Dr. Carla Kungl
Email: ctkung@ship.edu
Phone: 477-1716
Office: DHC 007
Office hours: MW 11:00-12:30; TR 2:00-3:00; by appointment
Course Description
This course is designed to help you make your writing more sophisticated and more effective in the rhetorical situations for which it is composed and to increase your understanding of language and the writing process. We will cover the study of rhetorical principles that will help you craft strategic arguments for specific audiences in particular contexts. You should anticipate writing a minimum of 20 original pages distributed across several graded assignments, in support of which we will hold in-class workshops, discussions, smaller “lead-in” writing assignments, instructor feedback, and group exercises. Students will learn to appreciate the choices open to them in their writing, examining model prose from several genres and writing polished essays of their own. Prerequisite: ENG 106/114.
This semester, we will look closely at style, trying to define it and to understand time-honored rules of writing (including when it can be effective to break those rules). We’ll examine voice, diction, and some grammatical and usage terms to work through the niceties of language. You’ll have lots of writing exercises, formal papers, and two presentations. Mostly, we’ll read and write and read and write, and hopefully learn that while style is largely a question of taste, there are some excellent guidelines to follow.
Texts
Glaser, Joe. Understanding Style: Practical Ways to Improve your Writing. 3rd ed. Oxford UP, 2016.
Companion site: http://www.oup.com/us/glaser
Also required: a three-ring binder to hold all the writing exercises (a writing notebook)
Readings downloaded from our d2l page
Access to a thesaurus, dictionary, usage dictionary
Grading
Your grade will be determined in the following way:
Writing/Exercise Notebook 20% Discussion Leader/Presenter + Paper 10 %
“Pay Attention” Papers (2) 10 % Self-Analysis Final paper: 25%
Stylistic Analysis paper 10 % Participation/in-class work: 10%
Grammagical mystery tours: 5%
DUE DATES OF MAJOR ASSIGNMENTS
There are lots of self-imposed deadlines in this class, but here are the overall due dates:
See the Assignments Page for full descriptions.
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I reserve the right to adjust the syllabus at my discretion. Please stay informed at pay attention to any possible changes!
Week 1: Style and Parts of the Sentence
Jan 23 Go over syllabus; major assignments. Read section of “Joyous Valadorous” by Brian Doyle in class
In writing notebook: write a sentence or two breaking a “rule” of English, then fixing it
Finish reading Doyle
25 discuss Doyle, “Joyous Valadorous”; discuss rules
Read: chapter 1, pages 3-11
In writing notebook: do exercises 1-4 (3/3 for all)
27 Go over ch. 1 homework, subjects and verbs; nominalizations and clear sentences
Read: Online-Only Chapter subjects and predicates (from text’s website)
In writing notebook: do exercises (one copy only needed; print out and bring)
Week 2 Chapter 8: Definite Actors and Actions
30 begin ch. 8; exercise 1-2 in class/homework
Have trouble with online Chapter 1? See me ASAP to get on track!
