Saturday, March 21, 2020

17 Free Online Academic English Writing Courses

17 Free Online Academic English Writing Courses If you are an English language learner and getting ready to enter into university, getting up to speed on your academic writing will mean the difference between success and struggle in your academic pursuits. However, youre in luck, as there are several free online academic English writing courses available that offer students like you a chance to brush up on your skills in your own time and without paying a dime.A Beginners Guide to Writing in English for University Study - In this five-week course provided by the University of Reading (via FutureLearn), you will learn how to write using academic English in preparation for university study. The course was developed to help students learn the basics of writing in English for academic purposes, including the stages of essay writing. Aimed at non-English speakers with a minimum level of IELTS 4.5 or equivalent, you should know some English before taking this course.Adjectives and Adjective Clauses - In this four-week course provided by the University of California, Irvine (via Coursera), you will learn how to make your writing more interesting through writing adjectives and adjective clauses. In the first module, you will review what adjectives (and adjective phrases) are and how to use them correctly in English. In the second module, youll learn about adjective clauses, what they look like, and how to use them correctly to make your sentences more complex. In the final module, youll learn the different ways to use adjective clauses in academic writing.Advanced Writing - In this four-week course provided by the University of California, Irvine (via Coursera), you will learn to raise your level of academic writing in preparation for college-level work. Specifically, you will learn to plan and write a more sophisticated argumentative essay; identify plagiarism and explain how to prevent it; read and analyze several articles to form your own opinion on a topic; make connections between several articles; form thes is statements from your readings; and use sources effectively when writing an essay. While youll have access to all the instructional videos and handouts by taking the free version of this course, youll need to enroll in the paid version to receive peer feedback and take quizzes.Conjunctions, Connectives, and Adverb Clauses - In this four-week course provided by the University of California, Irvine (via Coursera), you will learn about the different types of conjunctions in English and how to use them and punctuate them in sentences. You will also learn how to join ideas with correct grammar and punctuation, including transition words and prepositional phrases, complex sentences, and adverb clauses. Finally, youll learn a more advanced way to write complex sentences by reducing the adverb clauses. Each of these lessons will help you write academic English more fluently.English Composition - In this eight-week course provided by Arizona State University (via edX) as part of the Glob al Freshman Academy (GFA), you will learn how to communicate your ideas clearly through English writing. Specifically, you will learn to develop ideas effectively for a variety of purposes, audiences and occasions through completing several major written projects. Furthermore, you will learn how to craft your writing to meet the needs of specific audiences for specific purposes; how to make decisions about what to include and not include in your writing; how to use invention, research, drafting, revising, and editing in your writing; to use various formats and stylistic choices, including genre conventions; and how to use diverse technologies to write more effectively and efficiently.English Composition I - In this ten-week course provided by Duke University (via Coursera), you will learn college-level writing by reading carefully, writing effective arguments, understanding the writing process, engaging with others ideas, citing accurately, and crafting powerful prose. Throughout t he course, you will also learn how to summarize, analyze, question, and evaluate written and visual texts; argue and support a position; recognize audience and disciplinary expectations; identify and use the stages of the writing process; identify characteristics of effective prose; apply proper citation practices; and discuss applying your writing knowledge to other writing occasions.English Grammar and Style - In this eight-week course sponsored by The University of Queensland (via edX), you can learn key concepts and strategies in grammar and style to help enhance your writing. The course offers instruction in grammatical principles, word usage, writing style, sentence and paragraph structure, and punctuation. Video interviews with distinguished grammarians, along with quizzes and writing activities, assist students build their English writing skills.Getting Started with Essay Writing - In this four-week course provided by the University of California, Irvine (via Coursera), yo u will learn about the three types of academic essays and how to improve your writing skills when writing each type. The course covers how to create effective thesis statements for your