Illustrate

To write an effective illustration, supply a representative number of relevant examples. The examples can be hypothetical or specific and may include personal experience. Effective illustrations are highly valued in academic writing assignments.

Respond/Comment

Response assignments are thought papers in which you react with your personal interpretation of the text material. Agree or disagree and support your position with personal experience and/or references to assigned readings.

Summarize

In a summary, restate what the author's major points are in your own words. Do not add your own main points or opinions in a summary. Also, do not judge or evaluate the author's main points. A summary is a short report, not a critique.

Trace/Outline

When tracing or outlining the development of something, you need to provide an overview of historical events in chronological order or the major points of an issue.

Ex. 2. Answer The Discussion Questions:

1. How can you use your critical skills in your academic course work?

2. What activities does academic writing involve?

3. Do you know what a brainstorming means?

4. Have you ever participated in a brainstorming when solving some problems?

5. What is the difference between oral assignment and written out in detail?

6. Why is it so important to follow the assignment task precisely?

7. What are some common terms used in academic writing assignments?

8. Can you give a full characteristic of each term used in academic writing assignments?

Ex. 3. Analyzing short writing assignments.

• Underline the key words. What do the following short assignments require?

• How would you complete them?

Example. In what (ways) do porpoises (differ from) dolphins?

Ways: enumeration; differ from: contrast.

I would enumerate the differences between dolphins and porpoises.

1. Explain how a caterpillar becomes a butterfly.

2. Discuss three major reasons that people who leave the security of their home cultures to move to another culture to study are heroes. Provide examples, details, and personal experience.

3. Enumerate the causes and effects of women's liberation.

4. Trace the development of satellites.

5. Enumerate the major features of effective academic writing. Discuss them in detail.

Listening

Script 8

Ex. 4. Listen to the tape and decide whether the following statement is correct:

The reason of the students’ often failing when they write assignments is not because their writing skills are not high enough or because their knowledge of the subject matter is insufficient, but because they have not fully understood the given question.

Ex. 5. Listen to the tape again and tick which of phrases a-p the speaker uses?

a. writing skills	i. the point of view on the subject matter
b. knowledge of the subject matter is insufficient	j. strict instruction
c. evaluation of information	k. a new version of the question
d. to fully understand what a question means	l. the detailed limitation of the topic
e. writing without grammar mistakes	m. supporting remarks
f. to search for certain components	n. the subject matter.
g. the following technique is very effective	o. sequence
h. subject matter or topic	p. which often comes at the beginning

Ex. 6. Listen again and make notes about the useful technique helping to understand the given question.