Basic Writing Skills Lecture

Basic Writing Skills Lecture Notes and Exercises with Answers

6 June 2019

Basic Writing Skills (Sophomore English) Lecture

1.1.          Phrases and Clauses

1.1.1.   Phrases

A phrase can be defined as a group of words without both a subject and a verb. Another definition can be a group of words acting as a single part of speech. It is also a part of a sentence that does not express a complete thought.

Types of Phrases:

A.      Noun Phrase: It goes with a noun.

Eg. The hard-working woman

B.      Verb Phrase: It has a verb in it.

Eg. has been acting

C.      Prepositional Phrase: It has a preposition.

Eg. in the garden

D.     Gerund Phrase: It ends in ‘-ing’ and is used like a noun.

Eg. Writing helps learners to improve their academic skills. 

E.      Participial Phrase: Consists of a participle form of a verb.

Eg. Having attended the rally, he reported to the media.

Assessing the situation, he decided about his future.

Mark returned the damaged package.

Alex fell on the broken staircase.

F.       Infinitive Phrase: It consists of an infinitive.

I’m too tired to go out for a walk.

G.     Appositive Phrase: It renames the other noun, not technically modifying it.

Eg. Bob, my best friend, works here.

H.     Adverbial Phrase: It consists of a group of relate words which play the role of an adverb.

Eg. Tony decided to move to New York in June last year.

She left quite suddenly. 

I.        Adjective Phrase: It is a group of words that does the work of an adjective.

Eg. The workers belonged to a tribe dwelling in the hills.

J.        Absolute Phrase: It is in form a noun phrase – a noun headword with a post noun modifier; it adds a focusing detail to the whole sentence.

Eg. Nervous, Jane stood by the window, her eyes darting around the room.  

1.1.2.   Clauses:

A clause is a sentence or part of a sentence which has a finite form of a verb. (The form shows the tense and the subject of a verb). Another definition can be a clause is a collection of words that has a subject actively doing a verb.

Types of Clauses:

A.      Noun Clause: It functions as a noun.

Eg. That he will come is certain.

B.      Adjective Clause (relative clause): It modifies a noun that is near the clause. Due to this it is sometimes called restrictive /non-restrictive clause.

Eg. That is not the car that I saw last week.

C.      Adverbial Clause: It functions as an adverb.

i.                    Time

After the fruit is harvested

ii.                  Place

Wherever there are computers

iii.                Purpose clause: Answers why

She took the computer course, so that she could get a better job.

iv.                 Result clause: Show the result of certain actions

She ran so fast that she was out of breath.

v.                   Conditional clause

If you met her, she would tell you.

vi.                 Concession clause

Although Jay has a Master’s degree, he works as a store clerk.

vii.               Comparison clause

She is as clever as her sister.

N.B. Most adverb phrases are introduced by a particular word or phrase (such as ‘when’ and ‘so that’). These words and phrases are called subordinating conjunctions and there are many of them including these: after, before, until, while, because, since, as, in order that, if, unless, whether, though, and where.

Exercise:

Identify the dependent and independent clauses

1.      “Why did you do that?” “Because Carlos told me to.”

2.      No one can deny that Chief Nanga was the most approachable politician in the country.

3.      The whole country was behind the leader.

4.      Although Dr Makinde read his speech, which was clearly prepared, the record later carried a wrong vision which made no sense at all.

1.2.Parts of a Sentence 

A sentence is a larger unit of grammar, usually containing a subject, a verb, an object, etc and expressing a statement, question or command and starting with a capital letter when written. A sentence should have at least a subject and a verb and should make a complete sense. A sentence should have two parts: a subject and a predicate.

Exercise: Identify the subject and predicate in the following sentences.

I despise individuals of low character.

The lab assistant knows my name.

1.3.Types of Sentences

Experienced writers use a variety of sentences to make their writing interesting and lively. Too many simple sentences, for example, will sound choppy and immature, while too many long sentences will be difficult to read and hard to understand.

1.3.1.      Structural Division

I.                    Simple Sentence

It is also called independent clause. It contains a subject and a verb, and it expresses a complete thought.

Examples:

1.      Some people attended the meeting

2.      Boys like to follow their fathers’ footsteps.

3.      Chala and Habtamu play golf every afternoon.

4.      Alemnesh regularly goes to the library and studies.

II: Compound Sentence

It consists of two independent clauses joined by a coordinator. The coordinators are as follows: for, and, nor, but, yet, so. Except for very short sentences, coordinators are always preceded by a comma.

