Class Work

Let's review some important writing tips.

Name: ___________________________________   Class: ________________________________

Last Minute Tips

Directions: Correct the following sentences. There may be more than one problem. There are many correct ways to write beautiful sentences!

1.       Moving side-to-side; feeling seasick and not knowing where to go or what to do. (fragment)

2.       Leaving lights on in empty rooms, computers left on for days and using dishwashers and washing machines when they are not completely full are the effects of these carbon footprints. (parallel structure and causes vs. effects)

3.       Try as one might, a person can be a difficult to get rid of as a fungus. They can disrupt us and even use up all of our food and take up all our space. (Pronoun agreement and parallel structure)

4.       I got to thinking to myself what could be the cause of the temperature rising and the only think I could think of would be from this well-known problem known as global warming. (point-of-view and sentence structure)

5.       It is never too late to make a change and although we may not have the power to change every single person’s opinion, we have the power to take action for our own decisions.  (run-on sentence/confusing message)

6.       We as humans need to stop polluting our earth because it harms the ocean which then affects our food sources, animals and will affect us. (Confusing)

7.       On the back of this paper, sketch the first page of an MLA essay. Make up a title for the work and punctuate it correctly.

8.       List guidelines for a Works Cited page. What does it look like? What font(s) should be used? How is the spacing?

9.       Using an interview, web site, and book create a three-entry Works Cited page.

10. What are the top five things to remember about in-text citations? List them.

11. Know the difference:

·         To/too/two

·         Their/there/they’re

·         Wear/where/were

·         Accept/except

·         Use of numbers vs. numerals

1.       How does one go about writing effective introductions? Pretend you are writing for a new 101 student. Give guidelines. (Paragraph or bulleted list)

The exam!

Exam Date:

•  11:30 class - The exam begins at 11:00 am on Tuesday, May 8, 2012. It ends at 12:50 pm. We meet in our regular room.
• 1:00 class - The exam begins at 1:00 pm on Tuesday, May 8, 2012. It ends at 2:50 pm. We meet in our regular room.
• You must be present the day of the exam - no exceptions. This is a college rule.
   

Here it is:

101 English Exam – Spring 2012

Note: You must be present the day of the exam. You may NOT e-mail the paper to me and then skip the class.

Inscribing a Personal Artifact

Don't let the title of this exercise fool you. Inscribing a personal artifact is not like ordering an engraved name plate to put on your suitcase, nor is it like your parents writing your address on the inside of your underwear. This is an exercise in personal archaeology—an opportunity to describe a personal object and explain what it says about you.

The following tips will help you complete the assignment below:

·         Focus on an overall insight or impression. In the drafting process, you will probably clarify what your object says about you. Focus your description of the object around that insight or impression. All the details you decide to include should be relevant to that focus.

·         Organize the description logically. You can structure your writing in many ways. You might describe each detail and explain what it says about you. You might describe the object entirely and then explain what it says about you. The details you choose first depend on your purpose. If you want to recreate the experience of seeing the object, for instance, you might begin with its most obvious feature and proceed to its least obvious feature.

·         Provide vivid descriptions and sensory details. If you have a digital camera, you might include a picture of the object. Either way, you have to create it for us using words. As you describe it, consider letting your attitude toward the object show through in your choice of words and details (e.g., "This baseball glove is triple stitched and made of genuine Black Angus leather. It is so soft and supple that it folds together as flat as a book.").

·         Conduct research. Find and share the history of the object. For example, if your object is a ring, locate information about the first rings in history. What did they symbolize? Are there any famous rings? How does your ring compare to the rings in history emotionally and physically? Why are rings important? Why are rings used as symbols of marriage? Keep track of your sources.

• You might also consider an interview if the person who gave you the object is still living. Or, you could interview others who have artifacts like yours.

Assignment

To help you write, try asking yourself these questions:

·         Would people's opinions of you come from the object itself? For example, is it rare, valuable, or collectable?

·         Would their opinions come from its condition? Perhaps it's old and worn?

·         What would people think about the object's significance within the culture? Would it label you as a certain kind of person?

·         Would the artifact only have meaning for other people if they knew more about your individual life?

·         How do other similar artifacts found in history relate to you and your object?

Pay attention to organization. Will you start with a description of the object or tell the story of how it came into your possession? Where will you include the research? How will you explain the importance of the object to you? How will you end the essay?

During the revision process, work on connecting what the object is with what it tells others about you. Include the researched information about the other such objects.

Include a Works Cited page and in-text citations. Use MLA formatting.

 When you are finished, this paper should be 3-5 pages long.

Homework

Write the draft of your artifact essay. Bring the draft to class on Thursday.