IEP 031.02, #8934, Section 2, Summer Quarter 2012
G/W3 SYLLABUS
TIMES: 9:00-11:50 AM
DAYS: Monday through Thursday
CLASSROOM: ED 0843A
WEBSITE: http://facweb.northseattle.edu/rhawkins
E-MAIL: richard.hawkins@seattlecolleges.edu
DATES: June 25-August 16, 2012
INSTRUCTOR: Rich Hawkins
OFFICE: IB 2322A
OFFICE HOURS: By appointment
VOICE-MAIL: 206-934-0198
COURSE DESCRIPTION: This is an intermediate level English grammar and writing course for
international students who are not native speakers of English. We will focus on mastering sentence
control and developing clear, coherent, interesting paragraphs.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
Grammar
After we review the basics of present, past
and future time in English we will study the
following topics in more depth:
 Present Perfect and Past Perfect
 Modal Auxiliaries
 Connecting Ideas
 Comparisons
 The Passive
 Count/Non-count Nouns and Articles
 Adjective Clauses
 Gerunds and Infinitives
Time will permit us to spend no more than
three days in each chapter followed by an
achievement quiz to measure your progress. Your
scores on these achievement quizzes be a factor
in calculating your final grade.
In week 4 or 5 there will be a midterm exam
covering the subjects we have worked on up to
that point. There will also be a comprehensive
final exam at the end of the course.
Writing
To pass this course you must demonstrate that
you can write interesting paragraphs with
effective topic sentences, supporting sentences
and conclusions.
You must demonstrate that you have control
of the grammar studied in this course, including:
 The simple and progressive tenses
 The present perfect tense
 Modal verbs
 Comparatives and superlatives
 Compound sentences with coordinating
conjunctions
 Complex sentences with adjective clauses
 Passive Voice
 Gerunds
To achieve this goal, you will practice revising
and editing your writing based on feedback from
your teacher and from other students; selfediting and proofreading your writing for correct
spelling, punctuation, capitalization and
agreement; and recognizing and correcting
sentence fragments and “run on” sentences.
TEXTBOOKS & MATERIALS
 Our textbook, Fundamentals of English Grammar, 4th ed., by Betty S.
Azar and Stacy A. Hagan, is available for purchase at the North
Seattle Community College bookstore.
In addition to the course textbook you will need the following:
 A bluebook or other notebook for your personal journal.
 A large bluebook for the weekly writing journal you will share with
your teacher.
 A good English-English dictionary from a reputable publisher, such as Cambridge, Collins, Miriam
Webster, Longman, Oxford, or Random House.
 A supply of white, ruled, 8½ by 11-inch paper and a folder or 3-ring binder in which to store your
notes, homework, writing, and material that your teacher may hand out in class
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Attendance & Participation: In the IEP program absences are not allowed. US immigration
rules require that you attend your classes. If you will be absent from this class due to an
emergency or illness, you must contact your teacher in advance and bring proper documentation
when you return.
Our class begins at 9:00 AM each day. Your teacher will record attendance at the beginning of each
class. If you arrive after attendance has been recorded, you will be recorded as present but late. Being
late three times counts as one absence. Your attendance record will be reported each week to the
colleges International Programs office.
Please note that if you miss a class you are still responsible for any homework assigned. You can find
the homework assignment each day on the course website: http://facweb.northseattle.edu/rhawkins.
However, some information may have been distributed in class that is not available there. For this
reason, you may need to contact another student and learn about information discussed in class or to
get a copy of material that was handed out in class. Take a moment now to write down the names and
contact information of at least two of your fellow students whom you can contact to find out the
homework assignments and other information if you are absent.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Name
Phone
E-mail
_____________________________________________________________________________
Name
Phone
E-mail
You are expected to attend class each day, on time and prepared to participate in the day’s
lesson. If you arrive late, you will interrupt and delay the work of others. If you are unprepared,
you cannot participate effectively in the classroom activities and you may become an obstacle to
the progress of other students. Your attendance and participation are one factor in your final
grade. Participation also includes your contributions to class and small group discussions and
your ability to respect and cooperate with others.