Examples:

1.      I tried to speak Spanish, and my friend used Portuguese.

2.      Berihun played football, so his sister did the task alone.

3.      Mohammed listened eagerly, for he wanted news of his family.

III: Complex Sentence

It has an independent clause joined by one or more dependent clauses. A complex sentence always has a subordinator such as because, since, after, although or when or a relative pronoun such as that, who or which.

Examples:

1.      When he handed his homework, he forgot to give the teacher the last page.

2.      The teacher returned the homework after she noticed the error.

3.      The students are studying because they have a test tomorrow.

4.      After they finished studying, the girls went to the movies.

5.      The book that she bought is on the shelf. (Sentences that consist of an adjective or relative clause is also categorized under complex.)

IV: Compound – Complex Sentences

A compound complex sentence is made up of two independent clauses and one or more dependent clauses.

Examples:

1.      Because the students work hard, they will pass, and they will be happier.

2.      The class was difficult; however, the students will pass because they have background knowledge.

1.3.2.      Functional Division

I.        Declarative Sentence

This type of sentence forms a statement.

Examples:

1.      I told her to wear the blue skirt.

2.      YouTube is a great source of teaching aid.

II.      Interrogative Sentence

This type of sentence forms questions.

Examples:

1.      What did the teacher say to you?

2.      How many departments are there in the Faculty of Agriculture?

Activity: There are five different ways of asking questions in English. Find out and form sentences in each way.

III.    Imperative Sentence

This type of sentence makes a command or request. It can also be used to give advice or instruction.

Examples:

1.      Get me some water, please.

2.      Get out of my way.

3.      Avail yourselves there are 5:00 LT.

IV.    Exclamatory Sentence

This type of sentence is employed for powerful feelings or emotions. By the end of such sentence, there is an exclamation point.

Examples:

1.      I’m leaving!

2.      I cannot wait to graduate!

1.4.      Sentence Combination

For various reasons sentences can be combined. There are two major ways of combining sentences in English. They are coordination and subordination.

1.4.1. Coordination

Coordination is a way of adding sentences together. Two or more sentences that are combined this way are equal partners. Coordinating conjunctions (for, and, nor, but, yet, so) are employed to connect sentences that are combined using coordination.

Examples:

1.      Judy doesn’t work. She doesn’t want a job.

Combined: Judy doesn’t work, nor she want a job.

2.      My mother doesn’t earn much. She spends money like a millionaire.

Combined: My mother doesn’t earn much, yet she spends money like a millionaire.

1.4.2.      Subordination: It is a way of combining sentences that make one sentence more important than the other. One sentence is subordinated (sub means under) to the other. Subordinating conjunctions like when, although and if are used to link the sentences.

Examples:

1.      I am senior. I have two more courses to take. 

Combined: Although I am senior, I have two more courses to take. 

2.      I will try to finish my homework. I go to the movies.

Combined: I will try to finish my homework before I go to the movies.

1.5.      Recognizing and Correcting Sentence Errors/Faults

Sentence errors should be avoided by any possible means because they hamper understanding and convey unintended meaning. You should revise your writing for these errors before submission. There are a number of such errors and we study them under this section.

A.      Sentence Fragment

A fragment is an incomplete sentence lacking a verb and a sentence or a complement but punctuated like a sentence.  

Examples:

1.      Until I hear from you. (Dependent-word fragment)

Correction: I won’t leave the house until I hear from you.

2.      Trying to find her dog. (ing fragment)

Correction: Ellen walked over the neighborhood trying to find her dog.

3.      Such as bread and Spaghetti. (Added-detail fragment)

Corrected: I eat starchy foods such as bread and Spaghetti.

4.      But hated thank-you letters. (Missing-subject fragment)

Corrected: Alicia loved getting wedding presents, but hated writing thank-you letters.

B.      Run-ons

A run on is two complete thoughts that are run together with no adequate sign to mark the break between them. Some run-ons have no punctuation at all to mark the break between the thoughts. Such run-ons are known as fused sentences. 

Example:

1.      There are three public libraries in Debre Birhan one of them is Ras Abebe Aregay Library.

Corrected: There are three public libraries in Debre Birhan. One of them is Ras Abebe Aregay Library.

In other run-ons, known as comma splices, a comma is used to connect or “splice” together, two complete thoughts.

Example:

1.      Asia was home for several civilizations of the ancient world, many of these earliest civilizations were based on city states.

