Day 4 agenda

Your book/reading subjects
Punctuation handout, discussion
Writing
Assignments for Tuesday: Google your book/reading assignment; bring three typed sentences about the book/author, other information, for background
Read these two articles:
Paragraphs
Essays
Next week--paragraphs, essays, organization-outline due Thursday

You are not ready to "write," if...

if you can't complete this sentence...

"This is a _(story, essay, paper, novel, report)______ about 

___(specific subject, verb, etc)______,

and it is interesting because ___ (Why would anyone want to read it, and why are you writing it?)___.

Until you do this you have no "idea" what you're writing about. It may be assigned, or on your on.

This helps you with all the other "steps" of writing, but you may also find you change it as you do research and organize.

But, 

type this sentence, print it, tape it to the front of your computer, and you'll save time and do a better job of "writing."

--William Blundell, The Art and Craft of Feature Writing, and Terry Clark, The Write Stuff.

The "writing" process

"Writing" doesn't begin when you sit down at the keyboard, or with a pen and paper, or with twitter.

Writing is a process of overlapping steps:

• Idea
• Research
• Organization
• "Writing"
• Revision

If you are having trouble with one of these "steps," the problem is usually you haven't done your work in the previous step.

First essay assignment

Literacy Narrative,

Some ideas to consider for your first essay:

1. First book you remember reading
2. Favorite book you’ve read
3. Learning how to read
4. A situation where your literacy skills were tested
5. A book that changed your outlook on life

Two answers by Thursday, written down, prepare to discuss

600 words, Due Sept. 12, 9:30 am. Details next week.

Diagramming sentences exercises

My favorite character in Harry Potter is Hermoine.



My favorite character in Harry Potter is Hermoine, and she is a smart, sassy woman




My favorite character in Harry Potter is Hermoine, and she is a smart sassy woman who is also beautiful.



Ron Beasley loved Hermoine Granger

Parts of speech

Parts of speech

Our new neighbors, the Smiths, moved into their vacant house across the street today, and they discovered it didn’t have electricity after they opened the door.

Nouns

Pronouns

Verbs

Adjectives

Adverbs

Conjunctions

Prepositions

My favorite character in Harry Potter is Hermoine because she is a smart, sassy woman who is also beautiful.

Nouns

Pronouns

Verbs

Adjectives

Adverbs

Conjunctions

Prepositions

So much depends--writing

The Red Wheelbarrow

By William Carlos Williams (1883-1963)

so much depends

upon

a red wheel

barrow

glazed with rain

water

beside the white

chickens

Gospel of punctuation

Clark's Gospel of Punctuation

Let’s start with our “problem children,” the ones we have the most trouble with. 

The apostrophe--We have an apostrophe catastrophe in this country.

1. Contractions, possessives. It's and its are the most misused in the country. Its is comparable to his and hers (a pronoun). It's is a contraction for it is. There is no its'. I saw a sign once that read "Deliciou's Apple's.

2. With plurals:

• With regular singular nouns ending in s, "Mark Thomas's job is to lead the  OPA.
• With regular plural nouns, add only an apostrophe, "The Thomases' children…."
• With irregular plural nouns, add an apostrophe s,  "The children's
• Never add to a noun that ends in s if there is no possessive. Wrong: "These word’s…"
• If it's a compound noun, only the last word gets an apostrophe: The editor-in-chief's job…..
• Compound possessives, only on the second noun, Lewis and Clark’s journey…

   Colons--Avoid. They stop the reader's flow in the sentence. They always come at the end of a complete sentence: He bought five vegetables: cukes, tomatoes, corn, okra and radishes.  Do not use it in the following manner (as in this sentence): He bought the following: cukes, tomatoes, corn. Rewrite both. He bought cukes, corn and radishes.

   Exclamation marks--Avoid! Especially more than one at a time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They show you don't know how to write for emphasis, and cheapen your writing like all those ads in the inserts that put exclamation marks after every item: "Hair Dyer”! Two speeds! Black or brown! Wall mount!  Etc. You should use it in a quote only when clearly called for. “Don’t use exclamation marks!” Clark yelled.

   Quotation marks--In America, quote marks always, always, always go outside the period and comma. Question marks and exclamation marks depend on context.  This includes single quotes: “I told you he said 'I quit,'" Clark yelled. With question marks, quotes go inside if the quote is a question as in "Are you cold?" he asked. But outside like this, Did Clark say, “Question marks go inside quotes”?

   Commas--the most debatable. Best rule--Always use for clarity, and according to style on addresses, etc.  Other than that, try omitting or rewriting to avoid as many as possible. 

1. Use with a non-restrictive clause or appositive (one that's not essential). Clark, who grew up in New Mexico, lives in Oklahoma. vs. The man who was bleeding from the wound died in 20 minutes. Try to write around it and cut the words. Clark grew up in New Mexico and lives in Oklahoma. 

2. In a series, omit the comma before the last item: He loves tomatoes, iced tea, and jalapenos. The last comma is the “Oxford comma,” required in most of college. Journalists don't use it except in rare cases where needed for clarity.

3. Setting off introductory clauses and phrases, In the beginning, God created….  Or Although the city council met for five hours, it took no action. It's usually better for us to rewrite it and get to the point first. After five hours the council accomplished nothing. No comma because it's essential to the meaning, it's shorter, and easier to read. Get to the point.

