two sections vertically. The column on the left
should be approximately two inches wide.
2. In the left column, students will write the vocabulary word and its part of speech.
3. In the right column, students will write either a definition, a synonym, or a native language
translation of the word.
4. Underneath the definition in the right column, the student will create a sample sentence using
the word, but a BLANK SPACE will be used instead of the vocabulary word.
Using the Vocabulary Journal

Explain to the students that this type of vocabulary journal can be used in different ways:
a. By covering up the vocabulary word, students must look at the clues (definition and sample
sentence) and recall the vocabulary word.
b. By covering up the vocabulary word and the definition (across both columns), students must
use the sample sentence with context clues to recall the vocabulary word.
c. By covering up the vocabulary word and the sample sentence, students must recall the
vocabulary word by using its definition as a clue.
12
Sample Vocabulary Journal
vocabulary word, part of speech definition/synonym/translation
sample sentence
1. routine, n. custom; habit

My daily is getting up, going to work, and coming
home to make dinner.
2. glamorous, adj. exciting attractiveness; stylish

Movie stars usually have lifestyles.
3. task, n. assignment; job

The maid did not finish all her for the day.
Suggested Words for the Vocabulary Journal

Below is a list of vocabulary words from the paragraphs in the unit. We suggest that
students begin with these words and add other words to their vocabulary journals as necessary.
Example Paragraph 1, p. 9
supermarket
college
to attend
break
to enjoy
book
desk
easy
grammar book
textbook
workbook
surprising
bank
branch
understand
13
ingredient
simple
cheap
finally
to add
beautiful
region
famous
popular
interesting
wonderful
Self-Assessment
Have students refer back to the opening spread on pages 2 and 3. Direct their attention to
the objectives. Ask them to put a check mark by the objective(s) they achieved. Then ask
students the question at the bottom of the page. Students can raise hands to show if they can
answer yes to the question.
14
UNIT 2 Understanding Paragraph Basics
OVERVIEW
The main goal of Unit 2 is for writers to learn about paragraph structure and to become
familiar with the various parts of a paragraph. To accomplish this purpose, students analyze
various paragraphs and identify the different elements that make up a paragraph.
manipulate the parts of a simple sentence to freer writing activities in which students produce
their own work. The variety of activities includes opportunities (both guided and free) for
connecting sentences and paragraphs, analyzing paragraphs to identify their specific parts, and
creating original writing.
Students will continue with Building Better Sentences and Building Better Vocabulary.
For further support, you may use the Great Writing 1 Assessment CD-ROM with ExamView® to
produce quizzes on the grammar, vocabulary, editing, or writing that is covered in this unit.
OBJECTIVES
1. Become familiar with the word order of adjectives. (pp. 34–38)
2. Become familiar with the three main parts of a good paragraph. (p. 39)
3. Understand the importance of a title and how to create and then correctly write a title in
English. (pp. 42–43)
4. Understand the importance of indenting the beginning of every paragraph. (p. 43)
5. Learn to identify good topic sentences. (pp. 45–50)
6. Review subject and pronouns. (p. 50–53, 58)
7. Learn to identify good supporting sentences (the body). (p. 53–55)
8. Review possessive adjectives. (p. 55–56, 58)
9. Understand the importance of having a verb in every sentence. (pp. 59–60)
10. Learn to identify good concluding sentences. (p. 60–64)
11. Write an original paragraph (on travel) by following a guided writing activity. (pp. 66–67)
TEACHING NOTES
While the main focus of this book is to help students become better writers at the
sentence level, it is important to keep in mind that writing sentences should not be done in
isolation. Students should practice their writing skills within the structure of a paragraph. For this
reason, Unit 2 introduces students to the basics of how sentences combine to make a simple
paragraph. The unit introduces the idea that every good paragraph has (1) a topic sentence, (2)
supporting sentences (a body), and (3) many times, a concluding sentence.
Unit Opener
15
shows professional rock climber Chris Sharma gripping a small indentation in the Ceues, France.
Grammar for Writing

Using Adjectives and Word Order: Adjectives before Nouns, p. 34
Point out that the chart illustrates how to combine sentences with adjectives (similar to
one of the strategies in the Building Better Sentences section at the back of the book). Remind
students that adjectives come before the nouns they modify and that adjectives do not have a
plural form.
Activity 1: Editing: Nouns and Adjectives, p. 35

Complete several sample sentences on the board or on the screen to model for students
how to combine sentences. Emphasize how you decide which words to eliminate in order to
combine sentences.
Grammar for Writing

Word Order: Be + Adjective, p. 36
Point out that when adjectives are used in a sentence with the verb be, the adjective
follows the noun it modifies (and the verb be). Be sure students are clear on the word order.
Grammar for Writing

Word Order: Linking Verb + Adjective, p. 36
Point out that linking verbs are used like the verb be to connect the subject to an
adjective.
Activity 2: Practicing Adjectives, p. 37

If necessary, review the definition of an adjective: An adjective is a part of speech that
describes a noun. An adjective usually answers one or more of the following questions: Which
one? What kind? How many? or How much?
Activity 3: Describing a Scene with Adjectives, p. 38

Direct students’ attention to the photo on the top of the page. Elicit vocabulary from
students and write the words on the board (e.g., boat, pole, paddle, water, river, fruit, vegetables,
hats, bank, and colors).
After completing the activity, call on students to read their sentences aloud or write them
on the board.
16
What Is a Paragraph?, p. 39
This section introduces students to the three major components of a good paragraph.
Introduce these parts (the topic sentence, the body, and a concluding sentence) by posting the
component and the definition of each one on chart paper or on the screen/board. Then display a
sample paragraph and model how to identify each of the three major parts. If additional practice
is needed, repeat these steps as a class with several sample paragraphs.
Topic Sentence Body Concluding Sentence

The topic sentence tells the The body has sentences with The concluding sentence is at
main idea of the paragraph. It information that supports the the end of the paragraph. It is
is usually the first sentence of topic sentence. a brief summary of the
the paragraph. information in the paragraph.
Activity 4: Studying Paragraphs, pp. 39–42

This exercise provides students with practice in identifying the three parts of a paragraph.
It is important to make sure that students are familiar with the three features and can analyze a
paragraph and determine whether or not the paragraph contains these features.
In this activity, students will analyze two paragraphs. Engage students’ interest and build
their schema by asking pre-reading questions.
The Title of a Paragraph, p. 42

Check comprehension by asking questions: Is a good title usually short or long? Is it
usually a sentence? How does it catch a reader’s interest? What kind of capitalization and
punctuation rules does a title follow?
Activity 5: Working with Titles, p. 43

Suggest students write the corrected titles on the board and explain the rule(s) that were
broken.
Writer’s Note: Indenting the First Line of Every Paragraph, p. 43

Emphasize the importance of indenting the first line of every paragraph and point out that
indentation is a visual clue for the reader that he or she is going to read a new paragraph. This
organization helps readers anticipate and, as a result, better understand the information they read.
Activity 6: Copying a Paragraph, p. 44

As students copy the sentences about ice cream from Unit 1, have them identify the three
major parts of a paragraph. If necessary, have students reference the Writer’s Note (page 43) on
the rules for a title as they create a title for this paragraph. Provide more advanced students with
a challenge by having them change basic grammatical features, such as changing kids to my
sister Maggie.
17
Activity 7: Writing an Original Paragraph, pp. 44–45
Remind students to indent the first line and to use correct capitalization and end
punctuation. Have students share their writing and listen to other students’ writing by reading
their original work to their classmates, either in partners or small groups, or to the class. Ask
students to identify the main components of a paragraph as they listen.
Parts of a Paragraph: The Topic Sentence, p. 45

This note provides additional clarification about topic sentences. Be sure to emphasize to
students that the topic sentence is very important for helping the reader understand what she or
he reads because it organizes the paragraph by telling the reader the topic of the whole
paragraph.
Activity 8 and Activity 9: Practicing Topic Sentences, pp. 46–50

For each paragraph, have students identify a possible topic before they look at the
choices. This will allow them to explain why they chose the particular topic sentence that they
did. Remind students to be sure that the topic sentence gives the main idea for the whole
paragraph. As students complete the activities, circulate around the room and help troubleshoot
any difficulty individual students are having with writing topic sentences.
Grammar for Writing

Subject Pronouns and Object Pronouns, p. 50–51
Post the charts on pages 50 and 51, on poster board or on the screen, for students to
reference as they complete Activity 10 and 11. Point out to students that subject pronouns come
before the verb (in statements), just like the subjects that they replace do. Object pronouns come
after the verb just like the objects they replace.
Activity 10: Using Subject Pronouns, p. 51

Provide students with practice replacing nouns with subject pronouns before they
complete Activity 10, by completing several sample sentences on the board or on the screen
together. Model strategies for identifying the subject and then choosing the correct subject
pronoun to replace it with.
Activity 11: Using Object Pronouns, p. 52

Provide students with practice replacing nouns with object pronouns before they
complete Activity 11, by completing several sample sentences on the board or on the screen
together. Model strategies for identifying the object and then choosing the correct object pronoun
to replace it with.
18
Writer’s Note: Using Pronouns to Make Your Writing More Interesting, p. 53
Explain to students that an important reason to use pronouns is so that they do not repeat
nouns (in this case, proper nouns) over and over again. Direct students to Example Paragraph 18
and point out how repetitive the paragraph would sound if proper nouns were used instead of
pronouns.
Activity 12: Using Subject and Object Pronouns for Variety, p. 53

Suggest students read through the paragraph and underline the nouns that are repeated too
often. Elicit the repetitions (Amy and I, Amy’s brother and his friends), then elicit the appropriate
subject and object pronouns (we, us; they, them). Have students make the substitutions. Point out
that writers do not always substitute pronouns. Sometimes we achieve greater variety by using a
mixture of nouns and pronouns.
Parts of a Paragraph: The Body, p. 53

Be sure to emphasize the importance of the body of the paragraph, as it supports the topic
sentence. The body provides the details and examples for the topic sentence, and students should
plan for and double check that each of their supporting sentences is related and connected to the
topic sentence.
Activity 13: Working with The Body of a Paragraph, pp. 54–55

As students read and analyze a series of three paragraphs, remind them of the specific
steps they will take. Point out that they will first find the topic sentence, and then they must
identify which supporting sentence in each paragraph is unrelated to the topic. Ask students to
explain their reasons for determining that a sentence is unrelated, and review the definition of a
supporting sentence to help them build their rationale.
Grammar for Writing

Possessive Adjectives, p. 55
Help students make the connection that a possessive adjective shows possession. Post the
list of the seven possessive adjectives on the board or on the screen, and remind students to use a
questioning strategy such as asking Whose bag? Whose pencils? and Whose car? to identify the
correct possessive adjective. Have students reference this chart as they complete the related
activities in this unit.
Activity 14: Using Possessive Adjectives, p. 56