2.      Corrected: Asia was home for several civilizations of the ancient world, and many of these earliest civilizations were based on city states.

C.      Ambiguous pronoun reference

Every pronoun you write should refer clearly and unmistakably to one particular noun. We call this noun the antecedent.

After buying some dishes, she put them in the drawer.

Unfortunately, it is very easy to create a sentence that uses a pronoun without a clear, unmistakable noun antecedent.

After putting the dishes in the drawer, she sold it.

The pronoun ‘it’ does not have a clear noun antecedent. Therefore, the reader cannot know for sure whether she sold the dish or the drawer. The pronoun reference is faulty here because the pronoun ‘it’ has two antecedents. Such errors, called faulty or ambiguous pronoun reference, can confuse readers and obscure the intended meaning.

Correction: After putting the dishes in the drawer, she sold the drawer.

                             Another example: Take the radio out of the car and fix it.

                            Correction: Take the radio out of the car and fix the car.   

D.     Misplaced modifier

A misplaced modifier is a word, phrase or clause that is improperly separated from the word it modifies or describes.

Example:

1.      On her way home, she found a gold man’s watch.

Correction: On her way home, she found a man’s gold watch.

2.      The torn student’s book lay on the desk.

Correction: The student’s torn book lay on the desk.

E.      Dangling modifier

A dangling modifier is a clause that is not clearly and logically related to the word or words it modifies. Unlike misplaced modifiers it cannot be corrected by simply moving it to a different place in the sentence.

Examples:

1.      Looking towards the west, a funnel shaped cloud stirred up dust.

Correction: Looking towards the west, I saw a funnel shaped cloud stir up dust.

2.      When nine years old, my mother enrolled in medical school.

Corrected: When I was nine years old, my mother enrolled in medical school.

F.       Faulty parallelism

This error occurs when there are non-parallel constructions in a sentence.

Example:

1.      Martha likes walking, mountaineering, swimming and she likes reading. (non-parallel)

Corrected: Martha likes walking, mountaineering, swimming and reading.

G.     Faulty Agreement

Agreement is the relationship between a verb and a subject, a pronoun and its antecedent, and number of a subject and a verb. The fault occurs when this agreement is not well maintained.

Examples

1.      The teacher and his students knows about the program.

Corrected: The teacher and his students know about the program.

2.      Pick the book off the table and put them in the drawer.

Correction: Pick the books off the table and put them in the drawer.

H.     Shift in Point of View

When a sentence is not consistent in subject, person, number, tense, mood, and voice this error occurs.

Examples:

1.      She scored a good result, but her brother was suspended from school.

Correction: She scored a good result, but the school suspended her brother.

2.      We got our names registered and pay the bill.

Corrected: We got our names registered and paid the bill.

 UNIT TWO: WRITING PARAGRAPHS

2.1. Parts of a Paragraph

A paragraph consists of one or more sentences about a single thought, but it usually has more than one sentence. A paragraph never has more than one idea i.e. the sentences may be related to the main idea.  A well-organized paragraph develops a single theme or main idea. The theme of the paragraph is commonly stated in the topic sentence which has several different functions. It substitutes or supports an essays thesis statement when a paragraph comes within an essay. It unifies the content of the paragraph and directs the order of the sentences, and it advises the reader of the subject to be discussed and how the paragraph will discuss it. Readers generally look to the first few sentences in a paragraph to determine the subject and perspective of the paragraph. That is why it is often best to put the topic sentence at the very beginning of the paragraph. In some cases, however, it is more effective to place another sentence before the topic sentence – for example, a sentence linking the current paragraph to the previous one, or providing background information. After giving a clearly stated idea in the introduction of your paragraph, you should give a good support or plenty of specific evidence to support your point. Each sentence could be followed by sub-details. The number of details and sub-details in a paragraph depends on how the writer wants to explain his idea, the nature of the message the writer wants to convey to the reader and the kind of audience (reader) he has in his mind when he writes.  What comes finally is your concluding sentence. This sentence restates the topic sentence and often leaves the reader with something to think about.

2.2. Characteristics of an Effective Paragraph

 An effective paragraph has the following five characteristics. You should apply these to write a successful paragraph.

Unity

If you develop a single point and stick to that point, your paragraph will have unity. In other words all sentences in a paragraph should be related to the main point. It is when this happens that we say the paragraph is unified.

Coherence/Organization

If you organize and connect the specific evidence, your paragraph will have coherence. The organization of your paragraph shows how logically you develop your ideas in a paragraph. You may organize it in accordance with the occurrence of the events, size, importance, and category/class of notes to be developed in the paragraph.

