English Comp #3 Question

EH 1010, English Composition I 1

UNIT I STUDY GUIDE

The Foundations of

Academic Writing

Learning Objectives Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to:

1. Define the term “academic writing.” 2. Classify and apply the various elements of the writing situation, including

the context, subject, audience, purpose, research, deadline and length, and the document design.

3. Incorporate proper writing practices within the context of an essay.

Written Lecture Part 1: Induction into Academic Writing Chapter 10 of The Little, Brown Compact Handbook with Exercises Many of us write everyday: a note to a friend, a text message to a son or daughter, an email to a colleague, or an inner-office memo. These are all texts, and although we do not always think of them as writing, they are forms of literacy. In many ways, however, we consider these to be genres that are more specialized as “public writing,” a term that refers to the kind of writing that is done outside of academics. As such, most people are familiar with public writing, but they may not be as familiar with “academic writing,” a term that refers to the kind of writing that is done in the university setting. This course is your introduction to and induction into academic writing. It is important that we begin this course by establishing the project of the course as your induction into an academic community of writers. Although many of the elements of writing that you will learn in this course are specific to the methods that you will use in your academic career, you will find that many of them can be transferred to other types of writing that you use in your work and every day.

Part 2: Understanding the Writing Situation Chapter 1 of The Little, Brown Compact Handbook with Exercises Part 1 established the conventions of academic writing as our focus. Academic writing is a larger genre of writing, within which are various, more specific genres. Each of these genres has its own set of conventions. For example, writing a research paper is not the same as writing a research proposal or a short, response essay for a unit assessment. Understanding what genre you are being asked to write and what conventions you will employ begins with understanding the “writing situation.” Understanding the writing situation should be your first step anytime you are being asked to write something because it is only by having the most complete picture possible that you are able to write appropriately and effectively. Part 3: Thinking about Writing Chapter 1 of Strategies for Writing Successful Research Papers Many people find writing (academic, public, or private) to be a daunting task, one that they would much rather avoid. Sometimes this feeling comes from not

Reading Assignment The Little, Brown Compact Handbook with Exercises Chapter 1: The Writing Situation, Sections 1a-1d, pp. 3-8 Chapter 10: Academic Writing, Sections 10a-10e, pp. 90- 96 Chapter 39: The Comma, Sections 39a-39h, pp. 300-317 Strategies for Writing Successful Research Papers Chapter 1: Writing: A First Look, pp. 3-14 The APA Style of Documentation: A Pocket Guide Introduction and Chapter 1: Plagiarism and Academic Honesty, pp.1-8

Supplemental Reading See instructions below.

EH 1010, English Composition I 2

knowing what the process of writing might be like. For others, this feeling comes from not knowing when the process of writing ends or what an end product should look like. Further, there are others who have had what they consider to be bad experiences with writing, ones that still give them an uneasy feeling about putting pen to paper or fingertips to keyboard. However, you can begin to establish yourself as a stronger writer by understanding the process of writing. Most importantly, you will begin to establish your own personal writing process. Once you are more familiar with how you write and what works for you, you will find your writing to be more efficient. Part 4: Unit Grammar Lesson: Commas Chapter 39 of The Little, Brown Compact Handbook with Exercises Commas are one of the basic building blocks of a good sentence. Commas are not negotiable; all commas are used for a reason, and that reason corresponds with a grammatical rule. Before we move on to more complicated grammatical skills, it is a good idea to begin with these little, yet powerful, punctuation marks. There are many comma rules, and it can be overwhelming to attempt to learn them all the first time through. Instead, commit yourself to becoming familiar with them so that you can look up the rule if you have a question. This will help you learn to identify instances that require a comma, thereby strengthening your understanding of sentence structure. Part 5: Unit APA Lesson: Introduction and Plagiarism Introduction and Chapter 1 of The APA Style of Documentation: A Pocket Guide A major component of academic writing is using a system of documentation, reference, and style. Throughout your academic career at CSU, you will be asked to document your use of sources according to the APA style of documentation and reference. The rules of APA are specific and can be learned by understanding their purpose—avoiding plagiarism. Because plagiarism is such a serious matter in academic writing and elsewhere, it is necessary for students to learn how to avoid plagiarism through a better understanding of it. As you read through this lesson, be sure that you note the different kinds of plagiarism, both intentional and unintentional. It is possible to plagiarize unintentionally; therefore, it is essential to understand how you can avoid this serious academic infraction.

