Instructions for intensive practice (grammar, writing skills)
Instructions for extensive practice (fluency, speed)
In a paragraph or an essay, discuss the attributes of a person who has had a significant impact on history. Suggested writing focus: verb tenses and forms.
Write a paragraph or an essay about a time when you were afraid. What did you do? How did you overcome your fear? Suggested writing focus: verb tenses and forms.
Spend a few minutes reflecting on the last five years of your life. In a paragraph or an essay, describe how you have changed during this time. Suggested writing focus: verb tenses and forms.
Imagine that you could give advice to any historical figure. To whom would you give advice? What would that advice be? Write a dialogue (a conversation) in which you give this person the advice you think he or she needs. Suggested writing focus: modal verbs (for example, you could. . ., you should. . .).
Write a paragraph or an essay that describes your goals in life. Remember to consider not only your educational or career aspirations but your personal and emotional goals as well. Suggested writing focus: gerunds and infinitives following verbs (for example, I would like to live. . ., I can imagine working. . .).
Think about some of the English idioms and expressions you know that relate to the concept of time (Time is money, Time flies, There’s no time like the present, To waste time, To spend time, for example). In a paragraph or an essay, explain what you think these expressions reflect about American culture. (Why, for example, do Americans not use the expression There’s no time like the past?) Suggested writing focus: sentence completeness and sentence structure.
If you could be invisible for a day, where would you go and what would you do? Write a paragraph or an essay in which you describe your intentions or desires. Suggested writing focus: conditional sentences.
Visit an art museum or gallery and spend a few minutes looking closely at a piece of art that intrigues you. If that is not convenient, look around your campus for a painting or statue that interests you. Write a paragraph or an essay describing the work of art in detail. Suggested writing focus: articles or prepositions.
Sit down near a busy place on campus (or any other place you spend much of your time). Take a few minutes to observe the people and things around you. Write a paragraph or an essay describing what you see. Suggested writing focus: adjectives and adjective clauses.
Skim through the editorials or advice columns of a newspaper or magazine. Choose a piece of writing that interests you. In a paragraph or a brief essay, write a summary of the article, making sure to include the author’s main idea. Suggested writing focus: understanding main ideas.
In a well-organized essay, discuss the advantages (or disadvantages) of living with a roommate. Include a thesis statement and at least three supporting paragraphs. Suggested writing focus: thesis and support.
In a well-organized essay, discuss the negative impacts of a particular invention that is usually considered positive (such as the cell phone, the computer, or the microwave oven). Suggested writing focus: paragraph development.
In a well-organized essay, compare your personality with the personality of a close friend. (For example, Who is more introverted? Who takes more risks?) Suggested writing focus: using transitions between ideas.
Think about a social problem that bothers you or a social issue that you feel strongly about. In a well-organized essay, discuss the problem or issue and explain what should be done to improve the situation. Use information from two or three sources. Document your sources with in-text citations and include a works cited page. Suggested writing focus: citing sources in MLA style.
Most colleges in the United States value creative thinking over memorization. In a well-organized essay, compare the negative aspects and positive aspects of these two ways of learning and then explain which one you think is preferable. Ask two friends or classmates what they think. Use their responses and your own reasons as evidence to support your position. Be sure to integrate the words or ideas of others into your essay. Suggested writing focus: integrating sources in MLA style.