Support

If you support the points with specific evidence, your paper will have support.

Variety

Your paragraph should contain various types of sentences. If you use, for example, only simple sentences, your paragraph will sound monotonous and you may not achieve the success you aspire. As the saying has it, “variety is the spice of life.”

Adequecy

Your paragraph should satisfy the purpose it is intended to. A paragraph written to persuade should persuade and one written to describe should effectively describe.

2.3 Types of Paragraphs

 Expository

Expository paragraphs give you the steps, explain a subject or show you how to do something.

Argumentative/Persuasive

It proves your beliefs about something.

Descriptive

It tells what the subject looks, sounds, smells, feels and tastes like.

Narrative

Narrative paragraphs tell you about something that happened. It could be stories or any personal experience.

Exercise 1

Example Paragraph

Yellow-spotted lizards are a deadly threat to all humans at Camp Green Lake. They invaded the area after the life-giving lake dried up. Their bite is always fatal. It was a yellow-spotted lizard that killed Kate Barlow. The yellow-spotted lizards threatened Stanley and Zero while they were digging for Stanley's great-grandfather's suitcase. The reason Stanley and Zero survived is because they had eaten so many onions that the lizards, who do not like onion blood, did not wish to bite them. With this one exception, meeting a yellow-spotted

lizard at Camp Green Lake meant certain death.

Questions

1. What is the main idea of this paragraph?

2. What is the concluding sentence?

3. What do you notice about the first line of the paragraph?

4. Do all the sentences in the paragraph support the main idea?

5. What is the first main point? second main point? third main point?

Exercise 2

Decide which group of sentences would make good paragraphs. Write yes or no before each paragraph to show your answer.

1._______________

Stanley Yelnats and his family have a history of bad luck. The first Stanley's great grandfather made a fortune on the stock market. The family's bad luck struck him when

he moved from New York to California and was robbed by Kissin' Kate Barlow. Stanley's

father is an inventor. He works very hard and is smart, however, none of his inventions

ever work. Stanley is accused of a crime he didn't commit and is sent to Camp Green

Lake as punishment. It seems none of the Yelnats can escape the family curse.

2._______________

Camp Green Lake dried up and the people who lived near it moved away over a hundred years ago. Now the lake is desert-like with temperatures around ninety-five degrees. Deserts cover one-fifth of the Earth's surface. The only place to find shade is between two trees in the Warden's yard. Rattlesnakes and scorpions hide under rocks and in the holes the campers dig. Deserts do not have many large animals because their is not enough water for them to survive.

UNIT THREE: WRITING ESSAYS

The introduction is a very important part of your essay and it leaves a lasting impression on the reader. To impress the reader, it should include the following:

A Hook: The hook in an essay is used to catch the attention of your audience. To accomplish this, begin your essay with an interesting, thought- provoking idea about the topic you have been assigned.

General Statements Regarding The Assigned Topic: Your introduction should only introduce the main ideas of your essay and not specific details.

Thesis: the thesis is the most significant statement in your essay. It consists of one sentence only and is usually the last sentence in the introduction. A thesis must be a complete sentence (unlike the title). It should also be narrow enough for you to be able to discuss it within the short time frame allowed within a two to three paragraph body. Yet it must also be general enough for you to be able to write two to three sub points on this topic.

The body of the essay gives support to your thesis (usually the last sentence of your introduction). To give sufficient support, you need to provide a minimum of two to three paragraphs in the body part. However, an essay can have several body paragraphs. All the body paragraphs begin with a topic sentence. The topic sentence states the main idea of the body paragraph, a main sub-point of your thesis. Immediately following the topic sentence, you should provide clear, specific details to strengthen the argument of your paper. Use transitions to introduce your examples. Generally speaking the body paragraphs are longer than the introduction and the conclusion. While you will want to use transitions within your body paragraphs, you also need to use them to connect one body paragraph to another. This is necessary to make your paper smooth and coherent.

The conclusion of the essay should begin with the paraphrase of your thesis.

 Next to that there should be general statements summarizing the previously mentioned main points.

Transitions

In a paragraph, you move from one thought to another by using transitional words or phrases that direct your reader. In an essay, you use transitional words or phrases at the beginning of each paragraph to connect it to the rest of the essay. Sometimes, you may even write a transitional paragraph.

Types of Essays

There are four basic types of essays just like paragraphs. Each has a specific focus.

