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Sunbridge Institute of English
"Courses and Resources for ESL Teachers and Students"

College Writing Skills

Course Outline

College Writing Skills, 5th Ed.
by John Langan

Table of Contents

For the most part, the course will follow the format of the book except that topics from Part Four on Grammar, Mechanics, Punctuation and Word Use will be interspersed with new material.

PART ONE: ESSAY WRITING

CHAPTER 1: An Introduction to Writing

  • Point and Support
  • Structure of the Traditional Essay
  • Benefits of Writing the Traditional Essay
  • Writing as a Skill
  • Writing as a Process of Discovery
  • Writing a Journal
  • Using a Computer
  • Review Activities
  • Using This Text

CHAPTER 2: The Writing Process

  • Prewriting
  • Writing a First Draft
  • Revision
  • Editing
  • Review Activities

CHAPTER 3: The First and Second Steps in Essay Writing

  • Step 1: Begin With a Point, or Thesis
  • Step 2: Support The Thesis With Specific Evidence
  • Practice in Advancing and Supporting a Thesis

CHAPTER 4: The Third Step in Essay Writing

  • Step3: Organize and Connect the Specific Evidence
  • Introductions, Conclusions, and Titles
  • Practice in Organizing and Connecting Specific Evidence

CHAPTER 5: The Fourth Step in Essay Writing

  • Revising Sentences
  • Editing Sentences
  • Practice in Revising Sentences

CHAPTER 6: Four Bases for Revising Essays

  • Base 1: Unity
  • Base 2: Support
  • Base 3: Coherence
  • Base 4: Sentence Skills
  • Practice in Using the Four Bases

PART TWO: PATTERNS OF ESSAY DEVELOPMENT

CHAPTER 7: Introduction To Essay Development

CHAPTER 8: Description

Reading: * Lou's Place, Beth Johnson

CHAPTER 9: Narration

Reading: * The Yellow Ribbon, Pete Hamill

CHAPTER 10: Examples

Reading: *Dad, Andrew H. Malcolm

CHAPTER 11: Process

Reading: * How To Do Well On A Job Interview, Glenda Davis

CHAPTER 12: Cause and Effect

Reading: * Why Do Most Mothers Cradle Their Babies in the Left Arm?, Desmond Morris

CHAPTER 13: Comparison and Contrast

Reading: * American Family Life: The Changing Picture, Donna Barron

CHAPTER 14: Definition

Reading: * Television Addiction, Marie Winn

CHAPTER 15: Division and Classification

Reading: * Wait Divisions, Tom Bodett

CHAPTER 16: Argumentation

Reading: * Ban The Things. Ban Them All., Molly Ivins

PART THREE: SPECIAL SKILLS

CHAPTER 17: Taking Essay Exams

CHAPTER 18: Writing a Summary

CHAPTER 19: Writing a Report

CHAPTER 20: Writing a Resume and Job Application Letter

CHAPTER 21: Using The Library and Internet

CHAPTER 22: Writing a Research Paper

PART FOUR: HANDBOOK OF SENTENCE SKILLS

GRAMMAR

CHAPTER 23: Subjects and Verbs

CHAPTER 24: Fragments

CHAPTER 25: Run-ons

CHAPTER 26: Regular and Irregular Verbs

CHAPTER 27: Subject-Verb Agreement

CHAPTER 28: Additional Information About Verbs

CHAPTER 29: Pronoun Agreement and Reference

CHAPTER 30: Pronoun Types

CHAPTER 31: Adjectives and Adverbs

CHAPTER 32: Misplaced Modifiers

CHAPTER 33: Dangling Modifiers

MECHANICS

CHAPTER 34: Manuscript Form

CHAPTER 35: Capital Letters

CHAPTER 36: Numbers and Abbreviations

PUNCTUATION

CHAPTER 37: Apostrophe

CHAPTER 38: Quotation Marks

CHAPTER 39: Comma

CHAPTER 40: Other Punctuation Marks

WORD USE

CHAPTER 41: Spelling Improvement

CHAPTER 42: Commonly Confused Words

CHAPTER 43: Effective Word Choice

CHAPTER 44: Editing Tests

CHAPTER 45: ESL Pointers

PART FIVE: READINGS FOR WRITING

Introduction To The Readings

Looking Inward

Thank You, Alex Haley

* Shame, Dick Gregory

I Became Her Target, Roger Wilkins

The Ambivalence of Abortion, Linda Bird Francke

Smash Thy Neighbor, John McMurtry

A Hanging, George Orwell

In My Day, Russell Baker

*A Love Affair With Books, Bernadete Piassa

Observing Others

*Sex, Lies, and Conversation, Deborah Tannen

*The Monster, Deems Taylor

*Why Are Students Turned Off?, Casey Banas

Propaganda Techniques in Today’s Advertising, Ann McClintock

Confronting Problems

*Bombs Bursting In Air, Beth Johnson

*Kids and Computers: Digital Danger, Alison Sperry

Date Rape, Ellen Sweet

Here's To Your Health, Joan Dunayer

How To Make It In College, Now That You're Here, Brian O'Keeney

College Lectures: Is Anybody Listening?, David Daniels

Seven Ways To Keep The Peace at Home, Daniel A. Sugarman

In Praise of the F Word, Mary Sherry

Is Sex all That Matters?, Joyce Garity

READING COMPREHENSION CHART

Acknowledgements

Index

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