Engl 111-045

Engl 111 May

Part A, Argument practice

Note that this is NOT the same as the Toulmin essay but is a practice that will help you to understand that essay. Remember that the Toulmin essay has backing, qualification, and rebuttal. This assignment will help you to think about those parts of a larger (Toulmin) argument. 

This will be practice, on paper, where we can form arguments, both in a simple and an expanded form. You should find this first part to be similar to the pre-writing assignment that is the basis for your Toulmin essay. I will guide you through each of these prompts, which you should answer / address in order. 

1. Fill in this sentence starter: ______________________ is the best movie ever made.

2. What is the best piece of evidence for the claim above? Remember that evidence / grounds should be focused. In this case, you might want to describe a particular scene from the movie that makes it the best.

3. Why does the evidence matter, and how does it? This is the warrant, where we explain how the evidence leads to the claim.

4. To think a little more about BACKING, expand upon your REASONING in 3. How and why do you like the evidence (scene) as you do? How are you thinking about it?

5. To think a little more about QUALIFICATION, who would be most likely to agree with your main claim in prompt one? Is there a certain type of person or a certain generation / group that might agree more readily? This is a type of audience thinking: try to find the ideal audience for your claim. Why would this audience be best?

6. To practice with rebuttal, think of a counter-claim and then overcome it. What is another movie that might be great for a similar reason and that might even satisfy the same audience? You might think about something else that people in the ideal audience might like. Once you have a counter example, think about why / how your movie is still better. 

Part B

Read and take notes on Little Seagull S1-S5. In the 4th edition, this starts on page 347. Remember that you can use the table of contents to find the page numbers in your edition. This is the sentence section, from defining a sentence through subject-verb agreement. I want you to record the basic practices / concepts in your own words. Try to take notes that you can use for your editing later. Part of this (besides recording basic concepts) is responding a little. Come up with examples and perhaps think about how you have solved such problems in the past. I'll grade 70% for basic concept coverage in your own terms and 30% for response.

Part C

Click HERELinks to an external site. for SPACECAT for your Video, 

"How Do Electric Cars Work?"

Copy this chart, save it to your files or desktop, fill it out with information and evidence from the video, turn it into a PDF, and turn it in here by the due date!

                              SPACE CAT!           Nonfiction Literary Analysis

Do any 5 rows, except the one I did!  Worth 5 points each!

Here’s a model set of notes and reflections you could submit for your  Little Seagull Handbook assignment (S1–S5). They’re written in your own words and include both summary and personal reflection/examples:

Notes on The Little Seagull Handbook, S1–S5 (Sentences)

S1 – What Is a Sentence?

· A sentence expresses a complete thought and includes both a  subject (who or what) and a  predicate (what happens or what the subject does).

· Fragments are incomplete sentences because they’re missing a subject, verb, or complete thought.

· Run-ons happen when two sentences are joined without proper punctuation or conjunctions.

· Basic practice: Read sentences aloud—if the thought feels unfinished, it’s likely a fragment. If it sounds like two ideas jammed together, it may be a run-on.

Example: ❌ Fragment: “Because I was late.” ✅ Complete: “Because I was late, I missed the bus.”

Reflection: I used to write a lot of fragments when drafting essays quickly. Now, I check each sentence to make sure it can stand alone as a complete thought.

S2 – Sentence Boundaries

· To fix  run-ons or  comma splices, separate ideas properly.

· Use a period:  It was raining. We stayed inside.

· Use a semicolon:  It was raining; we stayed inside.

· Use a comma and conjunction:  It was raining, so we stayed inside.

· Avoid just adding commas—commas alone can’t join two full sentences.

Reflection: I’ve noticed I sometimes use commas instead of semicolons when combining related ideas. I’m learning to spot when two clauses could stand alone and need stronger punctuation.

S3 – Sentence Types

· Four main types:

1. Simple: One independent clause –  The sun set.

2. Compound: Two independent clauses joined by a conjunction –  The sun set, and the stars appeared.

3. Complex: One independent + one dependent clause –  When the sun set, the stars appeared.

4. Compound-complex: Two independent + one dependent –  When the sun set, the stars appeared, and the night grew cold.

· Varying sentence types helps with rhythm and readability.

