Borough of Manhattan Community College

• Department of English • Spring 2010 • Intensive Writing: ENG 088 - 081•

Professor: Erin Harte, eharte@brooklyn.cuny.edu
Class Time: M/Tu/Th - 8:00 AM – 9:40AM, Room M1012
Office Hours: Wednesday 10:00-11:00 AM
Office Location: 728N
Course Website: www.eharte.weebly.com

Course Description & Objectives

English 088 is a writing course meant to introduce you to the fundamentals of writing, including
punctuation, spelling, grammar, word choice, sentence structure and paragraphing. You will spend the
semester learning to craft a narrative essay. Through frequent in-class writing exercises, you will learn
to use narration and description as modes of developing your ideas. By the end of the course, you
should be able to write an essay that will qualify you for English 095, the class in which you will
prepare for the ACT Exam.
Our goals are to:
• achieve fluency and correctness in writing paragraphs and short personal essays.
• understand the basic elements of grammar, mechanics and spelling.
• achieve the minimal writing skills necessary for success in English 095
• apply effective study habits to your writing and reading
Passing the Course:
In order to pass English 088, you must pass the departmental English 088 writing test. In order to be
eligible to take the final exam, you must complete all assigned work and meet the attendance
requirements. There will be occasional quizzes on grammar, punctuation and our readings. You should
expect to:
• write in class and at home frequently.
• study English grammar in class and at home intensively.
• read and discuss short pieces of published writing as well as
• read and discuss your own writing and the writing of your peers.
Required Texts and Materials – please acquire all of the below by the 2nd week of class:
1.) Brannan, Bob, A Writer’s Workshop: Crafting Sentences, Building Paragraphs
(Textbook is available at Barnes and Noble, which is located on the 2nd floor of the main BMCC building.)
2.) An English dictionary
3.) A notebook to use as a journal AND loose leaf paper
4.) A folder to keep your work and handouts
Attendance
At BMCC, the maximum number of absences is limited to one more hour that the number of hours a
class meets in one week. That means you are allowed seven (7) hours (not days) of absence in this
class. You do not need to give me an excuse if you should miss those days. However, if you miss more
than the allotted hours, you may receive an automatic F or WU grade. Three (3) latenesses will
constitute an absence.

Academic Adjustments for Student with Disabilities

Students with disabilities who require reasonable accommodations or academic adjustments for this
course must contact the Office of Student Services for Student with Disabilities. BMCC is committed

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 Borough of Manhattan Community College
• Department of English • Spring 2010 • Intensive Writing: ENG 088 - 081•
to providing equal access to all programs and curricula to all students.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the presentation of someone else’s ideas words or artistic, scientific or technical work as
one’s own creation. Using the idea or work of another is permissible only when the original author is
identified. Paraphrasing and summarizing, as well as direct quotations, require citation of the original
source. Lack of dishonest intent does not necessarily absolve a student of responsibility for plagiarism.
Students who are unsure how and when to provide documentation are advised to consult with their
professors. The library has guides designed to help students to appropriately identify cited work. The
full policy can be found at BMCC’s web site, www.bmcc.cuny.edu. For further information on
integrity and behavior please consult the college bulletin.
Participation and Respect
Attendance and participation in class discussions and exercises are key to passing this class, but will
also make for a more stimulating semester for our community. Please be respectful of your classmates
writing and ideas. There will be no cell phone activity during class. Should your phone ring or attract
your attention during the class, you will receive and F for class participation on that day. If you leave
to answer your phone, you will be marked as late.
Semester Outline –Assignments and Readings Will Be Posted on the Course Website
Weeks 1 & 2: Diagnosing Student Problems
• Diagnostic tests in writing, grammar, spelling, and mechanics
• Identify individual problem areas and targeted goals

Weeks 3&4: Pre-Writing Activities

• Free writing and focused writing – overcoming writing blocks and developing fluency.
• Writing with a purpose
• Critical reading, thinking and organizing ideas

Weeks 5&6: Word-Level Skills

• Word choice
• Proofreading – word recognition, spelling, special word problems
• Mechanics – capitalization, abbreviations, contractions, punctuation
• Word forms: Noun and verb endings, pronoun forms

Weeks 7&8: Sentence-Level Skills

• Fragments and complete sentences
• Run-ons and comma splices; correct coordination and subordination
• Confused sentences and sentence length and shape

Weeks 9&10: Larger Elements

• Paragraph division and paragraph planning
• Developing whole essays: Introductions and Conclusions
• Making transitions

Weeks 11 – End: Building Confidence Through Practice – Composing and Revising

• Shaping personal experience into narrative essays

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 Borough of Manhattan Community College
• Department of English • Spring 2010 • Intensive Writing: ENG 088 - 081•
• Using the five senses in descriptive essays
• Preparing for the final examination