College of Charleston

Department of English

Student Services

A Guide to Freshman English

College of Charleston
Department of English

(Revised November 2004 | Course Objectives Updated August 2006 | Course Descriptions Updated August 2007)
Freshman English and the Liberal Arts

The purpose of English 101 and English 102 is to help students develop the indispensable foundation for pursuing a liberal arts education: competence in reading and writing at the college level.  These courses teach students to read with insight, perception, and objectivity, and to write with clarity and precision.

Course Descriptions and Objectives

English 101

The following description of English 101 appears in the Undergraduate Catalog: “An introduction to the practices necessary for successful college writing. Emphases on reading and writing for analysis and discovery; crafting effective arguments within academic contexts; developing rhetorical knowledge; writing as a process that includes invention, drafting, revising and editing; and researching, evaluating and documenting appropriate supporting materials for college-level essays. Readings selected by the instructor.”

As the first course in the freshman composition sequence, English 101 introduces students to the principles of critical reading and effective writing. By the end of English 101, students should

English 102

The following description of English 102 appears in the Undergraduate Catalog: “Continued study of practices necessary for successful college writing as outlined for English 101. Additional emphasis on critical reading of and writing in response to imaginative literature. Readings selected by instructor.”

As a continuation of English 101, English 102 emphasizes the writing process and the preparation of research papers. Because literature is used for composition topics, students also become more perceptive in their reading of literature by learning the necessary vocabulary for thinking and writing about it. By the end of English 102, students should develop further proficiency in the areas outlined as goals for English 101.  In addition, students should

Course Requirements

Textbooks

English 101 and English 102 students should obtain a handbook, a college-level dictionary, and a copy of A Guide to Freshman English, either in hard copy, available at the College Bookstore, or online from the Department's web page. Students will also need copies of the texts chosen by the particular instructor, which may be in anthologies or some other format.

Reading Assignments

You are expected to read the assigned pages in your textbooks and to be prepared to discuss the reading in class. You are responsible for all assigned work, even if your instructor does not go over it in class. Quizzes may be given on reading assignments, and your instructor is not obligated to let you make up a missed quiz.

Writing Assignments

In English 101 and English 102, students are expected to submit formal written work that totals at least fifteen pages (4500 words), in response to a series of specific assignments made by the instructor. In addition, students may be required to keep a journal and to do other writing in or out of class.

The principles of research and documentation are taught in both courses. At least two essays in English 101 and two in English 102 will be documented using secondary sources. The nature of the assignments will usually increase in complexity from one paper to the next. By the end of English 101, students should be able to summarize and paraphrase, and by the end of English 102 to synthesize varying points of view.

Essay Format

All essays written outside of class must be typed. If you do not have a typewriter or computer, please use one of the computers available around campus in the J. C. Long Building, the library, the dormitories, and the Writing Lab. Use standard 8 -by-11-inch paper and 1-inch margins at the top and bottom and on both sides. Number all pages with your last name and the page number 1/2-inch down on the top right of each page. Double-space your entire paper including the heading on the first page. The heading on the first page should include your name, your instructor's name, your course number, and the date.  The heading should be followed by a centered title, and the first page should adhere to the following format:

    Smith 1
Mary Smith    
Instructor's Name    
English 101.000    
8 September 2000    
  Title  

    The first paragraph of your essay would begin here.  Your entire essay should be
double-spaced with 1-inch margins on the left and the right. 

Your instructor may suggest some variations on this format. All documentation must follow that recommended by the MLA (Modern Language Association).

Late Work

Deadlines are as critical in the academic world as they are in the world of work. Each instructor sets a policy for dealing with late work. The usual penalty is one letter grade for every day a paper is late. Missing class on the day an assigned essay is due does not mean that you may turn in a late paper without penalty. Your paper must appear in class even if you do not. Failure to bring a draft on scheduled workshop days may also reduce the paper’s final grade.

Revision and Correction of Graded Work

Since English 101 and 102 focus on developing your writing abilities, and because all writers revise their work, the department requires that you revise, correct, or re-evaluate your essays.  For example, your instructor may require some combination of the following approaches because all writers revise their work:

Revision:


or

or

Correction:


Note: Some instructors may require that revision and/or correction be completed before credit is given for the assignment.

Grades

High standards of excellence mean that college grading is more rigorous than high school grading.  Individual instructors and specific assignments weigh the many elements of a successful essay differently.  It is the student's responsibility to adjust to the expectations of his or her instructor.  All Department of English instructors, regardless of their teaching methods, expect that by the end of two semesters, English composition students will be able to interpret texts and write college-level papers that are clearly organized as well as grammatically and mechanically correct.

All English 101 and 102 instructors use the departmental Standards for Appraisal of Papers  and Elements of Writing That Most People in the Professional World Consider Errors when evaluating student work. 

Standards for Appraisal of Papers

Grades on papers range from “A” to “F” and are based on both content and form. The instructor grades papers according to the standards described below.