As a class, complete several sample sentences where a missing possessive adjective must
be added to show possession or ownership. Model for students how to ask questions that will
help them identify the correct possessive adjective.
19
Activity 15: Practicing Subject Pronouns and Possessive Adjectives, p. 56
Display a sample sentence, similar to the sentences in Activity 15, on the board or on the
screen. Read the sentence aloud and model for students how to determine which form in
parentheses is correct, such as identifying the subject of the sentence. Repeat this step if
necessary, before having students complete Activity 15 individually.
Activity 16: Working with the Body of a Paragraph, pp. 57–58

As students read and analyze a series of three paragraphs, remind them of the specific
steps they will take. Point out that they will first find the topic sentence and then they must
identify which two supporting sentences in each paragraph are unrelated to the topic. Ask
students to explain their reasons for determining that a sentence is unrelated, and review the
definition of a supporting sentence to help them develop their rationale.
Activity 17: Review: Identifying Subject and Object Pronouns and Possessive
Adjectives, p. 58
You may want to have students work in pairs to complete the task.
Writer’s Note: Avoiding Fragments: Checking for the Verb, p. 58

Review this note in order to prepare students for the editing required with Activity 18.
Remind students that sentences without verbs are called fragments and are considered a serious
error in academic writing.
Activity 18: Editing: Checking for Verbs, p. 59

This is a two-step process. First, review strategies with students for identifying sentences
that are missing the correct form of the verb be. Then, before students put sentences in the
correct order, remind students that the topic sentence is usually the first sentence of the
paragraph and that it is followed by supporting sentences and, finally, a concluding sentence.
For extra practice, have students rewrite the paragraph on a separate piece of paper.
Activity 19: Self-Editing: Checking for Verbs, p. 60

Remind students that being able to edit their own work is an essential writing skill.
Parts of a Paragraph: The Concluding Sentence, p. 60

Point out to students that while a concluding sentence can do many things, the main focus
in the section is that concluding sentences restate the main idea from the topic sentence. Be sure
to mention that in their books, students can also find examples of concluding sentences that do
other things, such as make a prediction.
20
Activity 20: Working with Concluding Sentences, p. 61
This would work well as a small group discussion activity. If appropriate, point out that a
single paragraph alone hardly ever really happens in the real world. In an essay, for example, a
paragraph may be sandwiched among fifteen others. In this case, the concluding statement serves
as a transition or link to the next paragraph. The concluding sentence should lead the reader
logically to the content of the next paragraph.
Activity 21: Choosing Concluding Sentences, pp. 62–63

Tell students that it is important that they analyze the topic sentence and the supporting
sentences before they chose the concluding sentence. Remind students that they should be able to
explain their choice with supporting details and examples from the paragraph.

Tell students that this activity will provide them with the opportunity to find and correct
mistakes relate to the grammar and sentence structure that they learned about in this unit. Tell
students that they need to be able to explain why a particular structure is incorrect. If necessary,
provide students with additional support by correcting this activity together as a class, on the
board, chart paper, or on the screen. It may be helpful for students to keep a tally of the
types/number of errors they find as they work on this activity.
Building Better Sentences, pp. 64

Have students complete the activity individually, in pairs, or in small groups as needed.
Remind students NOT to look at the original sentences while working on Building Better
Sentences activities. The goal here is to see the combinations that result and how they are
different, not just to see if the student combinations match the original. If necessary, have
students review the steps of combining sentences on pages 252–253.

Activity 23: Word Associations, p. 64–65
Explain to students that learning word associations will help enrich and expand their
vocabulary by building connections to more words. By increasing their vocabulary, students will
have more options in communicating their ideas, which will help improve their writing. Point out
to students that this activity is about word associations, not definitions. The task is to choose the
word or phrase that is most closely associated with the target word. It may be beneficial for
students to complete this activity with a partner and with a dictionary. Have partners take turns
looking up the meaning of the words they do not know.
Activity 24: Using Collocations, pp. 65

Make sure that students understand what collocations are (words or groups of words that
naturally and that frequently co-occur with a target word). Explain that learning collocations will
21
help students build on their bank of commonly used phrases and that incorporating these phrases
in their writing will help it sound more natural and advanced.
reinforcement.


Have students complete this original writing activity by answering the open-ended
questions to create an original piece of writing. Remind them to make sure they self-edit using
the checklist provided for the activity before they write their sentences in paragraph form.

The website, NGL.Cengage.com/GW1 provides a series of peer editing sheets that
students can use for each original writing assignment. Direct students to download Peer Editing
Sheet 2 before completing this activity.
Remind students that peer editing is a process that provides a writer with feedback and
suggestions from a classmate that can help the writer find out if her or his writing is clear.
Additional Topics for Writing, p. 68–69

Additional Writing Practice

Have students complete additional activities in Unit 8 and Appendix 2 as needed. While
Unit 8 provides students with a series of extra practice activities that cover points they have
learned in previous units, they can be assigned at any time. You may choose to have students
complete these additional practice activities in class or assign them as homework.
22
Have students work individually or in partners to write a paragraph that includes a topic
sentence, a body, and a concluding sentence. Then have them copy the paragraph onto another
piece of paper without the topic sentence or without the concluding sentence. Then have the
student of pair switch with another group and complete the missing component of the paragraph.
Have partners share the original version of the paragraph and compare each others’ concluding
or topic sentences.
Suggest students write a paragraph about the opening photo or one of the other photos in
this unit.

Whether or not this particular strategy is employed, it is imperative that students acquire
a large amount of appropriate vocabulary in this course.

dream
weather
temperature
energy
pure
nature/natural
scenic
landscape
wild
native
wonderful
state
porch
favorite
comfortable
relax
23
bother
sunset
calm
best
building
district
floor
panel
public
steel
tallest
to shop
to be proud
spaghetti
most
taste
to enjoy
smell
to love
sauce
to put
some

to fall
few
to start
to melt
clean
messy
sidewalk
slippery
traffic
closed
hard
accidents
24
to understand

restaurant
to work
to serve
to remember
dinner
order
problem
food
to take back
immediately
customer
to want
meal

to enjoy
excellent
exciting
full of
life
show
statue
truly
to visit

pasta
plain
to taste
to eat
to include
kind
to prepare
to make
healthy
calories
plate
25
to have

teacher
to rush
student
to explain
bored
organized
to plan
encouraging
to happen
to help
subject
fair
to treat
important
quality

radio
station
to play
variety
music/musical
create
convenience
imagine

doctor
to be married
to live
historic
office
together
weekend
to travel
countryside
relaxing
26
escape

veterinary
medicine
career
gourmet

excited
screen
couch
worried

to keep score
goal
worth
point
system
to carry
across
to kick
between
to get

chili
dish
to cut up
to fry
diced
ground
fully
stir
vegetable
oil
to sprinkle
can
to cover
27
to cook
to follow
recipe
delicious
meal

to change
answer
to multiply
to divide
degrees
to finish
to add
result
to report
to use
correct

sister
brother
parent
sport
player
afternoon
same
friend
major
sibling

person
grandmother
to come from
well
language
family
to listen
story
28
opinion

to begin
new
million
population
well-known
largest
to begin with

neighbor
amazing
alone
to take care of
garden
to clean
house
heavy
garbage
collection
to pull
curb
steps
to hope
ability

place
wooden
to sit
desk
printer
file
drawer
room
bookcase
furniture
magazine
29
software
telephone
to have trouble
to remember
closet
next to
supplies

reason
to get up
meeting
to last
extremely
boring
traffic
road
driver
mood
to be careful
usual

luck
superstition
to believe
number
to think
to come true
for instance
to open

to buy
to require
planning
to want
used
new
to depend
30
money
to spend
extra
feature
expensive
to need
repairs

popular
tradition
bloom
celebrate
huge
lantern

aspirin
medicine
incredible
pill
drug
to know
exactly
to take (a pill)
reason
headache
colds
pain
great
Self-Assessment
Have students refer back to the opening spread on pages 32 and 33. Direct their attention
to the objectives. Ask them to put a check mark by the objective(s) they achieved. Then ask
31
UNIT 3 Writing about the Present
OVERVIEW
Unit 3 introduces students to writing about events in the present. In this unit, students
have a variety of both guided and independent opportunities to practice writing sentences in the
simple present tense form. Numerous activities help the teacher assess how students progress
with sentence structure, and students will continue with Building Better Sentences and Building
Better Vocabulary.
manipulate the parts of a simple sentence to more independent writing activities in which
students produce their own work. For further support, you may use the Great Writing 1
OBJECTIVES
1. Review simple present tense for verbs in affirmative statements and question forms.
(pp. 72–73)
2. Change verbs from singular to plural. (p. 74)
3. Learn the use of contractions in formal and informal writing. (p. 75)
4. Review the use of there is/there are when writing. (pp. 77–80)
5. Review the negative of simple present tense. (pp. 82–83)
6. Learn how and where to use possessive adjectives. (p. 84)
7. Identify the differences between simple and compound sentences. (pp. 85–86)
8. Combine simple sentences into compound sentences. (p. 87–88)
9. Learn how to use a and an with count nouns. (pp. 89–91)
10. Write an original paragraph (on sports) by following a guided writing activity. (p. 95)
TEACHING NOTES
Unit 3 teaches students how to write paragraphs using the simple present tense. This will
allow students to describe actions that they or others do on a regular basis. Unit 3 also introduces
a language point that is difficult for most second language learners—the articles a and an. The
introduction of this task early on in the textbook will allow instructors to emphasize its use
throughout the entire course.
Unit Opener
shows young girls carrying water across the desert near Jaisalmer, India.
32
Grammar for Writing

The Simple Present Tense: Statements, pp. 72–76
Point out to students that this section introduces the affirmative and negative structures
for simple present tense. You may choose to have students review the material individually or as
a class. Regardless of the approach for introducing the material, keep in mind that the practice
activities keep the forms separate. For more mixed structure practice, you may wish to create
your own worksheets or activities.
Activity 1 and Activity 2: Practicing the Simple Present Tense, p. 73

Have students reference the charts on page 72 to help them complete the activities. For
those students who need extra support, have them copy the charts onto large index cards or
construction paper and keep them available for future writing practice.
Activity 3: Ordering Sentences in a Paragraph, p. 74

Tell students that correct sequence in a paragraph helps the reader understand what they
read. Encourage students to use the time words/phrases and to think about the logical sequence
of the events listed in this activity.
Activity 4: Verbs: Changing Singular Verbs to Plural Verbs, p. 74

Before students complete Activity 4 independently, demonstrate how to change the
subject of a story from singular to plural and maintain subject-verb agreement. Display several
sentences on the board or on the screen and work together to change the verb forms as well as
nouns and pronouns as needed. Keep the practice sentences posted for students to reference as
they complete Activity 4 either individually or in pairs.
Writer’s Note: Using Contractions, p. 75

