ENGL000: Pre-College English

2a: Outline relationships between main ideas and subordinate ideas within the writing of others and within your own writing

2a.1. Every paragraph should be organized around a single main idea. The evidence and examples given within a paragraph should support the main idea, as you saw in Saylor Academy’s “Main Idea and Supporting Sentences”:

 

 

The image above gives a visual representation of a paragraph’s structure. Which boxes represent the major details of a paragraph? Which represent the minor details?

 

2a.2. Effective writers help guide their readers by using language and sentence structures that signal the relationships between ideas in a paragraph. Expressions such as “for example” or “in conclusion” help the reader anticipate what comes next and how new information will relate to what they have already read.

To practice this concept, read "Developing the Relationships Between Ideas," published by Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges, again and complete the practice exercises.

 

2b: Write well-organized analytical paragraphs in response to writing prompts

2b.1. As you worked your way through Pre-College English, each unit asked you develop new skills and to layer those skills on top of work you had completed in previous units. In Unit 1, you learned the basics of writing complete sentences with a variety of sentence structures, and you began linking sentences together into organized paragraphs.

 

2b.2. In Unit 2, you focused on developing relationships between ideas, which strengthens the organization and quality of your paragraphs.

Unit 2 contains two exercises in which you practiced writing your own well-organized paragraphs using topic sentences, supporting ideas, and transitional expressions. For additional practice, complete Saylor Academy’s “Relationship Between Ideas Paragraph” assessment and the reflection assignment based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s “The Red-Headed League.” Be sure to look closely at the rubric for detailed information about evaluating the organization of your paragraphs.

 

2c: Use commas effectively in writing, avoiding fragments and run-on sentences

2c.1. In Unit 1, you learned the elements of a complete sentence. Using commas effectively will help you write complete and grammatically correct sentences.

 

2c.2. To use commas effectively, you need to be able to identify the different sentence types introduced in Unit 1. You also need to understand conjunctions, which are words that join ideas within a sentence.

 

2c.3. To write effectively, you need to understand grammatical rules, including comma rules. You also need to be able to apply those rules in your own writing. You must be able to recognize when you have made a grammatical error and understand how to fix it. This process is called proofreading, and it is covered in detail in Unit 3.

To practice proofreading and test your knowledge of commas, fragments, and run-on sentences, review these materials published by Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges: “Fragments” and “Comma Splice/Run-on Sentences.” Be sure to complete the practice exercises and check your work against “Fragments: Answer Key” and “Comma Splice/Run-on Sentences: Answer Key.”

 

2d: Write a clear and focused thesis statement supported by appropriate evidence and examples

2d.1. Just as a paragraph should clearly state its purpose in a topic sentence, an argumentative essay should clearly state its claim in a thesis statement. A thesis statement indicates the topic of an essay, takes a stance on the issue, and often suggests the way the essay will be organized. 

 

2d.2. A thesis statement is the organizing hub of an argumentative essay. Just as each subpoint in a paragraph supports the main idea, each paragraph in an essay should provide evidence that supports the thesis.

To review the features of effective thesis statements and to practice developing strong thesis statements of your own, read Virginia Tech Libraries’ Information Skills Modules: “Choosing and Focusing a Topic,” as well as Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges’ reading, “Developing a Thesis.”

 

2e: Apply prewriting strategies to narrow a topic and develop a piece of writing

2e.1. Prewriting is the first stage in the writing process. After studying prewriting in Unit 1, you should be able to:

To review some common pre-writing strategies and complete practice pre-writing activities, refer to the Unit 1 Study Guide or see Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges’ “Pre-Writing Activities.”

 

2e.2. After you have completed one or more prewriting activities to identify and narrow your topic, you should craft an outline. You can think of an outline as the skeleton of your essay. It should represent the basic ideas you will be discussing and show the relationship between those ideas. The purpose of an outline is to help you develop and organize your ideas before you begin writing your essay.

• When should you organize an essay in chronological order?
• When should you organize an essay in spatial order?
• When should you organize an essay in order of importance?

If you cannot readily answer the study questions above, you should revisit Saylor Academy’s “Outlining” reading prior to attempting the final exam. You may also want to review Joe Schall’s “Outlines” and look at a sample outline.

 

2f: Demonstrate principles of active reading

2f.1. Active reading is the opposite of passive reading. When you read actively, you read with intention: looking for main ideas, looking up unfamiliar words in the dictionary, taking effective notes, and reflecting on what you read. Each unit in this course asked you to practice your active reading skills.

To review the principles of active reading, revisit the following readings and video:

• Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges: “Active Reading”
  
• Literacy4DS: “Active Reading”
  
• California Community Colleges, Chancellor’s Office: “Online Reading Strategies”
  
• Essential Study Skills Wikispace: “Cornell Notetaking System”
  

To practice your active reading skills, you can retake Saylor Academy’s “The Red-Headed League” quiz, based on the short story by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. You can check your work against the answer key here.

 

Unit 2 Vocabulary List

This vocabulary list includes terms that might help you answer some of the review items above and some terms you should be familiar with to be successful in completing the final exam for the course.

Active reading

Comma splice

Conjunctive adverbs

Coordinating conjunctions

Main idea

Outlining

Prewriting

Proofreading

Run-on sentence

Sentence fragment

Subordinate ideas

Subordinating conjunctions

Thesis statement

Transitional expressions