Writing Assignment 3
1. Writing A Letter To A friend (80 points)
Dear Olivia,
I’m writing to let you know that I have safely arrived in my hometown in central city.
I’ve had a little bit of nausea during the 7 hours train ride back from star city, but the trip I’ve
had was tremendously amazing. I also want to thank you for taking me around your beautiful
hometown. It was such a fun experience for me which I will never forget. I love the feeling of
comfort and peace that star city gave me while I was there. The environment was so much
greener than in my city. And the thing that I love the most about it was the people and how they
have this sense of belonging to protect and respect each other. It was as if everyone know each
other and treat every people they meet like family. I can never thank you enough for pushing me
to go to the top of the 200 th floor of skyscraper Queen Consolidated building and enjoyed the
view of almost every surface of star city. I can however give my gratitude by showing central
city around to you when you come here to visit, and you should visit me here, you know better
than anyone that I’m not going to take no for an answer.
Sincerely yours,
Blair.
2. Using Transitional Devices (20 points)
Breaking The Rules
College and high school students often look for shortcuts to make their work easier. To achieve a
good grade, students are sometimes tempted to cheat. One of the most frequent ways of cheating
is to buy essays off the Internet. This may result in a good grade. (1 Although this may be true),
plagiarism is irresponsible from a social and an academic standpoint.
(2 Obviously), plagiarism is socially unacceptable. Students are expected by teachers and their
classmates to do their own work. If a student plagiarizes, he or she violates that trust. This may
damage the relationship between the student and the teacher. (3 And also), it breaks the
relationship with classmates. I remember once when a student was discovered to have
plagiarized his essay. We were mad that our classmate had lied to us. (4 Indeed) It was an
embarrassment for everyone— the institution, the instructor and the student— to discover that he
had been cheating all along.
Plagiarism is also wrong because it is against academic policy. (5 Although) buying essays and
presenting them as your own may save time initially, this practice is against university rules. (6
Unquestionably), universities have ways to prove if students have plagiarized. Instructors can
use software that compares a student essay and material on the Internet. This way, instructors can
detect if a particular essay was copied. The consequences are very serious. I remember when one
of my classmates started buying essays to prove that he was an excellent student. After the final
exam, our instructor found his essay on a website and the student was expelled.
It is true that many students at community colleges have busy schedules and may have trouble
completing their assignments on time. Some students may argue that because of their situation,
they sometimes have no choice but to buy essays off the Internet. (7 However), buying essays
off the Internet should never be the solution. Instead, students might try to negotiate the deadline
with their instructor. (8 Moreover), while writing may be a struggle for some students who feel
that their writing is not good enough to receive an A, it is crucial that they do their own work.
They may go to a writing center for help. Otherwise, if they plagiarize, they will not develop
their own writing and critical thinking skills. (9 Consequently), they may not be prepared to
pass their final exams. In the end, plagiarizing is harmful to a student’s own academic success.
(10 Hence), I believe that university authorities should discourage plagiarism by making
students more aware of the problems it causes. Plagiarism damages classroom relationships. It
also violates school policies and prevents students from realizing their own potential. If we do
not stop plagiarism, many students will lose out on their education.
(Adapted from: Davis, J. Rhonda, L. 2006. Effective Academic Writing 3. Oxford: Oxford
University.)
