January 22, 2003.
Peer Editing.
Your classmates (your peers) can be a big help in finding certain kinds of mistakes in your writing. For example, in our last class we looked at subject-verb agreement and verb problems. Most university classes use this technique, which is called peer editing. We will practice this throughout the semester so that you can become comfortable reading and editing other people's writing.
Business Letter to Lisa.
Don't forget that you have a graded homework assignment for Wednesday, the 22nd. Follow the exact style of business letter writing in Kaleidoscope. Pay attention to the punctuation and the form of the letter. It is different from the informal letter that you wrote last week.
The Present Tense.
This week we will begin Chapter One in Grammar in Context. Please read carefully the section called Language Notes. It gives you several rules that can help you be a better writer. For example, you can not contract am not, but you can contract is not (isn't) and are not (aren't).
Chapter One is a review about the present tense, so we will not spend a lot of time on it. Most of the exercises we will do in class.
Writing an Email.
Using the computer is another tool you need to be a good university student. Planet IEP is a tool to help you with English, but it is also a tool to help you become comfortable using technology. For Monday, January 27, you will send me an Email at freddieb@mail.uca.edu.
The topic for this writing assignment is this: Imagine that a movie producer has asked you to come to Hollywood to be in a new film. However, in order to make this film, you must change your name to sound like a "movie-star name."
Your "Hollywood name" has to be a new name, but you can use a combination of American names that you like. In your Email, tell me what name you want and why you have chosen that name. Your paragraph will begin with this sentence: If I had to change my name, I would change it to....
Bonus Point Challenge Answers
IEP Rules and Regulations.
1. True False: In the United States, it's ok to ask the teacher a question in class.
Answer: True.
2. True False: If you have a 3.5 GPA this semester, but you don't have a TOEFL score of 450-474, you can still take a university class next semester.
Answer: True.
3. True False: If you make all As this semester, you can move up to Level Three.
Answer: True.