English 151A

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Ohlone College English Learning Center

English 151A: Writing and Reading Program

Introduction:

“If you want to be a writer,” according to Stephen King, “you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot.” You cannot learn to write well unless you learn to generate ideas, and one way to develop ideas is to read. Moreover, most of the writing you do in college will be based on reading. In classes such as history, biology, psychology, or sociology, you may be asked to read articles or chapters in your text-book and write papers based on what you have read. Similarly, when you write at work, whether you are a technician, a business person, or a nurse, your writing process may involve reading. In order to prepare you to write based on reading, your English 151A lab program includes two paragraphs you will write in response to essays from your text.

Guidelines for submitting response paragraphs:

FREMONT

If your class is at the Fremont campus, take your paragraph to an English Learning Center (ELC) instructor to be evaluated. After your paragraph has been evaluated, staple the paragraph to the signed and dated response form; then fill out a yellow paragraph submission form and submit all of it to the ELC staff.

NEWARK

If your class is at the Newark Campus, take your paragraph to an English instructor at the Tutoring Center or to an ELC instructor at the Fremont Campus to be evaluated. After your paragraph has been evaluated, staple the paragraph to the signed and dated response form; then fill out a yellow paragraph submission form and submit all of it to the ELC or Tutoring Center staff.

It is very important for you to review this material before proceeding with the program. Here, you will find three key sections: guidelines for writing response paragraphs, sample responses and the response sheets you will use to complete the program.

English 151A

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Guidelines for Writing a Response Paragraph:

Reading the Essays

You will be asked to write two short paragraphs in response to essays in your text. These responses will require you to think about the reading material and develop your original response to the prompt. Before you start the program, read the section on “Strategies for the Active Reader” on pages 569-71 of your text “The Writer’s Workplace with Readings.” For each of the essays you read, make sure you go through the process of “active” reading. Read with a pencil, highlighter, and dictionary next to you. Underline key ideas. Make notes in the margin. If a word is unfamiliar, look it up in the dictionary and write down the meaning in the margin. Also, write down your comments on the reading in the margin. Think of reading as having a conversation with the author and put down your response to his or her ideas in the margin. These comments could be as simple as “This is great!” or “I don’t agree.” After you have read and understood the essay, read the response sheet and the prompt.

Reading the prompt:

Before you can write the assigned paragraph, you must understand the prompt. A “prompt” simply provides directions for writing. As you read the prompt, think about what you need to write in the paragraph. The prompt may be composed of more than one sentence. The first sentence may give some background information about the essay. The second may ask a given question. When you write your paragraph, focus on answering the question.

For example, the prompt for Alice Walker’s essay states:

“Alice Walker tells us in a footnote that three months after reading her mother’s essay, the daughter stopped smoking. How might Alice Walker’s essay have played a part in that daughter’s decision to stop smoking?”

Notice that the first sentence simply describes the situation. The question you must answer is in the second sentence.

English 151A

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Writing the Opening Sentence:

Your opening sentence will be the topic sentence of your paragraph. It should (1) directly answer the question asked in the prompt and (2) summarize the main idea of the paragraph. Thus, if you are writing the response to the prompt mentioned above, your first sentence must explain the connection between the essay and the daughter’s decision to quit smoking.

Writing the Body of the Paragraph:

Before you write the paragraph, jot down a few ideas you will develop. Although the prompts ask you to develop your own ideas, the ideas should be related to the essay you have read. So, for instance, if you are asked whether the essay her mother wrote influenced Alice Walker’s daughter to stop smoking, you should refer to sections in the essay that might have influenced her. If your answer does not refer to events described in the essay, it will not be a good answer.

Writing and Revising the First Draft:

Once you have decided how you will answer the prompt, review the list of ideas you have jotted down. Are all the ideas reasonable? Would you like to delete any of them? Can you think of any more ideas? Once you are comfortable with your brainstorming, write the first draft. Make sure it meets the required length. Your paragraph should be written entirely in your own words. If you choose to quote, make sure you use quotation marks and punctuate them correctly. However, for the purpose of this assignment, avoid using too many quotations.

After you have written the first draft, you should revise it. It would help if you write the first draft ahead of time and revise it a few hours or even a day after you have written it. Be sure the writing is clear and correct. Check for fragments, run-ons, mistakes in subject-verb agreement, shifts in verb tenses, or other problems in grammar or usage. Can the sentences be combined more effectively? Make any changes needed before giving your paragraph to an English instructor to be evaluated.

Sample Essay, Prompt, and Paragraph

Sample Essay: “Do It Better” by Ben Carson (excerp t from his book Think Big) Prompt: “Education is the only way you are going to escape poverty,” Benjamin’s mother tells him. Do you agree?