Advise students about your views on using contractions in formal writing. While they
should understand how contractions are formed and used, be sure that your expectations are
communicated clearly in regard to your policy on their use in formal writing assignments.
Activity 5: Editing: Subjects and Verbs, p. 75

Provide students with a quick review of the definitions of a subject and a verb, and give
examples of each. Then work as a class to troubleshoot the first three sentences of the paragraph
as a way to model strategies for identifying the errors in the paragraph. Finally, have students
complete the remaining sentences individually. For extra support have students share their
corrections on the board or on the screen.
33
Activity 6: Writing a Paragraph from Pictures, pp. 76–77
Before students start this activity, have them describe the story in the pictures with a
partner or in small groups. As a class, brainstorm a list of verbs that students could use when
completing the cloze paragraph activity.
Grammar for Writing

There Is / There Are, p. 77
At this level, student writers often have difficulty with the there is/there are structure, so
it is vital to review it at regular intervals. This note provides examples of errors that students
commonly make. Have students identify the error in each incorrect example. Activities 7, 8, and
9 all practice these structures.
Activity 7: Practicing There Is / There Are, p. 78

Highlight the four examples of there is and there are that appear in the paragraph for
Activity 7 by posting them on the board or on the screen and encourage students to reference
them as they complete question items 1–8.
Activity 8: Using There Is / There Are, p. 79

Before students begin this activity and write their own sentences for items 1–10,
brainstorm and record a list of words that could be used to write about the objects in the picture,
using there is and there are.
Activity 9: Editing Practice, p. 80

As a class, troubleshoot the first sentence of the paragraph in Activity 9, and write a
sentence on the board for item # 1 that explains the correction that was made. Have students
complete the remaining sentences individually, and then ask volunteers to share their corrections
on the board or on the screen.
Writer’s Note: There are vs. They are, p. 80

Students frequently have difficulty with there are and they are, so it is important that they
understand the difference.
Activity 10: Practicing They Are vs. There Are, p. 80–81

Have students check their work in pairs and then write the sentences on the board.
Activity 11: Editing: Capitalization Review, p. 81–82

Review the capitalization rules from Unit 1 before students work individually to identify
and correct the errors in capitalization for Activity 11. Circulate around the room to informally
assess if students are able apply the capitalization rules they learned previously.
34
Grammar for Writing
The Simple Present Tense: Negative Statements, p. 82
Point out the difference in form between the negative of the verb be and the negative of
other verbs, which use the auxiliary verb do. If necessary, review the form of negative verbs
(do/does + not + base form of main verb).
Activity 12: Changing Verbs from Affirmative to Negative, pp. 83–84

Before students change verbs from the positive to the negative, review the contraction
forms presented on page 82 and remind them to include these forms in their sentences. If
necessary, provide extra support by completing several sentences together as a class.
Activity 13: Practicing Possessive Adjectives, p. 84

Do the first item as an example. Model the activity by writing a sentence with your
information on the board. When students have finished, have them share their sentences in pairs.
As an expansion, have students interview a partner using the questions in Activity 13.
Have students practice reading the questions aloud before they interview classmates and record
their answers. Model how to ask each question, and have students repeat after you. Depending on
their native language, some students may have difficulty with the distinction between he/his and
she/her. Remind students to use the proper pronoun for the classmate they are interviewing.
Activity 14: Writing Information in Paragraph Form, p. 85

Remind students to indent the first sentence of the paragraph, as well as to give the
paragraph a title. Circulate around the room as students write the information about their
classmate in the form of a paragraph and provide support as necessary. Then give students the
opportunity to read their paragraph to the class. Ask students to jot down the possessive
pronouns they hear as they listen to each paragraph.
Grammar for Writing

Simple Sentences and Compound Sentences, pp. 85–86
Prepare students to write compound sentences by reminding them that a simple sentence
has one subject and one verb (or one subject-verb combination), while a compound sentence is
two sentences (or two subject-verb combinations) joined by a connecting word. Be sure to point
out that compound sentences always use both a comma (,) and a connecting word to connect two
sentences.
Activity 15: Identifying Sentence Types, p. 86

Ask students to state the definition of both a simple and compound sentence in their own
words. Have them reference the list of connectors from page 86 and the Brief Writer’s
Handbook, page 244 to help them identify compound sentences. Also remind students to look for
35
the number of subject-verb combinations when deciding whether the sentence is simple or
compound.
Writer’s Note: Using Commas in a List of Words

Review the rules of punctuation students have learned so far (periods, question marks,
exclamation points, commas in compound sentences) before you go over commas in a list. Refer
students to pages. See pages 232–233 for additional comma rules.
Grammar for Writing: Connecting Words in Compound Sentences, p. 87

Check comprehension by asking questions: What connecting word adds similar
information? What word adds contrasting information? What word introduces the result? What
word describes another option? Refer students to page 244 for more connecting words.
Activity 16: Combining Simple Sentences into Compound Sentences, pp. 88–89
Have students work in partners and then share their answers with the class on chart paper
or the screen. Stress the importance of correct comma placement and the need for two separate
subjects and verbs.
Grammar for Writing

Using A and An with Count Nouns, pp. 89–90
Point out to students the Grammar for Writing section in Unit 6, pages 166–168, which
provides examples of count and non-count nouns. Emphasize that the indefinite articles a/an are
only used with singular count nouns. If appropriate, direct students to the section on the definite
article the in the Brief Writer’s Handbook, page 237.
Activity 17: Using Count and Non-count Nouns, p. 90

Explain to students that each item has four possibilities but only one is correct. Students
should look at all four options and decide if the noun is count or non-count, writing down either
C or NC. Then students should circle the correct option.
Activity 18: Using A and An in Sentences, p. 91

Remind students that while this activity requires them to find and correct mistakes that
address the grammar and sentence structure they learned about in this unit, it is important that
they are able to explain why a particular structure is incorrect. If necessary, provide extra support
by completing some or all of these activities as a class on the board or on the screen.

Provide students with a review of the grammar and sentence points that will support them
with completing Activity 19. Give students the option of working with a partner. Once the
36
activity is completed, have students share and discuss responses as a class. Provide students with
additional review for any points that were particularly challenging.

For further practice, have students go to Practice 3 on page 254 in Appendix 1. Have
students complete the activity individually, in pairs, or in small groups as needed. Remind
students NOT to look at the original sentences while working on Building Better Sentences
activities. The goal here is to see the combinations that result and how they are different, not just
to see if the student combinations match the original. If necessary, have students review the steps
of combining sentences on pages 252–253.

Activity 20: Word Associations, p. 93
If necessary, remind students that learning word associations will help enrich and expand
their vocabulary by building connections to more words. By increasing their vocabulary, students
will have more options in communicating their ideas, which will help improve their writing.
Point out to students that this activity is about word associations, not definitions. The task is to
choose the word or phrase that is most closely associated with the target word. It may be
beneficial for students to complete this activity with a partner and with a dictionary. Have
partners take turns looking up the meaning of the words they do not know.

If necessary, review what collocations are (words or groups of words that naturally and
that frequently co-occur with a target word). Remind students that learning collocations will help
them build on their bank of commonly used phrases and that incorporating these phrases in their
writing will help it sound more natural and advanced.
reinforcement.

37
Activity 23: Original Writing Practice, p. 95
Emphasize the importance of completing one step at a time and checking off the steps as
they are completed. Make sure students use the checklist provided for the activity to self-edit
their work.

Remind students to download and use Peer Editing Sheet 3 from
NGL.Cengage.com/GW1 to edit each other’s work. If necessary, remind students to make
helpful and positive comments and suggestions.

Timed Writing, p. 97
Timed writing is a valuable skill for students to work on since many standardized tests
include a timed-writing section. Students might feel varying levels of anxiety due to this time
limit, which can result in a greater number of errors than they normally make. Explain to
students that timed-writing practice can help them feel more comfortable and confident in other
timed-writing situations where they will need to write quickly and accurately.
Before beginning the writing task, review the writing prompt provided. If necessary,
teach the term writing prompt.

Extend the work that students completed for Activity 5, which involved writing a
paragraph from pictures, by having them write original paragraphs based on additional pictures.
Provide students with a variety of pictures to choose from (from magazines or newspapers) or
allow students to choose their own picture, and then have them write an original paragraph.
Create a checklist of components that students must include in their paragraph, such as a topic
38
sentence, body (details and information that supports the topic sentence.), and a concluding
sentence. Additional grammar and sentence structures presented in Unit 3 may also be added to
the checklist as appropriate.
Suggest students write a paragraph about the unit opener or one of the other photos in the
unit.



uncle
entrepreneur
business
ago
to enjoy
success
waiter
manager
chef
to appreciate
somebody

classmate
world
perfectly
to sing
forever

busy
to study
39
engineering
to wake up
to take a shower
mall
store
part-time
quick
homework
to know
lifestyle
stressful
to end
professional

capital
romantic
tourist
place
example
to separate
traditional
soup
friendly

morning
oldest
daughter
breakfast
sibling
rest of
quickly
minivan
minute

colorful
seat
shiny
40
top
side
map
poster
common
verb
blackboard
object
there are
there is

letter
vowel
consonant
sometimes
especially
after
to speak
alphabet
Example Paragraph 40, pp. 81–82

travel
former
tower
famous
symbol
revolving
giant
ride
destination

typical
teenager
to compete
Olympics
to get ready
afternoon
to return
41
gymnasium
coach
to be ready
next
Self-Assessment
42
UNIT 4 Writing about the Past
OVERVIEW
This unit introduces students to writing about events in the past and teaches how to write
paragraphs using the simple past tense. This will allow students to write with more confidence
about events that happened to them or others in the past. Unit 4 also provides more practice with
compound sentence structures by focusing on the coordinating conjunction but.
OBJECTIVES
1. Review simple past tense for the verb be and regular verbs in affirmative statements.
2. (p. 100)
3. Practice editing plural to singular subjects. (pp. 104–105)
4. Review irregular simple past tense verbs. (p. 106)
5. Learn the use of time phrases with past tense. (p. 108)
6. Review the negative of simple past tense. (p. 109–113)
7. Review the importance of avoiding contractions in academic writing. (p. 109)
8. Practice forming compound sentences using but. (p. 115)
9. Practice using complex sentences (p. 118)
10. Use complex sentences to show time order (p. 120)
11. Write an original paragraph (on an important person) by following a guided writing activity.
(p. 124)
TEACHING NOTES
The main goal of this unit is for students to use the simple past tense. This chapter
continues to provide practice with compound sentences with a focus on using the coordinating
conjunction but.
Unit Opener
shows the colorful houses in Greenland.
43
Grammar for Writing
The Simple Past Tense of Be, Regular and Irregular Verbs, Time phrases, and Negatives,
pp. 100, 106, 108, 109, 111
These notes introduce the affirmative and negative structures for simple past tense.
Instructors may choose to review the material individually as set up in the text or opt to review it
all together. Please note that irregular forms are introduced on page 106 (with a more extensive
list on page 235. Regardless of the format chosen, instructors should keep in mind that the
practice activities keep the forms separate. For more mixed structure practice, instructors may
wish to create their own worksheets.
Activity 1: Working with the Simple Past Tense, p. 101-102

