ENG 075: Fundamentals of Composition
Fall 2002

Section 32: Mon. & Fri. 12:00-1:50
                 TEC 208/ARB 211

Brian T. Murphy
Parker 319-V
Ext. 1318
Office Hours
e-mail: [email protected]

 
Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.
 

Description

Objectives

Texts

Policies 

Assignments

 Grading 

Schedule

Links

Important Announcements and Updates: Click HERE
 

Print-friendly (MS Word) course outline here.
Other printable documents:
Rubric for Essay Grading Standards
   Revision and Editing Checklist
Paragraph Outline 
Essay Outline
Writing Topics

 

DESCRIPTION:

This composition course is designed to reinforce students' abilities to focus and develop organized, relevant support for a topic and to maintain standard usage and mechanics. Learning activities emphasize writing as a process from prewriting, composing, editing, and proofreading in paragraphs and longer papers, primarily illustration/example essays.

Course Goals

Good communication skills are one of the most important factors in personal and professional success. This course focuses on writing effective paragraphs and essays that demonstrate reasonable competency in the use of the conventions of standard written English: grammar, usage, sentence structure, and mechanics. With punctual attendance, consistent effort, and active involvement in learning activities, at the conclusion of this course the student should be able to construct coherent five-paragraph essays which include an appropriate title, a strong introductory paragraph with a clearly stated thesis statement and plan, three body paragraphs providing relevant, concrete, and specific support for the thesis, and an appropriate conclusion.

 

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OBJECTIVES:

At the end of English 075, you should be able to:

  1. Demonstrate knowledge of grammar, usage, sentence structure and mechanics;
  2. Utilize the writing process to compose meaningful paragraphs and essays that reflect unity and coherence;
  3. Compose a four- or five-paragraph essay on an argumentative topic with a thesis, hook, supporting elements, effective transitions, and a conclusion;
  4. Participate within a group setting aimed at achieving similar goals;
  5. Create and maintain a notebook journal of responses and reactions to various topics;
  6. Compose, within a specified timeframe, a competent and meaningful argumentative essay that exhibits proper grammar, usage, sentence structure and mechanics.

 

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TEXT AND MATERIALS:
Wingersky, Joy, Boerner, Jan and Diana Holguin-Balogh. Writing Paragraphs and Essays. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, 1999.
A 3.5", high density (HD) formatted (IBM) computer diskette dedicated for use in this course.
A college-level dictionary and a thesaurus are strongly recommended

 

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CLASS POLICIES AND STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES:

Notebook: Course notes and materials must be kept in chronological order in the three-ring notebook for review and reference. A section may be reserved for journal writing (see below).

Readings: Students must complete all reading assignments in the textbook before the class for which they are assigned. In addition, students should attempt all exercises in each section read (see Exercises, below)

Journal: Regular journal entries are scheduled. Journal entries must be typed or neatly written in ink. Each entry must be at least one hundred words and demonstrate serious thought on the assigned topics. Hurried, careless, or thoughtless entries are not acceptable, so be sure to put the effort into each that the assignment requires.

Writing Assignments: Writing assignments (see below, or Writing Topics) should be completed following the writing process discussed in class, including prewriting (generating and ordering ideas), drafting, and rewriting (revising, editing and proofreading). All assignments must be typed, double-spaced, using a standard professional-looking font (12-point Times New Roman is preferred) and one-inch margins. Each paragraph or essay should be given a title; the title is not placed in quotes or underlined, and there is no period after the title. The top left corner of the first page of all writing assignments must have the following information:

Your Full Name
Class and Section number (e.g. ENG 075-32)
Instructor's name
Due Date
 

All writing assignments will be evaluated according to the rubric for Essay Grading Standards handed out in class. Please refer to the Paragraph Outline or Essay Outline and Revising and Editing Checklist.

All writing assignments must be submitted on or before the due date indicated on the schedule (see below). Late work will not be accepted except under extraordinary circumstances; work submitted after deadlines will result in reduction of the grade for that assignment by 10% for each day it is late.

Exercises: Exercises in the textbook should be attempted while completing the assigned readings. These exercises are essential for the student to sharpen his or her skills in grammar, usage, and sentence and paragraph structure. All exercises can be completed in the book and do not have to be submitted for grading unless they are specifically assigned as homework. However, do not wait until you get to class to be taught a section of the text or to complete the assigned work; you will benefit more if you have already completed the readings and attempted the exercises before class. In addition, regularly scheduled quizzes will often draw from the exercises in the textbook.

Attendance and Participation: According to the College Catalog, "Students are expected to attend all class, clinical, laboratory, and studio sessions for the full duration of each instructional session."  Students are expected to attend every class, to be on time, to be prepared (all reading or writing assignments complete), and to take an active part in class discussions. Attendance and participation are crucial, as success in this class is predicated upon in-class writing and both peer and instructor feedback.

