|
ENG 110: English I |
Brian T. Murphy |
Important Announcements and Updates
Monday, May3, 2010:
1. “In truth, there is no rational argument for guns in this society. This is no longer a frontier nation in which people hunt their own food. It is a crowded, overwhelmingly urban country in which letting people have access to guns is a continuing disaster.” (from “Ban The Things. Ban Them All” by Molly Ivins)
2. “If lecture classes were restricted to junior and senior undergraduates and to graduate students, who are less in need of scholarly nurturing and more able to prepare work on their own, they would be far less destructive of students’ interests and enthusiasms than the current system.” (from “College Lectures: Is Anybody Listening?” by David Daniels)
3. “Passing students who have not mastered the work cheats them and the employers who expect graduates to have basic skills.” (from “In Praise of the F Word” by Mary Sherry)
Before you begin to write, take time to plan your essay
carefully. Be sure to focus carefully on the topic,
and remember that these are formal essays: they must have an appropriate,
original title; contain a clear beginning (an introduction, with a clear,
strong thesis), a middle (the body paragraphs, supporting your thesis), and end
(conclusion); have a clear, explicit, assertive,
objectively worded thesis statement (thesis statements must be underlined);
use appropriate topic sentences and transitions to guide the reader;
and avoid use of I or you throughout.
Be sure to include evidence, examples, or other support for your assertions; the more support you
include, the stronger and more convincing your essay will be. Your essay will,
as always, be evaluated in terms of Content, Organization, Diction, and
Mechanics (Words and Sentences). Therefore, make certain your essay is not only
well organized and developed, but also grammatically correct, free of errors in
mechanics, grammar, usage, and spelling: leave yourself enough time to carefully
review, revise, and edit your essay.
You may use both a dictionary and thesaurus during this exam, but no other materials, either
electronic or hard-copy.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010:
Next week is the
final exam, on Tuesday, May 4, so tomorrow
is our last day of class. During
class, you will be taking a timed practice essay
exam. Just as for the actual exam, you will have ninety minutes, no more, so
be on time. Although this is
just practice, I might be
persuaded to count it as more than merely an in-class assignment; this could be
advantageous for some of you.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010:
As announced in class, you should not only finish Essay 4
for Thursday (to be handed in
during class, not after class, nor emailed or left
in my mailbox!), but read both
“College Lectures: Is Anybody Listening?” (also here,
and here in a
PowerPoint presentation) and
“In
Praise of the F Word” (also here, and
here in MS Word format), as well.
We will be doing something a little different, which could be advantageous for
some of you, so be sure you have copies of the texts with you, either print or
online, as you will not be able to work together on the assignment for the day!
If you are curious, you might take a look at the first choice in Assignment 1 (6
ed. 716; 7 ed. 766; 8 ed. 767)
and Assignment 2 (6 ed. 700; 7 ed.
749; 8 ed. 750).
Tuesday,
April 20, 2010:
I have checked the
link for
“College Lectures: Is Anybody Listening?”
to verify it is working (it is!), and added two additional links to the text (here,
and here in a
PowerPoint presentation)
in case you receive a time-out message on the first one.
Saturday,
April 17, 2010:
On Tuesday, April 20, we will cover both
“Ban The Things. Ban Them All”
by Molly Ivins and
“College Lectures: Is Anybody Listening?”
by David Daniels; be
sure you have read them both, as I am fairly certain we will be starting class
with another quiz on the readings. Also, be prepared with any question on
punctuation, abbreviation, numbers, or capitalization; I will not be reviewing
the material, but I will answer any specific questions
you have, and you are
expected to do the reading and to know the material.
Also on Tuesday I will return the additional optional revisions of Essay 3 as well as the “drafts” of Paper 4 that were submitted late (those submitting their work on time have already received their “drafts” back); the added revision did benefit some students, as I intended, but not all.
Just a thought here: for the remaining few days, you might
consider reading the syllabus, and reading the instructions before you begin
writing your next essay. On the other hand, why start now, when you can just
complain at the end of the semester that you received exactly the grade you
earned, instead of the one you wanted?
Mon
For class tomorrow be sure to read
“College
Pressures” by William Zinsser. As per your syllabus and as
announced in class, this essay is not in your textbook.
