Preface
FOUNDATIONS WRITING SKILLS is a two-level, self-contained course in writing English aimed at elementary and intermediate level Arab students. The course guides students step-by-step towards writing simple and accurate paragraphs, paying close attention to sentence structure, vocabulary, grammar and mechanics, guided paragraph writing and the process of writing.
Continuous graded practice is provided through a variety of exercise types such as reading comprehension, gap-fill, table completion, the correction of passages and the writing of sentences and paragraphs using pictures and tabular information. All exercises are based on realistic topics and content and language functions, useful in real life situations. Places from various Arab countries are commonly mentioned, but the locale should be unimportant for the comprehension of the model compositions, and students will substitute their own environments in their writing.
The book is divided into ten units. Each unit is subdivided into six sections: model composition, vocabulary, grammar and mechanics, sentence-joining, guided paragraphs, and the process of writing.
All model compositions focus on certain purposes for writing, such as narrating and describing, and certain means of organizing ideas such as chronological and spatial ordering. The assumptions here are that even on an elementary level there is more to composing than mere sentence-level exercises and that English learners can understand and use sophisticated principles and techniques of English compositions writing without waiting until they are more fully fluent in English.
Contents
UNIT 1: Describing People 1 1
Part 1: Model Composition 1
Part 2: Vocabulary 5
Part 3: Grammar and Mechanics 6
Using a/an 6
Simple Present of the Verb be 8
Simple Present Tense – Other Verbs 9
Affirmative Statements 9
Negative Statements 12
Capital Letters and Periods 12
Part 4: Sentence-Joining 15
Using and 15
Using but 15
Part 5: Guided Paragraphs 17
Part 6: The Writing Process 19
UNIT 2: Describing People 2 21
Part 1: Model Composition 21
Part 2: Vocabulary 24
Part 3: Grammar and Mechanics 26
Using have/has + got = ’ve got or ’s got 26
Part 4: Sentence-Joining 29
Using the conjunction and 29
Using with 31
Using too 32
Part 5: Guided Paragraphs 33
Part 6: The Writing Process 36
UNIT 3: Describing a Routine Day 38
Part 1: Model Composition 38
Part 2: Vocabulary 1 40
Vocabulary 2 43
Part 3: Grammar and Mechanics 44
Simple Present Tense 44
Adverbs of Frequency 46
Prepositions of Time 48
Part 4: Sentence-Joining 50
Part 5: Guided Paragraphs 55
Part 6: The Writing Process 57
UNIT 4: Describing Your Family 60
Part 1: Model Composition 61
Part 2: Vocabulary 65
Part 3: Grammar and Mechanics 67
Simple Present Tense 67
Part 4: Sentence-Joining 69
Using but 69
Using and 70
Part 5: Guided Paragraphs 71
Part 6: The Writing Process 74
UNIT 5: Describing Your Home 76
Part 1: Model Composition 77
Part 2: Vocabulary 81
Descriptive Adjectives 81
Part 3: Grammar and Mechanics 83
There is/There are 83
Prepositions of Place 85
Part 4: Sentence-Joining 89
Using but to join sentences containing contrasting information 89
Part 5: Guided Paragraphs 90
Part 6: The Writing Process 92
UNIT 6: Describing Your School 94
Part 1: Model Composition 94
Part 2: Vocabulary 98
Descriptive Adjectives: Order 98
Part 3: Grammar and Mechanics 100
There is/There are: Review 100
Part 4: Sentence-Joining: Review 102
and 102
with 102
but 102
Part 5: Guided Paragraphs 103
Part 6: The Writing Process 108
UNIT 7: Describing a Restaurant 111
Part 1: Model Composition 112
Part 2: Vocabulary 116
Contents
Part 3: Grammar and Mechanics 118
Countable and Uncountable Nouns 118
A/An – Some/Any 120
Countable Nouns 120
Uncountable Nouns 120
Part 4: Sentence-Joining: Using and 122
Using and 122
Using or 124
Part 5: Guided Paragraphs 125
Part 6: The Writing Process 129
UNIT 8: Describing Seasons and Weather 133
Part 1: Model Composition 133
Part 2: Vocabulary 138
Part 3: Grammar and Mechanics: Modifying Adjectives – Adverbs of Degree 141
Part 4: Sentence-Joining: and, with, but 145
Part 5: Guided Paragraphs 147
Part 6: The Writing Process 149
UNIT 9: Describing a Holiday 152
Part 1: Model Composition 153
Part 2: Vocabulary 157
Past Tense: Regular and Irregular Verbs 157
Spelling Rules for Adding ing to Verbs 159
Part 3: Grammar and Mechanics 161
Past Simple Tense 161
Part 4: Sentence-Joining 165
Part 5: Guided Paragraphs 166
Part 6: The Writing Process 168
UNIT 10: Describing Your Schedule 170
Part 1: Model Composition 170
Part 2: Vocabulary 172
Transition Words 172
Part 3: Grammar and Mechanics 173
Using be going to 173
Simple Prepositions: on, at, with 175
Part 4: Sentence-Joining 176
Part 5: Guided Paragraphs 182
Part 6: The Writing Process 185
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.