essays; how to plan and write compare/contrast, cause/effect, and argument essays; and how to write well-developed body paragraphs. While the lectures and practice activities are available for free, students must enroll in the paid version to take the quizzes and receive feedback on writing assignments.Grammar and Punctuation - In this four-week course offered by the University of California, Irvine (via Coursera), you will learn the basics of writing academic English for studying in an American university. It includes video lectures, readings, practice exercises, and quizzes, although the free version does not offer peer feedback and graded quizzes. By the end of the course, you will know how to identify the correct verb tenses to use, use commas effectively, utilize several different sentence type s, and write more effectively in English.How to Write an Essay - In this five-week course provided by the University of California, Berkeley (via edX), you will be introduced to academic writing for English learners by learning essay development, grammatical correctness, and self-editing. The course covers basic grammar terminology and understanding; writing effective sentences and paragraphs; introductions and conclusions; strategies for writing longer texts; and thesis statements. It is provided in partnership with the U.S. Department of State.Introduction to Research for Essay Writing - In this four-week course provided by the University of California, Irvine (via Coursera), you will learn the steps involved in planning, outlining, and writing a research paper. Some topics covered include how to choose appropriate research topics for your classes, how to find source material for research papers, how to avoid plagiarizing, and how to take and organize notes in the process of you r research. You will also learn how to use an appropriate academic tone and language in your writing, along with how to document sources by creating a list in MLA format.Perfect Tenses and Modals - In this four-week course provided by the University of California, Irvine (via Coursera), you will learn about important intermediate verb tenses, including present perfect, present perfect progressive, past perfect, and past perfect progressive. The course also covers common modal verbs used in English. Although it is designed for learners who already have a basic understanding of English grammar, it will help you become a better academic writer.Preparing for College: Writing Proficiency - This self-paced course provided by Parkland College (via Canvas Network) is third in a series of four courses that are aimed at helping students improve their scores on placement tests while preparing for college-level courses. The focus of this course is on writing skills, along with links to pract ice tests to help students identify problem areas and supplemental help for students who need it.Scribble: Writing for New Writers - In this 13-week course provided via OpenLearning, you will learn the process of writing- from simple paragraphs to more complex writing structures. The courses eventual aim is to prepare you for research writing. Designed for students who are studying English and are preparing to soon enter a university, this course will help you brush up on some basic skills such as sentence and paragraph creation, along with proper English structure and forms of writing.Tricky English Grammar - In this four-week course provided by the University of California, Irvine (via Coursera), you will learn about tricky issues in English grammar that can confuse even the most astute student. This includes tricky nouns, articles, and quantifiers; when to put a or the in front of a noun; when to put nothing in front of the noun; using gerunds and infinitives correctly; making requests and asking for permission; some word forms that cause confusion; and phrasal verbs and collocations.Verb Tenses and Passives - In this four-week course provided by the University of California, Irvine (via Coursera), you will review the verb tenses that you learned in beginning English classes and learn about a few tenses you may not know very well. It covers 12 of the English verb tenses and passive verb forms, along with how to blend these tenses, which is what native speakers frequently do. Overall, this course will help you improve your fluency in written and spoken academic English. While the free version of this class gives you access to all of the instructional videos and handouts, you will need to enroll in the paid course to receive peer feedback and take quizzes.Writing in English at University - In this four-week course provided by Lund University (via Coursera), you will learn to understand the conventions of academic writing in English along with the various components of the academic writing process. The course is divided into four modules:Writing in English at university: An introduction;Structuring your text and conveying your argument;Using sources in academic writing; andThe writers toolbox: Editing and proofreading.The course consists of video lectures, reading assignments, and reflective self-assessment questions, along with peer review exercises that provide students with an opportunity to interact with their peers also taking the course.