I distributed copies in class last week; it is also available online,
here and
here. Be sure to bring a copy to class with you; there may be an
in-class writing exercise or a quiz.
We will also briefly review punctuation rules, for the last set of online exercises; be sure to read Hodges’ 12–17: The Comma, Unnecessary or Misplaced Commas, The Semicolon, The Apostrophe, Quotation Marks, The Period and Other Marks; and Langan 37–40: Apostrophe, Quotation Marks, Comma, Other Punctuation Marks (6 ed. 501-529; 7 ed. 549-579; 8 ed. 557-587).
Monday,
April 5, 2010:
Now that the break is over, we have only eight class
meetings left before the Final Exam. That means
your anticipated averages and grades are becoming more and more accurate; with
roughly 70% of your grade already determined, final grades are likely to change
at most only a letter grade or two between now and the end of the semester.
Tomorrow, we will begin class by competing the required Student Instructional Report II (SIR II), so bring a number 2 pencil. (if you own one!) Also, we will continue to discuss Division and Classification, so be sure to read the essay “Wait Divisions” by Tom Bodett (Langan 6 ed. 310-312; 7 ed. 339-341; 8 ed. 352-354); there may be a quiz, or possibly in-class exercises.
Wednesday,
March 24, 2010:
In addition, be sure to read
Langan
Chapter 15: Division and Classification (6 ed. 303-318; 7 ed. 330-348; 8 ed.
343-362); there may be a quiz, or possibly in-class exercises.
Tuesday,
March 23, 2010:
Monday,
March 22, 2010:
Also, looking ahead, you should notice that this Thursday, final drafts of
Essay 3 are due; also, we are starting Division
and Classification (for Essay 4).
Wednesday,
March 17, 2010:
Chapter 31, Review Test 1, #s 1, 3, 5, 8, and 10 (6 ed. 479; 7 ed.
520-521; 8 ed. 529): write just the correct word.
Chapter 32, Activity 1,
#s 1, 2, 3, 6, and 8 (6 ed. 480-481; 7 ed. 523-524; 8 ed. 532-533): rewrite the
complete sentence, correcting the misplaced modifier.
Chapter 33, Activity 1,
#s 2, 4, 6, 9, and 10 (6 ed. 484-485; 7 ed. 528-529; 8 ed. 536-538): rewrite the
complete sentence, correcting the dangling modifier.
Also,
“Drafts” of Paper 3
are due in class, at the start of class. Be sure you have read and
followed the
instructions,
here.
While you complete the in-class assignment, I will briefly read and comment upon
your drafts, so that you may get them back before you leave. Completed final
essays are due the following week, on Thursday, March 25.
Finally, note that Friday, March 19 is the last day to submit
any late or
missing online exercises.
Monday, March 15, 2010:
Wednesday, March
10,
2010:
On Thursday, March 11, I will return Essay 2 and we
will discuss second optional revisions.
We will also discuss pronouns; read
Hodges’ 5: Pronouns and Case; 28: Pronoun Reference and
Langan 29, 30: Pronoun Agreement and Reference, Pronoun Types (6 ed.
463-474; 7 ed. 503-515; 8 ed. 515-524).
You will also have in-class exercises to complete:
Chapter 29, Review Test 1, #s 1, 3, and 5 (6 ed. 467; 7 ed. 507-508; 8 ed.
516-17); Chapter 29, Review Test 2, #s 1, 2, and 3 (6 ed. 467-67; 7 ed. 508; 8
ed. 517); and Chapter 30, Review Test: #s 1, 2, 5, and 6 (6 ed. 474; 7 ed. 515;
8 ed. 524). Obviously, if you complete them in advance, you can leave earlier.
Monday, March
8,
2010:
Finals revisions of
Essay 3 are due in class
tomorrow—not after class, not via email sometime before the weekend, but
in class, at the start of class, as per the syllabus.
