WRITING SECTION EXERCISES
BUILD A SENTENCE EXERCISES
the melting of / significant threat / polar ice caps / to coastal / communities / poses a / worldwide
ANSWER: The melting of polar ice caps poses a significant threat to coastal communities worldwide
urbanization / the rapid / social structures / traditional / has / in many / altered / developing nations
ANSWER: The rapid urbanization has altered traditional social structures in many developing nations.
sleep deprivation / cognitive function / can / both / and / emotional stability / negatively / impact
ANSWER: Sleep deprivation can negatively impact both cognitive function and emotional stability.
inflation / central banks / interest rates / to / often / rise / combat / rising / uncontrollably
ANSWER: Central banks often rise interest rates to combat inflation rising uncontrollably.
rely on / for / photosynthesis / their own / green plants / to / energy / produce / sunlight
ANSWER: Green plants rely on sunlight to produce their own energy for photosynthesis.
the invention / communication / of the / the way / printing press / revolutionized / shared / information is
ANSWER: The melting of polar ice caps poses a significant threat to coastal communities worldwide
corporate / social responsibility / become / has / for / a / global brands / modern / priority
ANSWER: Corporate social responsibility has become a priority for modern global brands.
artificial / to / data / algorithms / large / analyze / intelligence / rely on / sets of
ANSWER: Artificial intelligence algorithms rely on large sets of data to analyze.
light-years / the / distance / between / is / in / measured / stars / usually
ANSWER: The distance between stars is usually measured in light-years.
critical / is / more / thinking / than / rote / in / modern / valued / memorization / classrooms
ANSWER: Critical thinking is valued more than rote memorization in modern classrooms.
WRITE AN EMAIL EXERCISES
Exercise 1: Rescheduling a Meeting
Situation: You have a group project meeting scheduled for tomorrow afternoon, but you have a sudden conflict with your part-time job. Recipient: Your study group members. Task: Write an email to your group. In your email, you should:
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Explain why you cannot attend the meeting.
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Propose a new time or day to meet.
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Suggest a specific task you can complete on your own in the meantime.
Exercise 2: Inquiry about a Course
Situation: you are interested in taking "Advanced Macroeconomics" next semester, but you are not sure if you meet all the prerequisites. Recipient: Professor Henderson. Task: Write an email to the professor. In your email, you should:
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Introduce yourself and your current major.
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Ask for clarification regarding the required previous courses.
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Request a brief meeting during office hours to discuss your situation.
Exercise 3: Reporting a Dormitory Issue
Situation: The heating system in your dormitory room has stopped working, and the weather is getting very cold. Recipient: The University Housing Office. Task: Write an email to the housing manager. In your email, you should:
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State the specific problem and your room number.
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Describe how long the heater has been broken.
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Explain why this needs to be fixed urgently.
Exercise 4: Requesting a Reference Letter
Situation: You are applying for a summer internship at a marketing firm and need a letter of recommendation from a former teacher. Recipient: Mr. Thompson (your Business English teacher). Task: Write an email to Mr. Thompson. In your email, you should:
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Remind him of which class you attended and when.
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Briefly describe the internship you are applying for.
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Mention a specific project you did in his class that showed your skills
Exercise 5: Invitation to a Guest Speaker
Situation: You are the president of the University Tech Club, and you want to invite a local software engineer to give a talk. Recipient: Sarah Jenkins (Senior Engineer at a local firm). Task: Write an email to Ms. Jenkins. In your email, you should:
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Invite her to speak at an upcoming club event.
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Suggest a topic that would interest the students.
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Mention that the club will provide lunch and a small gift for her time.
ACADEMIC DISCUSSION EXERCISES
ACADEMIC DISCUSSION 1
Write a post responding to the professor’s question. In your response, you should do the following.
• Express and support your opinion.
• Make a contribution to the discussion.
An effective response will contain at least 100 words.
Professor
Hello, class. As we wrap up our unit on Urban Sustainability, I want to address a critical dilemma facing modern city planners: the 'Last Mile' problem. This refers to the difficulty of getting people from a transportation hub, like a train station, to their final destination. To solve this and reduce our overall carbon footprint, some municipal governments are proposing that all public transit should be tax-funded and free for everyone, arguing that cost is the primary barrier to entry. However, a competing school of thought suggests that the funds would be better spent on extensive 'Green Infrastructure', such as climate-controlled bike superhighways and massive pedestrian-only zones in city centers. Given the limited budgets of most cities, which of these two strategies do you believe offers a more permanent and effective solution to urban congestion and pollution?
