Fall 2005 Advanced Grammar & Composition

Professor of Record
Dr. Dene Grigar, Associate Professor
CFO 802
Office: 940-898-2298; Home: 214-553-9517; Home Fax: 214-553-5814
Email: dgrigar@twu.edu
Professors Website: http://www.nouspace.net/dene
Office Hours: TR, 12:30-2:30 pm; M online, 9-10 pm and F2F, by appt.

Special Note: A blog will be used in this course for class announcements, links to course materials,
and communication between members of the class. Go to http://grammar-composition.motime.com.

Catalog Description of the Course

Concentration on the basic terminology and procedures of English grammar, rhetoric, and composi-
tion, with intensive practice. Prerequisites: 9 hours of English

Assignments

To satisfy requirements of this course, students are expected to complete:

1. Three short compositions (SC) (500-750 words)

2. Daily work (including Grammar Inventories, attendance, and class participation) (DA)
3. Final exam (FE)

Assessment

Grades are based on the following criteria:

SC: 3 @ 20% each = 60 % of overall grade
DA: 20% of overall grade
FE: 1 @ 20% = 20% of overall grade
100% total

The professor retains final authority for all matters related to the assessment of attendance, participa-
tion, involvement, and learningand it not generally willing to negotiate course structure, require-
ments, or any grades.

Extra Credit

No extra credit is given in place of other work in the course or a low grade on an assignment. In order
to make an "A" in the course, students must be willing to undertake assignments as they are listed in
this course description.

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Attendance Policy

This course is designed as a skill-building one. This means that when you miss one class, you get be-
hind in learning the skills you need for future activities. But missing class is never a good policy any-
way. In the case of unexcused absences, students cannot make up the work. Students missing more
than three unexcused classes will have their grades dropped by one letter grade. Students who miss
more than six days of the course and at least one major assignment will be asked to drop the course
and retake it when they are able. Excused absences are those defined in the University Student
Handbook. Students are expected to bring notes for all excused absences. 3 tardies = 1 absence.

Make Up Work in Case of Absence(s)

Work missed during an unexcused absence cannot be made up. Students with excused absences
must be prepared to make up all work within a week of the class she or he missed.

Books

The course materials for this course include books available at the University and local bookstores:

A Short Course in Grammar, by Paul J. Hopper, W.W. Norton & Co., ISBN 0-393-97381-6
The Art of the Personal Essay, by Phillip Lopate, Anchor Books, ISBN: 0-385-42339-X
The MLA Handbook, 6th Edition

Students without access to these book should see the instructor for assistance in procuring them.
Please do not wait to ask. If you do not come to class with your required texts, you will be penalized
in the class participation grade for that day. No exceptions unless with permission of the professor.

Plagiarism

As you may well surmise, the ESFL department looks unfavorably at plagiarism and does not respect
students who plagiarize. For that reason, in this course I follow the university policies regarding pla-
giarism. Since some of you will be teachers, I am particularly incensed when I catch students plagia-
rizing whether it is through sloppiness, ignorance, or dishonesty. It seems to me that by the time you
have reached your junior year (or Big School as we call universities as opposed to community col-
leges), you should know how to cite sources. Here is how I deal with the three categories on the first
time a student is caught plagiarizing:

Category A: Sloppiness. Automatic 0 on paper, with option to rewrite for no better than a C
Category B: Ignorance. Automatic 0 on paper, with option to rewrite for no better than a C
Category C: Obvious Conscious Cheating. Automatic 0 on paper, with no option for rewriting

Students caught plagiarizing a second time will be asked to leave the class and will receive an auto-
matic 0 in the course. If you have any questions about what plagiarizing is, please refer to the MLA
Handbook 6th Edition, pp. 65-75.

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For those of you who are not aware of what constitutes plagiarism, here is a breakdown of the various
types:
1. Buying papers, borrowing papers, or recycling former papers unrevised and claiming these types of
papers as your own for your assignment in this course. (This constitutes a Category C offense)
2. Cutting and pasting parts of a webpage or borrowing passages from a book for your paper without
properly citing these parts and claiming the material as your own for the expressed intent of cheating.
(This constitutes a Category C offense)
3. Failing to use proper citation style for material you borrow, accidentally. (This constitutes either a
Category A or B offense)

Here is information I am supposed to give you from the University. It is rather vague but it does back
up my claims that plagiarism is not tolerated.

Honesty in completing assignments is essential to the mission of the university and to the develop-
ment of the personal integrity of the student. Cheating, plagiarism, or other kinds of academic dis-
honesty will not be tolerated and will result in appropriate sanctions that may include failing an as-
signment, failing the class, or being suspended or expelled. Suspected cases in this course may be
reported to Student Life. The specific disciplinary process for academic dishonesty is found in the
TWU Student Handbook. Tools to help you avoid plagiarism are available through the TWU Librar-
ies Quick Links under Research Help. (http://www.twu.edu/library/literacy/index.htm). (Kra-
jewski, Personal Email, January 11, 2006)

If you are still struggling with understanding plagiarism, I have included a link to a document entitled
What Is Plagiarism and to Indiana Universitys plagiarism website.

Cell Phones and PDAs

Cellphones and PDAs should be turned off before class begins each day. If a family emergency re-
quires a student to have the cellphone on, the student needs to tell me at the beginning of class. The
phone should be turned to vibrate mode. The student will leave the class to answer the call. Any
other use of the phone will result in the student being asked to leave class that day. The student will
receive an automatic 0 for the day.

