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Freshman Writing
English 004

ENGL 004, Basic Writing Skills, is a three-credit, one-semester course required of students whose Freshman Testing (FTCAP) scores suggest they need more writing practice before entering ENGL 015. (While credits earned in ENGL 004 count in GPA and computations of full-time status, they do not count toward graduation requirements for any baccalaureate degree.) The underlying premise of ENGL 004 is that students required to take it are inexperienced writers who need practice. The assumption is not that there is anything "wrong" with the students, not that they are incapable of college work. Basic writers do have the ability to conceptualize and organize ideas, to perform complex thinking, but they are unfamiliar with the world of formal writing. We assume that these men and women are apprentices-Mina Shaughnessy's word (Errors and Expectations, Oxford, 1977)-who need experience as writers.

Thus ENGL 004, like other composition courses, is designed to give students lots of practice in writing, practice calculated to improve their ability to invent substantial content and express it in fluent prose. It also tries to help students learn to see the many functions of writing-as a way to discover ideas, play with language, and communicate with and influence audiences. Along the way, students learn or review conventional practices of usage and punctuation.

The emphasis in ENGL 004 should be first on meaningful expression and then on mechanics-on invention before correctness. Focusing first on meaningful content, students see that they have important things to say. In this setting, where students and teachers value student ideas, the students may be led to see the value of correctness. But this is not to say that the course is half over before students study the conventions of standard edited English. Rather, time is regularly set aside from the beginning of the course to help students develop skill at the sentence level. Thus in every writing assignment students will first find a vital, significant subject, audience and purpose, and then turn their attention, during the editing stages, to correctness.

At the end of ENGL 004, each student submits a portfolio of the semester's work to the instructor, who reviews it to make sure that the student is ready for ENGL 015. The rare students who has not met the course objectives can be advised to repeat ENGL 004, even if the student has earned a passing grade (usually a D) in the course.

ENGL 004 COURSE OBJECTIVES

When students leave ENGL 004 and move on to ENGL 015, they should recognize the value of writing as a form of communication, and, more specifically, they should be able to do the following:

· understand how audience and purpose influence a writer's choices;

· flexibly employ the basic processes of writing-planning, inventing, composing rough drafts and revising them;

· develop multi-paragraph expository and persuasive essays;

· arrange ideas purposefully and coherently;

· use supporting detail based on personal experience and outside materials;

· demonstrate increased competence with varied sentence structures;

· understand and apply the basic conventions of syntax and mechanics; and

· proofread competently and prepare acceptable manuscripts.

While the objectives of ENGL 004 are constant, the particular shape of any given section of ENGL 004-the particular sets of assignments and activities chosen by an instructor-may vary considerably. Instructors who have completed the ENGL 602 for ENGL 004 are encouraged to exercise their ingenuity to develop and redesign their syllabi.

All sections of ENGL 004 are, however, expected to operate within certain parameters. Because ENGL 004 is preparatory to ENGL 015, a student entering ENGL 015 should have learned certain things in ENGL 004. The basic requirements for all sections of ENGL 004 include, therefore, an introduction to and practice with the following basic concepts and skills:

Writing Principles

· the rhetorical situation-audience, purpose;

· reading and writing processes;

· planning and inventing-exploring purposes and audiences, journals, brainstorming, reading to write, lists, rnodes, principles of development and the need for concreteness;

· arranging-placement of claims and evidence, ordering for audience and aim, paragraphs-including topic sentences and development, transitions, introductions and conclusions;

· revising and editing; and

· basic principles of argument-appealing to audiences, gathering evidence, voice, and tone.

Sentencing Skills

· complete sentences,

· strong subjects and verbs,

· verb tense and agreement,

· coordination and subordination, and

· modifiers-relative clauses, appositives, adverbs, infinitival and prepositional phrases.

SAMPLE ASSIGNMENTS

These are some of the assignments used in various combinations in ENGL 004:

· Warm-up Essay

· Description

· Focusing and Supporting a Thesis

· Narrative

· Argument

Warm-Up Essay

For this assignment, you'll write a letter introducing yourself to me. I'd really enjoy reading some lively, interesting letters that would help me get to know you better, and that's why I and most writing teachers present an assignment like this early in the term. It helps us to learn about our students as individuals, and it might even help us plan future assignments.

