UU-ENG-1000 Writing Methods

Course Outline

Course Code Course Title Department

UU-ENG-1000 Writing Methods Humanities
Field Type of Course Mode of Delivery
Languages Undergraduate Programs Online
Common Course
Course Duration Language of Instruction Lecturer
4 weeks English VLE Tutor

Objectives of the Course:

The main objectives of the course are to:

1. Increase the student’s awareness and ability in different common styles of writing
2. Develop the students’ academic writing skills
3. Revise and utilize techniques of composing grammatically correct sentences
4. Provide students with deep knowledge of the writing process and the strategies to
develop, organize and review ideas in English paragraphs and essays.
5. Cover problem areas in the use of grammar and mechanics

Learning Outcomes:

After completion of the course students should be able to:

1. Demonstrate an awareness of the writing process, sentence structure, punctuation

and spelling.
2. Compose different types of effective outlines and understandable, coherent
paragraphs that have a clearly stated topic sentence.
3. Compose well developed common essay genres with a clearly stated thesis
statement.
4. Compose introductions, body paragraphs and conclusions for essays.
5. Recognize and correct fragments, comma splices and run-on sentences.
6. Employ the most effective words for concise writing.

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 Course Contents:

Listening/Speaking
 Comprehend spoken language such as dialogues, announcements,
instructions, messages, discussions, interviews, debates, talks, reports,
lectures, TV programs and films.
 Order and present information.
 Evaluate information and select what is relevant to a specific purpose and
audience.
 Communicate effectively and appropriately in a variety of situations such as
description, explanation of points of view, discussion on familiar topics,
expression of opinion, report, conversation, discussion, dialogue, summary,
account, presentation, etc.

Reading
 Extend reading and comprehension techniques (skimming, scanning,
finding main idea, inferring meaning, etc.)
 Read independently and comprehend meaning of a wide range of
mainstream text-types such as short stories, song lyrics, cyber texts,
magazine articles, correspondence, etc.

Writing
 Demonstrate an awareness of the process of paragraph and short essay
writing (generating ideas; considering subject, purpose and audience;
planning, drafting and revising); paragraph structure and coherence.
 Develop unity and language use.
 Compose effective topic sentences and thesis statements.
 Produce clear, well-structured paragraphs and essays using different patterns
of development including illustration, comparison and contrast, definition,
persuasion and cause and effect.
 Produce clear introductions, body paragraphs and conclusions for essays.
 Revise for consistency and parallelism.
 Revise for sentence variety and language awareness.
 Enrich vocabulary.

Grammar and Mechanics

 Review and consolidate English grammar and mechanics (on an individual
basis as required): correct uses of nearly all the verb forms of English and
irregular verbs; independent and dependent clauses; parallel structure;
sentence fragments; correct word order, subject/verb agreement; correct
uses of coordinating, subordinating and correlative conjunctions,
appropriate transition words and various other cohesive devices; capital
letters; correct punctuation related to meaning; appositives; dangling
modifiers; formal and informal registers; spelling.

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 Learning Activities and Teaching Methods:

Interactive lectures, Power Point presentations, class participation, assignments, writing

workshops
Assessment Methods:

Writing Methods Assignments

Quiz - This quiz is worth 20% of the module marks and is due at the end of Week 1;
Sunday 11.59 pm (23:59 hours) UTC time on the due date at the latest.

Assignment 2 - This assignment is worth 20% of the module marks and is due at the end of
Week 3; Sunday 11.59 pm (23:59 hours) UTC time on the due date at the latest.

Final Assignment - This assignment is worth 60% of the module marks and is due at the
end of the course in Week 4; Sunday 11.59 pm (23:59 hours) UTC time on the due date at
the latest.

Course Requirements:

Assessment Criteria: You will be evaluated based on the average grade of your three
summative assignments. In order to pass this course you need to achieve an overall
minimum grade of 60%. The tasks and discussion forum included in this course are
formative, this means that they aren’t graded but you are encouraged to participate in
each one as they are designed to help you and provide you with a good understanding of
the main concepts that are included in each of your assignments.

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 Suggested Reading:

Bailey, S. (n.d.). Academic Writing. Retrieved February 07, 2017, from

https://books.google.com.cy/books?id=XFMJG7kbCLUC&printsec=frontcover&dq=academic+writ
ing+a+handbook+for+international+students&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjxit2Div7RAhUBWB
QKHZkpBvMQ6AEIGTAA#v=onepage&q=academic%20writing%20a%20handbook%20for%20i
nternational%20students&f=false

Davis, T. (2017). How to Write a 5-Paragraph Essay: Outline, Example, Rubric | EssayPro.
Retrieved 2017, from https://essaypro.com/blog/5-paragraph-essay/

Essay examples outline. (n.d.). Retrieved March 15, 2017, from

http://richardsonpestsolutions.com/index.php?id=16499

Gillett, A. (n.d.). Genres in academic writing: Essays. Retrieved February 01, 2017, from
http://www.uefap.com/writing/genre/essay.htm

Glenn, C., & Gray, L. (n.d.). The Writer's Harbrace Handbook. Retrieved March 13, 2017, from
https://books.google.com.cy/books?id=rS9TCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA49&dq=revising%2Band%2Bedit
ing%2Bessays&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=revising%20and%20editing%20essays
&f=false
http://whatcomliteracy.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/5-Paragraph-essay-colored-coded.pdf

Kane, B. (n.d.). Media Library of teaching skills for adult learning and literacy. Retrieved 2017,
from http://www.mlots.org/adult-secondary-education/the-five-paragraph-essay/

Loyola University, L.U.C. (no date). Stages of the Writing Process. Retrieved 31 January, 2017,
from http://www.luc.edu/media/lucedu/firstandsecondyearadvising/pgfs/writing_process.pdf

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 McDonald publishing, M.P.M. (2017). MPM School Supplies. Retrieved 1 February, 2017, from
http://www.mpmschoolsupplies.com/p-4463-4-types-of-writing-poster-set.aspx

Parsons, L. (n.d.). Revising & Editing. Retrieved March 13, 2017, from
https://books.google.com.cy/books?id=B5vNGoMhqScC&printsec=frontcover&dq=revising%2Ban
d%2Bediting%2Bessays&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=revising%20and%20editing%
20essays&f=false

Quinonez, N. (2014, April 14). 4 Types of Essays. Retrieved February 01, 2017, from
https://blog.udemy.com/types-of-essays/

Stein, S. (1998). Walch Toolbook: Grammar, Mechanics, and Usage. Retrieved February 20, 2017,
from
https://books.google.com.cy/books?id=uS316KFnjK8C&printsec=frontcover&dq=grammar+and+m
echanics&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=adjectives&f=false

Straus, J. (2008). The blue book of grammar and punctuation: the mysteries of grammar and
punctuation revealed. Retrieved February 20, 2017, from
https://books.google.com.cy/books?id=xeFuz2dTt-
4C&printsec=frontcover&dq=grammar&hl=en&sa=X&sqi=2&pjf=1&ved=0ahUKEwjOt-
Pe957SAhVBLMAKHb-LCIcQuwUIGjAA#v=onepage&q=grammar&f=false

Whatcom Literacy Council – Opening Doors. Changing Lives. (2016). Retrieved 2017,
http://whatcomliteracy.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/5-Paragraph-essay-colored-coded.pdf

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