Discussion: Notice that you are not asked to relate what happens in the essay or what Benjamin’s mother tells him. You are simply asked to agree or disagree with her statement. Perhaps you agree with her. An educated person can have a career and can earn money and escape poverty. However, you may know people who do not have a formal education, but own their own business and are doing quite well. So, perhaps, it is possible to escape poverty if you work hard and have creative ideas. Try to summarize your main idea in your topic sentence and then expand it with examples in the paragraph.

Sample paragraph:

Education is one of the best ways to escape poverty, but it is not the only way. Generally, people without an education struggle to make a living. I have two friends who have dropped out of high school and started working at the neighborhood supermarket. They work long hours, but make only eight dollars an hour. Also, they don’t have benefits such as medical insurance. Any time the management changes, they risk losing their jobs. On the other hand, people who have an education have steadier jobs that pay more. For example, Ben Carson grew up in poverty, but he focused on his education and today he is a world-renowned neurosurgeon. Doctors, lawyers, and engineers – of course – earn a lot of money, but even people with lesser education, such as dental hygienists or accountants do quite well. Thus education can help them to escape poverty. Once in a while, however, you may see someone who has no education, but is doing quite well. My uncle, for instance, came to the United States from Peru. Since he was not educated, he started working in construction. Gradually, he saved his money and started his own construction company. Now, he is able to take care of himself and employs many workers. Thus, once in a while, hard work and entrepreneurship can overcome the lack of education.

Ohlone College English Learning Center English 151A: Writing and Reading Program

Response # 1: “Neat People vs. Sloppy People” by Suzanne Britt

Date: __________ Student’s Name: ___________________________________

151A Instructor’s Name: _____________________________ 151A Section # ________

Directions to the Student: After reading the essay “Neat People vs. Sloppy People” by Suzanne Britt, carefully read the following prompt and respond to it with a well-developed, typed paragraph between 10-12 sentences in length. Read the essay “Neat People vs. Sloppy People” (p. 605-07 in The Writer’s Workplace). Write a paragraph that takes the opposite viewpoint from the one given by Suzanne Britt. Defend the neat person and criticize the sloppy person.

FREMONT If your class is at the Fremont campus, take your paragraph to an English Learning Center (ELC) instructor to be evaluated. After your paragraph has been evaluated, staple the paragraph to the signed and dated response form; then fill out a yellow paragraph submission form and submit all of it to the ELC staff. NEWARK If your class is at the Newark Campus, take your paragraph to an English instructor at the Tutoring Center or to an ELC instructor at the Fremont Campus to be evaluated. After your paragraph has been evaluated, staple the paragraph to the signed and dated response form; then fill out a yellow paragraph submission form and submit all of it to the ELC or Tutoring Center staff. For Staff Use Only: Circle one only Original Review: ________________ __________ Excellent Good Adequate

Instr. Signature Date 144442444443 (10 Points) Revision Needed: Yes / No Rewrite Review: ________________ __________ Adequate Inadequate Instr. Signature Date ▼ (7 Points) (4 points) Rec. Computer ______ (Staff initials)

Important Note: Ohlone College abides by guidelines for academic honesty. It is expected that the work you submit to fulfill this assignment is your own. If your work is copied from someone else, you may lose all credit for lab work completed this semester.

Ohlone College English Learning Center

English 151A: Writing and Reading Program

Response # 2: “My Daughter Smokes” by Alice Walker

Date: __________ Student’s Name: ___________________________________

151A Instructor’s Name: _____________________________ 151A Section # ________

Directions to the Student: After reading the essay “My Daughter Smokes” by Alice Walker, carefully read the following prompt and respond to it with a well-developed, typed paragraph between 10 and 12 sentences in length. Read the essay “My Daughter Smokes” (p. 575-77 in The Writer’s Workplace). Alice Walker tells us in a footnote that three months after reading her mother’s essay, the daughter stopped smoking. How might Alice Walker’s essay have played a part in the daughter’s decision to stop smoking?

FREMONT If your class is at the Fremont campus, take your paragraph to an English Learning Center (ELC) instructor to be evaluated. After your paragraph has been evaluated, staple the paragraph to the signed and dated response form; then fill out a yellow paragraph submission form and submit all of it to the ELC staff. NEWARK If your class is at the Newark Campus, take your paragraph to an English instructor at the Tutoring Center or to an ELC instructor at the Fremont Campus to be evaluated. After your paragraph has been evaluated, staple the paragraph to the signed and dated response form; then fill out a yellow paragraph submission form and submit all of it to the ELC or Tutoring Center staff. For Staff Use Only: Circle one only Original Review: ________________ __________ Excellent Good Adequate

Instr. Signature Date 144442444443 (10 Points) Revision Needed: Yes / No Rewrite Review: ________________ __________ Adequate Inadequate Instr. Signature Date ▼ (7 Points) (4 points) Rec. Computer ______ (Staff initials)

Important Note: Ohlone College abides by guidelines for academic honesty. It is expected that the work you submit to fulfill this assignment is your own. If your work is copied from someone else, you may lose all credit for lab work completed this semester.