Thursday, March 5, 2020

Where to Find IB Chemistry Past Papers - Free and Official

Where to Find IB Chemistry Past Papers - Free and Official SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Taking the IB Chemistry exam will be a nerve-wracking experience, but having seen a real IB past paper before taking the actual test will be a huge advantage since you'll have experience with the test format, the length, and style of the test. In this article, I will show you where to find IB Chemistry past papers, both free and paid. I'll also share tips on how to study most effectively using these IB Chemistry past papers. Where to Find Free Tests The IB has been diligent about seeking out and destroying illegally uploaded official papers for the past few years, so a lot of sources that used to be out there are no longer readily available. Currently, the only free official IB Chemistry test legally available is this Chemistry HL paper 3. I have not been able to find any unofficial IB Chemistry past papers (ones created from scratch). If you find any, I strongly advise AGAINST using them, as they may be nothing like the actual IB Chemistry papers. Where to Find Paid Tests The IBO store sells IB Chemistry SL and HL past papers from May 2015 to November 2018. Navigate to the Diploma Program page, then click "Shop Exam Papers" to see all available papers, which can be narrowed by category and time frame. This is the only safe place to get IB Chemistry past papers to download. Each paper and each mark scheme costs $3.00. Buying all of the past papers and mark schemes can be costly, so if you are looking to spend as little as possible, I recommend just purchasing the most recent (November and May 2018) past papers as they will be closest to what you learned. 3 Tips for Using IB Chemistry Past Papers Productively Since each practice IB Chemistry exam will take you 3 hours for SL or 4.5 hours for HL, it's imperative that you get the most out of each test. Here are a few helpful practices to keep in mind when you're taking these papers: #1: Complete papers 1 and 2 in one sitting. The IB Chemistry SL and IB Chemistry HL papers are intense, forcing you to sit and concentrate for two hours for SL and 3 hours and 15 minutes for HL. You need to build up your mental strength so you don't make careless errors by the end of paper 2. By taking the practice tests in one session, you build up your mental strength in preparation for the real test. If you don't have time for a 2 hour or 3 hour 15 minute session, then you can take each paper on separate days. However, you need to obey the next rule: #2: Stick to the exact timing on each part of the exam. It is VERY IMPORTANT that you get used to the stressful timing of this test: IB Chemistry SL: IB Chemistry SL Paper 1- 45 minutes IB Chemistry SL Paper 2- 1 hour 15 minutes IB Chemistry SL Paper 3- 1 hour IB Chemistry HL: IB Chemistry HL Paper 1- 1 hour IB Chemistry HL Paper 2- 2 hours 15 minutes IB Chemistry HL Paper 3- 1 hour 15 minutes In this allotted time, you need to finish: IB Chemistry SL: Paper 1: 30 multiple-choice questions Paper 2: two parts, Section A: answer all of four short responses and Section B: pick one essay question (you choose between three options) Paper 3: Answer all of the questions for your two options: six short response questions that each can have between 2-5 parts IB Chemistry HL: Paper 1: 40 multiple-choice questions Paper 2: two parts, Section A: answer all of four short response questions that each can have between 3-10 parts and Section B: pick two essay questions (you choose between four options) Paper 3: Answer all of the questions for your two options: seven or more short response and essay questions (varies based on the options that you covered in your class) Do not practice with extra time- if you give yourself extra time, you can complete more questions and increase your score. We want to use these practice tests as realistic predictors of your exam score. #3: Check your answers. After you complete a practice exam, you need to review every error you made. Do not skip this step. If you do, you will not learn from your errors, and you will make the same ones on the IB Chemistry test. So make sure to spend at least 1.5 hours reviewing every full practice tests. This may seem like a lot of time, but emphasize quality of learning over quantity of learning. I'd rather see you take two tests with meticulous review than five tests with no review. What’s Next? Need help reviewing some chemistry concepts? Read up on how to balance chemical equations here. Learn more about IB Chemistry: The Complete IB Chemistry Syllabus: SL and HL The Best IB Chemistry Study Guide and Notes for SL/HL The Best IB Chemistry Books, Reviewed Looking for ways to apply your chemistry knowledge to your everyday life? Get three different recipes for making your own slime and learn how to (safely) use muriatic acid to clean household items. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now: