Topic sentence/thesis
Pass/fail:
Revise this claim to be successful:
This essay will discuss the efforts on deforestation.
Pass/fail
Before making any changes to a draft, what two key documents should a writer reread to ensure their revision is focused and on track?
The original prompt and the thesis statement
Correct the punctuation error in this sentence: "The committee after careful deliberation issued a report; however, they failed to offer a specific solution."
"The committee, after careful deliberation, issued a report; however, they failed to offer a specific solution."
What is the difference between using "evidence" in a paragraph and simply summarizing a source?
Evidence is data or a fact to support a claim that must be followed by analysis.
Rank these three topic sentences from most to least effective and justify your top choice:
(A) There are three main reasons the United States entered World War II, including the initial attacks on America.
(B) The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was a major catalyst for U.S. involvement in World War II.
(C) While often cited as the cause, the attack on Pearl Harbor was the final trigger in a series of economic and political tensions that drove the U.S. into World War II.
C, B, A
What should be found at the beginning of a strong paragraph?
A smooth logical transition
Correct the mistake: A number of recent studies on the topic was inconclusive.
A number of recent studies on the topic were inconclusive.
For a paper arguing that the decline of honeybee populations is a critical environmental issue, which of the following is the stronger piece of evidence, and why?
(A) "Bees are an integral part of our ecosystem," according to the Endangered Species Coalition.
(B) A 2023 study by the USDA found that bee pollination is responsible for over $15 billion in increased crop value annually, a statistic cited in a peer-reviewed agricultural journal.
B
Break down the 3 main topics that may be discussed in the essay:
While the Romantic poets initially celebrated the Industrial Revolution as a symbol of human progress, their later works reveal a deep-seated anxiety about technology's dehumanizing effect on society and the environment.
1. Introduction: how/why these poets celebrated
2. Their anxiety on technology's effect on society
3. Their anxiety on technology's effect on the environment
Beyond restating the thesis, what is the primary function of a compelling conclusion in a college essay?
To synthesize the main points and provide a final thought to the reader.
Explain the difference in meaning between these two sentences: (A) My sister, who lives in Ohio, is a lawyer.
(B) My sister who lives in Ohio is a lawyer
A. Author implies they only have one sister and provides additional info on her.
B. Author clarifies which sister they are talking about (the one in Ohio)
Identify and explain the logical fallacy in how this evidence is used: My evidence for the ineffectiveness of the new zoning laws is that everyone I've talked to has agreed they're terrible, so they must be failing.
Bandwagon fallacy (bonus points) OR it assumes something is true because a group believes it rather than providing concrete data.
Pass/fail: Create a topic sentence that summarizes the goal of this week's essay activity.
Pass/fail
Revise the following sentence to be more concise and impactful, correcting at least two distinct issues:
The fact that the research was performed by the team in a careful and thorough manner is a point of significant importance to be noted.
The careful and thorough nature of the research is of significant importance.
Issues are:
1. Wordiness
2. Passive voice
Correct the 3 errors in parallelism in the following sentence:
The university's mission is inspiring students to think critically, providing resources for research, and for them to engage in community service.
The university's mission is to inspire students to think critically, to provide resources for research, and to engage in community service.
You are quoting a sentence from a website article with no listed author, titled "The Rise of Digital Learning." The sentence you want to quote is: "Online courses have revolutionized the way students can access higher education."
How would you correctly cite this quote in MLA format at the end of the sentence?
"Online courses have revolutionized the way students can access higher education" ("Rise of Digital Learning").