Week 14

We are nearing the end of our semester together. As you know, our final essay topic is an argumentative essay. What would be your thesis statement be if the topic was "grades do not measure intelligence or achievement"? In other words, for this week you only need to state your thesis statement in the blog. You can agree or disagree with this topic, but your thesis statement needs to be clear which side you support. See page 147 in the book if you need guidance.

week 13

I know I gave you a tough quote to paraphrase last week. This week is easier. Write a summary of a movie you have seen recently. You can assume that I haven't seen the movie which is probably true anyway. Also, don't look on any websites with reviews or summaries of the movie. Just use your own memory and summarizing skills. Add a final comment about whether you would recommend that I see it or not.

week 12

I enjoyed reading about your memorable vacations in the United States, your own country and abroad. This week we are practicing paraphrasing. This skill will help you to integrate facts and ideas from other sources into your own writing. Paraphrase the following quote from Tony Schwartz "Going Postal". "Email's intoxicating qualities are now well known: It's convenient, efficient, simple, and informal, and way to stay connected to more people, a democratizing force in the workplace and less intrusive than the telphone. But as email proliferates, its more pernicious effects are increasingly evident. Much as it facilitates the conduct of business, email is threatening to overrun people's lives."