Descriptive: The purpose of a descriptive essay is to describe something. The object of definition can be a person, a place, a thing, or an idea.

Expository: The purpose of this type of essay is to explain something. It may have description, narration, and persuasion in it, but the main purpose of the essay is to explain.

Narrative: The purpose of a narrative essay is to tell a story. It will have a beginning, middle, and an end. It may have description and exposition (explanation), but basically, it will tell a story.

Persuasive: The purpose of a persuasive essay is to convince the reader to agree with the writer.

Many teachers insist that all writing is, to some extent, persuasive. This may be true, but in any writing designated "persuasive," the focus will be on making the reader see something the same way that the writer sees it, to share a point of view or conviction.

TRANSITIONAL WORDS

Authors sometimes provide readers with clues that help them follow the thought process in a reading selection. Words that show the relation of one sentence to another within a paragraph are called transitional expressions.

Transitional words can be organized into these nine categories:

Further Information, Directional Change, Sequence and Order, Explanation, Emphasis

Location and Setting, Compare and Contrast, Summary and Conclusion, Time,

Further Information

These words signal that additional information will be provided to the reader.

additionally

in addition

and

again

first of all

last of all

another

besides

moreover

other

too

also

for example

for instance

next

likewise

further

furthermore

finally

as well

along with

secondly

more

one reason

equally

Directional Change

These words signal the reader to move back to an earlier idea or concept.

on the other hand

otherwise

nevertheless

in spite of

however

despite

although

in contrast

conversely

even though

still

though

rather

but

while

in the meantime

Sequence and Order

These words are used to organize the information being given to the reader.

next

after

before

last

lastly

always

earlier

first

second

third

prior to

till

then

for one thing

now

later

in the first place

while

until

afterward

finally

immediately

Explanation or Clarification

These words provide further information for the reader.

in other words

specifically

similar to

that is

in the same way as

for instance

such as

for example

to illustrate

Emphasis

These words are used to point out a particular event or character in a story or play.

between

on

above

among

around

beneath

beside

under

to the left/right

in front of

outside

inside

opposite

alongside

next to

near

on top of

over

in back of

behind

away from

close to

middle

west

east

north

south

across

toward

adjacent

along

against

here

there

Compare and Contrast

These words show comparisons and contrasts in the story or play. (Remember: comparing

shows similarities; contrasting shows differences.)

similar

similarly

also

like

likewise

in the same way

as

and

or

more than

different than

different from

opposite

though

less than

most

best

better

rather

in the same way

yet

on the other hand

nevertheless

nonetheless

conversely

in contrast

Summary and Conclusion

These words are used to bring together information in a story. A summary or conclusion

can be used to end a story or play or even conclude events in chapters or scenes.

consequently

finally

in summary

therefore

hence

thus

in conclusion

in short

to sum up

as a result

due to

accordingly

last of all

in summation

in brief

Time

These words are used to set a story with regard to a particular time period and to relate the

sequence of events in a story.

tomorrow

today

yesterday

next week, month, year

last week, month, year

finally

soon

later

about

after

before

during

while

afterwards

first

second

third

then

meanwhile

subsequently

immediately

eventually

I.                   Phrases

Direction: Put the following phrases in their proper places in the blank spaces below. Your sentences should make sense.

with the suitcase                            her grand father

a famous geologist                        to sit in a dark room alone

1. ___________________________________ is a very advanced user of English.
2. I like the man ____________________________________________________________
3. My mother,______________________, will compete for the presidency.
4. It is  fearsome ___________________________________________________

II.                Clauses

Direction: Decide what type of clauses the underlined ones below are.

5. Dire Dawa, which is a found in eastern Ethiopia, attracts Djbouti toursts.

_______________________________________________________________________

6. Please wear your uniforms before you enter the school compound.

_______________________________________________________________________

7. What she is trying to do is a humanitarian work.

_______________________________________________________________________

8. If you go to Mehal Meda, you will visit the Guassa Park.

_______________________________________________________________________

Direction: Underline the dependent clauses of the sentences below.

9.  As soon as the university students had joined the government, they were encouraged to own land and to build themselves houses. 
10. We will come as soon as we can.