Kelly
I am firmly in the camp that public transit must be free. When you eliminate the cost of a bus or subway ticket, you aren't just saving people money; you are removing a psychological barrier. We have seen in cities like Tallinn that when transit is free, traffic congestion drops significantly because the 'inconvenience' of paying for a commute is gone. Furthermore, this is a matter of social equity. Lower-income workers often spend a disproportionate amount of their salary just to get to work. By making transit a public utility—like the roads themselves—we create a more efficient city where everyone, regardless of their financial status, can contribute to the economy without adding to the smog.
Andrew
While Kelly’s point about equity is valid, I believe that simply making a bus free won't convince a car owner to switch if the bus is slow and stuck in the same traffic. The real solution is 'Green Infrastructure.' If we invest heavily in dedicated bike lanes that are physically separated from cars, and transform city centers into pedestrian-only plazas, we change the actual behavior of the citizens. Look at Copenhagen or Amsterdam; their success isn't necessarily because of free tickets, but because the city was designed to make walking and cycling the most convenient and pleasant option. Investing in infrastructure is a one-time capital expense that yields environmental and health benefits for decades, whereas free transit requires a massive, never-ending subsidy.
ACADEMIC DISCUSSION 2
Write a post responding to the professor’s question. In your response, you should do the following.
• Express and support your opinion.
• Make a contribution to the discussion.
An effective response will contain at least 100 words.
Professor
Today’s discussion board topic focuses on the intersection of Generative AI and academic integrity. We are seeing a massive shift in how information is processed. Some educational reformers argue that since AI—like ChatGPT—is becoming a standard tool in the professional world, schools should integrate it into every stage of the writing process, including drafting and brainstorming. They argue that 'traditional' writing is becoming obsolete. Conversely, traditionalists argue that writing is the primary vehicle for developing critical thinking, and that AI should be restricted until a student reaches the graduate level, ensuring that foundational cognitive skills are not lost. What is your perspective on the role of AI in the undergraduate curriculum?
Sarah
I think we need to be realistic about the future. Prohibiting AI in the classroom is like prohibiting calculators in an accounting class—it's counterproductive. AI can act as a personalized tutor, helping students organize their thoughts or find sources they might have missed. If we teach students how to 'prompt' these tools effectively and how to fact-check the output, we are preparing them for the 2026 workforce. The goal of education should be to teach students how to solve problems using the best tools available. If an AI can write a basic essay, then perhaps our assignments need to become more complex and analytical, pushing students to add a human element that the AI cannot replicate.
Paul
I have to disagree with Sarah’s optimism. My concern is that writing is not just a 'task'—it is a process of discovery. When you struggle to form a sentence or structure an argument, you are actually teaching your brain how to think logically. If we allow students to bypass that struggle by using AI, we are essentially 'outsourcing' their intellect. We risk producing a generation of graduates who can operate software but cannot synthesize information independently or spot logical fallacies. I believe we should return to in-class, handwritten essays for foundational courses. Once a student has proven they can think for themselves, then—and only then—should they be allowed to use AI to enhance their work.
ACADEMIC DISCUSSION 3
Write a post responding to the professor’s question. In your response, you should do the following.
• Express and support your opinion.
• Make a contribution to the discussion.
An effective response will contain at least 100 words.
Professor
The concept of the 'standard work week' has remained unchanged for nearly a century, but the post-pandemic world is challenging that status quo. This week, we are analyzing the Four-Day Work Week (32 hours for the same pay). Proponents point to successful trials in Iceland and the UK, claiming that productivity actually rises when employees are well-rested. However, skeptics, particularly in the manufacturing and retail sectors, warn that this model could trigger inflationary pressure and labor shortages, as businesses would need to hire more staff to cover the extra days off. As future business leaders, do you think the four-day work week is a sustainable evolution for the global economy, or is it a luxury that only certain sectors can afford?
Rachel
The data from recent trials is quite clear: productivity does not have a linear relationship with hours worked. In many office-based roles, employees experience 'diminishing returns' after the 30th hour. By shifting to a four-day week, companies force themselves to become more efficient—meetings become shorter, and distractions are minimized. The result is a workforce that is significantly more motivated and less prone to burnout. In a world where mental health is a major concern for HR departments, the four-day week isn't just a 'perk'; it’s a strategic advantage for attracting top talent. Happy, rested employees stay at their jobs longer, which saves the company huge amounts of money in recruitment and training costs.
Mike
Rachel’s view is very 'white-collar' centric. If you apply a four-day week to a hospital, a construction site, or a shipping port, the math simply doesn't work. Those industries rely on physical presence and 'uptime.' If a nurse works fewer hours, you must hire another nurse to fill the gap, which increases the cost of healthcare for everyone. Furthermore, if we reduce work hours across the board while keeping pay the same, we are essentially increasing the cost of labor by 20%. This will inevitably lead to higher prices for consumers. While it might be a nice benefit for a software developer, applying it to the entire economy would likely lead to a decrease in the overall standard of living as goods and services become more expensive and less available.
