Fundamentals of Compositionbrian T. Murphy

Fundamentals of CompositionBrian T. Murphy

English 075Parker 319-V

Fall 2002Ext. 7318

e-mail:

Site:

Writing Assignments: Writing assignments (see below) should be completed following the writing process discussed in class, including prewriting (generating and ordering ideas), drafting, and rewriting (revising, editing and proofreading). All assignments must be typed, double-spaced, using a standard professional-looking font (12-point Times New Roman is preferred) and one-inch margins. Each paragraph or essay should be given a title; the title is not placed in quotes or underlined, and there is no period after the title. The top left corner of the first page of all writing assignments must have the following information:

Your Full Name
Class and Section number (e.g. ENG 075-32)
Instructor's name
Due Date

All writing assignments will be evaluated according to the rubric for Essay Grading Standards handed out in class. Please refer to the Paragraph Outline or Essay Outline and Revising and Editing Checklist.

All writing assignments must be submitted on or before the due date indicated on the schedule. Late work will not be accepted except under extraordinary circumstances; work submitted after deadlines will result in reduction of the grade for that assignment by 10% for each day it is late.

Plagiarism: Plagiarism includes copying or paraphrasing another's words, ideas, or facts without crediting the source; submitting a paper written by someone else, either in whole or in part, as one's own work; or submitting work previously submitted for another course or instructor. Plagiarism on any assignment will result in failure for that assignment and may result in further disciplinary action, including but not limited to failure for the course. Plagiarism on a second assignment will result in failure for the course and further disciplinary action, up to and including expulsion from the College. Please refer to the Student Handbook for additional information regarding plagiarism and College regulations.

TOPICS:
Paragraph 1: Description of a Place
Write one well-developed paragraph of eight to twelve sentences describing a familiar and interesting place that can be seen while standing in one spot. Your topic sentence should state what place is being described and define the dominant impression. For example, you may choose to describe a location that is beautiful, peaceful, depressing, gloomy, frightening, or exciting. Write in third person (objective) and in present tense, and be sure that all supporting sentences explain and develop the idea from your topic sentence. Use specific details to create a word picture in the reader's mind: include impressions using the five senses—sight, hearing, taste, smell, touch—descriptive words (adjectives, adverbs and nouns), and spatial transitions (above, below, near, next to, etc.).

Using the Paragraph Outline as a guide, draft your paragraph using clear, complete and correct sentences. Check the paragraph for adequate support and detail, coherence and unity. Be sure to check your paragraph carefully for standard English usage, action verbs, sentence variety, exact language, as well as for sentence structure, agreement, and spelling.

Paragraph 2: Narrative
Write a well-developed one-paragraph narrative (eight to twelve sentences minimum) about an event or a time when you experienced a specific strong emotion. Your topic sentence should focus on that emotion and on the particular interesting but brief experience that caused it. Write in first person and in past tense, and tell what happened, when it happened, and who was involved. Limit your narrative to the major details of the experience: this is a short assignment! Use specific details and examples to add interest and liveliness to your writing, and use descriptive words (adjectives, adverbs and nouns) and chronological transitions (first, then, next, etc.) to smooth out the narrative.

Using the Paragraph Outline as a guide, draft your paragraph using clear, complete and correct sentences. Check the paragraph for adequate support and detail, coherence and unity. Be sure that all supporting sentences explain and develop the idea from your topic sentence, and check your paragraph carefully for standard English usage, action verbs, sentence variety, exact language, as well as for sentence structure, agreement, and spelling.

Paragraph 3: Description of a person
Write a well-developed paragraph (eight to twelve sentences minimum) describing a person that you know well, one whom you admire or especially appreciate. This should not be merely a physical description of the person; rather, your paragraph should explain who this person is, what he or she is like as a person, and why he or she is important to you. Show the reader that this is a person to admire and respect.

Essay 1: Love, Vacation, or School
Using one of the three topics, develop a focus (direction) and write a well-developed essay of at least five paragraphs (eight to twelve sentences each). Provide a clear, specific thesis that includes your topic and your focus, and previews at least two or three major divisions for your topic. In the body of your essay, use clear, specific topic sentences and either extended examples or short, interrelated examples to support the thesis. Be sure to include a conclusion that reinforces the thesis.

Using the Essay Outline as a guide, draft your essay using clear, complete and correct sentences. Check the essay for adequate support and detail, coherence and unity. Be sure to check your paragraph carefully for standard English usage, action verbs, sentence variety, exact language, as well as for sentence structure, agreement, and spelling.

Essay 2: Major Accomplishments or Goals
What have you accomplished in the last five years? Or, alternatively, what are your plans for the next five years? This should not be merely a list of accomplishments or goals; rather, your essay should discuss major changes, and there should be some clear focus or direction to your essay. Provide a clear, specific thesis that indicates your topic and your focus, and previews at least two or three major divisions for your topic (natural divisions are probably three important accomplishments or goals, arranged chronologically). In the body of your essay, use clear, specific topic sentences and either extended examples or short, interrelated examples to support the thesis. Be sure to include a conclusion that reinforces the thesis.

Essay 3: Book, Play or Movie
What is your favorite book, play, or movie, and why? Be sure to discuss the work and why it is important to you; do not simply retell the story. Provide a clear, specific thesis that indicates what work is your favorite and why, and previews at least two or three major divisions for your topic. In the body of your essay, use clear, specific topic sentences and either extended examples or short, interrelated examples to support the thesis. Be sure to include a conclusion that reinforces the thesis. Again, be careful not to retell the story; just explain clearly and with adequate support why this is your favorite book, play, or movie.