Unfortunately, the pieces written in response to an assignment like this often turn out to be far from interesting or entertaining. In fact, they are often dull and tell us little or nothing about the real person behind the words. Why does this happen? Certainly, it's not because you are dull people with little or nothing of interest to say about yourselves! But "introduction essays" are often simply random lists of standard and predictable generalities ("I really love sports" or "I really love music") and standard and predictable details ("I went to high school here, I grew up here, I have X brothers and Y sisters, I am majoring in Z). General statements and random lists like this will fail to capture you as an individual with a personality, interests, goals, ideals, values, etc.

In short, the "typical introduction essay" fails to do two critical things that all good writing must do:

1. It fails to make a focused point about its subject (in this case, you).

2. It falls to provide specific, vivid, concrete, "showing" detail.

So, to avoid the pitfalls of the typical introduction essay (and to supply me with the interesting reading I so richly deserve!), here's what I'd like you to do in a letter addressed to me, your new English instructor:

First identify a single, dominant personality trait or a word or phrase that otherwise captures one specific aspect of who you are. You'll use this as the focus of your letter about yourself. You might choose a word or phrase that you or your friends or family would use to describe you. (Hint: the more narrow your claim is, the better off you'll be.) Then try drafting a thesis sentence setting forth that idea-something like "As a small child, I was always into mischief or "My father always called me the laziest of his five children" or "I wouldn't have made it through high school without my good sense of humor."

Then, write a letter that supports that idea. Show me through concrete evidence and vivid examples that the statement you've made about yourself is true. Above all, be specific, and make sure your specifics are relevant to the character trait you're discussing.

Description

To describe means to offer specific and showing detail about something or someone. You already know that all good writing-whether informative or persuasive-backs up its claims with specific detail. So it shouldn't surprise you that description is an essential part of all good writing.

There are two kinds of description. Objective description offers specific details but doesn't make a "point" about the person, place, or thing being described (examples: a police report on a missing person or object: a surveyor's report on a piece of property). Subjective description uses details that are carefully selected to make a point about a person, place, or thing.

Both kinds of description involve careful attention to language. For description to be effective, a writer must use specific language-specific nouns, vivid action verbs and adjectives-and sensory language-words that help the reader see, smell, hear, touch, and taste.

Writing Assignment

Write a multi-paragraph essay with an introduction, at least three body paragraphs, and a closing. Your essay will provide details about a person, place, or thing to make a point for a particular audience for a particular reason. That is, you will be writing a piece of subjective description.

1. The Family Reunion.

Many great pieces of writing-both fiction and non-fiction-center on the unusual members of interesting families. The truth is that we all come from interesting families with relatives worth writing about. We're related to people who are eccentric, industrious, domineering, or wild and crazy. We've got family members who have special talents like woodworking or cooking or fishing. We've got relatives with problems: they gossip or have bad tempers or drink too much. Some of them are just plain amusing: they think they're great singers when they're practically tone deaf or they're constantly pulling practical jokes.

Imagine for a moment that a friend of yours will be going with you to a family reunion or visiting with you over the holidays-in any case, your friend will be meeting the whole "clan" for the first time.

Choose a relative you think your friend would want or need to know more about ahead of that visit-perhaps because of some special quality your friend will appreciate or perhaps even a warning. Then, settle on some single, focused trait of that person to write about. (As in the last two essays, the narrower the point, the easier your job will be.) In other words, this will not be a "loose" character sketch or description touching on many different traits, nor will it be simply a chronological biography without a point. You will need one clear focus-something relevant to your audience's needs or desires, and something you can use to help you carefully select your descriptive details. Physical description may or may not be part of what you write-that depends on whether physical traits help demonstrate the claim you're making. Feel free to call or write home to refresh your memory, gather details, and collect family stories that might help you build your essay.

Alternative Audience: Another possibility-perhaps requiring a little more imagination-would be to direct this piece of writing to some future family member, a time capsule of sorts for your child or grandchild.

2. The Local Treasure

For this option, your job is to describe an interesting but little-known, overlooked, or underrated local person, place, event, tradition, group, etc. You can choose from a number of rhetorical situations:

a. Write about a local treasure at home, uncovering the treasure for other local residents who might not know of it or for friends from Penn State who might want to visit your hometown.
b. Maybe you're a Centre County resident who wants to describe a local treasure for other Penn State students who have recently moved to this area.

c. Maybe you're a Penn State student who's discovering local treasures here, and you want to share one with friends or family back home-maybe as a preview to someone who's coming for a visit.

