Passage A
1. Did you know that until May 5 of every year, you're not really working for yourself?
2. A group in Washington, D.C. has learned that it takes workers an average of four months and four days to earn enough to pay their taxes.
3. In its study, the group learned that taxes constitute 34 percent of all the income in the United States.
4. So, if workers used their entire income for taxes, they would not be through paying them until May.
5. Being that May 5 is the first day people really work for themselves, the study group has some advice.
6. It would like for a bill to be passed naming May 5 “Tax Freedom Day.”
7. On that day, you would give yourself a break, regardless of how hard you worked.
8. Because, from May 5 on, you would finally be your own boss.

Passage B
1. Did you ever daydream about writing you’re life story?
2. Do you think that your life is too dull, or you can’t right?
3. Anyones life story is filled with fascinating events, and writing them down in the best way you no can give you a sense of accomplishment and, perhaps, leave a valuable inheritance to your family.
4. The first thing to do is to buy a looseleaf notebook.
5. Each page of the book should be titled with a significant milestone in your life—from your first dog to your proudest moment.
6. You should then jot down a few key words in the book whenever a memory comes back to you.
7. The idea is not to begin with “I was born . . .” and try to write a chronological history of your whole life.
8. Just delve into your passed at random; one memory will trigger another.
9. It will become quite easy after a while.
10. It is also important to write in your own language.
11. Plain honest writing is the goal.

Explicit Writing Worksheet

I do not think that you should go out with him because he has no job, therefore he may be lazy and unable to support you. Also, he just broke up with his long term girlfriend, so he may not want to make any new commitments at the moment.

Despite what many people want to believe, racial discrimination is still an important political issue in America today. For example, President Bush recently addresses schools about hate crimes that were being committed. More efforts must be made to fix this problem and reduce the amount of discrimination.

Argumentative essays should first address the problem, then clearly define the authors' views and opinions in order to help sway the reader towards his side. An essay may take a clear stand by either supporting or disagreeing with an issue, but it must also give valid evidence to help the readers believe in what the author is saying. For example, the author cannot just list why capital punishment should be abolished, he must also connect with the reader and give reasons to support his claims.

"How to Say Nothing in Five Hundred Words," by Paul Roberts, was full of great and useful information, but I unfortunately had no way to relate to any of it. Reading it was like listening to a boring lecture in a school subject that I am not interested in.

In-Class Writing Revisions

Many practicing engineers and scientists admit they spend at least half of their time writing memos and reports. On the contrary, the majority of college students going into business careers think their secretaries will ultimately do all of their writing for them. This attitude shows a naive faith in the competency of their secretaries; and young business people seldom have private secretaries in the first place. Moreover, students going into the technical or scientific fields often think that writing is something they seldom have to do. Therefore, many of them foolishly object to taking courses in writing because of their unrealistic that only poets and novelists have to write. Ultimately, in order for a person in any field to succeed, it is crucial that they know how to clearly express and articulate their ideas into words.