Course Materials
1. Paragraphs and Essays 12 th ed. by Lee & Kelly Brandon (required)
2. A good college-level dictionary
3. Blue or black ink pen
4. Wide-ruled or college-ruled paper
Course Description
English 0300 is a review course devoted to improving Basic English skills for native speakers that emphasizes grammar, sentence structure and paragraph development through paragraph and essay writing. Students are expected to complete reading assignments from the textbook as well as writing assignments that include single paragraphs and essays.
By the end of this course, students should be able to:
1. Read analytically.
2. Write in response to reading;
3. Develop a thesis statement and use supporting paragraphs to strengthen and support the thesis;
Attendance
Students are expected to attend every class and they are responsible for all material covered during absences. Please check with instructor for make-up assignments – not all assignments may be made up.
Grading Scale
90-100
80-89
70-79
A
B
C
D / IP 60-69/below
An IP (In Progress) grade is given to students who do not meet the minimum grading standard but who are otherwise in good standing (have completed all assignments on time, have attended class regularly, participated in discussion).
An IP is not the same as an Incomplete and does not affect a student’s GPA but does require the student to retake the course.

Grading
Students must produce a portfolio by the 12 th week containing all the summaries and writing assignments made during the course.
Example paragraph
“Traveling the World at Home” page 162
Cause and Effect essay (causal analysis)
“The Ghetto Made Me Do It” page 251
Argument (proposal)
“Should the Legal Drinking Age Be Lowered to 18?” page 369-371
Scholastic Honesty : Students are expected to behave with honesty and integrity in the writing of papers and in class discussions. Plagiarism – unattributed use of another person’s words or ideas – earns a zero for assignment with no chance to make it up.
IMPORTANT NOTICES

Turn off all electronic equipment before entering the classroom. If you type, text, or go out repeatedly to use your cell phone, you are missing valuable information that may affect you later.

Students who take a course and must repeat it face significant tuition/fee increases at HCC and other Texas public colleges and universities. If you are considering withdrawing, confer with your instructor/counselor as early as possible about your study habits, reading and writing, test-taking skills, attendance, class participation and opportunities for tutoring or other assistance that might be available.

Any student with a documented disability (e.g. physical, learning, psychiatric, vision, hearing, etc.) who needs to arrange reasonable accommodations must contact the Disability Support Services Office at the beginning of the semester. Faculty is authorized to provide only the accommodations requested by the Disability Counselor. Please visit the
Disability Support Services Office in LHSB (Learning Hub) 106 on the first floor or call them at 713-718-5165.
PLEASE NOTE : The instructor reserves the right to change this syllabus during the course of the term.

Plan of Activities
Week
1-4
5-8
9-12
13-16
Discussion Topic
Sentence Types
Sentence Errors
Chapter 8 Example
Voice
Chapter 11
Cause and Effect
Modifiers: Adjectives and Adverbs
Chapter 15
Argument
Pronouns
Final Review
Assignment
Single
Paragraph
Essay
Essay
Final Exam
Written assignments receive a full grade; however the assignments related to grammatical subjects will be valued in point increments that total 100 points.
Please complete the EGLS3 survey during the last weeks of the course.
EGLS3 – Evaluation for Greater Learning Student Survey System

At Houston Community College, professors believe that thoughtful student feedback is necessary to improve teaching and learning.
During a designated time, you will be asked to answer a short online survey of research-based questions related to instruction. The anonymous results of the survey will be made available to your professors and division chairs for continual improvement of instruction.
Look for the survey as part of the Houston Community College Student
System online near the end of the term.
Remember to always:
F ind the
O pportunity to
C oncentrate and
U nderstand your
S tudies