References Aaron, J. E. (2010). The Little, Brown compact handbook with exercises

(7th ed.). New York, NY: Longman. Lester, J. D., Lester, J. D., Reinking, J. A., & von der Osten, R. (2010/2011).

Strategies for writing successful research papers (Custom ed.). New York, NY: Pearson Learning Solutions.

Pringle, M., & Gonzales, J. (2010). The APA style of documentation: A pocket

guide (Custom ed.). New York, NY: Pearson Learning Solutions.

Learning Activities (Non-Graded) See instructions below.

Key Terms 1. Academic writing 2. Audience 3. Genre 4. Plagiarism 5. Public writing 6. Writing situation

EH 1010, English Composition I 3

Supplemental Reading Essays come in many flavors, and they can be used to memorialize just about any type of experience or express any type of idea. Explore the wealth of information on essays and essayists through articles that are available in the CSU Online Library. For example:

 “5 ways to develop personal essays,” by Rachel Eddey, shows that “Personal essays are just that: personal.” Also provided are tips for writing personal essays.

 “An essayist finds her stride: Learning to scull proved that small adjustments can lead to emotional revelations” is an essay by Jenny Rough that discusses writing an essay, learning to scull, and how personal essays often hinge on one thing—an epiphany.

 “Your life in 500 words or less,” by Andrew Ferguson, provides a humorous look at the personal essay writing that is required of high school students on college applications.

 Traveling can be fun, educational, and exciting, but so can travel writing. “Two for the Road,” by Raymond A. Schroth, talks about essayist and coauthor E.B. White, who used information gleaned from his travels in his writings.

 “Reality effects,” by James Wood, discusses writings by essayist John Jeremiah Sullivan and explores several of his works, including one that is written about spending time with cast members of “The Real World,” the MTV reality show.

 “Prose with a voice: The essay is the ultimate outsider genre, says Lucasta Miller,” by Lucasta Miller, talks about the history of the essay and the difficulty in defining just what an essay is.

The above articles are available through the General One File database of the CSU Online Library.

Learning Activities (Non-Graded) The Little, Brown Compact Handbook with Exercises

 Exercise 10.1: Using academic language, p. 96

 Exercise 39.1: Revising: Comma with linked main clauses, p. 302

 Exercise 39.2: Sentence combining: Linked main clauses, p. 302

 Exercise 39.3: Revising: Comma with introductory elements, p. 304

 Exercise 39.4: Sentence combining: Introductory elements, p. 304

 Exercise 39.5: Revising: Punctuation of nonessential and essential elements, p. 308

 Exercise 39.6: Revising: Punctuation of nonessential and essential elements, p. 309

 Exercise 39.7: Sentence combining: Essential and nonessential elements, p. 309

 Exercise 39.8: Revising: Commas with series items, p. 310

 Exercise 39.9: Revising: Commas with adjectives, p. 311

EH 1010, English Composition I 4

 Exercise 39.10: Revising: Punctuation of series and adjectives, pp. 311- 312

 Exercise 39.11: Revising: Punctuation of dates, addresses, places names, numbers, p. 313

 Exercise 39.12: Revising: Punctuation of quotations, p. 314

 Exercise 39.13: Revising: Needless and misused commas, p. 316

 Exercise 39.14: Revising: Commas, p. 317

Apply What You Have Learned Sometimes, sentences can become long and involved, which just invites the commission of errors. However, just because errors are invited, does not mean they must be committed. After you have completed your Reading Assignment for Unit I, The Comma, see how many comma rules you can employ and identify while writing the longest possible sentence you are able to create without incorrectly using commas—no comma splices, run-on sentences, etc. In his literary works, F. Scott Fitzgerald often presented his prose in correctly executed, long, involved sentences. Writing in German, the 1946 Nobel Prize winner in Literature, Hermann Hesse, wrote sentences that were half a page long, or even longer. Can you do the same?