You may already know of a "local treasure" that would be worth writing about for one of these audiences. But if not, you can turn your search for a topic into a small adventure. Don't be afraid to scout around until you find a hidden waterfall, a pioneer graveyard, a backyard wine maker; look through the local paper for announcements of meetings and events, features that mention events and people. Look for people with interesting small businesses or hobbies. Walk around or hop on your bike and watch for curious buildings and out-of-the-way shops. Ask around about people who belong to unusual organizations.

Hint: In selecting a topic, remember the lessons from the essay we just finished-LIMIT your topic so that you can expand.

Once you select a topic, you'll also need to focus on a point-saying this thing or person is a local treasure isn't enough to focus the essay. Why is this a local treasure? Answering that question should help you derive a point to make about your topic.

Focusing and Supporting a Thesis

Assignment Goals

Learning to

a. narrow a topic and point to produce a focused thesis

b. generate specific and convincing support for the thesis

c. organize ideas clearly, coherently, and effectively

d. shape a piece of writing to meet the needs of a particular audience

Choice of Topics

Write a multiparagraph essay consisting of an opening paragraph, three or more body paragraphs, and a closing. Choose from the following rhetorical situations:

1. The student council at your former high school is dissatisfied with the student activities brochure they currently distribute so students can decide what clubs or organizations to join. First, in trying to provide an overview of club activities, it tends to generalize so much that students can't get a real "feel" for what club members have experienced. Secondly, it makes everything about all the clubs sound great, which may not be entirely accurate.

So, they've decided to try new approach. They've asked a cross-section of students and former students to submit essays about their experiences (in clubs, service organizations, sports teams, musical or drama groups, etc.). Here's part of the letter they've written you:

Thanks for agreeing to provide us with an essay about your experiences in a club or organization. Your essay, along with many others, will be printed in a booklet and will be distributed at the start of the school year. You can help students get a "closer look" at these activities if you'll focus on some limited aspect of your experience that you particularly liked or disliked. What were the reasons for feeling this way? Or what things made this aspect good or bad for you? Please be detailed and specific in your writing so that students know as much about your actual experiences as possible.

(Alternate audience: you might want to write this as a letter to one person-a friend or sibling still at your high school.)

2. You're taking a sociology course where part of the semester is being devoted to neighborhood cultures. You're starting to discover that you share your classroom (and the rest of campus) with students from different parts of the state, the country, and even the world-but you may know little about the background and neighborhood culture of your fellow students, just as they may know little about yours.

Your instructor has asked you to write about some limited aspect of your neighborhood that you especially liked or disliked. You've been asked to design this piece of writing for someone (either an individual or a group) for a specific reason. Perhaps you're trying to provide information for an audience who wants to know more or you're trying to correct a misperception about something.

3. You've mentioned to a friend or family member that you like or dislike your roommate, but haven't had a chance to discuss the topic more fully. In a recent letter, that friend or family member has asked either "What do you best about your roommate?" or "What bugs you the most about your roommate?" Write a letter responding to that friend or relative, but put to use what you've been learning in English class: focus on some limited aspect of your roommate, and deliver specific, convincing detail Also, be certain there's a real reason for your audience to need or want to hear about this aspect of your roommate. (Sure, Mom loves you, but beyond that, why does she care about this?)

4. Your freshman advisor is preparing a booklet she plans to distribute to incoming students-one that will give them a more "personal" view of Penn State than they're likely to find in typical college catalogues and publications, and one that doesn't necessarily tell only the "good" about life here at Penn State. She's asked a number of current freshmen, including you, to submit essays discussing some aspect of Penn State which you like or dislike; she's asked you to explore either reasons you like or dislike this part of Penn State or to focus on different aspects of this thing which make it pleasant or unpleasant for you. She's also stressed that she doesn't want you to tackle broad, vague topics like "Penn State sports" or "Fraternities." Instead, she hopes you'll focus on some smaller, limited aspect of Penn State-e.g., the dorm floor you live on, a course you're taking, a special program you're involved in, an activity you've attended, an organization you've joined.