Always ask yourself if you have a question about punctuation, “Why do I need this?” or “Why am I using this?” Most grammatical problems can be cured with short sentences. 
(Use these . . . . . . . Periods. They're free.)

Day 3 Agenda

Grammar review
Parts of speech
     (Noun, pronoun, verb, adverb, adjective, conjunction, preposition, interjection) 
Exercise
The Verb
Your assignment
The Sentence
 1. Purposes of sentences--command, ask, tell, exclaim
 2. Building sentences--Simple, compound, complex, compound-complex
 3. Diagramming Sentences
The writing process
The sentence
Assignment-punctuation; first essay topic-literary narrative
Writing--The Red Wheel Barrow

Day 2 agenda

"Your job as a writer is making sentences," Several short sentences about writing, Klinkenborg. 

 "You're not writing. You're making reading," --Clark

1. Roll, take up assignments
2. Your writing. Your reaction, what you learned?
3. What makes good writing, bad writing? One by one--your critique?
4. What is a sentence?
5. The sentence, the essay--testable notes
6. Verb exercises 
7. Changing the syllabus--what is first book you read? What remember about learning to read?
8. Lego writing
9. Quiz
10. Assignments--due Tuesday at 9:30
   Find a printed sentence with strong action verb. One with weak verb. Copy, list source, bring to class Tuesday--why? 
Example:  "Reggaeton, the musical genre born in Puerto Rico, blares from the speakers." (Today's New York Times, by Simon Romero.
Why not "is loud"?

Writing practice guidelines

"I am free to write the worst junk in the world."

·      Keep your hand moving (don't pause to reread--that's stalling and interrupts your thoughts)

·      Don't cross out (that is editing as your write. Leave it, even misspelled words)

·      Don't worry about spelling, punctuation, grammar (or margins).

·      Lose control.

·      Don't think. don't get logical.

·      Write what first comes to your mind.

·      No rules.

--from Writing Down the Bones, by Natalie Goldberg

What makes good--effective--writing?

You tell me?

•  
•  
• Assignment-- one page, double spaced, two paragraphs, Thursday--What makes effective writing? Why need it?
• How does yours measure up?

How good is your grammar?

Why is your grammar important?
You tell me?

 
Quiz one
Quiz Two

Did you know?

What's expected

Welcome to English Comp 1. Here's a condensed version of the syllabus--what is expected of you.

COURSE and ASSIGNMENT REQUIREMENTS:

•       Faithful attendance. If you miss more than six classes--regardless of reason, you cannot pass. No exceptions.

•       Follow class blog, The Write stuff: https://okieprof.blogspot.com/

•       Four essay assignments.

•       Writing in class.

•       Every assignment has a deadline. Late assignments earn a “0.”

•       Misspelled words will take 25 percent off the grade of any assignment except in-class writing.

•       GOOD GRAMMAR. You must be fluent in English or you will flunk.

•       Be on time for class. I take this personally and being late is the quickest way to get on my bad side. Three times late equals one absence. Those who leave early will be assessed full absence. If you are more than 15 minutes late, it is an absence.

•       Phones off and put away. No video games in class. Automatic F.

•       Midterm and final tests.

DEADLINES: Must be met. Absolutely. Period. End of Discussion. Late work will not be accepted. Don’t bother to hand it in—you get a “0” grade. Absence is no excuse.

GRADING SCALE: 100-91--A; 90-81--B; 80-70--C; 60-69—D; 59-F

•       In class writing, quizzes and assignments, 100 points

•       Essay one, Your Music, 50 points

•       Essay two, Narrative, 100 points

•       Essay three, Comparison/contrast, 100 points

•       Essay four, To be determined, 100 points

•       Tests, 50 points

•       Total, 500 points

Since this is a class of discovery, exact timetables cannot be guaranteed because of student discussions and individual interests. Flexibility is essential to transformative education, not rote memory or lockstep schedules. Accordingly, the professor reserves the right to amend the syllabus, with notice to class, at any time, in order to facilitate your learning.

COURSE SCHEDULE

•       Week one (Aug 22)—Introductions, Course introduction, Fact sheets, Class blog, Writing practice. Sentences. Parts of speech. Verbs. Grammar quiz.

•       Week two (Aug. 29)—Sentences, Verbs, Diagramming, Punctuation. Writing. Essay one assignment.

•       Week three (Sept. 5)—Punctuation, Wordiness, Paragraphs. Outlining.

•       Week four (Sept. 12)—Paragraphs, Essay writing, Writing. Essay one first paragraph due.

•       Week five (Sept. 19)—Essay one due, Essay two assignment. Writing practice.

•       Week six (Sept. 26)—Editing, Essay one evaluation.

•       Week seven (Oct. 3)—Narrative writing, Writing practice,

•       Week eight (Oct. 10)—Narrative writing, Essay two due. Essay three assignment. Midterm test.

•       Week nine (Oct. 17)—Fall break

•       Weeks ten, eleven (Oct. 24, Oct. 31)—Evaluation of essay two. Critical thinking, Comparison/contrast

•       Week twelve (Nov. 7)—Essay three due. Essay four assignment

•       Week thirteen (Nov. 14)—Essay three evaluations. Essay four progress. Writing practice.

•       Week fourteen—Thanksgiving break

•       Week fifteen (Nov. 28)—Essay four progress. First paragraph due)

•       Week sixteen (Dec. 5)—Essay four due. Evaluations.