In
“Is Sex all That Matters?” (Langan
6 ed. 717-720; 7 ed. 767-770; 8 ed. 767-770),
Joyce Garity writes,
“At the beginning of this century, British actress Lily Langtry shocked
her contemporaries by posing, clothed somewhat scantily, with a bar of Pear's
soap.” In this essay, the phrase
“the beginning of this century” refers to the twentieth century,
not to the twenty-first. In fact, Lily Langtry, also known as Lillie,
lived 1853–1829; you can see at least one version of the advertisement
here. So no, this
was not a reference to a television commercial!
Tuesday’s class
will focus on
“Is Sex all That Matters?” by
Joyce Garity (Langan
6 ed. 717-720; 7 ed. 767-770; 8 ed. 767-770), and may begin with a quiz,
so be sure you have read it.
On Thursday we will discuss modifiers: adjectives,
adverbs, and misplaced and dangling modifiers. Be sure to read
Hodges’
4: Adjectives and Adverbs;
25: Misplaced Modifiers; and
Langan
31–33: Adjectives and Adverbs, Misplaced Modifiers, Dangling Modifiers (6
ed. 475-487; 7 ed. 516-531; 8 ed. 525-539). The
in-class assignment is a bit complicated:
Tomorrow, optional second revisions of
Essay 2 are due, as announced in class
last week.
Also, be sure you have read
“Neat
People vs. Sloppy People” (also here).
This essay is
not in your textbook;
as announced, access the essay through the links provided and print out a copy to bring to class with you.
The possible in-class assignment is located
here.
Today was the last day to officially withdraw from classes; everyone still on
the roster as of tomorrow will receive a letter grade.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010:
In class tomorrow, we will discuss Comparison and Contrast (6 ed. 264-285; 7 ed.
287-310; 8 ed. 300-323) and
Essay 3, including the specific details for the
“draft” due on Thursday, March 18.
In addition, the final draft of Essay 2 is also due
tomorrow, as are the Reading Comprehension questions
1-10 on
“Seven Ways to Keep The Peace at Home” by
Daniel A. Sugarman (6 ed. 701-707; 7 ed. 750-757; 8 ed. 751-758).
If you wish to get a head start, you will be completing questions 1-10 on “A Vote for McDonald’s” and “Studying: Then and Now” tomorrow (6 ed. 268-70; 7 ed. 293-94; 8 ed. 306-07). If you wanted to get out fifteen to twenty minutes early, you could do the work before class and hand it in while everyone else is working.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010:
In class today, we went over
Incorporating Sources. If you missed class, you may complete
in-class the assignment at home and submit it on Thursday:
After reading
Langan 22: Writing a Research Paper (6
ed. 384-397; 7 ed. 423-435; 8 ed. 433-447), the handout,
Incorporating Sources,
and
“Seven Ways to Keep The Peace at Home” by
Daniel A. Sugarman (6 ed. 701-707; 7 ed. 750-757; 8 ed. 751-758),
select any two different sentences from the essay, and create two
sentences
you might use in a research essay, correctly punctuated
and documented: an initial reference, including all appropriate information in
your signal phrase, and a second or subsequent reference. Be sure to incorporate
the text smoothly into your prose, document and punctuate correctly, and create
a correct Work Cited reference at the end.
In addition, for homework, complete Reading Comprehension questions 1-10 on “Seven Ways to Keep The Peace at Home” by Daniel A. Sugarman (6 ed. 701-707; 7 ed. 750-757; 8 ed. 751-758), to hand in on Thursday.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010:
Tomorrow we will go over the questions you completed in class on Tuesday, on “How to Make It In College, Now That You’re Here” by
Brian O’Keeney (Langan
6 ed. 685-690; 7 ed. 734-742; 8 ed. 734-740). Then we will discuss the assigned
readings for the day:
Hodges’
Chapters
6 and 7: Agreement, Verbs; and
Langan Chapters 26-28: Regular and Irregular Verbs, Subject-Verb Agreement,
and Additional Information about Verbs (6 ed. 444-462; 7 ed. 482-502; 8 ed.
492-511).
Also, the optional revisions of Essay 1, as well as your Essay 2 “drafts” are due.
Be sure to check to see if school is canceled on Thursday before you make the commute in; check the news or the school website. If classes are canceled, we will simply push the readings (and the due date for revisions of Essay 1 and Essay 2 “drafts”) back one class, to Tuesday. March 2. In the event that school is not closed, use your own discretion about attending; I will excuse any absences if we are in the midst of a blizzard, but if the roads are passable, absences will count.