How to Do this Assignment

Begin by choosing the writing situation which appeals to you the most and by deciding upon a topic suitable for that situation, even if it's a relatively broad topic at this point. Then start thinking about audience and exigence: who are your readers? What thing do they know or not know? Why do they need or want to hear about this? What qualifies you to talk about this subject? What do you think you might accomplish for your readers? etc.

Step #1: Gathering Information. Use any combination of techniques we discussed in class to start collecting material you might use to build this essay; try observation, listing, clustering, brainstorming, freewriting, etc. Gather information that's as specific as you can possibly make it, and gather plenty of it.

Step #2: Analyzing the Information. Look over the information you've gathered, and if you haven't done so already, start narrowing and focusing your topic. Then you can decide which information looks important and useful-and which you should delete or save for some other writing situation. See if you can begin to detect any relationships between the ideas you've noted as important, and begin to think about a logical order for your ideas.

Step #3: State Your Purpose. Draft a single sentence that includes a statement of narrowed topic and focused point (your thesis). Remember that the thesis will appear in the opening, and the opening of an essay needs to get the reader's attention. So try to write a thesis that not only makes clear the topic and point, but one which is also reader-engaging.

Step #4: Make a Plan. (Model for a 5-paragraph essay)

Thesis Statement
Transition/Topic Sentence #1
Supporting Details
Transition/Topic Sentence #2
Supporting Details
Transition/Topic Sentence #3
Supporting Details
Ideas for Closing

Step #5: Write and Revise.
Writing: Using your plan, write a rough draft(s). Be sure to double space your rough draft (typed or hand written), and leave ample margins. You'll need the space to make additions and changes after you've thought about revision strategies.

Revising:

1. Rhetorical Situation
- Is the topic sufficiently narrowed?
- Is the point clear and well focused?
- Is there a sense of real readers with a real need or desire to read this?

2. Content
- Are the supporting details specific, lively, and vivid? Do they SHOW the reader rather than tell about?
- Are there enough details to sufficiently support the thesis and meet the needs of the audience?
- Do all the details support the purpose, or are there irrelevant details which should be eliminated?

3. Organization
- In addition to establishing thesis and audience, does the introduction capture the reader's attention, or is it dull and mechanical?
- Are the body paragraphs in their best order? Is there a good reason for their order?
- Do transitions move the reader smoothly from one paragraph to the next? Are the transitions interesting, or are they dull, mechanical, or repetitive?
- Does the closing reinforce the purpose in an interesting way, or is it merely a dull summary?

Step #6: Edit and Proofread.
For this first paper, check especially for
· misspelled words,
· sentence fragments, and
· run-ons and comma splices.

Narrative

"Narrative" means story telling. Some stories are fictional-they deal with characters and events that the writer has created from imagination. Some stories are nonfictional-they recreate events that happened to real people.

All stories, to some extent, have entertainment as their purpose, and entertainment alone can be a valid purpose of narrative. Writers often use narrative to do more than entertain, though; a narrative can help illustrate some point the writer is trying to make. For this assignment, you'll write a nonfiction narrative to illustrate a point.

You'll find that narrative is a useful device in both exposition and argument because it helps support a point in a dramatic, compelling way, a way your readers can understand. Of course facts and figures and reasons are useful support; but the human element in a narrative can add a powerful emotional dimension to your discussion or argument.

Let's say, for instance, that you're arguing for stiffer drunk driving penalties. Naturally, you'd want to build a logical case using statistical evidence to show things like the number of traffic accidents and traffic fatalities related to alcohol use. If you added to that evidence the story of a friend who was seriously injured or killed by a drunk driver, your audience's emotions might be stirred in a way they wouldn't be by statistics.

Whether you realize it or not, you have in your memory many stories worth writing down for a purpose. Your life has been full of dramatic moments-not necessarily the kind you see on television, but a kind that grows out of real situations that are important to you and which can be important to others.

Some basic guidelines

1. Unlike the essays we've written so far this semester, the narrative won't necessarily begin with an introductory paragraph that makes a thesis, audience, and exigence clear. Some narratives do begin with a point, but sometimes writers find it more effective to hold off the main point until the end of the essay. Even then, you'll want to be less blunt, more subtle about making your point than you would in a strictly expository or persuasive essay. If you recreate your event dramatically, the strength and power of the narrative will carry most of the weight of making the point.

