ENG100H5F LEC0102, Effective Writing
MWF 10-11, IB 140
First Term
Instructor Information:
Chester Scoville, MN5240
Contact me via Quercus message (preferred) or at chester.scoville@utoronto.ca
Office hours: MWF 1-2pm or by appointment
Quercus site: https://q.utoronto.ca/courses/274516
Teaching Assistants (TAs):
Ishanthi Dissanayake, ishanthi.dissanayake@mail.utoronto.ca
Austin Long, austin.long@mail.utoronto.ca
Course Description: This course provides practical tools for writing in university and beyond,
with a special focus on writing about literature. Students will gain experience in generating ideas,
clarifying insights, structuring arguments, composing paragraphs and sentences, critiquing and
revising their writing and communicating effectively to diverse audiences. This course does not
count toward any English program, but does provide foundational tools for the writing of essays
in any program in the humanities and beyond.
Because the best way to learn writing is to write often, we will spend a lot of time in class doing
so. Mondays and Wednesdays will be dedicated to writing exercises, done individually and in
groups; these groups will be set up during the first full week of classes. Fridays will be dedicated
to review of our work for the week and to explication of principles and techniques of writing.
Learning Outcomes: By the end of this course, students will have learned how to
1. Recognize the fundamental analytical and argumentative moves of academic writing
2. Analyze academic writing by applying their understanding of these moves
3. Write in academic contexts by using these moves to construct their own work
4. Critique and improve their own writing and that of their peers
5. Use accurate and complete citation methods
6. Enter the academic conversation in their disciplines with competence and understanding
Breakdown of forms and weighting of assessment:
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Group Participation: 10%. In this class we will be forming writing groups; they will meet weekly
during our regular class time on Mondays and Tuesdays. Your mark for this component will be
based on your preparation for and contribution to the group’s regular work, as reflected in a selfassessment at the end of the term.
Summary and response to published essay: 20%. This assignment will require you to read,
summarize, and respond to a published essay on a topic of your choosing, using the tools of
analysis we will be covering in this course.
Summary and response to second published essay: 20%. This assignment will require you to read,
summarize, and respond to a second published essay on the same topic as the first, using the tools
of analysis we will be covering in this course.
Proposal for final response: 10%. This will be a brief sketch of how you propose to bring the two
published essays into dialogue with each other and with your own argument in response.
Sample thesis and title for final response: 5%. This will constitute an informative title and
working thesis for your final response.
Final Exam: 35%. On this open-book exam, you will write your final response, bringing together
your previous assignments into a completed argument.
Required Textbooks and Other Course Materials:
The following texts are required, and are available for purchase at the UTM Bookstore.
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Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein. They Say / I Say: The Moves that Matter in Academic
Writing. 5th edition, Norton, 2021. Includes online components at
https://digital.wwwnorton.com/theysay5; you should register your copy of the textbook there after
you purchase it.
Maureen Okun and Nora Ruddock. The Broadview Pocket Guide to Citation and Documentation.
3rd edition, Broadview P, 2022.
Other readings may be made available on our Quercus site as appropriate.
Assessment and Participation Policy: The only real way to improve one’s writing is by
writing; therefore, students should come to class prepared to do lots of in-class exercises and to
work in peer groups on assessing their own and each other’s work in progress. The main texts in
this class are both small and portable, and students should always have them on hand when they
come to class, having already completed the readings assigned for that week.
Late Assignment and Make-up Policies: Late assignments will be subject to a 3% penalty per
day including weekends for one week, for a total penalty of 21%. If, however, you have some
reason for submitting the work late, please get in touch as soon as possible; I am always willing
to be flexible in such cases. The University of Toronto’s policy regarding religious
accommodations will be followed and can be found here:
https://governingcouncil.utoronto.ca/secretariat/policies/religious-observances-policyscheduling-classes-and-examinations-and-other
Drop Policy: The last day to drop this course from your academic record and GPA is 16
November 2022. By that time, at least the first Summary and Response, totaling 20% of your
final mark, will have been returned.
The Robert Gillespie Academic Skills Centre (MN 3251) offers a range of workshops,
seminars, and individual consultations to help students develop the academic skills they need for
success in their studies. The Centre’s website is www.utm.utoronto.ca/asc; its phone number is
905-828-3858.
Academic Integrity: All members of the University of Toronto are committed to the principles
of academic integrity, which consist simply of a few principles: that we do our own work, that
we give due credit to others, and that we are truthful in our findings and arguments. This course
will include exercises and reflections that will help you put these principles into action through
your university career.
You should familiarize yourself with the University’s policies on plagiarism in Section B of the
University of Toronto Code of Behaviour on Academic Matters:
https://governingcouncil.utoronto.ca/secretariat/policies/code-behaviour-academic-matters-july1-2019. An older but still useful resource is Margaret Proctor’s “How Not to Plagiarize”:
https://advice.writing.utoronto.ca/using-sources/how-not-to-plagiarize/.
