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NORTH SEATTLE COLLEGE
ARTS, HUMANITIES, AND SOCIAL SCIENCES DIVISION
COURSE SYLLABUS FOR ENGLISH 104.05: ADVANCED ENGLISH GRAMMAR
FALL QUARTER 2015
Writers acquire their technique by spotting, savoring, and reverse-engineering
examples of good prose….An aspiring writer could be forgiven for thinking that
learning to write is like negotiating an obstacle course in boot camp, with a
sergeant barking at you for every errant footfall. Why not think of it instead as a
form of pleasurable mastery, like cooking or photography? --Steven Pinker, The
Sense of Style, 12
Instructor:
Class time:
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www:
Office:
Office hours:
Office phone:
E-mail address:
Required text:
Suggested text:
Molly Tenenbaum
12:00-12:50 daily
CC 3349
canvas.northseattle.edu
IB 2423C, Suite 9
1-2 pm Mondays and Wednesdays and by appointment
206 934-4553
molly.tenenbaum@seattlecolleges.edu
Kischner and Wollin, Writers’ Choices: Grammar for Effective Writing
(must be purchased at the NSCC bookstore, since other editions will be
the wrong ones. ISBN 978-1-58152-898-5)
A good paperback English-English dictionary
Course Description: English 104 is designed to make you aware of how words are put together
in English to make effective and graceful sentences. You will learn the rules of grammar and
punctuation in standard written English—the English you usually see in print. This is the syntax
part of the course: “Syntax” comes from a Greek word meaning “to put together in an orderly
arrangement.” Being aware of syntax—of various sentence types and grammatical concepts—
will give you more options for your sentences and will result in better, more interesting writing.
You’ll be able use grammar to enhance and emphasize meaning. This is the style part of the
course, and it is the fun and creative payoff for learning the syntax. I hope you will find that this
class enables you to have more fun with creating sentences that make your meaning come
alive.
This is not a basic grammar class. This course will not help you conjugate verbs or choose the
correct tenses, for example. The course expects you to already know these essentials of English
and to make sure they are correct in the homework and on the tests. If I notice that you need
more work in these areas, I will let you know, and will suggest you seek out more tutoring help
from the Page One Writing Center.
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Grading System:
Tests (four total) = 160 points (40 points each)
Cumulative Final Exam = 60 points (Monday, December 14, 1-3pm)
Homework and Participation = 130 points
Total = 350 points
Homework: You will have daily homework assignments. These assignments will be listed in your
assignment sheets; please check the assignment sheet every day and make sure you know what
you need to do. You will have the following kinds of homework:
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Composed sentences: These should be written neatly on notebook paper or typed.
Please label what type of sentence it is. For example, “Standard subject-verb order” or
“Infinitive Phrase as a Subject.” If you don’t label the sentences, I won’t be able to
assess them. Unlabled homework will be returned with a “0” and will not count toward
your grade.
All composed sentences should be original. Do not use sentences from websites or
textbooks. The purpose is for you to learn how to write a variety of sentences on your
own. I will collect composed sentences and return them to you with feedback the next
day. You will earn a check for completing the assignment, regardless of how many
answers are “correct.”
Expanded sentences: Similar to the composed sentences, these should be written
neatly on notebook paper or typed. Expand the sentences by adding the appropriate
grammatical structure. I will also collect expanded sentences and return them to you
with feedback the next day. You will earn a check for completing the assignment,
regardless of how many answers are “correct.”
Sentence diagrams: There is an answer key in the back of your textbook for all of the
sentence diagrams. When doing the homework, diagram one sentence and then check
the answer key; then diagram the next one, and so forth. When you use this method,
the process teaches you as you go along. I will not collect sentence diagrams, but we will
go over any you have questions about in class.
Sentence combining/Rhetoric exercises: There is an answer key in the back of your
textbook for these questions as well. Do one sentence and then check the answer key;
then work on the next one, and so forth. I will not collect these either, but we will go
over any you have questions about in class.
Format of homework: Homework to be turned in may be typed or legibly handwritten.
Late homework is not accepted: I will collect the homework early in the class hour, after we
have gone over it but before the next topic is introduced. Homework turned in later than this
(at the end of class, for example) is not accepted.
Suggestions for your composed sentences:
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Composed sentences are an opportunity to be creative. To be creative, choose unusual
subject matter or subject matter that especially interests you.
Some students choose to write about the same topic for all the homework throughout
the quarter; for example, all quarter your composed sentences could be about space
aliens or pianos. Or, within each homework assignment you can develop a single topic.
you can write about the same topic for all the sentences in a single homework
assignment. This will help stretch your sentence abilities.
