- Often, students need to write a paper or an essay response about what they are learning in their classes. This requires combining information they have heard in class lectures with what they have read in textbooks or other materials. This type of writing is referred to as integrated writing. In this type of writing, students must:
- Take notes on what they hear and read, and use them to organize information before writing
- Summarize, paraphrase, and cite information from the source material accurately
- Write about the ways the information they heard relates to the information they read
- Student must also write essays that express and support their opinions. In this type of writing, known as independent writing, students express an opinion and support it based on their own knowledge and experience.
- Identify one main idea and some major point that support it
- Plan how to organize the essay (For example, with an outline)
- Develop the essay by using reasons, examples, and details
- Express information in an organized manner
- Use effective linking words (transitional phrases) to connect ideas and help the reader understand the flow of ideas
- Use a range grammar and vocabulary for effective expression
- Use grammar and vocabulary accurately; use idiomatic expressions appropriately
- Follow the conventions of spelling, punctuation, and layout