Courses

ENG 3203.02

Advanced Grammar and Composition 

Fall 2006

Course Name, Number, and Description: “ENG 3203. Advanced Grammar and Composition. Concentration on the basic terminology and procedures of English grammar and composition, with intensive practice in both. Prerequisites: Nine hours of English. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.” 

Location: ASB 305. 1-2:20 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays.

This course satisfies the requirement for advanced grammar on the degree plan for the Bachelor of Arts in English or for an upper-level English course for the English minor.  It does NOT fulfill the requirements for credit in the core curriculum  This course will be taught entirely in a traditional classroom setting and format.  The final exam will be held on 1-3 p.m. Thursday, December 14 in ASB 305.

A particular emphasis of this class will be daily, in-class writing assignments and in-class grading.  In-class participation and attendance are absolutely necessary.  We will integrate a discussion of grammar into a discussion of rhetoric, hopefully illuminating both.

Faculty Contact Information: Office Location, Phone, Hours:
Russell Greer, Ph.D.  Associate Professor.  Office: CFO 803.  E-mail: rgreer@twu.edu or russellgreer@verizon.net.  Fax: (940) 898-2297.  Office telephone: (940) 898-2346. Web Site: www.russellgreer.com

Most students find they can communicate with me quickly through the course itself online or by e-mail (rgreer@twu.edu).  In addition, I will host  office hours in CFO 803 from 2:30 to 4 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays unless otherwise indicated.  Typically, if I cannot hold those regularly scheduled office hours, I will post that information on Blackboard, my web site, or leave a note on my office door (possibly all three if I can).  I am also available at other times in my office by appointment.  You may also leave me a voice mail at (940) 898-2346.  I check for messages once a day and try to return calls promptly. 

Course Goals: 

1.  To write and revise three essays of increasing complexity, demonstrating mastery of advanced grammatical and rhetorical usage.

2.  To demonstrate mastery of important terminology and concepts associated with grammar and rhetoric.

Student Learning Outcomes:

1.  At the end of the course, the student will present a portfolio of drafts and final products for three essays of increasing complexity that demonstrate mastery of advanced grammatical and rhetorical usage.

2. The student will participate in daily oral exercises that demonstrate mastery of important terminology and concepts associated with grammar and rhetoric, culminating in two major in-class tests at the mid-term and final examination.

List of textbooks and supplies: 

• The Allyn and Bacon Guide to Writing: Brief Edition (Ramage, Bean, and Johnson.  ISBN: 0-321-29151-4) Fourth Edition.  (2006).
• The Bedford Handbook (7th edition) by Diana Hacker (Bedford/St. Martins, 2006).  We will use this as a reference only.
• Rhetorical Grammar: Grammatical Choices, Rhetorical Effects. Fifth Edition.  By Martha Kolln.  (Pearson Education.  ISBN: 0-321-39723-1)

Disability Statement:
”Texas Woman's University seeks to provide appropriate academic adjustments for all individuals with disabilities.  The University will comply with all applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and guidelines, specifically Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), with respect to providing appropriate academic adjustments to afford equal educational opportunity.  It is the responsibility of the student to register with and provide medical verification and academic schedules to Disability Support Services (DSS) at the beginning of each semester and no later than the second week of school in a timely manner to arrange for appropriate academic adjustment.  For further information regarding Disability Support Services or to register for assistance, please contact the office at 898-3835 (voice, 898-3830 (TDD), or visit CFO 105” (Texas Woman’s University Office of Academic Affairs).

Grading Policy, Major Course Assignments and Examinations and Attendance:

Daily Participation and Attendance: The Texas Woman's University Handbook and Planner 2005-2006 states the following about attendance: "Consistent and attentive attendance is vital to academic success, and is expected of all students.  Grades are determined by academic performance, and instructors may give students written notice that attendance is related to specific classroom activities is required and will constitute a specific percentage of a students' grades.