However, keep your sentences focused on the grammar task assigned; do not add extra
phrases or clauses, or make your sentences especially complicated just for fun, as this
might distract you from the particular grammar topic being studied.
Participation: Participation counts for a lot—130 points, more than three tests’ worth. To earn
a high participation grade, you should:
 Come to class every day and take notes. If you miss days, you will quickly fall behind. If
you must miss a class, get notes from a classmate.
 Do your homework every night (whether I will be collecting it or not!).
 As soon as you get to class each day, find a group of two or three students to compare
answers with on the homework. Do not sit quietly waiting for something to happen.
 Volunteer to put your composed or expanded sentences on the board for discussion.
 Remember that studying a textbook effectively does not mean simply reading and rereading it. It means annotating your textbook and taking out the most important
information and re-organizing it into your own notes. For each test, you are permitted to
bring and consult one side of one page of handwritten notes. Successful students make
up good pages of notes as they go along.
 Participate actively by asking questions during class, engaging in small group work, and
bringing in questions about or examples of writing that you encounter outside the
classroom.
Policies:
 Late homework is not accepted. No exceptions.
 Most of your learning in this class will occur at home as you study the texts and work on
each exercise on your own before looking at the answer keys. We have a great deal of
material to cover, and this requires that we continue to move forward, adding more
material each day. Falling behind is usually disastrous for students. It’s safe to assume
that you will have about an hour to an hour and a half of homework for this course each
night.
 For those of you who are non-native speakers, please note that this is not designed
specifically as an ESL class. Students are expected to understand English spoken at a
rapid rate. If you find this is difficult for you, it might be a good idea to wait until you are
better able to understand and respond in spoken English.
 Do not do homework in class. This includes both homework for other classes and
homework for this class.
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 I expect mature and respectful classroom behavior from each of you. This includes
listening attentively, respecting your classmates, and refraining from text messaging and
cell phone use during class.
About the course website:
On our course website (canvas.northseattle.edu), you will find:
 Homework assignments and most of the handouts from class;
 Links to interesting and useful websites;
 Announcements in case of a schedule change or snow day;
 Your grades on the tests.
You will not find your homework-participation grade there until the very end of the quarter,
because all of the homework for the whole quarter has to be completed before I can figure out
the grade. However, you can always ask me how you are doing, and I will let you know.
NSCC ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
PLAGIARISM POLICY
To take the words or ideas of someone else and present them as your own is plagiarism and is
unacceptable in academic life. In this class, students sometimes are tempted to plagiarize their
homework by submitting (as their own) sentences they have found on a grammar website. I will
be checking for this and will count all plagiarized assignments as zero. Other examples of
plagiarism encountered in academic writing may include the following:
 incorporating into your own writing, without proper acknowledgment, words
and sentences from a print, electronic, or oral source;
 paraphrasing so closely or so extensively from a source that sentences and ideas
really belong to the original writer;
 submitting as your own whole essays or seminar papers written by another
person or taken partially or in whole from a printed source, including from the
internet;
 receiving so much help from another person that the work cannot honestly be
called your own.
By your attendance here, you’ve agreed to adhere to the Student Code of Conduct which
states, in part, that “academic dishonesty, to include cheating, plagiarism, and providing false
information to the college” may bring disciplinary action. The policy of the NSCC English faculty
is to exercise its professional judgment as to the nature and cause of each case of suspected or
proven plagiarism and to respond in a manner suited to the case. Our responses may include
the following:
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requiring that a piece of writing be revised to eliminate the plagiarism;
denying credit for a piece of writing in which plagiarism has been found;
recording a “0” grade in the student’s class record for this project or paper,
thereby lowering the student’s final grade;
forwarding the student’s name to the Vice President for Student Services for
possible further action.
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Disabilities:
I believe that every student should have an equal opportunity to be successful in his or her
educational pursuits. If you have a disability that affects you as a student in this class, please let
me know. The Disabilities Services Center on campus also exists to help you (934-3697, CC
2346A). If you have a documented disability, appropriate accommodations can be made for you.
Withdrawals:
If you decide that for whatever reason you are unable to finish this course, please don’t just
disappear. To avoid receiving a 0.0 grade that affects your GPA, you’ll need to officially
withdraw from the class by turning the proper form in to registration. Please let me know that
you have decided to withdraw. November 14 is the last day to withdraw and receive a “W” on
your transcript instead of a grade.
Be an active learner! Ask lots of questions in class! Generously share your confusions! At the
first sign that you don’t understand something, please come and see me. I’m happy to work
with you in my office hours or by appointment. Finally, have fun. Language is fascinating, and
there is a lot for us to learn. I look forward to teaching you this quarter.