Course Syllabus (Tentative)
BSAD B85 Business English
Fall Semester 2015
Website: www2.bakersfieldcollege.edu/ivey
Office: Business B-1
Phone (661) 395-4363
CRN: 71172 Meets Tuesday & Thursday 8 -9:25a.m.
Monday
9 – 9:30 a.m.
11 – 12:30 p.m.
Michael Ivey, Professor
Bakersfield College
1801 Panorama Drive
Bakersfield, CA 93305
e-mail: Mivey@bakersfieldcollege.edu
Office Hours
Tuesday
Wednesday
9 – 9:30 a.m.
5:30 – 6 p.m.
11 – 12:30 p.m.
5:30 – 6 p.m.
Other times by appointment
Thursday
Arrangement
Course Description: Basic English grammar course focusing on nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives,
adverbs, conjunctions, and prepositions. Also includes standard punctuation, capitalization, number
usage, and vocabulary development.
Student Learning Outcomes: Upon successful completion, the student will be able to:
1. Distinguish between plural and possessive nouns and use the correct form in written material.
2. Identify three groups of personal pronouns and use them as subjects, verbs, complements, or
possessives in written material.
3. Identify verb types and tenses and apply the correct form in written exercises.
4. Distinguish between adjectives and adverbs and use the correct form in written exercises.
5. Interpret and apply difficult homonyms in written context.
6. Distinguish between transitional and parenthetical expressions and punctuate accordingly.
7. Distinguish between phrases and clauses and use appropriate punctuation.
8. Identify prepositions and conjunctions and apply appropriate punctuation.
9. Write the following sentence types: • simple • compound • Complex • correct subject-verb
agreement • correct pronoun-antecedent agreement • passive voice •active voice.
10. Practice using commonly recognized punctuation marks (comma, semicolon, colon, question
mark, quotation marks, exclamation mark, dash, and parenthesis) in written material.
Required Text and Materials: Business English, Mary Ellen Guffey and Carolyn Seefer; ISBN13: 9781285181974 or ISBN10: 1285181972, Edition/Copyright: 11TH 14; Cengage Learning.
Grading
Chapter Tests (14 @ 20 points)
Unit Tests (6 @ 50 points)
Writing Assignments (14 @ 5 points)
Total Points Available
280
300
70
650
Scale
A = 100 – 90
B = 89 – 80
C = 79 – 70
D = 69 - 60
Attendance:
There is a direct correlation between attendance and your grade. The fewer days missed, the higher
your grade. In the above grading scale, attendance is not considered as part of your grade, but you will
miss instructor and class discussions that may help you understand material that is important. Please
try to attend regularly and on time, if you know you will be absent, please let the instructor know
immediately. Any work missed is your responsibility to make up and the instructor will not remind you
of missed work. The instructor uses a one week policy, that is, work missed must be completed within
one week and you will be penalized one letter grade for late work turned in.
Class Rules:
1. Attend class promptly as required by your schedule.
2. Be prepared before you come to class, including having assignments read and homework
completed.
3. Take notes in class to help remind you of topics discussed when reviewing chapter tests.
4. The student is on his or her honor. This means cheating is unacceptable and will not be
tolerated. Anyone found cheating in this course will receive a grade of “0” on the work
involved and will be referred to the Dean of Students.
5. It is your responsibility to drop the course if you stop attending – not the instructor’s.
6. If you feel you are not getting what you expect or deserve from the instructor, talk to him. It
will not affect your grade!
****Students with disabilities who believe they may need accommodations in this class are
encouraged to contact Disabled Student Programs & Services located at Student Services Building,
1st Floor, Counseling Center (661-395-4334), as soon as possible to better ensure such
accommodations are implemented in a timely fashion.
Tentative Schedule
Week Ending
Chapters to Cover
Assignments
8/27
Chapter 1- Parts of Speech
9/3
Chapter 2 - Sentences: Elements, Varieties, Patterns Types Unit Test 1
SEPTEMBER 6: Last day to drop semester length classes without receiving "W" grades.
9/10
Chapter 3 - Nouns: Plurals and Possessives
9/17
Chapter 4 - Pronouns
Unit Test 2
9/24
Chapter 5 - Verbs
10/1
Chapter 6 - Subject–Verb Agreement
Unit Test 3
10/8
Chapter 7 - Modifiers: Adjectives and Adverbs
10/15
Chapter 8 - Prepositions
10/22
Chapter 9 - Conjunctions
Unit Test 4
10/29
Chapter 10 - Commas
OCTOBER 30: Last day to withdraw from semester length classes and receive "W" grades
11/5
Chapter 11 - Semicolons and Colons
11/12
Chapter 12 - Other Punctuation
Unit Test 5
11/19
Chapter 13 - Capitalization
11/26
Thanksgiving week
12/3
Chapter 14 - Numbers
12/10
Finals Week
Unit Test 6
Writing Assignments and chapter quizzes will be due the class after we finish our discussion on that
particular chapter. Your Writing assignment will be a one-page summary of the chapter to be turned
in. I prefer it to be typed and organized! Chapter quizzes will be administered through the Moodle site
and must be take outside of class time.