    Instructors are strongly encouraged to keep a record of student attendance. They should note absences due to documented student illness, serious illness or death in the students' immediate family, official school activity, state-recognized religious holiday, or other verified absences deemed appropriate by the instructor.  Absences are verified through the Office of Student Life. Students must consult with instructors regarding the completion of make-up work.

    Absences do not exempt students from academic requirements.  Excessive absences, even if documented, may result in a student failing the course.  An incomplete may be granted if the student has a passing grade, but only if the instructor determines that it is feasible for the student to successfully complete remaining assignments after the semester.  Pursuant to university policy, such determinations are within the discretion of the instructor" (124-125).

For each unexcused absence, I will deduct three points from your final grade (since each class meeting represents about three percent of the class time).  Excused absences, as defined by TWU, must be documented.

I will also record a participation grade for the first half of the course (reported with your mid-term examination grade) and the second half of the course and your overall participation grade (reported when I return your portfolios at the final examination).  This grade will represent my subjective evaluation of your engagement in class discussions and the level of preparation I see you bringing to class (excellent, good, average, below average, or poor).

Participation: 10%

Essays: 50%

Mid-term Examination: 10%

Final Examination (Comprehensive): 30%

Grading Policy

Argumentation is the central focus of each essay.  Every essay should have a strong thesis, strong topic sentences, good grammar, and good evidence.  When I report your essay grades to you, I will try to communicate as much specific information as possible by breaking down the grade into five areas, each weighted differently.  Fifty percent of your essay grade will come from my assessment of the essay's content and organization: Was there strong content?  Were the ideas presented logically and as requested by the assignment?  Does the paper contain a clear introduction and summary statement?  For style, I will look specifically at sentence structures and transitions.  For diction, I will examine your spelling and word choice.  For mechanics and grammar, I will focus on whether or not you are using the MLA conventions correctly and whether or not you are making any serious grammatical errors.  In particular, I will look for fragments, comma splices, agreement errors (both pronoun and subject/predicate), apostrophe errors, and fused sentences.  Four of these errors in any combination in any essay or final examination will merit a “20” for the essay or examination.  A "1" is the lowest mark for one of these areas; a "5" is the highest.  In addition to comments on your essays (which should be written and posted using WORD), I will give you a grading scale that looks like this:
Content (1-5)
Organization (1-5) x 5 = _____________
Style (1-5)
Diction (1-5) x 3 = ___________
Mechanics and Grammar (1-5) x 4 = _______________
Total:__________________

Academic Dishonesty:

“Honesty in completing assignments is essential to the mission of the university and to the development of the personal integrity of the student. Cheating, plagiarism, or other kinds of academic dishonesty will not be tolerated and will result in appropriate sanctions that may include failing an assignment, failing the class, or being suspended or expelled.  Suspected cases in this course may be reported to Student Life. The specific disciplinary process for academic dishonesty is found in the TWU Student Handbook.  Tools to help you avoid plagiarism are available through the TWU Libraries’ “Quick Links” under “Research Help” (http://www.twu.edu/library/literacy/index.htm)” (This statement was authorized and mandated by the TWU Provost.  November 10, 2005).