Students unable to attend class for a legitimate reason should contact the instructor as soon as they know they will be out, or upon their return to school. Excessive absences or repeated tardiness will result in a lowered grade and may result in failure of the course at the instructor's discretion.

 Students who end the semester with Perfect Attendance (never absent, never late) will receive an additional 5 points (Extra Credit!!!) on their final grades.

Plagiarism: Plagiarism includes copying or paraphrasing another's words, ideas, or facts without crediting the source; submitting a paper written by someone else, either in whole or in part, as one's own work; or submitting work previously submitted for another course or instructor. Plagiarism on any assignment will result in failure for that assignment and may result in further disciplinary action, including but not limited to failure for the course. Plagiarism on a second assignment will result in failure for the course and further disciplinary action, up to and including expulsion from the College. Please refer to the Student Handbook for additional information regarding plagiarism and College regulations.

ASSIGNMENTS:
During the semester, students will be responsible for:

TOPICS (printable version here):
Paragraph 1: Description of a Place
Write one well-developed paragraph of eight to twelve sentences describing a familiar and interesting place that can be seen while standing in one spot.  Your topic sentence should state what place is being described and define the dominant impression. For example, you may choose to describe a location that is beautiful, peaceful, depressing, gloomy, frightening, or exciting. Write in third person (objective) and in present tense, and be sure that all supporting sentences explain and develop the idea from your topic sentence. Use specific details to create a word picture in the reader's mind: include impressions using the five senses�sight, hearing, taste, smell, touch�descriptive words (adjectives, adverbs and nouns), and spatial transitions (above, below, near, next to, etc.).

Using the Paragraph Outline as a guide, draft your paragraph using clear, complete and correct sentences. Check the paragraph for adequate support and detail, coherence and unity. Be sure to check your paragraph carefully for standard English usage, action verbs, sentence variety, exact language, as well as for sentence structure, agreement, and spelling.

Paragraph 2: Narrative
Write a well-developed one-paragraph narrative (eight to twelve sentences minimum) about an event or a time when you experienced a specific strong emotion. Your topic sentence should focus on that emotion and on the particular interesting but brief experience that caused it. Write in first person and in past tense, and tell what happened, when it happened, and who was involved. Limit your narrative to the major details of the experience: this is a short assignment! Use specific details and examples to add interest and liveliness to your writing, and use descriptive words (adjectives, adverbs and nouns) and chronological transitions (first, then, next, etc.) to smooth out the narrative.

Using the Paragraph Outline as a guide, draft your paragraph using clear, complete and correct sentences. Check the paragraph for adequate support and detail, coherence and unity. Be sure that all supporting sentences explain and develop the idea from your topic sentence, and check your paragraph carefully for standard English usage, action verbs, sentence variety, exact language, as well as for sentence structure, agreement, and spelling.

Paragraph 3: Description of a person
Write a well-developed paragraph (eight to twelve sentences minimum) describing a person that you know well, one whom you admire or especially appreciate. This should not be merely a physical description of the person; rather, your paragraph should explain who this person is, what he or she is like as a person, and why he or she is important to you. Show the reader that this is a person to admire and respect.

Using the Paragraph Outline as a guide, draft your paragraph using clear, complete and correct sentences. Check the paragraph for adequate support and detail, coherence and unity. Be sure to check your paragraph carefully for standard English usage, action verbs, sentence variety, exact language, as well as for sentence structure, agreement, and spelling.

Essay 1: Love, Vacation, or School
Using one of the three topics, develop a focus (direction) and write a well-developed essay of at least five paragraphs (eight to twelve sentences each). Provide a clear, specific thesis that includes your topic and your focus, and previews at least two or three major divisions for your topic. In the body of your essay, use clear, specific topic sentences and either extended examples or short, interrelated examples to support the thesis. Be sure to include a conclusion that reinforces the thesis.

Using the Essay Outline as a guide, draft your essay using clear, complete and correct sentences. Check the essay for adequate support and detail, coherence and unity. Be sure to check your paragraph carefully for standard English usage, action verbs, sentence variety, exact language, as well as for sentence structure, agreement, and spelling.

Essay 2: Major Accomplishments or Goals
What have you accomplished in the last five years? Or, alternatively, what are your plans for the next five years? This should not be merely a list of accomplishments or goals; rather, your essay should discuss major changes, and there should be some clear focus or direction to your essay. Provide a clear, specific thesis that indicates your topic and your focus, and previews at least two or three major divisions for your topic (natural divisions are probably three important accomplishments or goals, arranged chronologically). In the body of your essay, use clear, specific topic sentences and either extended examples or short, interrelated examples to support the thesis. Be sure to include a conclusion that reinforces the thesis.

