WRITING EXAM – 50 points (10%)
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Read the three choices below, select ONE and write a 350 to 400--word text (minimum 340 words – maximum 525 words) or you lose 5 points). Use the Tools feature in Word to do a word count and indicate the number of words at the beginning of the text.
2. Write a title, a brief introductory statement, three development paragraphs (underline a topic sentence in each) and a brief conclusion.
3. First, write an outline of your ideas (5 points). See this site for a good example of an outline: http://www.lib.jjay.cuny.edu/research/outlining.html
4. Use connecting devices and parallelism where appropriate.
5. Base your writing on the texts, discussions and listening segments we did in class.
6. Post your text on your own blog site.
TOPIC #1: MOVIE REVIEW
Write a review of the Oscar-nominated film you saw and discussed in class. Discuss the following points: the plot and theme of the movie, the main characters, the film’s main point or theme. Mention some positive and negative comments that reviewers made about the film. Also evaluate the film: the storyline, the acting, dialogue, the special effects if important, and the music. What did you like about the film? What didn’t you like? What do you think it was nominated for best film?
TOPIC #2: Survey report
Write a report based on the information that you gathered in your survey. Use your knowledge of the structures of comparison and contrast to express your ideas clearly. Divide the report into four sections: introduction, methods, results and discussion.
TOPIC #2: EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES
In class, we looked at different educational experiences including those of elite child athletes, two Montréal students, and your very own English teacher. Describe some of these experiences. What impressed you the most about these experiences? What do you think makes a good education?
Grading criteria
1. Grammar: (5 errors per 100 words) 25%
2. Sentence structure, vocabulary, punctuation 25%
3. Text development, structure, coherence (use of topic sentence) 25%
4. Contents (including outline, interesting, substantial, complex ideas) 25%
Labels: Writing exam March 8