2. To make a short narrative work well, the writer must choose a limited incident to recreate. You won't be able to dramatize a two-week vacation or even everything that happened on a weekend camping trip; at best, you'd only be able to summarize. Pick an event that took place in a short period of time.

3. Remember that your goal is to recreate the event, not summarize it, philosophize about it, or reflect on its meaning. You can certainly use the introduction of your story to give the reader necessary background information, and you can use your ending to make sure the point is subtly re-emphasized. But most of your narrative should be a dramatic recreation of the event. If you use your words like a movie camera, you can make the story come alive for the reader and make him or her feel as if the event is really happening.

Writing Assignment

Write a multiparagraph essay (we'll talk about paragraphing strategies later) which recreates a significant event in your life-something that happened to you or something you witnessed first hand, an event that taught you something or forced you to look at something or someone in a new way.

Audience and Exigence

As human beings, we all share certain experiences and emotions; therefore, in some ways the audience for any narrative is a "general audience." But once you choose an event to recreate, you should be able to pinpoint a more specific set of readers who would need or want this narrative for a specific reason. The story of a triumph or defeat on the baseball field, for instance, might have meaning to other athletes and sports fans. Finding a specific audience for your narrative might be easier if you think about a magazine that might publish a story like yours.

Choosing a Topic

Almost any experience from your own life can be the basis for an effective short narrative, as long as a) there's really a story to tell-a series of scenes leading to a climax; b) its time span is short enough for full development; and c) it has significance in your life that would be useful for your readers. Here are some suggestions:

- a time you learned not all promises should be kept
- a time you learned a bitter lesson
- a time you learned something important about the opposite sex
- a time you learned never to _______again
- a time you learned that parents aren't always right (or that sometimes they are right)
- a time you learned something new about a relative or friend
- a time you were disciplined (or had to administer discipline)
- a time you were afraid or in danger
- a time you were the object of discrimination
- a time you felt peer presume
- a tune you were triumphant or defeated

Making a Plan

Once you've gotten an OK on topic and purpose, you can make a list of the episodes that make up your story (use the exercise we'll do in class as a guideline). Gather details to dramatize each episode.

Then, look over those scenes. Mark the climax scene with an asterisk. Decide which other scene(s) need full development because of their importance to the story.

Which scenes are less important and deserve less detail when you write? (Refer to our class discussion of "pacing" as you make these decisions.)

Argument

In everyday use, the word "argument" may mean anything from a disagreement to a shouting match to a fist fight, but in rhetoric, we use the word "argument" in a more specific and limited sense.

First, let's consider what rhetorical argument isn't, what things we can't use as the basis for a written piece of rhetorical persuasion. For one thing, we can't argue about statements that are facts. Two friends might "argue" over which major league baseball player has hit the most home runs in his career, but rhetorically no argument exists on that topic. The answer to the question is a matter of record, of fact, and once we find the answer in a reliable source, the dispute will end.

We also can't argue rhetorically about assertions that are simply a matter of taste or personal opinion. By this, we mean there's no rhetorical argument if the arguer can offer only subjective evidence in support of the claim. If I don't like the colors or pattern of my friend's new wallpaper, for instance, I won't be able to convince her to redecorate by arguing that purple and red plaid is "ugly."

So what can we argue about? Rhetorical argument begins when we see an issue.

Once we have an issue, we need a thesis, a statement of our own view on the subject. Keep in mind that there may be a wide range of possible positions on any given issue.

Then, we need proof, the evidence we gather in support of our position, which we offer to an audience who is skeptical of or in disagreement with our thesis.

To build a credible argument, we need to consider different kinds of proof: logical, ethical, and emotional. We'll need to consider how to accommodate (or deal tactfully and effectively with) a skeptical or hostile audience. We'll often need to strengthen our own position by undermining or refuting the evidence and logic of the opposition. Using these skills and making an effective rhetorical argument is a complex art. The purpose of this assignment is to introduce you to these concepts and give you a chance to practice these skills before you enter ENGL 015.

