English 0111: Expository Writing

Fall Quarter 2000, Section 22 (T/TH 9-10:30) 

Instructor: Ms. Ansari

REQUIRED TEXTS: 

McQuade, Donald; McQuade, Christine. Seeing & Writing. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2000. 
Breaking Ground: Guide to First-Year English, 12th ed.
A recent dictionary

PURPOSE 

Writing is the process of giving words to your thoughts and communicating them to others. Writing is thinking. First-Year English will teach you to think, write and communicate effectively. These are skills which you will need in every area of your life. You may need to argue persuasively on a business project, narrate dramatically an event in a letter to your friend,  describe specific experimental methods in a research grant application, or define your qualifications in a resume. 

Argumentation, narration, description, and definition are some of the numerous  modes of writing. A clear understanding of these modes will give you the ability to choose any one or a combination of the modes for a powerful piece of writing. 

Expository Writing is the first course in the First-Year English sequence. Emphasis will be placed on mastering details that contribute to the development of an interesting, unified, organized, coherent essay of substance. Because correct usage of grammar, punctuation, and the mechanics of English are essential to effective writing, you will be expected to pay careful attention to these matters. For every assignment you will need to be aware of voice, audience, and purpose. Essays will be a response to the course theme: The Individual and the Making of Meaning. 

REQUIREMENTS

1) Essay Assignments: You are required to write two 5-page essays and a 10-page Special Focus project. All paper assignments will be explained clearly in class -- in discussion and written form. 

• Format for Assignments: All essays prepared out of class should be written on a computer or your laptop. Please proofread your essay carefully after it is typed and make any necessary corrections. Essays should be formatted using a standard twelve-point font such as Times New Roman. Leave 1 inch margins on the top, bottom and right borders of your text and 1.5 inch margin on the left. Double space your papers.

• Folder for Assignments: All essays must be submitted in a folder with pockets and with your name on it. Keep your graded essays in the folder and turn the accumulated essays in each time an assignment is due. You will retain this folder throughout the three English classes, accumulating essays as you go. This will help you to chart your writing progress. You will get five points for handing in a complete folder at the end of the quarter.

• Late Assignments: An essay's grade will drop by one-third for the first, second and third day it is late. (An A, for example, will drop to an A- after one day.) After the third day, it will no longer be accepted. 

• Plagiarism: If you use another writer's words and/or ideas in your paper, acknowledge  it and cite the source in your paper. If you commit plagiarism, you will fail the paper on the first offense and you will fail the course on the second offense. Please read the Guide (p.41) for more details. 

2) Editing Sheets: You are required to complete Editing Sheets for each of your papers. An error in your paper will be marked according to the notation of the Handbook (Part III) in the Guide. After you have identified the problem in your handbook, you must correct your errors (please follow the Editing Policy described in the Guide, pp. 49-53) and submit the editing sheets back to me. An editing sheet for a paper is due the class period immediately following my return of your paper. Your editing sheets will be graded and will count as quizzes.

3) Reader Responses: For your writing practice, I will ask you to write a one-page informal response to a reading assignment, a photo, an ad or a painting. 

4) Attendance: Regular attendance is mandatory. If you miss more than three classes, your grade will be lowered by one full letter grade. (see Guide, p. 57)

5) Conferences: You must schedule at least one conference with me during the quarter. A conference is for the purpose of discussing your writing with me in more detail than class time permits. Besides seeing me at the conference, the more often you visit me during my office hours, the more I will be able to help you individually with your paper assignments. 

6) Mid-Term and EXIT EXAM. You must pass the exit exam in order to advance to Persuasive Voice. (See Guide p. 56 for the nature of the exam.)

ASSIGNMENTS and GRADING:

IMPORTANT DATES:

Last day you may drop class without a signature: October 20
Last day you may drop class with a signature: November 3
First Essay Due: Thursday, October 5
Second Essay Due: Thursday, October 19
Special Focus Project Due: Thursday, November 9
Mid-Term Exam: Tuesday, October 10
Final Exam: Tuesday, November 21

SCHEDULE OF READINGS, ASSIGNMENTS, ACTIVITIES

FINAL EXAM: TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 9:00 - 11:00 a.m (same classroom).

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