A.  The “A” paper effectively states and develops a central idea. It shows originality of thought and style and in both instances is exceptional work. Its ideas are clear, logical, and thought provoking, and their presentation is unified, coherent, and interesting. The “A” paper contains all of the qualities of good writing listed below:

B.  The “B” paper has a clearly stated central purpose, logically and adequately developed. Its ideas are clear because it contains most of the qualities of good writing. It is comparatively free from errors in grammar. Although indicating above-average competence, the “B” paper lacks the original thought and precise expression that characterize the “A” paper.

C.  The average paper will receive a grade of “C.” It has a central idea organized clearly enough to convey its purpose to the reader. It is free from serious errors in grammar. It may, in fact, have few correction marks on it, but it lacks the vigor of thought and expression that would entitle it to an above-average rating.

D.  The grade of “D” indicates below-average achievement in expressing ideas correctly and effectively. Papers that receive a “D” contain serious errors in the use of grammar and fail to present a central idea or to develop it adequately; they barely meet the requirements of coherent communication.

F.  The grade of “F” usually indicates either failure to state and develop a main idea or failure to avoid serious errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation, and sentence structure.

Elements of Writing That Most People in the Professional World Consider Errors

Analysis of a piece of writing focuses primarily on the elements of effective writing: content, organization, sentence structure, and diction.  However, writing in academic and professional settings must also adhere to conventions of punctuation, grammar, and spelling, so correctness of the final product is essential to your credibility as a writer.  Recent studies indicate that professional audiences consider the errors listed below distracting and damaging to the overall effectiveness of a piece of writing.  Therefore, English 101 and 102 students are expected to learn how to identify and avoid these errors.

The sentence fragment

Life being fraught with difficulties of all kinds.

Revised:  Life is fraught with difficulties of all kinds.

As Helen said from the very beginning, if you remember.

Revised:  As Helen said from the very beginning, if you remember, she will not go with us.

The comma splice and fused sentence (sometimes called a run-on sentence)

Marvin wrote a comma splice, he put two complete sentences together with only a comma between them.

Revised:  Marvin wrote a comma splice; he put two complete sentences together with only a comma between them. 

Apartment walls are thin, therefore, the noise from neighbors can sometimes be maddening.

Revised:  Apartment walls are thin; therefore, the noise from neighbors can sometimes be maddening. 

Alicia wrote a fused sentence she put two complete sentences together with no punctuation between them.

Revised: Alicia wrote a fused sentence, putting two complete sentences together with no punctuation between them.

Disagreement of subject and verb

The president, along with many senators, oppose the bill.

Revised:  The president, along with many senators, opposes the bill.

The test were unfair because we had never gone over that chapter.

Revised: The test was unfair because we had never gone over that chapter.

Error in the principal parts of a verb, including failure to write ­d or ­ed for the past tense or past participle of a regular verb

Yesterday I walk two miles, but by the end of the month I hope to build stamina enough to walk three miles. 

Revised:  Yesterday I walked two miles, but by the end of the month I hope to build stamina enough to walk three miles. 

I will never forget how we use to sing those silly songs.

Revised: I will never forget how we used to sing those silly songs.

They should of left the party when they were having fun.

Revised: They should have left the party when they were having fun.

Error in case or agreement of pronoun

Susan, calling your friends and I names will not resolve the differences. (case)

Revised: Susan, calling your friends and me names will not resolve the differences.

Who do you wish to speak to? (case)

Revised: Whom do you wish to speak to?

Seldom does anyone misbehave, but if they do, Harrison reacts immediately. (number)

Revised: Seldom does anyone misbehave, but if she does, Harrison reacts immediately.

Revised:  Seldom do the kids misbehave, but if they do, Harrison reacts immediately.

Error in modification

The restaurant had many mementos of previous patrons who had eaten there on the walls.  (misplaced)

Revised:  On the walls, the restaurant had many mementos of previous patrons who had eaten there.

Skiing in the Alps, avalanches caused me to worry. (dangling)

Revised: Skiing in the Alps, I was worried about avalanches.

Misuse of the apostrophe or semicolon

The job applicants cover letter was written very well, but the personnel director couldn’t help noticing that she misused the apostrophes.

Revised: The job applicant’s cover letter was written very well, but the personnel director couldn’t help noticing that she misused the apostrophes.

Its a problem when students confuse its and it’s.

Revised: It’s a problem when students confuse its and it’s.

Good writers put a semicolon between two complete sentences; rarely between a sentence and a phrase.

Revised: Good writers put a semicolon between two complete sentences; they rarely put one between a sentence and a phrase.

Spelling and typographical errors

Spelling problems are highly visible, and misspellings may make the reader doubt the competence of the writer.

Revised: Spelling problems are highly visible, and misspellings may make the reader doubt the competence of the writer.

One student wrote “ works sighted” in the research paper; another wrote “works sited.”

Revised: One student wrote “works sighted” in the research paper; another wrote “works sited.”  What they meant to write was “works cited.”

Since no one can predict which of these particular errors will bother which readers in the academic and professional arenas, your teacher will work with you on taking the safer route of learning to spot them and correct them.

