EFFECTIVE WRITING

ENG 100H 1S
L5201
Tuesdays 6-9 p.m.
University College
Room 85

Professor M. Casas
Office: Robarts 14047
Tel.: (416) 946-8051
maria.casas@utoronto.ca

OVERVIEW
ENG 100H is a university level course for students who wish to improve their writing. It is designed to develop
competence in writing expository and persuasive prose of various kinds, including those needed in university and the
professions. It examines the principles of clear, precise and well-reasoned prose and shows their application in frequent
assignments and exercises that develop understanding of writing, specific writing skills, and rhetorical effectiveness. It
stresses the process of composition, the uses of preparatory writing, drafting, revising, and final editing. Students are made
aware of the conventions followed in different disciplines and different prose forms, with special attention to the
organization, apt presentation of argument and evidence, unity, coherence, suitable diction, and acceptable grammar and
mechanics.
(English Undergraduate Handbook 13)
In this section we will focus on the written genres required in university and other professional contexts while working on
sentence structure, grammar and punctuation as well as on the mechanics of paragraphs and longer stretches of prose.
This is a hands-on, practical, skills-centred course. There will be frequent short exercises done in class from Norton and Green
(see below), and regular peer-editing. Each essay will be reviewed in class a week prior to being handed in.
ASSIGNMENTS
One personal essay of 500 words due Jan. 14th ................................ 5%
Three formal essays of 500-1000 words each (10% X 3) ..................30%
Comparison or Contrast due Jan 28th
Cause or Effect due Feb. 11th
Persuasive due March 4th
Research essay, 1000 words due April 8th ........................................15%
Grammar problem sets .......................................................................20%
Final exam during exam period .........................................................20%
Participation (peer editing 5%, class participation 5%) .....................10%

REQUIRED TEXTS
Norton, Sarah and Brian Green, Essay Essentials with Readings, 3rd Ed.
Finnbogason, Jack and Al Valleau, A Canadian Writers Pocket Guide, 2nd Ed.
These two books are sold as a package for this course at the University of Toronto Textbook Store.
A good desk dictionary, e.g., Funk and Wagnalls Standard College Dictionary, Canadian Edition; Merriam-Webster Tenth
Collegiate Dictionary; Random House College Dictionary; Collins Dictionary. These are suggestions only.
COURSE POLICIES
Late assignments are penalized at the rate of 2% per day, including weekends. No extensions will be granted except under very
exceptional circumstances (these do not include computer glitches, job commitments, or deadlines that have piled up).
Plagiarism is represent[ing] as ones own any idea or expression of an idea or work of another in any academic examination or
term test or in connection with any other form of academic work (Code of Behaviour on Academic Matters, Faculty of Arts
and Science Calendar 490-92). It is sometimes not easy to sort out which ideas are yours and which are somebody elses; one of
the functions of this course is to pin down techniques of 1) quotation, paraphrase and summary, and 2) documenting your
research, both of which can help you avoid blurring the lines. If you have any doubts about specific passages, please speak to
me.
My office hour is on Thursdays, 4-5; contact me to make an appointment if you cannot meet at this time. You are also welcome
to phone or email me (contact info above) with concerns about your work or the course.
Double space all drafts and essays and do not justify right margins. Leave wide margins (more than one inch) to allow for others
comments. Problem sets do not need to be typed.

Final Syllabus
ENG100 H1S

Date
Jan 7

Work due

Jan 14

Personal essay
due
Draft of
Comp./Cont.
Comp./Cont.
essay due;
24. 6
Draft of C/E; 28.5
26.4

Jan 21
Jan 28

Feb 4
Feb 11
Feb 18
Feb 25

Cause/Effect
essay due; 33. 8
March 4 Draft of
Persuasive; 25.7
March
Persuasive essay
11
due
March
35.4; 34.4
18
March
30.10
25
April 1
April 8

Draft of Research
essay; 31.5
Research Essay
due; 37.3

1
Preview Course course
philosophy (genre), course
structure, syllabus,
evaluation criteria
Choosing a Topic
Subjects; Main Verbs

2
Personal essay

3
Homework
Video on peer reviewing Develop diagnostic
(half hour); Peer review essay as personal
essay

Managing the Main Points;

Revising (short)
Thesis Statements; Outlining

Comparison / Contrast Read 17 and 12

Writing -workshop
Peer review
Do 24

Parallel Sentence Structure Paragraphing; Topic

Sentences

Cause / Effect Analysis

-workshop

Read 18; Do 28

Run-on Sentences
Commas

Peer review

Do 26
Do 33

Fragments
Semi-Colons; Colons

Introductions; Conclusions
Development
R E A D I N G
W
Unity, Coherence, Tone

Argumentation

Library Workshop Room 4055, Robarts Library

Meet at Robarts, 4th Floor, Room 4055 at 6 p.m.
Subject-verb Agreement
Evaluating Sources

Persuasive Mode

Read 19; Do 25

Peer Review

Do 35
Do 34

Research Writing

Verb Usage / Tense

Summarizing, Paraphrasing,
Quoting

Dashes and Parentheses

Documentation

Peer review

Review of grammar and

punctuation

Review of rhetoric / genres

Exam prep

Read 20; Do 30
Read 21; Do 31

Read 22; Do 37