This course helps students develop quality writing skills by explaining and identifying the steps involved in the writing process. Five types of writing are examined-compare/contrast, argumentative, persuasive, narrative, and descriptive. The importance of proper grammar, punctuation, and spelling is highlighted. Students also learn research techniques, as well as how to edit and revise their work. SMARTHINKING writing professionals will carefully review and provide personal feedback to students for 5 graded essays and 7 essay drafts.

1.
Composition I
Course Text
Langan, John. College Writing Skills, 6th edition. McGraw-Hill, 2005.
Course Description
This course helps students develop quality writing skills by explaining and identifying the steps
involved in the writing process. Six types of writing are examined: argumentative,
compare/contrast, descriptive, narrative, persuasive, and summary. The importance of proper
grammar, punctuation, and spelling is highlighted, as emphasis is placed on editing and
revising pieces of writing. Students also learn proper research techniques, utilizing the Modern
Language Association (MLA) style.
Course Objectives
After completing this course, students will be able to:
• Explain and identify the steps involved in the writing process.
• Compose a strong thesis statement.
• Organize an essay into a well written introduction, body, and conclusion.
• Evaluate the different types of fictional and non-fictional readings.
• Successfully identify and apply the use of analogy.
• Identify and compose the following types of writing: argumentative, compare/contrast,
descriptive, narrative, persuasive, and summary.
• Employ proper research techniques.
• Analyze and judge the validity of the various kinds of reading materials.
• Correctly use the MLA style of citing.
• Summarize and paraphrase without plagiarizing.
• Successfully revise and edit all aspects of an essay.
• Construct grammatically correct sentences.
• Compose sentences and paragraphs with correct spelling and punctuation.
Course Prerequisites
There are no prerequisites to take English Composition.
MLA Research Guidelines
This course follows the research guidelines of the Modern Language Association (MLA). These
guidelines were most recently revised in 2003 in the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research
Papers (6th ed.). A summary of these guidelines is provided in the SMARTHINKING Writer's
Handbook.

2. Academic Honesty
Academic honesty is expected of all students. These guidelines for avoiding plagiarism must
be followed:
1. All submitted writings must be the student’s own work.
2. Words taken directly from a source must be encased in quotation marks and cited.
3. Paraphrasing (rewording) of information must be cited.
4. Ideas or examples that are not of general knowledge must be cited.
Important Terms
In this course, different terms are used to designate tasks:
• Assignment: A written piece that will be submitted to SMARTHINKING for a grade at
the end of the final draft.
• Exercise: A non-graded quiz or writing piece to assist you in practicing the skills
discussed in a topic.
• Quiz: A graded online test.
• Project: A process spanning multiple topics that results in a written essay.
Writing Submissions
Writing exercises and assignments may only be submitted as .doc, .docx, .rtf, or .txt files.
Macintosh users should add an extension (.doc or .rtf) to the file name before uploading. If
you have questions on saving files, please contact support@smarthinking.com.
Course Evaluation Criteria
At the end of each course, each student will receive the number of points earned. The
student’s final letter grade is determined by the corresponding institution’s grading scale.
There are a total of 300 points in the course:
Transitions Quiz 10
Grammar Quiz 20
Homonym Quiz 15
Good Word Choices Positively Affect Your Writing Quiz 10
Cover Letter Quiz 2
Good Word Choices Quiz 10
Punctuation Quiz 22
Writing to Your Audience Quiz 30
Descriptive Writing Assignment 21
Building a Paragraph Quiz 5
Website Validity Quiz 6
Comparison/Contrast Writing Assignment 21
Personal Narrative Writing Assignment 21
A Different Look at the Mail Quiz 8
Text Analysis Quiz 10
Persuasive Writing Assignment 21
Works Cited Quiz 10
Argumentative Writing Assignment 21
Be an Editor Quiz 10
Different Perspectives Quiz 6
Research Writing Assignment 21

