The course commences with an introduction to the five steps of the writing process (pre-writing, planning, writing, editing and proofreading). Each step of the writing process will be accompanied by practice activities.  As the semester progresses, students will produce a number of writing assignments.  While the emphasis of the course is on production of correct sentence structures, students will also be introduced to the essential elements of a well written paragraph (topic sentence, supporting point, supporting details and concluding sentence) which forms the basis of subsequent essay development.  The course culminates with the writing of compositions of approximately 500 words.  Essays written in class and for homework will be reviewed by your peers and by your Professor.  A second ‘reviewed’ draft is expected of you, and it, along with your first draft, must be kept by and presented for final review at the conclusion of the course. 

During the secong half of the course we will discuss and practice various rhetorical modes (illustration, cause and effect, compare and contrast, etc.) and practice the writing of between five-seven paragraph essays (introduction, body, conclusion).  By the end of the course, you will be expected to be able to write a well structured, coherent argumentative essay. 

Readings will be used to offer models and stimulate ideas for writing assignments. Class time will be spent reviewing grammar, discussing assignments and readings and practicing writing techniques. The course will include an ongoing and in-depth grammar review.

Writing: All written assignments must be typed and handed in on time.   Late delivery of     written work will be penalized. 

Format for assignments written at home:

-        Typewritten on standard (A4) paper

-        Double-spaced to leave room for corrections

-        Paragraphs indented but no extra spaces between them

-        Name and date in the top left corner of the first page

-        Title centered over the essay, appropriately capitalized

-        Title centered over the essay, appropriately capitalized

Assessment Guidelines for assigning main letter grades: A, B, C, D, and F

A:  Work of this quality directly addresses the question or problem raised and provides a coherent argument displaying an extensive knowledge of relevant information or content. This type of work demonstrates the ability to critically evaluate concepts and theory and has an element of novelty and originality. There is clear evidence of a significant amount of reading beyond that required for the course. (90 - 92 = A-; 93 - 100 = A)

B:  This is highly competent level of performance and directly addresses the question or problem raised. There is a demonstration of some ability to critically evaluate theory and concepts and relate them to practice. Discussions reflect the student’s own arguments and are not simply a repetition of standard lecture and reference material. The work does not suffer from any major errors or omissions and provides evidence of reading beyond the required assignments. (80 - 82 = B-; 83 - 86 = B; 87 - 89 = B+)

C:  This is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings. (73 - 76 = C; 77 - 79 = C+)

D:  This level of performances demonstrates that the student lacks a coherent grasp of the material. Important information is omitted and irrelevant points included. In effect, the student has barely done enough to persuade the instructor that s/he should not fail. (60 - 62 = D-; 63 - 66 = D; 67 - 69 = D+70 - 72 = C-)

F: This work fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question. Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant. (<60)