Getting Started with Essay Writing

About this course: Course 2: Getting Started with Essay Writing This is the second course in the Academic English: Writing specialization. By introducing you to three types of academic essays, this course will especially help prepare you for work in college classes, but anyone who wants to improve his or her writing skills can benefit from this course. After completing this course, you will be able to: - create effective thesis statements for your essays - plan and write compare/contrast, cause/effect, and argument essays - write well-developed body paragraphs Note: The lectures and practice activities are available for free, but you must upgrade to the pay version in order to take the quizzes and get feedback on writing assignments.

Created by:  University of California, Irvine

• Taught by:  Tamy Chapman, Instructor, International Programs

  University of California Irvine Division of Continuing Education

• Taught by:  Helen Nam, Instructor

  International Programs, UCI Extension

Basic Info Course 2 of 5 in the Academic English: Writing Specialization Commitment 4 weeks of study, 1-3 hours/week Language English, Subtitles: Arabic How To Pass Pass all graded assignments to complete the course. User Ratings 4.6 stars Average User Rating 4.6See what learners said 课程作业

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Syllabus


WEEK 1


Course Introduction



This is the second course in the Academic English: Writing specialization. In the last course, you reviewed sentence types and punctuation. You'll use that information in this course to make your writing great. In this course, you'll learn all about academic essay writing and, specifically, how to write three types of essays: compare/contrast, cause/effect, and argument. To pass this course, you need to pass all four quizzes and pass all three writing assignments. When you finish one activity, you can continue to the next one. Enjoy!


2 videos, 2 readings expand

1. 阅读: Pre-Course Survey
2. Video: Course Introduction Video
3. 同学互评: Introductions
4. Video: Academic Integrity Video Lecture
5. 阅读: Message about Opinions

Essay Writing



In this module, you'll start learning about essay structure and some other important tools for good writing. There's a lot of information in this module, but it's all necessary for writing well. Make sure you take notes so you will remember these tools when you write your essays. Note to learners: this course is designed for learners of English with intermediate English writing skills. The sample essays in this course are aimed at that level. However, the principles discussed in the lessons are practical for writers of any level. If you're at a lower level, do the best you can. If you are a more advanced writer, feel free to write more developed and complex essays than the ones in the examples. Just make sure you follow the structures introduced.


6 videos, 8 readings, 1 practice quiz expand

1. 阅读: Learning Objectives
2. Video: What is an Essay? Video Lecture
3. 阅读: Learning Objectives
4. Video: Introduction Paragraphs Video Lecture
5. 阅读: Thesis Statement Practice
6. 阅读: Learning Objectives
7. Video: Body Paragraphs Video Lecture
8. 阅读: Learning Objectives
9. Video: Paragraph Basics Video Lecture
10. 阅读: Topic Sentences Practice
11. 练习测验: Essay Writing Practice Quiz
12. 阅读: Learning Objectives
13. Video: Conclusion Paragraphs Video Lecture
14. Video: The Writing Process Video Lecture
15. 同学互评: Academic Essay Discussion
16. 阅读: Sample Essay

Graded: Essay Writing

WEEK 2


Writing Compare/Contrast Essays



Now, you're ready to write your first type of academic essay--the compare/contrast essay. In this module, you'll learn what this type of essay is and how to structure it. Then, you'll look at some examples and practice writing your own compare/contrast essay. Remember the sample essays in the lesson are typical for an intermediate-level student. Write a compare/contrast essay that fits your own writing ability. Good luck!


3 videos, 6 readings, 1 practice quiz expand

1. Video: Introduction to Writing Compare/Contrast Essays
2. 阅读: Learning Objectives
3. Video: Compare/Contrast Essay Video Lecture
4. 阅读: Compare/Contrast Practice
5. Video: Teacher Discusses a Compare/Contrast Essay
6. 同学互评: Compare/Contrast Essay Discussion
7. 练习测验: Compare/Contrast Essays Practice Quiz
8. 阅读: Compare/Contrast Writing Assignment
9. 阅读: Sample Compare/Contrast Essay
10. 阅读: Links to Other Resources
11. 阅读: Quiz Instructions

Graded: Compare/Contrast Essay Peer Review
Graded: Writing Compare/Contrast Essays

WEEK 3


Writing Cause/Effect Essays



Now, you'll learn about writing the cause/effect essay. This is another type of academic essay that you might be asked to write in your college classes. For this type of essay you'll think about reasons why something happens or the effects of something. The sample essays in this module are also representative of an intermediate-level writer. Write a cause/effect essay appropriate for your own English level. Just remember to follow the advice given in the lessons.


3 videos, 6 readings, 1 practice quiz expand

1. Video: Introduction to Writing Cause/Effect Essays
2. 阅读: Learning Objectives
3. Video: Cause/Effect Video Lecture
4. 阅读: Cause/Effect Practice
5. Video: Teacher Discusses a Cause/Effect Essay
6. 同学互评: Cause/Effect Essay Discussion
7. 练习测验: Cause/Effect Essays Practice Quiz
8. 阅读: Cause/Effect Writing Assignment
9. 阅读: Sample Cause/Effect Essay
10. 阅读: Links to Other Resources
11. 阅读: Quiz Instructions

Graded: Cause/Effect Essay Peer Review
Graded: Writing Cause/Effect Essays

WEEK 4


Writing Argument Essays



In this last module, you'll learn how to write the most common type of college essay. The argument essay is probably the most fun essay to write too. In this one, you will try to convince your reader to believe your argument or position on some controversial topic. You have to think of good reasons to support your position. Remember to write an argument essay that is to the best of your own abilities.


3 videos, 8 readings, 1 practice quiz expand

1. Video: Introduction to Writing Argument Essays
2. 阅读: Learning Objectives
3. Video: Argument Essays Video Lecture
4. 阅读: Debatable vs Non-Debatable Practice
5. 阅读: Argument Practice
6. Video: Teacher Discusses an Argument Essay
7. 练习测验: Argument Essay Practice Quiz
8. 同学互评: Argument Essay Discussion
9. 阅读: Argument Writing Assignment
10. 阅读: Sample Argument Essay
11. 阅读: Links to Other Resources
12. 阅读: Quiz Instructions
13. 阅读: Learn

Graded: Argument Essay Peer Review
Graded: Argument Essays