Plagiarism

The following definition of plagiarism appears in Joseph F. Trimmer’s A Guide to MLA Documentation (Sixth Edition), published by Houghton Mifflin Company (2004): “Plagiarism is theft.  It is using someone else’s words or ideas without giving proper credit—or without giving any credit at all—to the writer of the original.  Whether plagiarism is intentional or unintentional, it is a serious offense…You can avoid plagiarism by taking notes carefully, by formulating and developing your own ideas and by using quotes responsibly to support, rather than replace, your own work” (25).  Note that I have used this quotation from a source and have given it full attribution.  You should do the same with your sources.  I strongly urge you to read the discussion of academic dishonesty that appears in Section Four of The Student Handbook and Planner 2005-2006 (pages 133-135).  I intend to follow TWU policy as outlined in this handbook exactly.  It defines plagiarism in this way: “Plagiarism occurs when a student obtains portions or elements of someone else's work, including materials prepared by another person or agency, and presents those ideas or words as her or his own academic work.  The intentional or unintentional use by paraphrase or direct quotation of the published work of another person without full and clear acknowledgement shall constitute plagiarism.  Students are responsible for following guidelines of the appropriate course or discipline (ie; MLA, APA)" (133).  In this course, we will use the Modern Language Association (MLA) format.  Penalties for first-time offenses include, at the instructor’s discretion, any of the following: (1) “Written reprimand”; (2) “Assignment of a lower grade on the test/paper/project in question, with an explanation from the instructor”; (3) “Assignment of a 0 on an assignment"; (4) “Assignment of a grade of F in the course" (134). A discussion of the more severe penalties for second offenses appears on pages 134-135.  If you have any questions about whether or not a practice constitutes plagiarism, please contact me before you turn in the assignment. 

Mid-term and Final Examinations: To do well on these examinations, you must consistently do the exercises each week and ask questions about whatever you do not understand.  Students who do not do the exercises every week and participate actively in class typically do well on these tests.  Do not think you can wait until the end of the course to "catch up" and do the exercises then.  It will be too late.  Examination questions will draw directly from the exercises in Rhetorical Grammar.

Mandatory Conference: If you are failing after the mid-term examination, you will need to meet with me individually in my office so that we can create a strategy that will allow you to improve your grade.

Academic Calendar for Fall 2006

Tentative calendar of classes, assignments.
Please note that this daily syllabus is for planning purposes only and is subject to change.

August 2006

29 August: Kolln: Chapter 1: "The Structure of Sentences" (5-26).  Diagnostic test. 

31 August: Kolln: Chapter 1: "The Structure of Sentences" (5-26). Allyn & Bacon: Chapter 1 "Posing Problems: The Demands of College Writing" (5-26) and Chapter 20 "An Introduction to Research" (601-606).

September 2006

5 September: Kolln: Chapter 2: "The Basic Sentence Patterns in Prose" (27-36)Allyn & Bacon: Chapter 2 "Exploring Problems, Making Claims" (27-46) and Chapter 21 "Finding and Evaluating Sources" (607-642).

7 September: Kolln: Chapter 2: "The Basic Sentence Patterns in Prose" (27-36)Allyn & Bacon:  Chapter 3 "Thinking Rhetorically about Purpose, Audience, and Genre" (47-72).

12 September: Kolln: Chapter 3: "Coordination" (37-62). Hacker: "Sentence Types" (836-839). Allyn & Bacon: Chapter 4: "Thinking Rhetorically about How Message Persuade" (73-92).

14 September: Kolln: Chapter 3: "Coordination" (37-62). Allyn & Bacon: Chapter 24: "Essay Examinations: Writing Well Under Pressure" (713-726).

19 September: Essay #1 (in-class). 

21 September: Kolln: Chapter 4: "Cohesion" (63-88). In-class grading.

26 September: In-class grading.  

28 September: In-class grading.  

October 2006

3 October: In-class grading.  

5 October: In-class grading.

10 October: In-class grading.

12 October: Mid-term Examination

October 13 Midterm Unsatisfactory Progress Reports due; 5 p.m

17 October: Essay #2 (in-class).

19 October: In-class grading. Kolln: Chapter 5: "Sentence Rhythm" (89-106). Allyn and Bacon: Chapter 18 "Composing and Revising Closed-From Prose" (527-597). Lesson 1.  

24 October: In-class grading. Kolln: Chapter 5: "Sentence Rhythm" (89-106). Allyn and Bacon: Chapter 18 "Composing and Revising Closed-From Prose" (527-597). Lesson 2.

26 October: In-class grading. Kolln: Chapter 6: "The Writer's Voice" (107-128). Allyn and Bacon: Chapter 18 "Composing and Revising Closed-From Prose" (527-597). Lesson 3.

