Introduction to Composition Summer 2018

   W elcome back.   Hope you had a wonderful week. Today we will address the essay practice involving comparison and contrast, which may include adopting a hypothetical stance so that we get some practice in using the subjunctive mood and conditional verb forms. There will be time to work in class, and to review grammar and punctuation and summary works.  We may then watch one or two of the films from Alain de Botton's The School of Life,  on YouTube, time permitting.       The last essay (#6)  before the class final will require you to present a summary and response view of a Botton film short, including the main ideas of the work and description of how it is illustrated or animated.  There are many from which to choose, so I leave the final selection to you, knowing that a personal sense of connection to the topic is important to your sense of engagement.  Botton is an Englishman and speaks in a teacherly way...

     Art by Marc Chagall (1887-1985)                                          G ood morning.  Today we will review work recently completed, midterm and summaries,   how to build upon a story or theme and use textual sources (primary or  secondary).  We continue verb exercises,  covering the subjunctive mood  and modal and irregular verbs.  Essay 5 we'll begin in class, a piece using  the comparison and contrast mode of organization (chapter 9 in  Mosaics). ----------------------------------------- Practice Prompts Using C omparison/Contrast Why do we wonder ,  what if . . . ?   What benefit is there in taking the perspective  of another? Empathy comes  to  mind,  a word that den...

                         Reflections   W elcome back  to class. Hope you had a good weekend. Today we'll review use of summary and of quotation in writing about what others have written.  We'll spend time on verb use, too.  A short "midterm" composition will be required of you after break. I'll give you the topics before break; that way, your brain will go to work while the rest of you is resting :). --------------- I do hope you brought the summary and response to Sandra Cisneros's story "Eleven," and a news article or story, as assigned.  Each counts towards your homework p...