This activity helps students recognize the simple past tense in context and answer basic
comprehension questions.
Activity 2: Writing Sentences with the Simple Past Tense, p. 102

This activity gives students activity switching between present and past tense. It can also
be adapted to provide practice with switching between plural and singular subjects by having
students substitute Julia Silverman for Julia Silverman and Jessica Matthews.
Activity 3: Editing: Plural to Singular, pp. 104–105

Refer students to Unit 2 if they need to review subject pronouns and possessive
adjectives. Be sure to check that all students have followed the correct paragraph formatting in
the second half of this activity. Also, point out to students that Fatima is a woman’s name, which
will affect the pronouns used.
Activity 4: Writing about an Important Person, p. 105

Instructors may choose to assign particular figures from the past instead of allowing
students to choose their own figure. The key to this assignment is that the person is no longer
alive. In this way, students are required to use simple past from beginning to end
Grammar for Writing

The Simple Past Tense of Irregular Verbs, p. 106
A more extensive list of irregular verbs appears in the Brief Writer’s Handbook on page
235. Use this list to create activities or short quizzes on the irregular verb form, during the course
of this unit, in order to support students’ understanding of irregular verbs. Encourage students to
memorize these irregular verb forms.
44
Activity 5: Practicing Irregular Simple Past Tense Verbs, p. 106
Point out that all the verbs in the activity are irregular verbs. Have students reference the
lists on pages 106 and 235 as they complete the activity.
Grammar for Writing

Time Phrases with the Simple Past Tense, p. 108
Brainstorm with students more examples of past time expressions and, if helpful, write
them on the board.
Activity 6: Using Irregular Simple Past Tense Verbs, pp. 108–109

Say each question and have students repeat before they ask and answer the questions in
pairs.
Activity 7: Practicing Negative Forms of Be in the Simple Past, p. 110

Have students refer to the grammar section on page 103 if they have difficulty with this
activity.
Activity 8: Improving Your Own Writing, p. 111

Remind students of some paragraph basics: indentation, topic sentence, supporting
sentences, concluding sentence, and so on.
Activity 9: Practicing Negative Verbs in the Simple Past, pp. 113-114

Remind students of the correct form of negative verbs in the simple past: did + not + base
form of the main verb. If needed, have students first identify the main verb in each sentence.
Activity 10: Editing: Writing Negative Simple Past Sentences, pp. 106-107
Direct students’ attention to the photos on p. 113. Elicit the people in each photo and one
or more details about the people.
If students have difficulty creating a true sentence, have them work in small groups for
that portion of the activity. For additional practice, have students write five affirmative sentences
about people from their own country that are incorrect. Then underneath each sentence, have
them write the negative version of the sentence to correct it.
Activity 11: Reviewing the Simple Past Tense, p. 114

Remind students to use did with negative forms of simple past tense verbs.
45
Grammar for Writing
Using But Correctly, p. 115
Review the Sentence Types section on pages 85–86 in Unit 3 before beginning this
section. Provide additional sentences for students to combine in order to review what they
already learned as a way to prepare for the activities in this section.
Activity 12: Using But as a Preposition, p. 115

This activity helps students distinguish between using but as a connecting word and using
it as a preposition that means except. Point out that the information in the second sentence may
be added to a place in the middle of the sentence. Students need to identify the correct place to
add the but and new information.
Activity 13: Reviewing Compound Sentences, p. 116

Remind students that a simple sentence only has one subject-verb combination while a
compound sentence has two subject-verb combinations.
Activity 14: Writing Compound Sentences, pp. 116–117

Clarify that for each item, students are comparing the same information (e.g., name,
home city, and so on) for each brother. Remind students to insert a comma where needed in each
compound sentence.
Activity 15: Interviewing Your Classmates, p. 117

Say the questions aloud and have students repeat before they do this activity. Remind
students to use correct capitalization and punctuation. Build on this communicative activity,
which requires students to use information that they collect from classmates, by having students
create questions of their own to use in their interviews.
Grammar for Writing

Sentence Variety: Complex Sentences, p. 118
It is important that students understand that one of the clauses in a complex sentence
cannot stand alone – it must be used with another clause or it will be a fragment. Refer students
to page 244 for more information on complex sentences.

Go through the three examples. Ask students to tell you why the commas are located
where they are in sentences 2 and 3.
46
Grammar for Writing
Using Complex Sentences to Show Time Order, p. 120
Direct students’ attention to the sentences in the chart. You may want to have students
write a 1 over the clause that presents the first action, and a 2 over the clause with the second
action.
Activity 17: Writing Complex Sentences in the Past, pp. 120–121

Point out that the sentences can be combined in two different ways. For extra practice,
suggest students write the sentences in both ways.

As students find and correct mistakes that address the grammar and sentence structure
they learned about in this unit, have them explain why a particular structure is incorrect. Display
this activity on the board or screen and correct it together as a class as a way to model editing
strategies and to provide extra editing practice.
Pre-reading questions might include: Do you know any famous world explorers? Where
are they from? What/where did they explore? When did they live?

For further practice, direct students to Practice 4 on page 255. Have students complete the
activity individually, in pairs, or in small groups as needed. Remind students NOT to look at the
original sentences while working on Building Better Sentences activities. The goal here is to see
the combinations that result and how they are different, not just to see if the student
combinations match the original. If necessary, have students review the steps of combining
sentences on pages 252–253.


47
reinforcement.


Activity 22: Original Writing Practice, p. 124–125
As a class, brainstorm some important people that might be appropriate for this activity.
Be sure students follow each step outlined in the activity. Before students write their sentences in
paragraph form, have them self-edit using the checklist provided for the activity.

Remind students to download Peer Editing Sheet 4 from NGL.Cengage.com/GW1. Have
students exchange papers with a partner and use the sheet to edit each other’s work. If necessary,
remind students to make helpful and positive comments and suggestions.
Additional Topics for Writing, pp. 125-126


timed-writing situations where they will need to write quickly and accurately.
Before beginning the writing task, review the writing prompt provided. If necessary,
teach the term writing prompt.
48
Extend the work that students completed for Activity 14, which involved interviewing a
classmate, and have them choose a person of their choice, outside of class, to interview. Have
students write a list of questions they will during the interview and ask them to write down the
responses. Then have students use the information from their interviews to write a paragraph.
Create a checklist similar to the one on page 125, and add specific components students must
include in their paragraph, such as a topic sentence, body (details and information that supports
the topic sentence.), and a concluding sentence. Additional grammar and sentence structures
presented in Unit 4 may also be added to the checklist as appropriate.



to be born
leader
difficult
receive
discrimination
boycott
protest
demand
treatment
improve
49
top
department
to excel
grades
to beat
projects
to receive
to graduate
proud

author
ill
to become
to communicate
achievement
incredible

rich
excited
scared
to arrive
culture

horrible
to be supposed to
alarm clock
boss
late
to crash (a computer)
to lose
document
next
tired

traveler
50
century
religious
trip
original
journey
information
Self-Assessment
51
UNIT 5 Describing Actions
OVERVIEW
This unit introduces students to writing about events that are in progress. The main goal
of this unit is for students to use the present progressive tense effectively in their writing. This
chapter continues to practice compound sentences with a focus on using the coordinating
conjunctions and and so.
OBJECTIVES
1. Review present progressive tense for verbs in affirmative statements. (p. 130)
2. Avoid repetition in compound sentences. (p. 134)
3. Review and as a connector in simple sentences. (p. 134)
4. Practice forming compound sentences using and. (p. 134)
5. Practice forming compound sentences using so. (pp. 135–137)
6. Review the need to use sentence variety when writing paragraphs. (pp. 140–141)
7. Use common adverbs of manner. (p. 142)
8. Practice using prepositional phrases of time and place (pp. 143–145)
9. Write an original paragraph (on an imaginary event in progress) by following a guided
writing activity. (p. 149)
TEACHING NOTES
Unit 5 teaches how to write paragraphs using the present progressive. This will allow
students to write about events that are currently in progress. Unit 5 also provides more practice
with compound sentence structures by focusing on the coordinating conjunctions.
Unit Opener
shows people enjoying the night in Tokyo, Japan.
Go over the objectives on the top of page 129. Explain that students will do these things
in the unit. Have students look at the question at the bottom of page 129. Tell them you will
come back to this question at the end of the unit.
52
Grammar for Writing
The Present Progressive Tense, p. 130
Point out that the form of be in the present progressive depends on the subject. If
appropriate, review how to form the negative and questions in the present progressive. Tell
students that this tense is sometimes called the present continuous tense.
Activity 1: Identifying the Present Progressive Tense, pp. 130–131

Preview the paragraph and build background for students before they begin the activity
by asking a few pre-reading questions, such as Do you know anything about Machu Picchu?
Where is it? Why do people visit it? Display a list of examples of present progressive verbs on
the board or screen and encourage students to use the list for reference as they identify the
present progressive verbs in the paragraph.
Activity 2: Writing from Picture Prompts, p. 132

Preview the picture prompt together as a class. Clarify the meaning of any vocabulary in
the prompts as needed. Ask students why the present progressive is used here (because the action
is in progress now).
Activity 3: Describing a Scene, p. 133

Direct students’ attention to the photo and elicit what they see. Write new words on the
board. Have students share their sentences in pairs.
Writer’s Note: Avoiding Repetition in Compound Sentences, p. 134

After presenting the information in the note, write one or two sentences on the board.
Have students identify repeated words or phrases and rewrite.
Review the Sentence Types section on pages 85–87 in Unit 3 and pages 118–121 in
Unit 4 before beginning this section. In addition, note that number one in this section is devoted
to a review of and as a connector in simple sentences. Be very clear about the differences in
usage as students may become particularly confused with comma usage between the two. Point
out the use of pronouns in the examples in the column on the right. Encourage students to think
about integrating compound sentences and pronouns in their writing.
Activity 4: Practicing Compound Sentence with And, p. 134

As a class, practice combining two sentences with and to create a compound sentence.
Students need to match the sentences in Column A and Column B first, and then write out the
compound sentences. Remind students to use correct punctuation (including the comma before
and).
53
Activity 5: Combining Sentences with So, p. 135
If needed, review the Sentence Types section on pages 86–87 in Unit 3 before beginning
this section. Discuss the vocabulary words cause and effect, and how the connector so is used to
show a result. A strong understanding of the difference between cause and effect will help them
understand more clearly when and how to use this connector. Clarify the meaning of a clause.
In this activity, students are required to identify and label the cause and effect sentences
before they can combine them. Complete several sample sentences on the board or on the screen,
together as a class. Model how to determine if a sentence is a cause or effect and emphasize the
placement of the comma before the connector so. Leave the sample sentences on display and
encourage students to reference them for support as they complete the sentences in this activity
independently.
Activity 6: Scenarios: Writing Compound Sentences with So and the Present Progressive,
pp. 136–137
Have students work together to preview the pictures and brainstorm vocabulary that
could be used in writing the sentences. Record their responses on the board or the screen and
encourage them to reference the list as they write the sentences for this activity. While answers
may vary, ask students to share their responses by reading their sentences aloud or writing them
on the board.
Writer’s Note: Other Uses of So, p. 137

After presenting the note, write sentences on the board that show both uses of so. Ask
students to identify where a comma is needed.
Activity 7: Writing from Picture Prompts, pp. 138–139

Before students begin the activity, ask students to name the objects they see in the picture
(as a way to clarify the vocabulary students will encounter in the paragraph). If needed, ask
students what tense the verb s should be in (present progressive) and why (because the action is
in progress now).
Activity 8: Writing a Paragraph, p. 139

Elicit from students the three main parts of a paragraph (topic sentence, body, concluding
sentence). Ask them to be mindful of these parts as they complete the activity. If necessary,
remind students of the rules for titles from Unit 2, page 42.
Grammar for Writing

Verbs in Complex Sentences, p. 140
Review time connectors from Unit 4, page 108. Explain words such as when, after, and
before can be used with different tenses, but they always show order.
54
Activity 9: Practicing Complex Sentences in the Present, pp. 140
Model the activity with a student. Ask the first two questions and write the answers on
the board. Then say each question and have students repeat before they work in pairs.