Email Policy

Students must use their university email addresses in this course. As you can imagine in an online
course, computer viruses are a danger. Students who use Yahoo or Hotmail accounts are at a particu-
lar risk of getting and passing viruses to others. Additionally, students are limited to the amount they
can archive and the amount of information they can send and receive. For that reason, any email sent
to the instructor via a non-TWU account will not be answered. Please also keep in mind when you
write your professors that we are not your palsso addressing us informally as Yo, or What you
doin? is not good practice. Along those lines, flaming us when you are angry probably will not win
friends and influence people. Finally, if you do find you must use your personal email account, I will
not respond to you if your email address includes vulgarity.

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To reiterate, the professor will not respond to email messages that do not originate from a TWU ac-
count, respond to email messages that disguise the name of the user (ex.: funnygirl@yahoo.com), or
acknowledge flames. In return, she will be respectful to you all.

Students with Disabilities Act

Texas Womans University seeks to provide appropriate academic adjustments for all individuals with
disabilities. This University will comply with all applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations,
and guidelines, specifically Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Dis-
abilities Act (ADA), with respect to providing appropriate academic adjustments to afford equal edu-
cational opportunity. It is the responsibility of the student to register with and provide medical verifi-
cation and academic schedules to Disability Support Services (DSS) at the beginning of each semes-
ter and no later than the second week of school unless otherwise determined by the coordinator. The
student also must contact the faculty member in a timely manner to arrange for appropriate academic
adjustments. For further information regarding Disability Support Services or to register for assis-
tance, please contact the office at 898-3835 (voice), 898-3830 (TDD) or visit CFO 105.

Schedule and Assignments

Tuesday, January 17
Introduction to course

Thursday, January 19
Ch. 2, Words, pp. 24-37
Read: Natalia Ginzburgs He and I, pp. 422-430

Tuesday, January 24
We will discuss composition as a genre and Natalia Ginzburgs He and I, pp. 422-430

Thursday, January 26
Workshop 1: Citations

Tuesday, January 31
Ch. 3, Phrases, pp. 38-54
Read: Joan Didions Goodbye to All That, pp. 680-688 in preparation for our first essay

Thursday, February 2
Ch. 3, Phrases, pp. 38-54
We will discuss composition as a genre and Joan Didions Goodbye to All That, pp. 680-688 in
preparation for our first essay

Tuesday, February 7

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Ch. 4, Sentences and Their Parts, pp. 55-65

Introduce SC 1

Thursday, February 9
Ch. 4, Sentences and Their Parts, pp. 55-65
Discuss SC 1

Tuesday, February 14
SC 1 drafts due
Workshop 2: Editing

Thursday, February 16
SC 1 due
Ch. 5, Objects and Adjuncts, pp. 66-91
Read: Herbert Butlers Aunt Harriet, pp. 393-402

Tuesday, February 21
Ch. 5, Objects and Adjuncts, pp. 66-91
Discuss Herbert Butlers Aunt Harriet, pp. 393-402 in preparation for the next composition assign-
ment

Thursday, February 23
Ch. 6, The Verb Phrase, pp. 92-113

Tuesday, February 28
Ch. 6, The Verb Phrase, pp. 92-113
Introduce SC 2

Thursday, March 2
Ch. 7, Prepositional Phrases and Adverbials, pp. 114-134
Discuss SC 2

Tuesday, March 7
Ch. 7, Prepositional Phrases and Adverbials, pp. 114-134
Read: Roland Barthes Leaving the Movie Theater, pp. 418-421

Thursday, March 9
SC 2 draft due
Peer Review
Discuss Roland Barthes Leaving the Movie Theater, pp. 418-421

Tuesday, March 14
Spring Break

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Thursday, March 16
Spring Break

Tuesday, March 21
Ch. 8, The Noun Phrase I, pp. 135-157
SC 2 final draft due

Thursday, March 23
Ch. 9, The Noun Phrase II, pp. 158-175
Read: Kenkos Essays in Idleness, pp. 29-36

Tuesday, March 28
Ch. 9, The Noun Phrase II, pp. 158-175
Discuss Kenkos Essays in Idleness, pp. 29-36

Thursday, March 30
Ch. 10, Negation, pp. 176-184

Tuesday, April 4
Ch. 11, The Passive, pp. 185-196
Introduce SC 3

Thursday, April 6
Ch. 11, The Passive, pp. 185-196
Read: Abraham Cowleys Of Greatness, pp. 115-121

Tuesday, April 11
Discuss Abraham Cowleys Of Greatness, pp. 115-121
Ch. 12, Coordination, pp. 197-211

Thursday, April 13
Ch. 13, Subordination, pp. 212-227

Tuesday, April 18
Ch. 14, Subordination, pp. 228-241
Read: Scott Russell Sanders Under the Influence, pp.732-744

Thursday, April 20
Discuss Scott Russell Sanders Under the Influence, pp.732-744

Tuesday, April 25
Ch. 17, Grammar and Discourse, pp. 270-282

Thursday, April 27
SC 3 draft due

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Peer Review / Workshop

Tuesday, May 2
SC 3 final draft due
Workshop 3: Plagiarism

Thursday, May 4
Grammar Review for Exam

Tuesday, May 7
Final exam
Note that exam takes place at 10:30-12:30

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