1. Composition and Rhetoric I Lesson 1

2. What is Composition and Rhetoric I. What is the purpose
What is Composition and Rhetoric I? What is the purpose? How much work will I have to do? Is my English good enough?

3. A few rules…
All work must be handed in on time, otherwise it will not be marked.
If you are ill and cannot hand the work in, you must send it by to:
All work must be proof-read and spell-checked otherwise it will receive an F
Work that does not meet the basic requirements, including layout, will not be corrected.
A document template is available on Knowledge, in the course “Important Information for Composition and Rhetoric I and II”

4. A few rules…
When the door is shut, the class has started so you may not enter – you must wait until the break.
The same applies after the break – if the door is shut, you’re too late and will get a half absence.
You must bring your booklet to class.
Computers should only be used in class when instructed.
Mobiles phones must not be used during class time, otherwise you will be asked to leave the class and marked absent.

5. The Writing Process
When writing in exam conditions, use the following steps:
Purpose
Brainstorm ideas
Focus and form a thesis
Organise ideas
Write first draft
Revise edit and proof read

6. In-class diagnostic essay
Choose one of the following titles:
The American dream of equality and social mobility no longer applies to United States.
Marriage between humans and robots will soon become a common occurrence.
Our taste in music greatly influences our choice of friends.
You have 45 minutes to write a clearly structured argumentative essay. You may agree or disagree with the thesis statements.

7. In-class diagnostic essay
Grade your essay from A-F on the following criteria:
Does it address the task?
Is it coherent?
Is the English accurate?
Is the tone academic?
Include the reasons why you have given yourself that grade.

8. The Reading - Writing Process
When writing your homework assignments or research paper, the writing process will be a little different. For more detail, refer to Writing in the Disciplines.
ACTIVE CRITICAL READING
Prereading – Preview the text, set your goals, and freewrite.
Close reading – Mark, annotate, elaborate on, pose questions about the text.
Postreading – Write a personal response, compose paraphrases and summaries, record quotation.
PLANNING
Purpose – define the purpose of your writing.
Formulate a thesis – arrive at a preliminary understanding of the point you wish to make.
Organizing – decide how you will use the textual sources in your paper and how you will develop your argument.

9. The Reading - Writing Process
DRAFTING
Drafting – Weave the source material (using quotations, paraphrases and summaries) with your own ideas to create paragraphs and ultimately a complete and correctly structured paper.
REWORKING
Revising – lengthen, shorten, or reorder your paper; change your prose to make it clearer; make sentence-level, phrase-level and word-level stylistic changes. If necessary, make major conceptual or organizational alterations.
Editing – proofread your paper for errors in sentence structure, usage, punctuation, spelling and mechanics, and check for proper manuscript form.

10. Writing Summaries

11. Summaries Read the passage carefully
Structure
Purpose
Re-read – divide the passage into sections or stages of thought.
Author’s use of paragraphing
Label each section or stage of thought
Underline key ideas and terms
Make notes in the margin

12. Summaries Write one-sentence summaries of each stage or thought.
Write a thesis – a one- or two-sentence summary of the entire passage.
Central idea of the passage
Naming what, who, why, where, when and how
Author’s conclusion
Subject of the description and its key feature(s)

13. Summaries Write the first draft of your summary.
Combine the thesis with your list of one-sentence summaries
OR combine the thesis with the one-sentence summaries PLUS significant details from the passage
Eliminate repetition and less important information
Disregard minor details or generalize them
Use as few words as possible
Check your summary against the original.
Make necessary adjustments for accuracy and completeness

14. Summaries Revise your summary.
Insert transitional words and phrases where necessary to ensure coherence
Style
Sentence structure (avoid short, choppy sentences)
Check grammar, punctuation and spelling.
Look for transitional sentences at the beginning of paragraphs:
They summarize what has come before
They set the stage for what is to come

15. Topic 1 The first topic will be social class and inequality.
In groups, discuss the following points, comparing France and the United States, and your own country if you are neither French nor American:
Poverty – what percentage of the country lives in poverty? What does that mean?
Inequality – how much inequality is there? What difference is there between the richest 10% and the poorest 10%?
Social class – are there clearly defined social classes? What impact does this have on education and employment prospects?
Social mobility – how easy is it to change social class?
Welfare – what support is there for the poorest people in the country?
Ethnic minorities – are certain groups more like to live in poverty than others?