Remind students that they did this kind of activity on page 119 in Unit 4. Go over the
three examples and elicit why the commas were added.
Grammar for Writing

Adverbs of Manner, p. 142
Remind students that adverbs of manner can make their writing more interesting because
they describe how the action is done. Have students write the list of the common adverbs listed
in this section on an index card and use it as a quick reference during writing activities.
Activity 11: Using Adverbs, p. 142

Model one or two items for students by asking how the person in each item performed the
action (e.g., How is Julia studying? Hard? Quickly? Diligently?). Encourage students to write
the list of common adverbs listed at the bottom of this section on an index card, to use as a quick
reference while completing Activity 11. Ask them to reference this list and include these adverbs
in future original writing practice.
Grammar for Writing

Prepositional Phrases of Place, and Prepositional Phrases of Place and Time Words,
pp. 143–144
Go over the information. Check comprehension by saying a prepositional phrase and
eliciting if it is of place or time. Refer students to page 242 for more information on prepositions.
Activity 12: Practicing with Place Phrases and Time Words, pp. 144–145
Do the first item or two on the board as examples. You may want to have students work
in pairs to complete the activity.
Activity 13: Writing What You See: Describing Actions, pp. 145–146
Tell students that this Activity 13 has been designed to allow them the choice of
observing others in a non-classroom setting or in the media. For additional support, have students
underline all the verbs in the paragraph and remind them to check for spelling or structure
concerns. Encourage students to add adverbs of manner to make their writing more interesting.

Model how to find and correct mistakes related to the kinds of grammar and sentence
structures that students learned about in this unit. Help students learn strategies to understand and
55
explain why a particular structure is incorrect by correcting the sentences together as a class on
the board or on the screen. Encourage students to keep a tally of the number/types of errors as
they find them.
Building Better Sentences: p. 146

For further practice, refer students to Practice 5 on pages 255-256. Have students
complete the activity individually, in pairs, or in small groups as needed. Remind students NOT
to look at the original sentences while working on Building Better Sentences activities. The goal
here is to see the combinations that result and how they are different, not just to see if the student
sentences on pages 252-253.


reinforcement.

56
Encourage students to use their imagination for this guided writing activity in which they
envision an imaginary event and then create an original piece of writing about it. If the instructor
chooses, the students may write about an event that is happening in their community. Before
students write their sentences in paragraph form, have them self-edit using the checklist provided
for the activity.

Remind students to download Peer Editing Sheet 5 from NGL.Cengage.com/GW1. Have
students exchange papers with a partner and use the sheet to edit each other’s work. If necessary,
remind students to make helpful and positive comments and suggestions.
Additional Topics for Writing, pp. 150–151


timed-writing situations where they will need to write quickly and accurately. Before beginning
the writing task, review the writing prompt provided.

Collect a variety of pictures and drawings from magazines, newspapers, and the Internet.
Label each one with a number at the upper right hand corner and pass out a picture to each
student. Have students write the number of the picture on their own notebook paper and then
write a compound sentence, using the present progressive, to describe their picture. Then have
57
students pass their picture on to the person to their left. Continue this procedure until all students
have written a sentence for each photo. Depending on the size of the class, you may want to
provide a second set of pictures (if the class is small) or if the class is large, limit the amount of
times students pass their pictures on (not all students will write a sentence for all pictures).
Collect the pictures and hold up each one individually, calling out the name of the
number in the upper right hand corner. Encourage students to share the sentence they wrote for
each picture and discuss if the sentences are compound sentences and if they use the present
progressive. Continue sharing responses as time permits.


Example Paragraph 50, pp. 130–131

remote
arrive
enter
site
guards
hikers
lockers
ruins
ancient
steep
narrow
adventurous
lively

to be worried
mess
to call
to vacuum
58
carpet
dirty
laundry
roommate
empty
box
soda
to pick up
to be sure

between
to happen
exciting
goalkeeper
referee
coach
fan

squirrel
to climb
to twitch
tail
nervously
branch
to hear
to drop
piece
to inspect
rapid
Self-Assessment
Have students refer back to the opening spread on pages 128 and 129. Direct their
attention to the objectives. Ask them to put a check mark by the objective(s) they achieved. Then
ask students the question at the bottom of the page. Students can raise hands to show if they can
59
UNIT 6 Writing about the Future
OVERVIEW
This unit introduces students to writing about events that are in the future and helps them
learn how to write more fluently about future events. In Unit 6, students will continue with
Building Better Sentences and Building Better Vocabulary. For further support, you may use the
Great Writing 1 Assessment CD-ROM with ExamView® to produce quizzes on the grammar,
vocabulary, editing, or writing that is covered in this unit.
OBJECTIVES
1. Review will and be going to in affirmative and negative statements. (pp. 154–163)
2. Practice using time words and phrases for the future. (p. 158)
3. Learn about and practice forming complex sentences. (pp. 164–166)
4. Review indefinite articles. (pp. 166–167)
5. Learn about the definite article the. (p. 167)
6. Learn about singular count nouns and their modifiers. (p. 168)
7. Practice forming complex sentences using because. (pp. 170–172)
8. Learn about using commas between words in a list. (p. 172)
9. Write an original paragraph (on an event that will happen in the future) by following a guided
writing activity. (p. 177)
TEACHING NOTES
The main goal of this unit is for students to use will and be going to to express future
events in their writing. This unit moves from compound to complex sentence structures using
time words and because. Additionally, students receive review work on indefinite articles and
expand their understanding of the definite article the.
Unit 6 will prepare students to learn another commonly used complex structure
(adjectives clauses), which will be introduced in Unit 7.
Unit Opener
shows Astronaut Tracy Caldwell Dyson looking out of the window of the International Space
Station.
60
Grammar for Writing
The Simple Future Tense: Be Going To, p. 154
Explain the form of be going to statements and questions. Point out that in both
statements and questions, regardless of the subject, the structure is: going to + base form of the
main verb remain the same (while the form of be and the order of the subject and be change). If
needed, illustrate the structures with another verb.
Activity 1: Making Predictions, pp. 154–155

If needed, discuss what is happening in each photo as a class to elicit vocabulary students
may need to complete the activity. Encourage students to refer to the grammar box on page 154
to help them correctly form the grammar.
Activity 2: Writing about a Schedule, p. 156

Direct students’ attention to the schedule and ask questions (e.g., What is Michael going
to do on Monday?). Have students practice asking and answering the questions when they have
completed the activity. For further practice, suggest students make their own schedules, and then
talk about them in pairs.
Writer’s Note: Avoiding Gonna in Writing, p. 156

Emphasize that there is a difference between formal writing (such as the academic
writing students will produce in school) and informal writing (such as writing e-mails to friends).
Clarify the writing style expected in the class, including the use of gonna, contractions, and so
on.
Grammar for Writing

The Simple Future Tense: Will, p. 157
Point out that the structure will + base form of the main verb remain the same for all
subjects.
Activity 3: Writing about the Future Using Will, p. 157

Model the activity before students begin writing. Say and write five predictions about
your own life. After students complete the activity, have them share in pairs. Then call on
students to tell you about their partners.
Grammar for Writing

Time Words and Phrases, p. 158
Clarify the meaning of the time words and phrases presented. Encourage students to
make a list of the time words/phrases they encounter and to refer to it as they write. Make sure
students are clear on when to use a comma with time phrases.
61
Activity 4: Practicing with Time Words, pp. 158–159
Before students begin the activity, clarify the meaning of reunion and, as a pre-reading
activity, briefly discuss students’ experiences with reunions (family reunions, school reunions,
etc.).
Activity 5: Practicing with Paragraphs, p. 160

Before students begin the activity, review Michael’s schedule as a class. Point out that the
students have already learned about topic and concluding sentences. Ask them what the main
idea of the topic sentence is. Ask how the supporting sentences might change if the word busy
were substituted with another word (lazy, bored, happy).
Writer’s Note: Will vs. Be Going To, p. 160

Suggest students refer to the charts on pages 154 and 157 if they have questions about
which form is more appropriate in a particular context.
Activity 6: Responding to a Reading Passage, pp. 161–162

Support students’ comprehension of the reading passage by discussing pre-reading
questions such as: At what age is someone considered to be a man/woman? Is there a special
ceremony that marks this occasion? What is done at this time?
Ask students to locate the topic sentence and describe its main idea. Ask them to identify
the supporting and concluding sentences. This will help prepare them to write these types of
sentences in the original writing activities for this chapter.
Remind students that the simple future tense is expressed with two forms—will and be
going to.
Grammar for Writing

The Simple Future Tense: Negatives, p. 162
In order to master the form of the simple present tense with negatives, students need to
have a firm grasp on the affirmative forms of the simple present tense. If needed, review these
structures on pages 154 and 157.
Writer’s Note: Contractions with the Simple Future Tenses, p. 163

Make sure to inform students about your policy regarding the use of contractions in
writing assignments.
Activity 7: Changing Affirmative to Negative, p. 163

Point out that students will change statements to the other form. The means that negative
will become affirmative, and affirmative will become negative.
62
Activity 8: Writing Original Sentences, p. 164
Tell students that this brainstorming activity will prepare them for the original writing
activity at the end of the chapter. If appropriate, ask volunteers to share their information with a
partner or small group after they have completed the activity.
Grammar for Writing