Finally, I have been enjoying the Diction Exercises from those who submitted them. Below are a few of my favorites thus far (including several from previous semesters).
| Colloquial: | Pretentious: |
|
Yo, der wuz this gian egg that sat on this wall this giant egg busted its fxxxen a$$ the kings ridarz and his boys tried to fix that giant egg but he splatterd and broke so bad that he couldn’t be put back together again.
Yo, dere
was 5 little piggies
Yo tell me why
Yo, come here son I gotta story to tell ya.
Harold perched himself on high |
The miniscule vermin, of the family arachnid, ascended a hollow shaft associated with the deterrence of hydrogen bonded to oxygen that comprises a molecular structure in liquid state. Due to precipitation, the said arachnid was taxied downwards and came to an end in a perpendicularly state to the afore-mentioned shaft. Abruptly afterwards, the largest known star in the solar system directed its effect upon the residual precipitation and the above mentioned fauna reconvened its vertical ascension previously attempted. The miniscule arachnid was violently flushed down the drain by severe meteorological conditions. After the storm system dissipated and the aqueous hydrogen dioxide evaporated into its gaseous state, the hapless arachnid somehow managed to escape its doom. Propel your vessel down the rivulet, while joyfully examining existence. As the daylight comes to a conclusion, the grand celestial bodies of twilight become apparent in the upper atmosphere. I covet the chance to be able to take into my possession the desired outcome I beseech from the blazing heavenly bodies above.
Oh, ball-shaped
gaseous celestial body As I apprehended the vital aquatic vertebrate animal, it made a laceration on an appendage of the right hand. Following that action, I propelled it back into the body of water. |
Monday, February 22, 2010:
Also, the Homework (diction exercise) assigned last week is due in class. This assignment must be typed; you may use the fill-in form (MS Word).
We will also discuss optional revisions of Essay 1, as well as your Essay 2 drafts (due in class Thursday, February 24)
Monday, February 15, 2010:
Also on Thursday, I will return your Essay 1 revisions. These essays were worth 12 points (slightly more than one full letter grade on your final average); of forty students registered, only 16 actually submitted their work. Interesting, to say the least.
Thursday, February 11, 2010:
Tuesday, February
9, 2010:
In the event that school is not closed, use your own discretion about attending; I will excuse any absences due to a blizzard, but not if the roads are clear.
Tuesday, February
2, 2010:
Wednesday,
January 27, 2010:
As I keep repeating, be sure to check the room numbers
posted throughout the building on a daily basis! As of this morning, the room
for Section 3 has changed again: we are now meeting
in Room W-213 on Tuesdays and Thursdays!
(Section 1 will continue to meet in Room W-212
both days.)
Monday,
January 25, 2010:
For class tomorrow, be sure to read
“Why Are
Students Turned Off?” (a.k.a.
“What’s Wrong with Our Schools? Teacher
Plays Student, Learns to Lie
and Cheat”) by
Casey Banas (College Writing Skills with Readings 6 ed. 657-662;
7 ed. 700-705; 8 ed. 701-703); the text is also available here or here (scroll down to read
text).
Also, be sure to check the room numbers posted throughout the building; it might have changed again, but last time I checked, Section 3 is meeting in Room W-140 tomorrow, and Section 1 in Room W-212 (not W-213).
Thursday, January 21,
2010:
As the bookstore is only
carrying the eighth edition of
College Writing Skills with Readings,
by John Langan, the pages listed on the syllabus distributed in class are not
correct. If you are using the eighth edition, you must look up the correct page
numbers in the Table of Contents or Index. Alternatively, both the main page and
the
syllabus have been updated; you may print out
a new, corrected copy of the syllabus here.
Also, please note the new, changed room numbers: Section 3 meets in Room W-140 on Tuesdays and in Room 203 on Thursdays; Section 1will meet in Room W-212, not W-213. Again, though, please continue to check on a daily basis, as this might change again!
Friday,
January 15, 2009
The main page and
syllabus have both been updated for the
Spring
2010 semester.
If you are looking for announcements from last semester (Fall 2009), please see here.