Reflection: When I revise, I try to mix short and long sentences so my writing doesn’t sound flat. Reading aloud helps me catch patterns where I repeat the same structure.

S4 – Sentence Clarity

· Keep sentences clear by placing words logically and avoiding confusion.

· Modifiers should be near the words they describe.

· Misplaced:  She served sandwiches to the children on paper plates. (Are the children on the plates?)

· Clear:  She served the children sandwiches on paper plates.

· Avoid  double negatives and overly complicated phrasing.

· Active voice is usually clearer than passive:

· Passive:  The book was read by the class.

· Active:  The class read the book.

Reflection: I sometimes overuse passive voice in academic writing because it sounds formal. Lately, I’ve been editing for clarity by asking: “Who is doing the action?” and rewriting the sentence from there.

S5 – Subject–Verb Agreement

· The  verb must match the subject in number (singular/plural).

· Singular:  The cat runs.

· Plural:  The cats run.

· Watch out for  compound subjects ( The dog and the cat play),  collective nouns ( The team wins its games), and  indefinite pronouns ( Everyone is ready).

· When words come between subject and verb, focus on the true subject:

· The color of the walls is bright. (not  are bright)

Reflection: When editing, I underline subjects and verbs to check if they agree. Long sentences can trick me, so isolating the core subject helps me stay accurate.

Overall Thoughts

This section reminded me that clear, correct sentences are the foundation of good writing. I’ve realized that most of my editing issues—like fragments, wordiness, or agreement mistakes—come from rushing through drafts. Slowing down to check structure and agreement not only fixes grammar but also strengthens my ideas. Going forward, I’ll use these sections as a quick checklist before turning in essays.

Would you like me to make this sound more formal (like a polished submission) or keep it in this note-and-response format for easier grading?

Engl 111 May

Part A, Argument practice

Note that this is NOT the same as the Toulmin essay but is a practice that will help you to understand that essay. Remember that the Toulmin essay has backing, qualification, and rebuttal. This assignment will help you to think about those parts of a larger (Toulmin) argument. 

This will be practice, on paper, where we can form arguments, both in a simple and an expanded form. You should find this first part to be similar to the pre-writing assignment that is the basis for your Toulmin essay. I will guide you through each of these prompts, which you should answer / address in order. 

1. Fill in this sentence starter: ______________________ is the best movie ever made.

2. What is the best piece of evidence for the claim above? Remember that evidence / grounds should be focused. In this case, you might want to describe a particular scene from the movie that makes it the best.

3. Why does the evidence matter, and how does it? This is the warrant, where we explain how the evidence leads to the claim.

4. To think a little more about BACKING, expand upon your REASONING in 3. How and why do you like the evidence (scene) as you do? How are you thinking about it?

5. To think a little more about QUALIFICATION, who would be most likely to agree with your main claim in prompt one? Is there a certain type of person or a certain generation / group that might agree more readily? This is a type of audience thinking: try to find the ideal audience for your claim. Why would this audience be best?

6. To practice with rebuttal, think of a counter-claim and then overcome it. What is another movie that might be great for a similar reason and that might even satisfy the same audience? You might think about something else that people in the ideal audience might like. Once you have a counter example, think about why / how your movie is still better. 

Part B

Read and take notes on Little Seagull S1-S5. In the 4th edition, this starts on page 347. Remember that you can use the table of contents to find the page numbers in your edition. This is the sentence section, from defining a sentence through subject-verb agreement. I want you to record the basic practices / concepts in your own words. Try to take notes that you can use for your editing later. Part of this (besides recording basic concepts) is responding a little. Come up with examples and perhaps think about how you have solved such problems in the past. I'll grade 70% for basic concept coverage in your own terms and 30% for response.

Part C

Click HERELinks to an external site. for SPACECAT for your Video, 

"How Do Electric Cars Work?"

Copy this chart, save it to your files or desktop, fill it out with information and evidence from the video, turn it into a PDF, and turn it in here by the due date!

                              SPACE CAT!           Nonfiction Literary Analysis

Do any 5 rows, except the one I did!  Worth 5 points each!