Dear Reading Writing Connection Students:

We have been in class for over a month.  Hopefully you're adjusting to rigorous writing.  I've seen improvements in the overall structure of essays.

As you know, the purpose of Reading Writing Connection is to prepare you for the academic writing of English 111.  

You will not receive a passing grade on essays if you have not mastered the basics of grammar, including fragments, run-on sentences, dropped articles and serious tense errors.

 The work you submit should be your own. At the end of each semester writing instructors write an evaluation of each student's work indicating whether or not he is ready to move on to the rigors of English l11. You must be able to produce quality work in class to advance to the next course.

You are encouraged to visit the Writing Center for tutoring in areas of difficulty.

When essay rewrites are allowed, the original essay must be included in the grading packet that you submit to me.  All work contributes towards your grade. Missing assignments receive a 0.

When you come in for conferencing next week, bring all of the work you have completed.  If you want specific feedback on certain issues, ask during your scheduled time slot. The time is reserved for you, so make the most of it.

Reading Writing Connection students must master basic sentence structure rules. That is, students must be able to compose essays that are  relatively free of fragments and run-ons in order to receive a passing grade. Review the following  terms and rules:

Fragments:
Fragments are groups of words which like either a subject or a verb, so that a complete sentence is not formed.

Examples of missing subjects:
While running.
After doing my homework.

Corrected version:
While running, I prepared my oral presentation.
After doing my homework, I ate chocolate cake.

Complete Sentence
A complete sentence contains at least a subject and a verb
I ran.
I ate.

Run-On Sentences:
Run-on sentences are two or more complete sentences which run on into the next sentence without the proper punctuation. is two or more sentences.

Example:  I ate a piece of chocolate cake which was irresistible I want a second helping as I am celebrating tonight.

4 Ways to Correct run-ons

1. Add a period at the end of the first sentence
   1. I ate a piece of chocolate cake which was irresistible. I want a second helping as I am celebrating tonight.
2. Add a coordinating  conjunction and a comma (and, but, or, nor, for, so yet)
   1. I ate a piece of chocolate cake which was irresistible, and I want a second helping as I am celebrating tonight.
3. Consider using a semicolon  when the two groups of words are very closely related
   1. I ate a piece of chocolate cake which was irresistible; therefore, I want a second helping as I am celebrating tonight.
      (See text page 204 and www.dianahacker.com/writeers ref  and click on coma splices. This link will also discuss alternate punctuation like the colon and dash.)
4. Consider restructuring the sentence so that it contains a subordinating clause
   1. Because the piece of chocolate cake that I ate was irresistible, I want a second helping as I am celebrating tonight.
      1. Common words that start subordinating clauses are as follows: after, although, as, because, before, if, since, though, unless, until, when, which, while. (See Hacker page 102)

    

Good luck,

Louise N. Walkup

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