Topic Choices

1. Demonstrate that a problem exists (thesis: X is a problem).

We often have complaints about problems we encounter-at school, at work, where we live, in a club or organization we belong to, in our government, in society. For this option, instead of simply complaining about these things to friends, you'll have the chance to bring a problem situation to the attention of a specific audience who needs to know about it. You might begin by making a list of things that bother you-here at Penn State, at home, where you work, etc. Once you've settled on an issue, you'll need to think about audience and exigence. Some possibilities:

- Write to the person or group who would be in the position to make some changes after they've heard your argument about a problem. Maybe your audience doesn't even know a certain situation exists (example: your RA isn't aware that dorm security isn't so secure). Or maybe they know a situation exists-your RA knows people on the floor are violating quiet hours-but aren't aware of the extent and severity of the problem.

- Write to one or more people who are unaware of a problem they'll encounter: you need to wake them up to the problem and convince them it's worthy of their attention.

As you're thinking and planning, remember that your job here is to demonstrate that a problem exists-not to argue for a specific solution to the problem. (Think about it this way: no one will put the energy, time, or money into solving a problem unless s/he is first convinced the problem exists and warrants attention.) You may suggest in the closing that something be done, but keep the focus of your argument on delivering evidence to prove that a problem exists.

2. Debunk a stereotype (thesis: X is not Y). Many groups are unfairly stereotyped or misunderstood. Football players are seen as "dumb jocks," stay-at-home mothers as unambitious, cheerleaders as bubble-heads, hunters as malicious killers of Bambi. If you've ever been the victim of this kind of misperception, set the record straight: show those who believe the stereotype that it simply isn't true (at least not always). That is, in some cases you may have to concede that some members of the group might be assessed the way the audience sees them, but on the whole that assessment is incorrect.

3. Undercut a "mainstream" evaluation or defend an unpopular evaluation (thesis: X is Y or X is not Y).

When we evaluate something, we assign a value judgment (excellent, good, mediocre) to the thing we're evaluating. It's easy to go along with the crowd if you honestly do agree with the value judgment of the majority. But what if you think fraternity parties are a waste of time when all your friends enjoy them? What if you find attending a Penn State football game a boring experience? What if you think this month's hottest movie is a bore or that watching the weather channel is a stimulating experience?

That is, at some time, we all find ourselves "out of the mainstream" in our value judgments. For this option, you'll have the chance to tell the others what you really think. Note that there's little point in defending something most people believe in or in attacking something that many people are skeptical of to begin with.

APPROVED BOOKLIST FOR ENGL 004

(Approved Spring 1997)

A. Rhetorics

MacDonald, Kathleen, When Writers Write , 2nd ed., Prentice Hall, 1987 (0-13-9565094)
Rich, Susanna, The Flexible Writer: A Basic Guide , Allyn and Bacon, 3rd ed., (19970205265995)
Wyrick, Jean, Steps to Writing Well , 7th ed., HBJ, 1998 (0155054538)

B. Readers

Aaron, Jane. The Compact Reader , 6th ed., Bedford Books of St Martin's Press, 1999 (031217165X)
Atwan, Robert, America Now: Short Readings from Recent Periodicals , 4th ed, Bedford of St. Martin's Press, 1999 (0312191820)
Conlin, Mary Lou, Patterns Plus: A Short Prose Reader with Argumentation , 6th ed., Houghton Mifflin Company, 1998 (0395899591)

Meyer, Russell J. and Sheryl A. Mylan, Voices and Visions: An Integrated Approach to Reading and Writing , St. Martin's, 1995 (0312083858)
Moseley, Ann and Jeannette Harris, Interactions: A Thematic Reader , 4th ed, Houghton Mifilin, 2000 (0395958407)
Rogers, Glenn C. and Judy R., Patterns and Themes: A Basic English Reader , 4th ed, Wadsworth Publishing Co., 1999 (0534261906)

C. Supplementary Handbooks and Workbooks

Clouse, Barbara Fine, Working it Out: A Troubleshooting Guide for Writers , 2nd edition, McGraw-Hill 1996 (0-07-011619-9)
Langan, John, Sentence Skills , 5th edition (form A and B), McGraw Hill, 1998
Robey, Cora L., Sarah E. Kreps, and Helen M. Maloney, New Handbook of Basic Writing Skills , 4th edition, HBJ, 1996 (0155036947)
Weiner, Harvey S. and Charles Bazerman, Writing Skills Handbook , Houghton Mifflin Company.

(Note: according to department policy, instructors who wish to use other textbooks must obtain permission by writing to the Director of Composition Programs.)