Homework: All homework assignments must be completed before the beginning of class on the
date due. Unless you are directed otherwise, you may submit your written homework electronically, as
an attachment to an e-mail message, but hand- written homework will also be accepted. Late
homework may be corrected by the teachers but will not receive credit. Corrected homework will be
returned to you within two class days. If you are not present when a homework assignment is returned
in class, your individual homework may not be returned to you, however you will still receive credit.
Your teacher may give you specific comments on your homework and a grade as follows:
Check (): Satisfactory effort and acceptable results (2 points)
Check plus (+): Exceptionally good effort or results (3 points)
Check minus (-): Insufficient effort or unacceptable results (1 point)
Zero (L or 0): Late or no credit (No points)
Your cumulative homework grade is another factor in your final grade.
Writing Journals: Rich will explain the requirements for two writing journals that you will keep
outside of class and hand in at the beginning of class each Monday. Your effort in keeping these journals
will count as part of your homework grade.
Quizzes and Written Classwork: A third factor in calculating your final grade will be your cumulative
grade on the quizzes and other written work done in class. Quizzes will be given a percentage grade
while other written classwork will be graded with the check system used for your homework. If you miss
a quiz or other classwork because you are absent, you will receive a score of zero for that assignment.
Midterm and Final Exam: In order to pass this course and be promoted to a higher level, you must
earn a passing grade on both the grammar and writing final exams. A passing grade is equivalent to a
score of 75% or higher. If you pass, you will receive a numerical grade calculated according to this
schedule.
96 to 100%
4.0
84%
2.9
94-95%
3.9
83%
2.8
93%
3.8
82%
2.7
92%
3.7
81%
2.6
91%
3.6
80%
2.5
90%
3.5
79%
2.4
89%
3.4
78%
2.3
88%
3.3
77%
2.2
87%
3.2
76%
2.1
86%
3.1
75%
2.0
85%
3.0
Below 75%
No pass
Plagiarism: When you do work for this class, whether written or otherwise, it must be your own
work. You may not plagiarize, which means that you must not take the words or work of another
student, the internet, or some other person and present it as if it were your own. In American academic
culture, to use someone else’s work without giving them credit is plagiarism. Plagiarism is considered
dishonest—a kind of stealing—and is taken very seriously. Plagiarized work will not receive credit.
Students can be disciplined (or even expelled) for plagiarism.
Electronic Devices: Cell phones, laptops, and other electronic devices must be turned off and
stowed away during class. An exception can be made for electronic dictionaries; however, this policy
may be changed by the teacher based on classroom experience.
INDIVIDUAL CONFERENCES: At least twice during the quarter you will be offered the chance to schedule
individual writing conferences with your teacher. You should bring your writing assignments with you to
these conferences and be prepared to discuss your individual writing issues. If these conferences are
scheduled outside of regular class time, your participation will be optional.
HOLIDAYS: There will be no class on Wednesday, July 4, Independence Day.
END OF QUARTER: The last day of this class is Thursday, August 16, 2012. On that day, between 9 AM
and 1:30 PM, you may schedule a final individual conference with your teacher. From 2:00 to 3:30 PM
on that day there will be an end-of quarter ceremony which you are required to attend.
LOFT WRITING CENTER: You are urged to take advantage of this unique center, located upstairs in the
NSCC library. The Loft is staffed by trained tutors, and equipped with computers that are loaded with
many programs that can help you with your work for this class and others. All the facilities at The Loft
are free and available on a drop-in basis.
ELECTRONIC TUTORING: If you can’t visit the Loft during the hours it is open, North Seattle Community
College also offers electronic tutoring. To use this service, go to this address:
https://northseattle.edu/tutoring/loft-writing-center/online-services
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES: Students with disabilities who believe that they may need
accommodations in this class are encouraged to contact Disability Services as soon as possible to ensure
that such accommodations are implemented in a timely fashion. You may make an appointment with
Disability Services by calling 527-3697 or stopping by the DS office on the 2nd floor of the College
Center.