Verbs in Complex Sentences about the Future, p. 164
If appropriate, teach students the terms independent clause and dependent clause. Explain
that both types of clauses have a subject-verb combination but that an independent clause can be
a complete sentence by itself while a dependent clause cannot and would be considered a
fragment. Emphasize that dependent clauses must be attached to an independent clause to be
grammatically correct. If appropriate, teach the terms coordinating conjunction (connecting
words that join two complete sentences) and subordinating conjunction (connecting words that
are part of a dependent clause and are used to join it to a complete sentence). More detailed
information about subordinating conjunctions can be found in the Brief Writer’s Handbook, page
244. If necessary, present this information on the board or screen, and provide additional practice
as needed.
Clarify that although both clauses express future time, the simple present is used in the
dependent clause and the simple future is used in the independent clause.
Activity 9: Review: Identifying Sentence Types, p. 165

Briefly review the definitions of simple, compound, and complex sentences with students
before they begin this activity. Also review when commas should be used in compound and
complex sentences.
Activity 10: Writing Complex Sentences in the Future, p. 166

Suggest that students first identify the time words in the items before they begin writing.
Remind students which tense to use in the dependent/independent clauses in complex sentences
that express future time.
Writer’s Note: Using the Future Tense in Academic Writing

You may want to illustrate this note by having students find examples of the future tense
in academic writing. For example, suggest students look at another text or an article online to
notice and bring in examples of the future tense.
Grammar for Writing

The Indefinite Articles: A/An, The Definite Article The, Article Use Summary, pp. 166–167
Point out to students that while articles can be challenging for beginning writers, ongoing
review can be key to developing a strong understanding of which article should be used. Review
this section about articles as a class. As necessary, review the use of a and an with count nouns
63
on pages 89–90 (Unit 3). Present additional information on the definite article using the Brief
Writer’s Handbook, pages 237–238 .
Grammar for Writing

Using Modifiers with Singular Count Nouns, p. 168
Point out to students that they previously discussed count nouns in Unit 3 and that this
section reviews the modifiers that can be used with them. Emphasize the point that a singular
count noun cannot stand alone (unlike plural count nouns or non-count nouns) and must be
preceded by a modifier. Review additional information on quantifiers with students, in the Brief
Writer’s Handbook, page 240 . Have students practice with this structure by providing them with
a short list of sentences that contain unmodified singular count nouns. Then have students add
the missing modifiers.
Activity 11: Practicing Articles, p. 168

Because the use of articles is a difficult topic for many students to master, review the
answer to this activity carefully as a class. For each item, clarify with students the reason the
particular article is used, referring back to the grammar notes on pages 166–168 as needed.
Activity 12: Review: Sentence Writing, pp. 169–170

This activity combines a number of topics covered in the book so far. Use the activity to
assess student progress and/or as a chance to review points covered earlier in the book, including
rules regarding punctuation, capitalization, verb tenses, and articles.
Grammar for Writing

Complex Sentences with Because and Fragments with Because, p. 170
Be sure to review this section with students as students frequently use this complex
structure and often confuse the comma rule associated with it. Clarify the meaning of
independent and dependent clauses. Explain to students that while fragments are used quite
frequently in informal writing (including fragments beginning with because), they are considered
a serious error in academic writing and should be avoided.
Activity 13: Identifying Sentences vs. Fragments, p. 171

Remind students that a comma is used when a because-clause begins a sentence. For
additional practice, have students correct the fragments so they are complete sentences.
Activity 14: Writing Sentences with Because, pp. 171–172

Have students complete this activity as a fun and easy way to practice the because
structure. As students work independently, take the time to check their work to ensure that there
are no fragments.
64
Writer’s Note: Paying Attention to Commas, p. 172
Emphasize to students that while there are two common forms of comma use, this book
emphasizes the required final comma, which can help avoid miscommunication in writing.
Provide an example to illustrate: I love my friends, Superman and the president. (This person
loves his/her friends, who are Superman and the president) versus I love my friends, Superman,
and the president. (This person loves the following: his/her friends, Superman, the president).
Have students turn to the Brief Writer’s Handbook, page 228, and review the list of common
comma rules as a class. Encourage students to write specific rules from the list with which they
are not familiar on an index card or in their notebooks for reinforcement.
Activity 15: Practicing Comma Rules, pp. 172–173

Point out that, like pronouns, the use of commas can make one’s writing more succinct
and less repetitive.

This activity provides students the opportunity to find and correct mistakes that deal with
the grammar and sentence structure that they learned about in this unit. It is important that
students are able to explain why a particular structure is incorrect. It may be helpful to put this
activity on an overhead and correct it together as a class.

For further practice, refer students to Practice 6 on page 256–257. Have students
complete the activity individually, in pairs, or in small groups as needed. Remind students NOT
to look at the original sentences while working on Building Better Sentences activities. The goal
here is to see the combinations that result and how they are different, not just to see if the student
sentences on pages 252–253.

Activity 17: Word Associations, p. 175
65
Activity 18: Using Collocations, pp. 175-176
reinforcement.


Activity 18: Original Writing Practice, p. 177
Encourage students to use their imagination for this guided writing activity for which
students use their answers from Activity 8 to write about event that is going to happen in the
future. Before students write their sentences in paragraph form, have them self-edit using the
checklist provided for the activity.

Remind students to download and print Peer Editing Sheet 6 from
NGL.Cengage.com/GW1. Have students exchange papers with a partner and use the sheet to edit
each other’s work. If necessary, remind students to make helpful and positive comments and
suggestions.


66

Extend the work that students completed for Activity 8, which involved writing sentences
about something important or special that they are going to do in the future, and have students
use the sentences to write a letter to someone. Create a checklist similar to the one on page 177
and remind students to use be going to or will when talking about the future. Display a sample
letter and review the parts of a letter for students to reference as they write their own letter.



reunion
to celebrate
to bring out
presents
park
speech
celebration

appointment
67
business report
groceries

gown
elegant
ballroom
perform
hardly
to dance
to celebrate
formal

pyramid
cruise
cousin
to hike
coast
lizard
ancient
difficult
nocturnal

vacation
explore
nervous
sights
souvenirs
aunt
to arrive
to begin
Self-Assessment
68
UNIT 7 Writing Complex Sentences with Adjective Clauses
OVERVIEW
This unit teaches students to write sentences that include basic adjective clauses. In
addition, students will study more about the use of sentence variety, place phrases, and modals in
more advanced writing. In Unit 7, students will continue with Building Better Sentences and
Building Better Vocabulary. For further support, you may use the Great Writing 1 Assessment
CD-ROM with ExamView® to produce quizzes on the grammar, vocabulary, editing, or writing
that is covered in this unit.
OBJECTIVES
1. Study the need for sentence variety when writing paragraphs. (pp. 182–184)
2. Learn to combine sentences with adjective clauses using who and that. (p. 184–192)
3. Practicing which relative pronoun to use with things and people. (pp. 184–192)
4. Learn how to use modals in sentences to add meaning. (pp. 193–195)
5. Review the use of prepositional phrases of place and time. (pp. 198–199)
6. Write an original paragraph (giving an opinion on eating food at home or eating out) by
following a guided writing activity. (p. 203)
TEACHING NOTES
Unit 7 helps students develop sentence variety by introducing them to basic adjective
clauses. This one structure will allow students to greatly expand their ability to describe things.
This unit also helps students learn how to use modals to add more meaning to their sentences and
how to use prepositional phrases of place more easily.
Unit Opener
shows an orphaned gorilla and chimpanzee examining leaves at the Lake Erova Mammal
Orphanage in Gabon.
The Importance of Sentence Variety, pp. 182–184

It’s important that students read and evaluate the three paragraphs before they look at the
teacher’s evaluations on page 184. You may want to call on students to read the paragraphs
aloud so they notice the rhythm of each one.
69
This activity can be done alone or in groups. Have students explain which paragraph they
chose and why they chose it. A good analogy to use when describing the writing in paragraphs
one and two is driving across town. How do they feel when they have to stop at every red light?
The same is true for readers who are forced to read a paragraph with little sentence variety (i.e.,
lots of simple sentences). It breaks up the flow of the ideas. Compound and complex sentences
are a way to introduce variety into their writing. Explain to students that in this chapter, they will
learn about another “green light” for sentence variety—adjective clauses.
Grammar for Writing

Sentence Variety: Recognizing Sentences with Adjective Clauses, p. 184
This section focuses on teaching students to create very basic adjective clauses. Clarify
that adjective clauses are clauses that act as adjectives, i.e., they modify nouns. Point out the
placement of the adjective clause (directly after the noun it modifies). For further support,
display a presentation of examples of basic adjective clauses. Based on the needs of the class,
have students practice as a class or individually, with additional examples, before they begin the
activities in this unit.
Grammar for Writing

Using Who vs. That, p. 184
Display the correct/incorrect examples, along with additional examples, on the board or
on the screen. Review with students why the examples are incorrect or correct. Discuss how to
decide when an adjective clause can be considered acceptable or preferable.
Activity 1: Practicing Adjective Clauses, p. 185

Before students begin this activity, write the following reminders on the board or on the
screen and have students copy them down on an index card or in their notebooks for quick
reference:
Use that in clauses that describe people (less academic) or things.
Use who in clauses that describe people.
Grammar for Writing

Sentence Variety: Writing Adjective Clauses, p. 186
Display the example sentences on the board or with a projector:
Joe met a man. The man is very well known.

