ENGL 115

Essay WritingFinal Exam Revision

Your final exam will include the following:

Units 3, 4 and 5 Sentence Types Identifying dependent and independent clauses Correcting run-on and stringy sentences Transitions Providing examples 1 composition/essay

Final Exam Topics

No matter what writing task you have been given,

you must remember to do the following:

Begin each sentence with a capital letter. End each sentence with the appropriate punctuation. The pronoun “I” must always be capitalized. At the very least, your sentence must contain a

subject and a verb, otherwise it is incomplete. For paragraphs, your ideas must be connected and

sequenced in a logical order.

Things to Remember

Subject-verb agreement. In other words, if the

subject is singular, the verb must also be singular. Third person singular may have –s, -es, -ies in the present tense.

Be consistent with verb tenses. If you are writing about an event that took place in the past, your writing should reflect that.

Avoid adding irrelevant information. If it doesn’t provide background info or explain the topic, delete it.

Things to Remember

Sentence Types

Subject + Verb = A simple sentence It’s one complete thought or idea, also

referred to as an independent clause.

I swim. Randa reads a lot. Hanan and Hanin are twins.

The Simple Sentence

A simple sentence can have more than

one subject and verb. The point is

that only one idea is

expressed.

S + V

A compound sentence contains 2 independent

clauses. In other words, it expresses 2 complete thoughts or ideas.

The 2 independent clauses are joined together with a coordinating conjunction.

ID = Independent Clause D = Dependent Clause CC = Coordinating Conjunction

The Compound Sentence

Coordinating Conjunctions

For example,

Leena loves to swim.

,but

Anmar loves basketball.

I walked to work today, and I was late. Sahar was tired when she got home, so she

decided to take a nap. Nouf wants to go shopping, but Razan wants

to go to the beach. Marwan doesn’t have a job, yet he wants to

get married.

Other examples…ID ID

A complex sentence is called complex because

it contains both an independent clause and a dependent clause.

A dependent clause will begin with a subordinating conjunction such as,

because although when whereas thoughif

The Complex Sentence

If your sentence begins with a dependent

clause, it is followed by a comma and then the independent clause.

If the sentence begins with an independent clause, there is no need for a comma.

Things to Note

When I was 23 years old, I converted to

Islam.

I left Yanbu because of the weather.

Examples

DC IC

IC DCNOTE:

There’s no comma in

this example.

Run-On Sentences

A run-on sentence consists of two or more

main clauses that are run together without proper punctuation.

For a reader, it may be difficult to decide where sentence ends and the other begins.

Run-On Sentences

Incorrect: The boy showed us his tickets

someone gave them to him. Correct: The boy showed us his tickets.

Someone gave them to him. Incorrect: Judy leads a healthy life she never

seems to get sick. Correct: Judy leads a healthy life. She never

seems to get sick.

Examples

Run-on sentences can be repaired in multiple

ways…

1) Turn the run-on sentence into two separate sentences by adding a period and starting a new one.

2) We can add a comma plus a coordinating conjunction.

We can use a semicolon.

Correcting Run-Ons

Amina broke her leg skiing, now she has to

wear a cast. Today is December 25, your calendar is on the

wrong page. Abeer got a cat for her birthday it’s really

cute. I went shopping last week, the stores were

crowded. I can’t wait for the vacation I’m going to Spain.

Correct the Run-Ons

Writing that has too many strings of

independent clauses joined by coordinating conjunctions can be tiresome and frustrating for the reader.

These long rambling sentences leave the reader out of breath and wondering which information is important.

Sentences that never seem to end are also seen as informal because they copy spoken language.

Stringy Sentences

I went home, but my roommate wasn't there,

so I started to cook dinner, but my roommate came in and saw me trying to cook his favorite recipe, but I didn't really know how to make it well, and he got really angry, so I stopped cooking, and he made dinner for us, and then everything was all right.

Fix this paragraph.

Improving Essays

A topic sentence tells what the paragraph is

about. Remember: A topic sentence contains 2

parts and it expresses a complete thought or idea.

Topic + Comment = Topic Sentence

Topic Sentences

The comment explains what the writer will say

about the topic. It must be something that can be supported, developed or demonstrated.

The comment can’t be a general statement or the sentence will be unclear.

Topic Sentences

The comment should contain an idea or opinion

about the topic. The paragraph is then developed by one of the

following: Describing Telling the cause/effect Demonstrating/arguing Narrating Giving examples/reasons

Topic Sentences: The Comment

Which sentence is the most effective

topic sentence?

A surprise party is a kind of party. There were 14 guests at my surprise party. My classmates gave me an unforgettable

surprise birthday party for my 20th birthday.

Topic Sentences

Hiking is the best way to explore nature

closely. My uncle had a frightening experience as a

child. Text messaging has become popular among

teenagers. Every college student should take a computer

course.

Find the Topic & Comment

Writing a conclusion helps bring your writing

to a close. In a paragraph, it is usually one sentence. In

longer compositions/essays it should be longer. Three sentences is the shortest acceptable conclusion for an essay.

Conclusions

The conclusion can do one of the following:

Restate the main idea (the topic sentence) in different words or in a different way.

Warn the reader Make a prediction Give an opinion Summarize the main points of the essay

Conclusions

We often use transitions to make the text

easier to read. They allow us to move from point to point in a

smoother manner. And they show relationships between ideas.

In other words, they connect one idea to another.

Using Transitions

We use different transitions for different types

of writing to show things such as: Steps, stages, time order Examples Reasons Contrast/Differences Results

Using Transitions

To show examples, we can begin with…

For example, For instance,

To show more examples, we can begin with… Another example One other example Another instance One other instance

Giving Examples

These transitions are typically followed by a verb or by a complete

thought without a comma.

To show steps such as explaining how to do

something, we can use… First, Second, Next, Then, Third, etc.

First, mix the ingredients. Then, pour the mixture into a big pot.

Steps, Stages, Time Order

When writing narratives, we often use time

order. The transitions used for this type of essay are many. Now, Then, Before Soon, After that, etc.

Steps, Stages, Time Order

When we want to add information, we use

transitions such as: Also, In addition, Likewise, Furthermore, Moreover, etc.,

To Add Information

Similar to giving examples, we can say:

One reason is…. The first reason is…. Another reason…

Giving Reasons

Usually when we want to conclude our writing,

we use transitions to signal the end of the composition or essay. To summarize, Finally, As a result, In conclusion, To sum up,

Results & Conclusions

We can also use other transitions to signal

matters such as comparison, contrast, cause and effect and emphasis. For emphasis…

Indeed, in fact, truly, again, surely, etc. For cause and effect…

So, since, because, consequently, therefore, etc.

Other Transitions

For comparison…

In the same way, similarly, likewise, by comparison

For contrast… But, still, however, on the other hand, even

though, although, in contrast, etc.

Other Transitions