31 October: In-class grading. Kolln: Chapter 6: "The Writer's Voice" (107-128). Allyn and Bacon: Chapter 18 "Composing and Revising Closed-From Prose" (527-597). Lesson 4.

November 2006

November 2 Last day to drop a class or withdraw from the University; 5 p.m

2 November: In-class grading. Kolln: Chapter 7: "Choosing Verbs" (129-148). Allyn and Bacon: Chapter 18 "Composing and Revising Closed-From Prose" (527-597). Lesson 5.  

7 November: In-class grading. Kolln: Chapter 7: "Choosing Verbs" (129-148). Allyn and Bacon: Chapter 18 "Composing and Revising Closed-From Prose" (527-597). Lesson 6.  

9 November: Kolln: Chapter 8: "Choosing Adverbials" (149-171). Allyn and Bacon: Chapter 18 "Composing and Revising Closed-From Prose" (527-597). Lesson 7.  All second essays returned in class.  Preparations for writing the third essay.  

14 November: Essay #3 (in-class). Kolln: Chapter 8: "Choosing Adverbials" (149-171). Allyn and Bacon: Chapter 18 "Composing and Revising Closed-From Prose" (527-597). Lesson 8.  

16 November: Essay #3 (in-class). Kolln: Chapter 9: Choosing Adjectivals" (172-209). Allyn and Bacon: Chapter 18 "Composing and Revising Closed-From Prose" (527-597). Lesson 9.  

21 November: Kolln: Chapter 9: Choosing Adjectivals" (172-209). Allyn and Bacon: Chapter 18 "Composing and Revising Closed-From Prose" (527-597). Lesson 10.  

23 November: No class.  Thanksgiving Holiday.

28 November: All essays (Essay #3) graded and returned.   Kolln: Chapter 11: Word Classes (233-249). Final Examination Review.

30 November: Kolln: Chapter 11: Word Classes (233-249).  Final Examination Review.

December 2006

5 December: Kolln: Chapter 13: "Punctuation: Its Purpose, Its Hierarchy, and Its Rhetorical Effects" (270-281). Final Examination Review.

7 December:   Final Portfolio due (with revised essays and reflective self-evaluation). Kolln: Chapter 13: "Punctuation: Its Purpose, Its Hierarchy, and Its Rhetorical Effects" (270-281).  Final Examination Review.

14 December: The final exam will be held on 1-3 p.m. Thursday, December 14 in ASB 305.

Writing Assignments:

Essay #1: The focus of your first essay will be the close reading and analysis of text, essential skills for academic writing. You will learn to focus your thinking by identifying a question or problem to write about and use evidence to refine that thinking and communicate it to a specific audience. Length: 500-750 words..

3.  Research: This research allows you to situation YOUR argument in the discourse of that topic.   

Essay #2: Your second essay will build upon the skills developed in the first essay; you will incorporate both primary and secondary sources, and you may even include personal as well as textual evidence.  The point is to construct your own argument and come to you own conclusion by taking more than one source into account and entering into a dialogue with those sources and your potential audience.  Your essay structure will typically be more complex, and you will be required to evaluate and document your sources. Length: 750-1000 words.

Essay #3: Your third essay is a controlled research essay. You will develop an argument based upon multiple sources.  A key aspect of this assignment is independent thinking. This is the longest (2000-2500 words--8-10 typed pages ultimately) and most complex essay of the course, requiring students to call on all the skills they've practiced in Essays 1 and 2, and to move beyond them, including an evaluation of audience.

Portfolio: We will write these essays during class, and I will use class time to evaluate them, giving oral feedback to the entire class about each essay (without identifying the author).  Final grades, however, will be given only to the final portfolio.  The essays will need to be typed, revised, and submitted together to me by the last day of class, on 7 December.  I will return the portfolios with a grade an an overall portfolio comment on the day of the final examination.  I will access your essays in terms of content, organization, style, diction, grammar, and mechanics.  All essays must conform to the Modern Language Association format.

Last updated 7 November 2006