III.             Parts of a sentence

Direction IV: Write the predicate of the following sentence. (1 point)

11. Ethiopians of my generation were respectful of old people.

_______________________________________________________________________

12. Most of the professors here are Ethiopians.

­           _______________________________________________________________________

Direction: Write the subjects of the following sentences. (1 point)

13. The reference book is found in the new bookstore.

_____________________________________________________________________

14. All first year students in our university take English courses.

______________________________________________________________________

15. The mathematics professor is from Nekempte.

IV: Sentence Types

Direction VI: Write what type the following sentences structurally and functionally are. (2 points each)

16. Megertu and Hussen are members of the Ethiopian Army.

Structurally __________________________

Functionally _________________________

17. Go to the office and tell the Mathematics teacher to come after the meeting is over.

Structurally __________________________

Functionally _________________________

18. Inform the students that we have a tutorial class after the other teacher finishes teaching.

Structurally __________________________

Functionally _________________________

V: Sentence Errors

Direction: For the following questions identify the type of errors and correct them.

19. They informed me about the factory and will they give me a proposal?

20. You showed them the hotels and its surroundings.

21. Walking into the room, the aroma was interesting.

22. You gave broken me the stool last night.

23. Such as attending lectures and working hard at the library.

24. You and your brother informs the police about me.

25. He took the national exam, his sister sat for TOEFL.

VI: Paragraph

Direction: Identify the unrelated sentence from the following expository paragraph.

Going to college can be expensive. First, college tuition and room and board can cost anywhere from $2,000 to more than $10,000 per semester. Other expenses make going to college even more expensive. For example, books typically cost between $100 and $500 each term. Second, materials are also very expensive. Paper, notebooks, writing utensils, and other supplies required often cost more at the college bookstore than at any local discount department store. For instance, a package of notepaper costing $2 at a discount store might cost $5 at a college bookstore. In college, the majority of your learning time is spent outside of the classroom, and you - not your teachers - are primarily responsible for what you learn. Finally, there are all kinds of special fees added onto the bill at registration time. A college student might have to pay a $50 insurance fee, a $20 activity fee, a $15 fee to the student government association and anywhere from $500 to $100 for parking. There is another fee if a student decides to add or drop classes after registration. The fees required to attend college never seem to end.

Direction: Reorder the following jumbled sentences and make a coherent paragraph.

At the last place I worked, all the waitresses had to wear an ugly brown striped jumper.

Sometimes someone I knew would come in and I'd feel embarrassed by my outfit.

For me, the worst thing about waiting tables was the uniform.

Now I have a job in an office, where I can wear my own clothes.

Underneath it we had to wear an even uglier polyester shirt.

Essay: Reorder the following jumbled paragraphs to make a coherent essay.

                        Although I am no longer working for the traveling company, I have still managed to travel on my limited budget; I am currently planning a trip to Vancouver, BC next month. I love to travel so much that I subscribe to both magazine and online sources to feed my addiction. Every time I take a trip, it makes me want to see more of the world and enjoy all it has to offer.

            Since I am addicted to traveling, I make sure to stay on top of the latest deals. I receive many emails a day from different traveling web sites. Sherman’s Travel and Travel Zoo are two of my favorites. When I open my email, the first thing I see is “Sale. $500 all inclusive 5 nights in Hawaii.” In my mind, I am already there. I am imagining myself lying on the beach, far away from my daily responsibilities.

            As if receiving constant emails about deals wasn’t enough, I recently paid to receive a monthly magazine called Budget Travel. I knew that this would help feed my addiction while I am saving for my next trip. This is one of the best traveling magazines I have ever found. It gives random tips about traveling like, “keep a $100 bill folded up inside my luggage tag for emergencies” (14).  This is something that I have never thought of, but I know that even if I don’t use it, I will definitely start checking luggage tags at the airport! Not only do I appreciate the traveling tips, but the pictures entice me even further. My current issue showed the views of Sicily, and now I must travel there.

                        Traveling is my life. I work every day to fund my next trip. When I was 22, I went on my first trip by myself. I went to the Netherlands, Scotland, and Ireland. After that trip, I knew that I would spend the rest of my life traveling. I am so addicted to traveling that if I am not traveling, I am planning my next trip.

           Although looking at magazines and web sites is exciting, it doesn’t compare to actually traveling, so I decided to get a job that paid me to travel because I just couldn’t afford my habit. I worked for a company called Offroad where I lead bicycle trips. It was a really hard job, but I got to spend two months living and working in France’s wine country. I also went to the south and stood on the red carpet where they hold the Cannes Film Festival. Riding bikes all summer was great, and traveling around France was incredible, but the job was too much work and not enough play, so although it fed my traveling addiction, I knew that job wasn’t for me.