CONTRA COSTA COLLEGE
COURSE OUTLINE
ESL 172
Grammar/Writing IV
Number of weeks: 18
Lecture hours:
4
Units:
4
Advisory: Successful completion of ESL 169 or appropriate score on ESL Placement Test
Course Description: This course provides instruction in grammar and writing for advanced ESL
students.
Course Objectives:
At the completion of the course, students will be able to:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Use targeted grammatical structures correctly in guided spoken and written communication.
Use specific grammar points to write passages of at least 300-400 words.
Integrate a variety of sentences in their writing: simple, compound, and complex.
Identify targeted grammatical structures in reading passages.
Course Content:
1.
5%
Review of sentence patterns:
 Simple, compound and complex sentences
 Identification of phrases and clauses
2.
10%
Verb tense review: active and passive voices
 Present tenses: simple present, present progressive, present perfect, present perfect
progressive
 Past tenses: simple past, past progressive
 Future tenses: simple future
3.
20%
Verb tense and voice: formation and use in statements, yes/no questions, and information
questions
 Future progressive
 Future perfect tense (active and passive voices)
 Future perfect progressive tense
 Past perfect tense (active and passive voices)
 Past perfect progressive tense
 Passive modals
 Passive gerunds and infinitives
4.
15%
Adverbial clauses:
 Meanings and uses of adverbial clauses of time, place, reason, result, contrast, purpose,
present/future condition


Reduction to phrases
Corresponding prepositional phrases and transitions
5.
25%
Adjective clauses:
 Formation and use with relative pronouns and adverbs
 Punctuation of restrictive and non-restrictive clauses
 Reduction to phrases
6.
20%
Noun clauses: Embedded statements, whether/if clauses, wh- clauses, imperatives
7.
5%
Review of articles
Methods of Instruction:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Explicit instruction on grammatical structures, including proofreading and editing
Exercises, including identification of structures in texts
Pair and group activities
Feedback on student writing and oral production
Computer-aided instruction
Required Texts and Materials:
1.
2.
Textbook: Understanding and Using English Grammar, by Betty Azar
Instructor-prepared handouts
Course Expectations:
Students will spend approximately 8 hours per week on the following types of homework assignments:
1.
2.
3.
Reading of text material and completion of exercises
Reading of supplemental materials [such as articles and stories]
Completion of writing assignments
Student Assessment:
1.
4.
5.
6.
Tests and quizzes:
Homework and classwork:
Writing assignments:
Final exam:
40%
20%
20%
20%
Grading Policy:
A letter grade will be assigned based on the following categories:
90-100% = A, 80-89% = B, 70-79% = C, 60-69% = D, below 60% = F.
Students who choose the credit/no credit option will receive CR for an average of 70% and above, or
NC for an average below 70%.
Revised by N. Borhan, G. Segade, E. Smith, L. Statan, and E. Xiezopolski, Fall 2010