Attendance

The following statement appears in the Undergraduate Catalog:

Since class attendance is a crucial part of any course, students are expected to attend all classes and laboratory meetings of the courses in which they enroll. During the first week of classes instructors will announce and distribute their attendance policies. However, whatever the policy may be, each student is responsible for all information disseminated in the course. If a student has more than the maximum allowed absences, the professor may instruct the registrar to record a grade of “WA” for the student.
Most freshman English instructors consider excessive more than two absences in a class that meets twice a week and three in a class that meets three days a week.
 

Plagiarism

All work submitted must be your own. You may discuss writing assignments and prepare for tests with classmates, but the writing you turn in should be your own. Incorporating others’ words or ideas into your essays without proper acknowledgment or any other form of academic dishonesty will result in an “F” for the entire course. An alleged violation of the Honor Code will be brought before the Honor Board. The penalties for intentional plagiarism may be severe.

Definition of Plagiarism

You will be asked to sign a copy of the following definition of plagiarism to indicate that you understand and accept this definition:

Paraphrasing

If you understand what acceptable paraphrasing is, then you are less likely to commit unintentional plagiarism.
Consider the following quotation from Only Yesterday written by Frederick Lewis Allen in 1931:

Nothing in recent American history is more extraordinary, as one looks back from
the nineteen-thirties, than the ease with which—after generations of uphill fighting
by the drys—prohibition was finally written upon the statue books. . . . .When the
Eighteenth Amendment came before the Senate in 1917, it was passed by a one-
sided vote after only thirteen hours of debate. . . .(205)
These are Allen’s exact words; if they are used, they will, of course, be given a citation to acknowledge the source. Because the quotation is over four lines, it is indented, and no quotation marks are needed. If the quotation had been shorter than four lines, it would have been enclosed within quotation marks and followed by the appropriate page number in Only Yesterday.

Acceptable Paraphrasing

In 1931 Frederick Lewis Allen commented in Only Yesterday on how easily prohibition was passed into law. Although forces in favor of prohibition had been fighting for generations without success, in 1917 the Eighteenth Amendment passed the Senate by an overwhelming majority (205).

Unacceptable Paraphrasing

No event in recent American history is more amazing looking back from 1930’s than the ease with which prohibition was finally written into law. In 1917 when the Eighteenth Amendment came before the Senate, it passed by a one-sided vote (Allen 205).

The unacceptable paraphrase only slightly modifies the words of the direct quotation. Even with a citation to the exact page where the information can be found, such a paraphrase is considered plagiarism.

Conferences

All instructors set specific hours during the week when they are available to discuss your writing. If your schedule conflicts with your instructor’s office hours, you can make an appointment during a mutually convenient time. Remember that your instructor wants you to get the most out of the course. Do not hesitate to ask for help or advice.

Instructors post office hours outside their office doors. In addition, a complete list of instructors, office locations, and office hours is posted in the office of the Department of English at 26 Glebe Street.
 

Writing Lab Writing Lab Consultants, including faculty from the Department of English as well as carefully chosen peer consultants, provide individualized assistance on all papers written for any course at the College.Although consultants do not proofread your papers, they do help you by asking questions which all experienced writers ask themselves. This helps you discover your own strategies and methods of writing.The Writing Lab has IBM computers as well as a laser printer. You can print out your paper and, then, turn to a trained, experienced consultant who will be right there to talk to you about your essay.Free handouts cover such topics as Audience Analysis, Writing a Thesis, Using Transitions, Openings for Essays, MLA and APA Styles for Documentation, Writing an Essay for Graduate School Application. The Writing Lab also has exercises to review editing techniques.The Writing Lab is open Monday - Thursday 9 a.m.-9 p.m. and Friday 9 a.m. to 12 noon. (Summer hours vary.)The Writing Lab is located on the first floor of the new Addlestone Library.

Writer's Group

The Writer’s Group is a writing workshop of no more than five students and a Writer’s Group facilitator. It meets once a week for one hour and is designed to help English 101 students who need extra assistance with their writing.

The Writer’s Group offers students opportunities to plan, revise, edit, and review the writing that they do in English 101. Each week students bring an essay that they are drafting or one that has been graded by their instructors for the group to discuss.

The Writer’s Group helps students

During the first week and a half of class, students will be asked by their English 101 instructors to write in- and out-of-class essays. Based on these assignments, instructors will advise students who need extra assistance with their writing to enroll in the Writer’s Group.

Students should go to the Department of English at 26 Glebe Street to sign up for a specific time that fits their schedule.
After students have enrolled in the Writer’s Group, they will be required to attend weekly sessions and may not miss more than two. At each group meeting they will bring an English 101 assignment or graded essay for discussion. Students’ participation will be noted by the Writer’s Group staff and sent to their English 101 instructors. Attendance at the Writer’s Group will be linked to the attendance policy of each student’s English 101 class.

Groups start meeting during the third week of the semester in the Bell Building, Room 301. Once students sign up for a specific time, they meet at the same time and with the same group each week. Groups continue until the last week of the semester.

The Writer's Group differs from the Writing Lab in that whereas the Lab works with students from all disciplines and all college levels, the Writer’s Group works only with English 101 students. Also, the Writing Lab specializes in one-on-one tutoring on a first-come-first-served basis, while the Writer’s Group works with small groups of the same students at the same time each week.

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