Normally, students will be required to submit their course essays to the University’s plagiarism
detection tool for a review of textual similarity and detection of possible plagiarism. In doing so,
students will allow their essays to be included as source documents in the tool’s reference
database, where they will be used solely for the purpose of detecting plagiarism. The terms that
apply to the University’s use of this tool are described on the Centre for Teaching Support &
Innovation web site (https://uoft.me/pdt-faq). If you must opt out of this tool, you must notify me
in writing (email is acceptable) by the end of the first full week of classes; in such a case I will
need a hard copy of the assignment, handed to me on the day it is due, with a copy of your rough
notes and drafts.
E-Culture Policy: The main textbook for this course, They Say / I Say, includes on-line
components such as tutorials and exercises; we will be making significant use of those. You
should register at https://digital.wwwnorton.com/theysay5 using the code in the front of your
textbook in order to access these resources.
All major announcements and all handouts will be linked to our Quercus site. To contact me or
your TAs, please use Quercus messages as a first option, but you may also use our email
addresses (given above). If you contact us by email, please use a subject line such as “ENG100
Question,” so that we can spot your email quickly. We will make every effort to answer as soon
as possible.
Changes to the Syllabus: Every attempt will be made to follow the syllabus, but it is subject to
change due to unforeseen circumstances; in such cases any change will be announced both in
class and on our Quercus site as soon as possible.
Accessibility Policy: Students with diverse needs are welcome in this course. The UTM
Accessibility Resource Centre offers services to assess specific student needs, provide referrals,
and arrange appropriate accommodations. Students with questions about disability/health
accommodations are encouraged to contact their instructor and/or the Accessibility Resource
Centre when the course begins. The Accessibility Resource Centre staff can be contacted by
phone (905-569-4699), email (access.utm@utoronto.ca) or in person (Davis Building, Room
2037).
Equity Policy: The University of Toronto is committed to equity and respect for diversity. All
members of the learning environment in this course should strive to create an atmosphere of
mutual respect. As a course instructor, I will neither condone nor tolerate behaviour that
undermines the dignity or self-esteem of any individual in this course and wish to be alerted to
any attempt to create an intimidating or hostile environment. It is our collective responsibility to
create a space that is inclusive and welcomes discussion. Discrimination, harassment, and hate
speech will not be tolerated. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns you may contact
the UTM Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Office at edo.utm@utoronto.ca.
Land Acknowledgement: We wish to acknowledge this land on which the University of
Toronto operates. For thousands of years, it has been the traditional land of the Huron-Wendat,
the Seneca and, most recently, the Mississaugas of the Credit River. Today, this meeting place is
still the home to many Indigenous people from across Turtle Island and we are grateful to have
the opportunity to work on this land.
To learn more about UTM’s Land Acknowledgment, please visit:
https://www.utm.utoronto.ca/studentleader/support/land-acknowledgement
Course Schedule:
Sep 9 Introduction to the course
Sep 12-14:
Before class: Read “Introduction”
In class: Set up writing groups
Sep 19-23:
Before class: Read Chapter 1
In Class: Exercises from Chapter 1; Identifying What “They Say,” The Textbook’s “They Say”
Sep 26-30:
Before Class: Read Chapter 2
In-class Activities: Exercises from Chapter 2; Writing and Critiquing Summaries
Oct 3-7
Before Class: Read Chapter 4, Graff, “Hidden Intellectualism” (pp. 291-297)
In Class: Summarizing and Responding in Turn
After Class: Assignment 1: Summarize and Respond to Graff’s “Hidden Intellectualism”
Oct 10-14: READING WEEK
Oct 17-21
Before Class: Read Chapter 3
In Class Activities: Exercises from Chapter 3; Making a Quotation Sandwich
ASSIGNMENT 1 DUE on OCT 21.
Oct 24-28:
Before Class: Read Chapters 5 and 6
In class: Work on Assignment 2
Oct 31-Nov 4:
Before Class: Read Chapter 7
In Class: Review and catch up
ASSIGNMENT 2 DUE on NOV 4.
Nov 7-11:
Before Class: Read Chapters 8 and 15
In Class: Workshop idea for final response; Instruction on research, library databases, and
internet searches
After Class: Complete InQuizitive for Writers “Finding Sources” activity 280
After Class: Work on proposal for final response
Nov 14-18:
Before Class: Read Chapter 9
In-class Activities “Comparing Styles”
PROPOSAL FOR FINAL RESPONSE DUE on NOV 18
Nov 21-25:
Before Class: Read Chapter 10
In Class: Workshopping Theses and Titles
Nov 28-Dec 2
Read Chapter 16 or 17 or 18
In-class Activities: Discuss how the different fields of writing differ; work with citation guide
SAMPLE THESIS and TITLE DUE on DEC 2
Dec 5-7: Exam preparation: work up an outline for the final exam