Using the Essay Outline as a guide, draft your essay using clear, complete and correct sentences. Check the essay for adequate support and detail, coherence and unity. Be sure to check your paragraph carefully for standard English usage, action verbs, sentence variety, exact language, as well as for sentence structure, agreement, and spelling.

Essay 3: Book, Play or Movie
What is your favorite book, play, or movie, and why? Be sure to discuss the work and why it is important to you; do not simply retell the story. Provide a clear, specific thesis that indicates what work is your favorite and why, and previews at least two or three major divisions for your topic. In the body of your essay, use clear, specific topic sentences and either extended examples or short, interrelated examples to support the thesis. Be sure to include a conclusion that reinforces the thesis. Again, be careful not to retell the story; just explain clearly and with adequate support why this is your favorite book, play, or movie.

Using the Essay Outline as a guide, draft your essay using clear, complete and correct sentences. Check the essay for adequate support and detail, coherence and unity. Be sure to check your paragraph carefully for standard English usage, action verbs, sentence variety, exact language, as well as for sentence structure, agreement, and spelling.

 

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GRADING:
Final grades will be determined as follows:

Paragraphs (3 @ 5%)

15%

Essays (3 @ 10%)

30%

In-Class Essays (2 @ 10 %)

20%

Quizzes (10 @ 2% each)

20%

Journal Entries

7.5%

Additional Exercises/Homework

7.5%

Total

100%

Extra Credit (if any) will be added to the final total.

NOTE: Regardless of final percentage, students must successfully write at least two of the three final in-class essays in order to receive an Outstanding or Passing grade for English 075.

 

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OUTLINE:
Projected Schedule of Readings and Assignments
Note:
this schedule is subject to revision according to the academic calendar for the semester, school closings due to inclement weather, and the progress of the class.

Week 1: 

Orientation, Introduction to Writing

Writing Sample

Generating Ideas for Writing

 

Week 2: 
Topic Sentences, Paragraphs: Unit 1 Journal Entry 1 Due
Confusing Words: Appendix A Quiz: Topic Sentences
Keeping a Journal: Appendix B  Paragraph 1 Due
Week 3: 
Parts of Speech, Subjects, Verbs, and Prepositional Phrases Journal Entry 2 Due
Subject-Verb Agreement and Consistent Verb Tense: Unit 1  Quiz: Subject-Verb Agreement
Week 4: 
Interaction of Topic, Purpose, Audience, and Voice: Unit 2  Journal Entry 3 Due
Reading Student and Professional Examples: Unit 2  Quiz: Consistent Verb Tense
Paragraph 2 Due
Week 5: 
Consistent Point of View: Unit 2  Journal Entry 4 Due
Quiz: Consistent Point of View
Week 6: 
Thesis Sentence: Unit 3  Journal Entry 5 Due
Reading Student and Professional Examples: Unit 3  Quiz: Thesis Sentence
Paragraph 3 Due
Week 7: 
Fragments, Run-on Sentences, Comma Splices: Unit 3  Journal Entry 6 Due
Quiz: Fragments, Run-ons, Comma Splices
Week 8: 
Writing with Examples: Unit 4   Journal Entry 7 Due
Reading Student and Professional Examples: Unit 4  Essay 1 Due
Week 9: 
Sentence Combining, Compound Sentences: Unit 4  Journal Entry 8 Due
Quiz: Compound Sentences
Week 10: 
Introductions and Conclusions: Unit 5  Journal Entry 9 Due
Reading Student and Professional Examples: Unit 5  Essay 2 Due
Week 11: 
Sentence Combining, Complex Sentences: Unit 5  Journal Entry 10 Due
Quiz: Complex Sentences
Week 12: 
Coherence: Unit 6  Journal Entry 11 Due
Reading Student and Professional Examples: Unit 6  Essay 3 Due
Week 13: 
Punctuation Review: Unit 6  Journal Entry 12 Due
Reading Student and Professional Examples: Unit 6  Quiz: End Punctuation , Comma, Semicolon, Colon
Week 14: 
Capitalization: Unit 7  Journal Entry 13 Due
Practice Final Essays  Quiz: Capitalization, Underlining/Italics
NJ Basic Skills/Compass Exam.  

 

Week 15: 

Last week to submit any work

Final Essays (In-class)

 

Exam Week: Final conferences

 

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Grammar, Writing, and Research Papers:

 

Additional Links:

 

 

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Last Revised: Wednesday, 19 March 2008
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Main page: www.Brian-T-Murphy.com

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