ENGLISH 1301 - COMPOSITION I - ESSAY ONE
Choose one prompt from “Assignments for Writing” or “Making Connections” from the readings by Carson (144-45),
Doyle (150-51), or Foer (176-77). Alternative and generative prompts also appear on the course web site.
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INSTRUCTIONS (READ ALL EIGHT CAREFULLY, AS THEY MAY IMPACT YOUR GRADE):
Format:
1.
With the prompt as your subject and thesis guide, prepare and bring a first draft of the essay to class.
(600 words minimum)
2.
.
3.
Write with either a pen (blue or black ink) or pencil (dark lead, No. 2, HB, or similar).
4.
Do not write on the back of the notebook paper.
5.
Skip a line between each line of writing.
6.
Place a word count at the end of your hand-written essay.
Rewrite and revise the final copy in class in a standard blue book.
Revision:
7.
Revise thoroughly with the course revision guidelines and your own cumulative revision guideline markings from
the marked short essays / writing exercises (grading standards). Revise thoroughly for active voice rather than
passive voice. You will lose grade points if you do not revise for passive voice.
8.
Parenthetically document all textbook references (as paraphrases – no quotes) throughout your essay (in each
paragraph) with page numbers in parentheses following each support reference, followed by a period (MLA format)
at the end of the relevant sentence. You will lose grade points if you do not paraphrase (no quotes) and
parenthetically cite your textbook support examples.
In addition to the general revision guidelines for writing and revising essays, follow this triple-edged rule:
1.
Choose a very specific thesis (follow the prompt); expand, explain and analyze that thesis in great detail. Every
sentence should explain or reveal or give support to your thesis. Make your thesis or the author the subject of every
sentence (Do not use "I", “me, “my”, “one”, “you”, “we”, “our”, “us” – refer to the ‘Clarity and Conciseness’ section of
the course revision guidelines - over).
2.
Do not summarize or discuss the plot at all; focus instead on following your support with specific discussion,
comments and analysis; do not generalize; be specific.
3.
If you draft your essay with a word processor (Word, etc.), print out and proofread your essay for all typos, and
revision guideline directives, including mechanics (basic grammar), well-developed introductory and concluding
paragraphs, and clarity and conciseness, including auxiliary “be" verbs, passive voice, and usage with the course
revision guidelines: eliminate auxiliary “be" verbs, inaccurate or informal phrasing, verbs such as "show", "use",
“utilize”, “employ”, and nouns such as “things” - check the ‘Clarity and Conciseness’ section of the revision
guidelines. Keep the focus on the author or thesis and not the “reader” or “audience”. Always proofread for basic
mechanics and grammar. A spell check feature accomplishes a partial review - proofread for spelling independently.
ENGLISH 1301 - COMPOSITION I - REVISION GUIDELINES
Revision checklist items below cross-reference to Rules for Writers (7/e) with marking abbreviations
bracketed in [ bold italics ], followed by relevant chapter(s) and section(s) bracketed in [ bold ].
All formatting and documentation guidelines follow the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (7/e.)
CLARITY & CONCISENESS: PASSIVE VOICE, AUXILIARY VERBS, USAGE
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[ PV ] Revise passive voice for active voice. Identify the sentence subject and put it in front of the verb. [ 8 ]
Example (passive): The true world is described by Doyle as the natural world outside his home.
Revision (active): Doyle describes the true world as the natural world outside his home (1098).
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[ aux ]: Omit auxiliary or helping verbs (unless an ongoing action); revise with the concise, active verb. [ 8b ]
Example: “Freire is arguing that…” (wordy: “is arguing”) versus “Freire argues that…” (concise: argues).
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[ U-V ]: Revise nonspecific verbs: use / utilize / employ, seem, show, display, exhibit, portray [ 16 ]
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[ U-N ]: Avoid oblique, vague, or redundant nouns as sentence subjects: thing(s), reader(s), audience, today
Keep the focus on the author, argument, and/or thesis, unless a prompt asks a specific question about “audience.”
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[ U-P ]: Avoid these pronouns and pronoun adjectives as subjects: I, me (my), you (one, your), we (us, our)
Maintain a formal rather than personal voice with the focus on the author, argument, and/or thesis subject. [ 13a ]
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[ phrasing / logic ]: informal or vague phrasing; reasoning. [ 7 ]
ORGANIZATION & CONTENT
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[ analysis / develop ]: Follow support examples with a well-developed discussion, analysis, point, or claim. [ 4b ]
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[ ex ]: Introduce, paraphrase, and parenthetically document relevant examples - see MLA and PS below. [ 6e ]
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[ combine ]: Subordinate, coordinate, and combine simple and compound sentences into complex sentences that
reveal your critical thinking and analysis. Do not begin sentences with conjunctions or conjunctive adverbs. [ 30 ]
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[ MLA ]: With authors from Ways of Reading as your primary sources for support examples, paraphrase and
parenthetically document textbook references throughout the submission according to the MLA Handbook.
Avoid quotes (paraphrase and cite textbook references), and avoid plagiarism – write your own analyses. [ 56-60 ]
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[ P / ¶ ]: Revise for appropriate paragraph lengths and transitions, especially introductory paragraphs and
concluding paragraphs. Paragraphs of 2 to 3 sentences on average lack a specific focus or adequately support an
idea. Remember to look for a thesis/topic sentence, a support example (paraphrased and cited – see ‘MLA’ above),
followed by some additional analysis [ see ‘analysis / develop’ above ] as well as transitional sentences. [ 4 ]
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[ PS ]: Do not write long plot summaries. Support your analyses with brief documented paraphrases. [ 5d ]
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[ thesis ]: Define the thesis clearly, according to the short essay or essay prompts. [ 6c ]
BASIC GRAMMAR & PUNCTUATION
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[ AGR ]: Agreement between subject-verb / pronoun-antecedent. [ 21 ]
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Punctuation: [ c or no c ]: commas , [ sc or no sc ]: semi-colons, [ a or no a ]: apostrophes, [ p ]: periods,
[ h ]: hyphens, [ qm ]: quotation marks, [ col ]: colons, [cap or no cap] capitalize. [ 32-39 ]
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Sentences: [ FRAG ]: Fragments, [ RO ]: Run-on sentences, [ CS ]: Comma splices. [ 19, 20 ]
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[ SENSE ]: Basic grammar and sentence structure – subject-predicate, etc. [ 46-49 ]
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[ sp ]: Spelling [ 43 ]