3. Course Topics and Objectives
Topic Lesson Topic Subtopics Objectives
1 Proper Grammar: • The Most Common • Identify the common
Friend or Foe? Grammatical Errors grammatical errors and apply
• Correcting Sentence the rules of correction to edit
Fragments effectively.
• Subject Verb • Apply the rules of correcting
Agreement sentence fragments when
• Use of Jargon in editing an essay to eliminate
Essays them.
• Apply the rules of subject/verb
agreement when editing an
essay to eliminate agreement
errors.
• Add to the understanding and
use of a basic vocabulary of
literary items.
2 Punctuation and • The Comma • Demonstrate how effectively to
Spelling: The • The Apostrophe and use commas.
Finer Points Quotation Marks • Effectively use apostrophes and
• Other Types of quotation marks.
Punctuation • Employ the correct use of other
• Improve Your types of punctuation.
Spelling • Identify common errors in
spelling and apply various
strategies to eliminate spelling
errors.
3 The Writing • Define Composition • Develop topic sentences that
Process: You Can • Roadblocks to clearly support the thesis and
Do It! Effective Writing the essay.
• Audience and • Identify the audience and
Purpose purpose before beginning the
• The Reading and process of writing an essay.
Writing Link • Explain and demonstrate the
direct link between successful
writing and comprehensive
reading.
• Explain the standard process
involved in writing an essay.
4 Thesis • Weak Versus Strong • Structure an essay using a
Statements: Thesis Statements strong beginning, middle, and
What’s the Point? • Importance of Thesis end.
Statements • Select and narrow an essay
• Supporting Your topic and formulate a strong,
Thesis Statement effective thesis statement.
• Organize the supporting details
and specific evidence in the
essay.

4. Research Paper Objective:
• Develop a strong thesis
statement for the research
paper project.
5 Writing a Good • The Introduction • Show appropriate development
Paragraph • Body of Work and of the essay and the thesis
Detail using sentence variety and
• The Conclusion specific, coherent, relevant, and
interesting details.
• Make good use of topic
sentences, transitions, and
concluding statements within
the essay.
• Develop and compose a strong
introductory paragraph.
• Develop and compose a strong
concluding paragraph.
&
Researching Your • Utilizing Good • Utilize proper researching and
Topic: Half the Research Skills note-taking techniques for the
Battle! • Your Local Library research paper project.
• Proper Internet • Effectively research a topic in
Research the library and online.
• Other Means of • Evaluate sources on a given
Research topic.
• Explain the importance of
maintaining integrity while
researching.
• Write a summary for the
research paper project.
6 Popular Types of • Compare/Contrast • Write a paragraph or essay
Writing: Who Technique of Writing using the comparison/contrast
Knew? • Persuasive method.
Technique of Writing • Write a paragraph or essay
• Descriptive Writing demonstrating the use of
persuasion as a writing
strategy.
• Develop skills in the use of the
following strategy: descriptive
writing.
7 Types of • Narrative Writings • Analyze and explain the link
Readings: Can • Non-Fiction Writings between comprehensive reading
This Really • Writing Using and successful writing.
Influence my Analogy • Apply critical thinking to reading
Writing? and writing.
• Differentiate among the
different types of analogies and

5. use them in a narrative
paragraph.
Research Paper Objective:
• Develop an outline for the
research paper project.
8 Analysis of • Comprehension of • Understand main ideas of a text
Reading and the Subject Matter used to write a research paper
Writing: Now • Retaining the with an awareness of audience
What? Subject Matter and purpose.
• Forming Opinions • Interact with and summarize
• Real-World the text effectively.
Application • Evaluate the text using critical
and analytical skills to identify
common logical fallacies.
• Effectively write the first draft of
an essay with an awareness of
audience and purpose.
9 Using Evidence • How Evidence Adds • Explain the importance of
and Reference Legitimacy to an quality evidence in essay
Materials Essay writing.
Properly: Give • Proper Use of • Write an essay following proper
Credit Where It’s Citations standard MLA guidelines.
Due! • Plagiarism • Demonstrate the importance of
maintaining integrity while
researching and writing an
essay or a longer paper.
Research Paper Objective:
• Create a Works Cited page for
the research paper project using
MLA format.
10 The Process of • The Revision Process • Revise your essay to ensure
Revising and • Revising Sentences appropriate development of the
Editing: You’re • Revising Word essay with specific attention to
Almost There! Choices cohesion, support, and
• The Editing Process organization.
• Revise the first draft to include
varied, interesting, and accurate
sentences.
• Edit and proofread the first draft
to eliminate grammatical,
spelling, and typographical
errors.

6. Research Paper Objective:
• Apply revision, editing, and
proofreading techniques to
rough draft of research paper
project.
11 Checking Your • Strong Thesis • Check that the final draft
Final Essay: • Development of contains a strong, well-written
You’ve Come This Ideas thesis statement that is directly
Far! • Proper Grammar linked with the main point of the
essay.
• Check that the final draft
demonstrates clear
organization, strong
development through the use of
a variety of sentence types,
smooth transitions, and proper
citing techniques.
• Edit to ensure the final draft is
free of grammatical and spelling
errors.
Research Paper Objective:
• Review your research paper to
ensure it is ready for submission
and grading.
12 Submission of the • Review Research Paper Objective:
Final Draft of the
Research Paper • Turn in research paper project.
and Final Review