Course Policies and Syllabus
Professor: West
Office: Meier Hall 229
Office hours: MWF 10-11, TR 9:30-10:30 (or by appointment)
Office phone: 542-8002
Email: twest@salemstate.edu
Required Texts
Doing Grammar 3rd ed, Max Morenberg
Style: Ten Lessons in Clarity and Grace 8th ed, Joseph M. Williams
Description
This course is an intensive study of English grammar as a structured system that underlies our language, as a way of putting words together into meaningful units. It is also a study of style and usage. Our approach, then, will be one that is less concerned with grammar as prescriptive (what is correct or incorrect) and more concerned with describing and analyzing language structure and usage, as well as euphonious writing styles. Ultimately, better understanding language structure and stylistic principles, should allow you to enhance your own teaching, writing, and editing skills.
ENG 325 is a required course for English Education majors, and the curriculum for the course prepares students to meet several of the standards listed in the Language and Composition Strands of the Massachusetts English Language Arts Curriculum Framework. We will devote particular attention to the standards listed below.
Language Strand:
Standard 5 [abridged]: Structure of Modern English. Students will analyze standard English grammar and usages.
Standard 6: Formal and Informal English. Students will describe, analyze, and use appropriately formal and informal English.
Composition Strand:
General Standard 21: Revising. Students will demonstrate improvement in organization, content, paragraph development, level of detail, style, tone, and word choice (diction) in their compositions after revising them.
General Standard 22: Standard English Conventions. Students will use knowledge of standard English conventions in their writing, revising, and editing.
Course Work
Homework
Before you come to class each day, you should read all of the assigned pages and complete the required exercises for that day. Reading assignments are detailed in the schedule below; however, I probably will need to adjust the schedule several times during the semester. Each day in class I will announce the reading assignments for the next few class sessions, and frequently I will assign a few exercises to complete for the next class.
Writing Assignment (Stylistic Analysis)
The course requires one major writing assignment: an essay in which you will analyze according to the stylistic principles covered in class the prose style of a passage or passages you select from a writer of your choice (to be cleared with me). This assignment will be accompanied by a brief presentation to the class of your findings. I will provide detailed instructions concerning this assignment.
Exams
You will complete three examinations. Each exam will contain short-answer questions requiring you to explain concepts and apply rules from the readings and lectures.
Grading
Homework--15%
Writing assignment--10%
Exams--25% each
Grade scale
A 100-93 points
A- 92-90 points
B+ 89-87 points
B 86-83 points
B- 82-80 points
C+ 79-77 points
C 76-73 points
C- 72-70 points
D+ 69-67 points
D 66-63 points
D- 62-60 points
F 59 - 0 points
Policies
Attendance: Missing more than three scheduled class meetings, with or without excuses, will begin to affect your final grade. Each class missed after the third absence lowers your final grade by one third.
Tardiness: Being on time to class is a matter of respect for the social conventions of the classroom. That is, consistent tardiness shows a lack of concern for the class, the professor, and fellow students. Be on time; consistent tardiness may be counted as absences.
Equal Access
Salem State College is committed to providing equal access to the educational experience for all students in compliance with Section 504 of The Rehabilitation Act and The Americans with Disabilities Act and to providing all reasonable academic accommodations, aids, and adjustments. Any student who has a documented disability requiring an accommodation, aid, or adjustment should speak with the instructor immediately. Students with disabilities who have not previously done so should provide documentation to and schedule an appointment with the Office for Students with Disabilities and obtain appropriate services.
Schedule
Week 1: Course intro; read DG Preface and chap 1
Week 2: Read DG chap 2
Week 3: Read DG chap 3
Week 4: Read DG chap 4
Week 5: Read DG chap 5; review for and take Exam 1
Week 6: Read DG chap 6, Style Preface and Lesson 1; no class on Mon
Week 7: Read DG chap 7, Style Lesson 2
Week 8: Read DG chap 8, Style Lesson 3
Week 9: Read DG chap 9, Style Lesson 4
Week 10: Read DG chap 10, Style Lesson 5; no class on Fri
Week 11: Read Style Lesson 6; begin discussing Stylistic Analysis; review for and take Exam 2
Week 12: Read Style Lesson 7; Thanksgiving Holiday—W, Th, F
Week 13: Read Style Lesson 8, 9, and 10
Week 14: Read Style Epilogue1 and Appendix: Punctuation; stylistic analysis due; begin presentations
Week 15: Continue presentations; course conclusion; catch up; review for final
Final Exam