(3 Hrs)

Instructor: Sean Kinsella

COURSE DESCRIPTION

A foundational course for first year students in the use of basic skills of academic writing: planning, composition, editing, vocabulary and grammar development, and logical thinking.  Emphasis will be on performance of these skills.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

·       Spell correctly troublesome English words and spell and define a select list of university-level English words. Use words correctly in compositions and essays as appropriate.

·       Explain and use the rules for correct English sentence structure to ensure complete grammatical statements using a variety of combining strategies.  Recognize, avoid, and correct sentence fragments, comma splices, and run-on sentences.

·       Describe the modern methods of structuring brief compositions, including all steps needed for planning, composition and revision of effective paragraphs. Explain the theory of rhetorical modes, and state the distinguishing characteristics of illustration, comparison-contrast, and persuasive modes of writing.

·       Plan, compose, and revise complete short compositions in the modes of illustration, comparison/contrast, and persuasion for specific audiences.

·       Describe and use methods of achieving coherence through order and through related sentences in paragraphs.

·       Describe and use the rules and procedures for commas, for items in a series, introductory phrases, transitions, appositives, subordinate clauses, dates and addresses, etc.

·       Describe and use principles of revision for consistency, parallelism, sentence variety, and effective word choice.

·       Summarize and, when appropriate, directly quote the work of others without plagiarism.

KEY READINGS

Required:

Susan Fawcett and Alvin Sandberg. Evergreen: A Guide to Writing with Readings. Sixth edition. Boston: Houghton-Mifflin Co., 2000.

Recommended for Reference

Vincent F. Hopper.  Essentials of English:  A Practical Handbook of Grammar and Effective Writing Techniques.  Woodbury:  Barron’s, 1990.