The subject is science. I remember this subject the most from high school.
Elicit the words that are repeated in each pair of sentences (man, subject). Direct
students’ attention to the second sentence in each pair and elicit the part of speech of the noun
70
(man is the subject, subject is the object). Point out that the words that and who can replace both
subjects and objects in the clause.
Activity 2: Combining Sentences: Adjective Clauses at the End of a Sentence, pp. 186–187
As a class, brainstorm a list of the words from adjective clauses that would require who
and the words that require that. Write two columns and with the heads Who and That. Point out
that the words underneath Who are people only, and the words underneath That are both people
or things. Have them reference these lists as needed as they complete Activity 2. It may also be
helpful for students to first identify the noun that the adjective clause will modify (e.g., state in
item #2) before deciding whether to use who or that.
Activity 3: Combining Sentences: Adjective Clauses in the Middle of a Sentence,

pp. 188–189
As a class, practice combining two sentences into one with an adjective clause.
Tell them to first identify the noun that the adjective clause will modify, which will allow
students to decide if the adjective clause will begin with who or that. Have students complete the
activity independently and then ask them to share their responses on the board or on the screen.
Be sure to discuss students’ sentences that fall under the acceptable or preferable category and to
ask individual students to explain how they decided which word to use.
Activity 4: Identifying Adjective Clauses in a Paragraph, p. 189

If students have difficulty, instruct them to look for who and that to help them identify
the adjective clauses.
Activity 5: Examining Adjective Clauses, p. 190

Explain to students that just as they are expected to combine two sentences into one with
an adjective clause, they should also be able to identify the two short sentences that were
originally combined. Walk students through several sample sentences on the board or screen
before they complete Activity 5 individually or in pairs.
Activity 6: Combining Sentences: Adjective Clauses in Paragraphs, pp. 190–191

In addition to having the students combine the sentences using adjective clauses for
Activity 6, have them practice identifying the topic and concluding sentences as well.
Activity 7: Writing Original Sentences, p. 192-193

Elicit a couple more examples with the nouns magazine and MP3 player. Have students
compare their sentences in pairs.
71
Grammar for Writing
Using Modals to Add Meaning, p. 193
Explain to students that while they may already be familiar with modals, this section will
provide a good review of their structure and usage. Clarify that the base form of the main verb is
used with modals and that the form of the modal does not change with the subject (as they saw
with will in Unit 6). Note that while this chart provides some of the more common modals and
their functions, it does not include all of the modals, nor all of their possible functions.
Activity 8: Using Modals, p. 194

Do a brief review of the meanings of should, must, might, can, and will before students
begin the activity.
Activity 9: Choosing the Best Modal, p. 195

Have students work in pairs or small groups to complete Activity 9. Have them discuss
their choices and tell students that every member of the group must agree before they move to
the next sentence. Ask each group to be responsible for reporting a specific answer to the class.
Activity 10: Original Writing, p. 195

Have students talk in pairs first to brainstorm ideas on things to pack. Elicit vocabulary
and write the new words on the board.
Activity 11: Editing: Error Correction and Sequencing, p. 196

Provide students with a quick capitalization and punctuation review. Remind students
that components of a good paragraph include a topic sentence, body (details and supporting
information), and a concluding sentence. If appropriate, point out that in conclusion is a
transition word that signals an ending.
Activity 12: Copying Sentences, p. 197

Elicit from students what they should do to the first sentence of the paragraph (indent). If
necessary, review the rules for creating a good title (see Unit 2, page 42).
Activity 13: Reviewing Place Phrases and Time Words, pp. 198–199
Quickly review punctuation and capitalization rules and remind students how to write a
complete sentence. Remind students that place phrases usually come before time words or
phrases. Then have students work in partners or small groups to complete the activity.
Activity 14: Review: Identifying Sentence vs. Fragment, p. 199

As an extension of this activity, have students turn the fragments into complete sentences
using their own words. Remind students that dependent clauses, such as clauses beginning with
because, need to be joined to an independent clause.
72
Activity 15: Review: Identifying Sentence Types, p. 200
Review the definition of simple, compound, and complex sentences before having
students complete this activity.

Tell students that this activity provides them with the opportunity to find and correct
mistakes related to the grammar and sentence structure they learned about in this unit. Remind
students that it is important that they be able to explain why a particular structure is incorrect.
Encourage students to keep a tally of the number/types of errors they find as they work through
the activity. If time permits, display the paragraph on the board or screen and ask students to
participate in correcting the paragraph by sharing one or two of their own corrections.

For further practice, refer students to Practice 7 on page 257. Have students complete the
activity individually, in pairs, or in small groups as needed. Remind students NOT to look at the
original sentences while working on Building Better Sentences activities. The goal here is to see
the combinations that result and how they are different, not just to see if the student
combinations match the original.

Activity 17: Word Associations, pp. 201-202

reinforcement.
73

Encourage students to state their opinion for this guided writing activity as they envision
write a paragraph about their opinion on dining in or eating out. Before students write their
sentences in paragraph form, have them self-edit using the checklist provided for the activity. As
needed, provide a quick review about the simple present and how to use articles correctly.

NGL/Cengage.com/GW1. Have students exchange papers with a partner and use the sheet to edit
suggestions.



74
Have students go back to the activity on pp. 182–183 and analyze the differences
between Example Paragraph 59A, 59B, and 59C, such as the use of compound and complex
sentences, adjective clauses, and so on. Have students take Example Paragraph 59C and create a
paragraph with the same information but using simple sentences (without looking at Example
Paragraph 59A or 59B). Then have them compare their paragraphs with those in the book.
Another option is to have students take Example Paragraph 59A or 59B and combine the
information into longer, more complex sentences (without looking at Example Paragraph 59A or
59B). Then have them compare their paragraphs with those in the book.


Example Paragraph 59A–59C, pp. 182–183

love
deuce
volley
net
to hit
term
special
shot
to touch

photo
to take a photograph/picture
living room
sofa
to receive
to stand
certainly
75
cherish

district
to go on strike
money
salary
officials
raise
low
fair
emergency
evening
to invite

to affect
to feel
lazy
bright
sunny
outside
cool
to shine
productive
influence

to receive
confuse
spelling
pronunciation
nonnative
speaker

advice
to improve
requirement
fluency
76
vocabulary
daily
journal
suggestion
rapidly

in common
border
elaborate
create
attraction
compete
Example Paragraph 66, pp. 198-199

flight
airport
almost
suitcase
to take
to leave
gate

distant
to visit
tea
rice
exotic
dislikes
Self-Assessment
77
UNIT 8: Pulling It All Together and Preparing for More
OVERVIEW
The goal of this unit is to practice sentence and paragraphs skills from Units 1–7. This
unit provides a variety of 27 additional practice activities, including Building Better Vocabulary
practice and two reader response activities. For further support, you may use the Great Writing 1
OBJECTIVES
1. Practice the language and writing points found throughout Great Writing 1. (pp. 208–224)
2. Identify and use topic, support, and concluding sentences. (p. 208–209)
3. Write an original paragraph (about an invention) using the appropriate verb tenses. (p. 211)
4. Practice article use. (pp. 213-214)
5. Practice combining sentences with connectors and, but, and so. (pp. 215-216)
6. Practice using adjective clauses who and that. (pp. 216-217)
7. Revise an original writing paragraph and create a final draft. (p. 218)
8. Write two original paragraphs in response to reading paragraphs on controversial issues that
have been in the news. (pp. 218–221, 226)
TEACHING NOTES
Unit 8 provides supplemental materials for previous units in the book. Key grammar and
sentence structure points have been selected for extra practice in this part of the book. These
activities can be done as homework, class work, or as additional quizzes.
Unit Opener
shows graffiti covered Cadillacs stuck in the ground at Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, Texas
Review: Parts of a Paragraph

Before students look at page 208, elicit from the class the parts of a paragraph. Write
each point on the board. Then have students look at page 208 to check their ideas.
78
Activity 1: Identifying Topic Sentences vs. Supporting Sentences, pp. 208–209
This activity has students practice identifying the difference between the topic sentence
and supporting sentences and is a good review for the ideas presented in Unit 2.
Activity 2: Ordering Sentences in a Paragraph, p. 209

This activity, which reviews material from Unit 2, has students work on sentence order in
paragraphs. Remind students the order in which information should be presented in a paragraph
(topic sentence, body, and concluding sentence). Be sure students indent the first line when they
write out the paragraph.
Activity 3: Writing Concluding Sentences, p. 210

This activity also reviews material from Unit 2. Remind students of the characteristics of
a good concluding sentence before writing their own concluding sentences.
Activity 4: Choosing the Correct Verb Tense, pp. 210–211

For practice with the concepts presented in Units 2, 3, and 4, assign students this activity.
Here, the students must chose the correct verb tense to complete a paragraph. Then they answer a
series of questions regarding paragraph structure. This activity can be followed up with Activity
6, where students create their own original writing based on the theme of this activity.
Activity 5: Original Writing Practice with Verb Tenses, p. 211

In this follow-up practice for Activity 4, students write their own paragraph on an
important invention in history. Activity 5 should be edited using Activity 10 on page 197,
Activity 12 on page 198, and Activity 14 on page 199. In these three activities, students do self
and peer editing work on improving their writing with compound sentences, articles, and
adjective clauses.
Activity 6: Choosing the Correct Verb Tense, p. 212

For practice with the concepts presented in Unit 6 (and also Unit 3), assign students this
activity, which has a cloze paragraph activity where students must choose the correct verb tense.
It is followed by a series of questions that analyze the structure of the paragraph.
Activity 7: Editing for Subjects and Verbs, pp. 212–213

In this follow-up practice to Activity 6, students edit their paragraphs for subject and
verbs.
Activity 8: Using Articles, pp. 213–214

This activity provides practice with the use of articles, which were presented in Units 3
and 6. If needed, review definite and indefinite articles (Unit 6). Before students begin this
79
activity, have students scan the paragraph for unfamiliar vocabulary words and clarify the
meanings as a class.
Activity 9: Editing for Articles, p. 214

This practice is a short editing activity that can be used in conjunction with the original
writing samples generated in Activity 5. Here, students do self and peer editing work on the
articles in their writing.
Activity 10: Combining Sentences with a Connector, p. 215

Before students begin this activity, review the meanings of the connectors and, but, and
so, as well as the placement of the comma in compound sentences.
Activity 11: Editing for Connectors, p. 216

This practice (as well as Activities 7 and 9) is a short editing activity that can be used in
conjunction with the original writing samples generated in Activity 5. Here, students do both self
and peer editing work on the use of and, but, and so in their writing.
Activity 12: Practicing Adjective Clauses with Who and That, p. 216
For practice with the concepts presented in Unit 7, have students complete this paragraph
activity where they must choose the correct relative pronoun. Review when to use who (with
people) and that (with things, and sometimes people).
Activity 13: Editing for Adjective Clauses, p. 217

This practice (as well as Activities 7, 9, and 11) is a short editing activity that can be used
in conjunction with the original writing samples generated in Activity 5. Here, students do self
and peer editing work on the adjective clauses in their writing.
Writer’s Note: Making Your Writing More Interesting, p. 217

If needed, use this as an opportunity to review simple, compound, and complex
sentences, as well as the use of pronouns, adjectives, adverbs, time words/phrases, and adjective
clauses.
Activity 14: Writing a Final Draft, p. 218

Remind students to indent their paragraph and combine all of their edits into one final
version of the paragraph from Activity 5.
Brief Reader Response: Writing a Response to Topics in the News, p. 218

This note should be discussed before completing Activities 16-18. Many students need to
be familiarized with the variety of ways in which they can express their opinion. A brief review
of modals (Unit 7, pages 193–195) would also complement and support the information in this
note.
80
This section is part of the Writing a Response to Topics in the News section, which gives
students more advanced writing practice by presenting them with several paragraphs that discuss
a controversial topic that has been in the news. This initial reading is followed up by three
student opinion paragraphs on the subject (pro, con, and mixed). Students answer questions
about each opinion paragraph and analyze each one’s structure in preparation for writing their
own opinion paragraph on the topic.
These series of activities are a nice conclusion to a semester of skill building. They can
also be used as additional/challenge assignments for more advanced students in the class.
Consider creating a portfolio of these types of activities by drawing on interesting issues in local
and world news. Students could even be asked to bring in articles on topics that interest them,
share these articles in groups, and then write response paragraphs.
Writer’s Note: Using Should to Soften Your Tone, p. 221