Read Tim O’Brien “On the Rainy River” on d2l and linked at https://drive.google.com/viewerng/viewer?url=http://www.mentormob.com/hosted/cards/112237_2d024083f9a9055b5667353e08a9a9be.pdf In writing notebook: exercises we didn’t finish in class; handouts from Bacon book
Feb 1 discuss Tim O’Brien “On the Rainy River”; any handouts
Read ch 8 through to “Makeover” (don’t do Makeover)
In writing notebook: exercises 3-7
3 Go over /re-revise exercises
Read: chapter 2 to page 25
In writing notebook: “Your Writing” prompt from ch 8 (page 146, to hand in); ch 2: exercise 1 (all 3) and 3 (just 3)
Week 3 Ch 2: Style and Audience and Ch 14: Making Good Use of Sources
6 go over exercises; hand in writing prompt exercise from ch 8
Read Amy Tan, “Mother Tongue” on d2l and linked at http://www.olypen.com/pnkdurr/as/mother_text.htm
Ch. 2, pp. 25- end
In writing notebook: ch 2 ex 4 and 5
8 discuss Tan; find places in text where she discusses audience. Discuss exercises; go over Paper assignment
Read ch 14, pages 248-253
In writing notebook: ex 2 (choose 1) and 3 (2/3)
10 Go over /re-revise exercises; look ahead to ch 3 and breath units
Read ch.3, pages 37-44
In writing notebook: ex. 1, 2, 3
Week 4 Chapter 3: Voices You Want to Listen to
13 go over homework
Read Story: Susan Orlean, “Lifelike”on d2l and linked at http://www.susanorlean.com/articles/lifelike.html
ch.3, pages 45-52
In writing notebook: ex 5-8, 9 (2/3)
15 discuss Orlean: how do you characterize her voice? Find a paragraph to discuss. Go over exercises
Read: rest of chapter 3
In writing notebook: any exercises we didn’t finish; revisions
17 in class: rest of chapter 3 “Gallery of Voices”
Read : Ch 4: to page 67
In writing notebook: Ch 4, ex 2 (choose one) and 4 (2/3)
Week 5 : Chapter 4; Presentations Begin
20 go over homework. Group 1 Presenters: give us a portion of text to focus on
Read Scott Russell Sanders “The Inheritance of Tools”
In writing notebook: Ch 4, ex. 5 (choose 1)
22 Presentation, discussion on Sanders; go over homework
Read ch 14 253-end
In writing notebook: ch 14, exercises 4 and 5
Rewrite a Sanders paragraph in overblown style
BRING IN piece of writing you did before this semester for “Your Writing” exercise (p. 75)
24 go over any homework/revisions
Read: ch 5 to page 82
In writing notebook: ch 5, ex 1 -5
DUE: Stylistic Analysis
Week 6 Chapter 5: Deadwood and Underwood
27 go over homework. Group 2 Presenters: give us a portion of text to focus on
Read ch 5 84-89
Barry Lopez, “The Stone Horse”
In writing notebook: ch 5 exercises 6 – 7
Mar 1 Presentation, discussion on Lopez; ch. 5 exercises
Read ch 5 89-92
In writing notebook: 1) add an example of every kind of deadwood into a Lopez paragraph (82-5)
2) Do ch 5 exercise 8, begin Makeover 1 by just eliminating phrases (don't change sentence structure; email to self
3) do first part of "Your Writing" (don't edit--we'll do in class--and only write one page)
3 go over any homework/revisions; Makeover 1 and Your Writing (trade papers; finish in class)
Read ch 6 pages 97-102
In writing notebook: exercises 1-3: look up a few, note what online or print source you used
Week 7 Chapter 6: Finding the Right Words
6 go over homework. Group 3 Presenters: give us a portion of text to focus on
Read Henry Louis Gates, Jr., “Sin Boldly”
Ch 6 pages 102- 106
In writing notebook: ex 4 – 6
8 Presentation, discussion on Gates; any handouts from Bacon book
Read ch 6 to end
In writing notebook: ch 6 exercises 8 and 9; “Your Writing” (p. 112)
10 go over homework; do makeover 1 or 2
DUE by this time: 1 “Pay Attention” Paper and 2 D2L posts and responses
Week 8
NO CLASS--SPRING BREAK
Looking ahead: Annie Dillard’s “The Stunt Pilot” (worth reading over break—its long and wonderful and you’ll want to take your time) and Chapter 7. But no official homework!
Week 9 Chapter 7: Finding Fresh Words
20 Begin chapter 7 in class. Group 4 Presenters: give us a portion of text to focus on
Read Annie Dillard “The Stunt Pilot”
Ch 7 123-127
In writing notebook: jot down some figures of speech Dillard uses
Ch 7 exercises 3-5
22 Presentation, discussion of Dillard. Go over homework
4 NO CLASS (I present at NeMLA in Baltimore). List 3 choices for Grammagical Mystery Tour presentation (on d2l) and email me answers to Makeover 1 or 2 by noon today
Read: ch. 9 to 156
In writing notebook: ch 9 1-2The rest of the daily schedule will be posted soon!
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