Articles
The following articles, all written by Sean Savoie, were first published in the New York Community Times, a newspaper that serves the Chinese-speaking community in the NYC tri-state area. This newspaper is committed to promoting cultural awareness. The topics of these educational essays vary from fundamental grammar concepts to cultural issues related to American society. The majority of articles addresses the problems that students have when developing academic essays. Another series of 19 dialogues focuses on an idiomatic usage of American English. All articles were written in a fundamental, simple way in order to be clear to Chinese-speaking immigrants. However, the articles about writing and grammar contain useful information for higher-level students of English, such as high school students, college students, and young writers. Click on any title below to view that article or essay.
Instructional Essays about Writing:
Academically Discussing Literature
A little help for the SAT essay
College Board SAT Example Essay
Argumentation and Logical Fallacies
Argumentation and Effective Example
Argumentation and Logical Fallacies in Action
Brainstorming Question to Focus on the Thesis
Classification and Division Essays
Classification and Division in Student Example Essay
Classification and Division: Psychology of the Classroom Stars
College Applications Revisited
Competition for American Students
Introduction to Modes of Development
Definition as Mode of Development
The English Regents Test Reveals More than the SAT
Examples of Cadence in Sentences
Linking Sentences With Phrases and Clauses
More Tips for Writing the SAT Essay
More Tips for Writing the SAT Essay (part 2)
Noun Clauses to Improve Conciseness
Noun Clauses to Sharpen Paragraph Focus
Paragraph Development and SAT Essay Example
Pre-Writing and the Introduction of a Thesis Essay
SAT Essay and Tips on Point of View
SAT Essay Introductory Paragraphs
Study Writing to Improve Conversation
Styles of Description (Part Two)
The Excitement of Short Phrases and Clauses
The Power of Descriptive Narration
Reducing Wordy ExpressionsThe English Instruction Difference
To the High School SAT Veterans
Two Paragraph As a Third Person to First Person Shift (Part Two)
Two Paragraph Essay Third Person to First Person Shift
Using a Formula to Link Sentences II
Using a Formula to Link Sentences
What are Universities Looking for
Essays about Grammar:
Participial Phrase Problems… Dangling Modifiers
Past and Present Tense Unreal Conditionals
Past Tense Real and Unreal Conditionals
Present Tense Real and Unreal Conditionals
Present Tense Real and Unreal Conditionals II
Mixed Tense Unreal Conditionals
Simple Past vs Past Continuous
More on the Past PerfectSimple Continuous and Perfect Past
The Subjunctive Form (Part One)
The Subjunctive Mood and Politeness
The Subjunctive Mood and Politeness (Part II)
Participial Phrase Problems ... Dangling Modifiers
Linking Sentences with Phrases and Clauses
Restrictive and Nonrestrictive Adjective Clauses
The Present Perfect (part one)
The Present Perfect (part two)
Essays about American Culture and Literature:
The Pulitzer prize-winning tragedy
The Twisted World of John Irving
Active and Passive Education (Part III)
How to Get Children to ReadActive and Passive Education (Part I)
Active and Passive Education (Part II)
Active and Passive Education (Part III)
Active and Passive Education (Part III)
Competition for American Students
An Analysis of the Da Vinci Code as Literary Work
The Beauty of Crime and Punishment
Thanks to the Chinese-Speaking Community
BullyingFilial Piety
Filial Piety and Respect for Teachers
The English Instruction Difference
Examples of American Slang in use
Street Speak - Homeless People
Street Speak - Going to the Movies
Street Speak - Taking Mass Transit
Street Speak - A Parking Ticket
Street Speak - Driving in the City
Street Speak - Women Talk Exercise
Street Speak - Hosting a Party
Shopping for Clothes