Explain to students the subtle differences in the tone of verbs and the big difference it can
make in expressing your opinion. Write the words Strong and Softer on the board. Then write
two sample sentences using must and have to on sentence strips and two sample sentences using
should. Pass out the sentence strips to volunteers. Have them read the sentence aloud and then
post it on the board under the correct heading.
Activity 16: Original Writing, p. 221

Students are asked to state their opinion about the issue previously address in paragraphs
on the subject, including a pro, con, and mixed opinion. After a series of activities in which they
answered questions about each opinion paragraph and analyzed each one’s structure, they are
now prepared to write their own opinion paragraph on the topic. Have students refer to the
Writer’s Notes on pages 217 and 221 as they write their paragraphs.
Writer’s Note: The Importance of Editing, p. 222

Learning strong self and peer editing skills is one of the important goals of this book.
Remind students of the ongoing importance of developing these skills and consider reviewing
pages 242- 243 in the Brief Writer’s Handbook in order to provide further reinforcement to
students about editing their writing.

suggestions.
81
The reading passage in Activity 18 is used to introduce an issue related to obesity.
Students are then provided with the opportunity to respond to two opinions about the topic.
Students are asked to identify the topic sentence and describe the details that support each
argument. Clarify any unfamiliar vocabulary before students begin the activity.
Writer’s Note: Varying Your Vocabulary, p. 224

There are many ways for students to vary their vocabulary. Variety of vocabulary is
important in demonstrating English proficiency. Be sure to review resources, such as a thesaurus,
that students can use to find synonyms and encourage them to continue developing their
Vocabulary Journals on an ongoing basis.


reinforcement.
Activity 21: Parts of Speech, p. 225–226

82
Activity 22: Original Writing, p. 226–227
This activity requires students to reread Example Paragraph 74 in Activity 18, reread the
two opinions, and review their answers prior to completing this activity. Once students have
completed these steps, they are asked to write a paragraph that states their own opinion on the
subject. Remind students to pay careful attention to what the instructions ask them to include in
their paragraphs (topic sentence, supporting sentences, a title) along with including three
vocabulary words or phrases from Activities 19-21, which should be underlined. Have students
refer to page 249 of the Useful Vocabulary for Better Writing and the Writer’s Notes on pages
217 and 221 as needed to review ways to express opinions.

suggestions.


Have students complete additional activities in Appendix 2 as needed. You may choose
to have students complete these additional practice activities in class or assign them as
homework.
Extend the work that students completed for Activity 22, which involved writing an
opinion paragraph. Have students choose a person of their choice, outside of class, to interview
about that person’s opinion on the topic. Have students write a list of questions they will ask
during the interview and instruct them to write down the responses. Then have students use the
information from their interviews to write a paragraph. Create a checklist (similar to the ones
found in the original writing practices at the end of each unit) for students to use and add specific
components students must include in their paragraph, such as a topic sentence, body (details and
information that supports the topic sentence.), and a concluding sentence. Additional grammar
and sentence structures presented in Units 1–7 may also be added to the checklist as appropriate.
83

Example Paragraph 68, p. 210–211

invention
candle
weak
light bulb
to allow
easily
longer
field
concert
stadium
choice

frequently
usually
Example Paragraph 70, p. 213–214

encounter
shark
scuba diving
reef
instructor
to dive
clear
coral
to look around
to bite
84
to turn
unbelievable

jealous
passenger
pedestrian
theater
to ride
movie star

month
myth
several
god/goddess
war
to honor
festival
summer
emperor
calendar
history

to vote
to ban
controversial
to discriminate against
activist
to bar
establishment
solution
area
to install
advanced
ventilation
measures
ruling
law
85
Example Paragraph 74, p. 222-223
obesity
limit
ounce
consume
controversy
opponent
defeat
Self-Assessment
86
BRIEF WRITER’S HANDBOOK
The Brief Writer’s Handbook can be used in any order, but it is important to preview the
content in order to be aware of how to best utilize this resource throughout the course.
Definitions of Useful Language Terms, pp. 230–231

This section provides a list of definitions of useful language terms.
Review of Verb Tenses, p. 231

This section contains a chart which gives a review of the simple present, simple past,
present progressive, simple future (be going to and will), present perfect, and past progressive
tenses.
Capitalization Rules, p. 232

This section focuses on basic capitalization rules and can be used in conjunction with
Unit 1.
Eight Common Comma Rules, p. 232–233

This section reviews rules for using commas in writing and should be referred to when
editing.
Spelling Rules for Regular Simple Present Verbs and Plural Nouns, pp. 233–234
This section provides spelling rules for the regular simple present verbs and plural nouns
and can be used in conjunction with Unit 3.
Spelling Rules for Regular Simple Past Tense Verbs, p. 234

This section provides the spelling rules for regular past tense verbs and can be used in
conjunction with Unit 4.
Irregular Simple Past Tense Verbs, p. 235

This section contains a list of irregular past tense verbs and can be used in conjunction
with Unit 4.
Spelling of the -ing (Present Participle) Form of Verbs, p. 236

This section contains the spelling rules for the -ing (present participle) form of verbs and
can be used in conjunction with Unit 5.
Common Stative (Non-action) Verbs, p. 236

This section contains a short list of common stative (non-action) verbs and can be used in
87
Definite Article The, pp. 237–238
This section provides additional information on the definite article the and can be used in
Common Non-count Nouns, p. 238

This section contains a list of common non-count nouns with basic information on
quantifiers and can be used in conjunction with the information on articles in Units 3 and 6. For
more information on quantifiers, see the Quantifiers section of the Handbook.
Possessive Pronouns, p. 239

This section contains a chart which compares subject and possessive pronouns. This can
be used as a supplement for the information found in Unit 2.
Order of Adjectives, p. 239

This section provides information on the order of adjectives in a list.
Quantifiers, p. 240
This section provides additional information on quantifiers that can be used with count
and non-count nouns. This can be used in conjunction with the information in the Common Non-
count Nouns section.
The Prepositions At, On, and In, pp. 240–241

This section provides additional information on the prepositions at, on, and in. It
discusses their use with location and time. This information can be used in conjunction with
Units 1 and 7.
More Prepositions, p. 242

This section supplements the information in Units 1 and 7.
Editing Your Writing, pp. 242–243

Learning to edit one’s own writing is one of the most important skills of a good writer.
This section walks students through the three steps of revising a rough draft by helping them
understand the process of how to identify and correct errors in their own writing.
Connectors, p. 244
This section has two parts. Part one provides a chart that lists the coordinating
conjunctions and gives the usage and an example for each one. It also provides reminders on
sentence structure rules for compound sentences. Part two discusses subordinating conjunctions
and their use in connecting dependent and independent clauses. A short list of subordinating
88
conjunctions is provided along with the usage and an example for each one. The information in
this section can be used in conjunction with Units 3, 4, 5, and 6.
APPENDICES
Appendix 1 Building Better Sentences, pp. 252–257

This appendix contains Building Better Sentences exercises that correspond to Units 1–7.
Review the strategies for combining sentences presented on pages 252–253 thoroughly before
students attempt the activities. It is at this point that students will probably have questions and
need further explanation about word order and punctuation usage. It may be helpful to review
this section periodically.
Appendix 2 Extra Writing Activities, pp. 258–266

This appendix contains a series of additional writing activities linked to each unit in the
textbook. The title of each activity provides a reference to the unit for which it has been
designed.
Appendix 3 Peer Editing Sheet Sample, p. 267

This appendix is a sample Peer Editing Sheet. The sheets specific to each unit can be
found at NGL.Cengage.com/GW1.
Answer Key
The answer key for Great Writing 1: Great Sentences for Great Paragraphs can be
accessed on the web by going to the instructor site at NGL.Cengage.com/GW1.
89

Great Writing 1: Great Sentences For Great Paragraphs, 4: Teacher's Notes For Edition

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Great Writing 1: Great Sentences For Great Paragraphs, 4: Teacher's Notes For Edition

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Teacher’s Notes

Activity 1: Changing Words into Sentences, p. 5

Activity 2: Writing Simple Sentences, p. 6

Activity 3: Identifying Subjects, Verbs, and Objects, pp. 7–8

Activity 4: Unscrambling Sentences, pp. 8–9

Activity 5: Using Subject-Verb Word Order in a Paragraph, p. 9

Grammar for Writing

Activity 6: Editing: Sentence or Fragment?, p. 10

Grammar for Writing

Activity 7: Identifying Subjects and Verbs, p. 11

Activity 8: Identifying Words and Phrases, p. 12

Adjective Noun Place Phrase

Grammar for Writing

the store the corner India

the post office 42nd Street the river

Activity 10: Choosing the Correct Preposition, p. 14

Activity 11: Choosing the Correct Preposition, p. 14

Ending a Sentence with a Period, p. 4

Activity 12: Practicing Capitalization and Punctuation, p. 15

Activity 13: Writing Simple Sentences, p. 16

Capital Letters for Proper Nouns, p. 16

Ending a Sentence with a Question Mark or Exclamation Point, p. 17

Activity 15: Identifying Statements, Questions, and Exclamations p. 18

Activity 16: Taking a World Quiz, pp. 18–19

Activity 17: Interviewing a Classmate, p. 20

• Does the sentence have a subject?

Building Better Sentences, p. 21

Building Better Vocabulary

Activity 20: Using Collocations, p. 22

Activity 21: Parts of Speech, p. 23

Original Student Writing

Editing Your Writing, p. 24

Activity 23: Editing Simple Sentences, p. 25

Activity 24: Editing: Grammar and Sentence Review, pp. 26–27

Activity 25: Editing: Practice with Peer Editing Comments, p. 28

Activity 26: Peer Editing, p. 28

Additional Topics for Writing, p. 31

VOCABULARY ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES

Making a Vocabulary Journal

Using the Vocabulary Journal

1. routine, n. custom; habit

2. glamorous, adj. exciting attractiveness; stylish

3. task, n. assignment; job

Suggested Words for the Vocabulary Journal

Grammar for Writing

Activity 1: Editing: Nouns and Adjectives, p. 35

Grammar for Writing

Grammar for Writing

Activity 2: Practicing Adjectives, p. 37

Activity 3: Describing a Scene with Adjectives, p. 38

Topic Sentence Body Concluding Sentence

Activity 4: Studying Paragraphs, pp. 39–42

The Title of a Paragraph, p. 42

Activity 5: Working with Titles, p. 43

Writer’s Note: Indenting the First Line of Every Paragraph, p. 43

Activity 6: Copying a Paragraph, p. 44

Parts of a Paragraph: The Topic Sentence, p. 45

Activity 8 and Activity 9: Practicing Topic Sentences, pp. 46–50

Grammar for Writing

Activity 10: Using Subject Pronouns, p. 51

Activity 11: Using Object Pronouns, p. 52

Activity 12: Using Subject and Object Pronouns for Variety, p. 53

Parts of a Paragraph: The Body, p. 53