Great writing 1 Teachers note

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)

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.

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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].
Teacher’s Notes for Great Writing 1: Great Sentences for Great Paragraphs, 4th edition
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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
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.

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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

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.

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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.

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.

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.
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.

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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).

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.

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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.
Teacher’s Notes for Great Writing 1: Great Sentences for Great Paragraphs, 4th edition
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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.
Teacher’s Notes for Great Writing 1: Great Sentences for Great Paragraphs, 4th edition
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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:

Teacher’s Notes for Great Writing 1: Great Sentences for Great Paragraphs, 4th edition
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On Monday, I am ______________________.
On Tuesday, I am ______________________.
On Wednesday, I am ____________________.
On Thursday, I am ______________________.
On Friday, I am ________________________.
On Saturday, I am ______________________.
On Sunday, I am _______________________.

Locations

post office
grocery store
library
car
desk

bank
dentist
restaurant
bakery
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.

Teacher’s Notes for Great Writing 1: Great Sentences for Great Paragraphs, 4th edition
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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

3. task, n.

assignment; job

The maid did not finish all her

lifestyles.

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
Example Paragraph 2, p. 11
book
desk
easy
grammar book
textbook
workbook
Example Paragraph 3, p. 14
surprising
bank
branch
understand

Teacher’s Notes for Great Writing 1: Great Sentences for Great Paragraphs, 4th edition
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Example Paragraph 4, p. 21
ingredient
simple
cheap
finally
to add
Example Paragraph 5, p. 27
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.

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.

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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.
The activities in this unit range from guided sentence activities in which students
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
Each unit begins with a two-page opening spread featuring a photo, a set of objectives,
and a culminating writing task.
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Direct students’ attention to the photo and ask them to tell you what they see. This photo
shows professional rock climber Chris Sharma gripping a small indentation in the Ceues, France.
Go over the objectives on the top of page 33. Explain that students will do these things in
the unit. Have students look at the question at the bottom of page 33. Tell them you will come
back to this question at the end of the unit.
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.
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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

The topic sentence tells the
main idea of the paragraph. It
is usually the first sentence of
the paragraph.

Body
The body has sentences with
information that supports the
topic sentence.

Concluding Sentence
The concluding sentence is at
the end of the paragraph. It is
a brief summary of the
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.
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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.
Activity 22: Editing: Grammar and Sentence Review, p. 64
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.
Building Better Vocabulary
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
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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.
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 25: Parts of Speech, p. 66

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 26: Original Writing Practice, pp. 66–68
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.
Activity 27: Peer Editing, p. 68
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
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.
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.
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EXPANSION ACTIVITIES
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.
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.
Whether or not this particular strategy is employed, it is imperative that students acquire
a large amount of appropriate vocabulary in this course.
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 6, p. 37
dream
weather
temperature
energy
pure
nature/natural
scenic
landscape

wild
native
wonderful
state
Example Paragraph 7, p. 39
porch
favorite
comfortable
relax
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bother
sunset
calm
best
Example Paragraph 8, p. 40
building
district
floor
panel
public
steel
tallest
to shop
to be proud
Example Paragraph 9, p. 44

spaghetti
most
taste
to enjoy
smell
to love
sauce
to put
some
Example Paragraph 11, p. 46
to fall
few
to start
to melt
clean
messy
sidewalk
slippery
traffic
closed
hard
accidents
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to understand
Example Paragraph 12, p. 47

restaurant
to work
to serve
to remember
dinner
order
problem
food
to take back
immediately
customer
to want
meal
Example Paragraph 13, p. 47
to enjoy
excellent
exciting
full of
life
show
statue
truly
to visit
Example Paragraph 14, p. 48
pasta
plain
to taste
to eat
to include
kind

to prepare
to make
healthy
calories
plate
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