The SLOTH Guide to . . .

English 94 Expectations upon Entrance

Classroom Etiquette

A student should always

  • attend class regularly and be on time.
  • be aware of and follow the instructor's attendance and behavior policies.
  • bring the appropriate materials to class: books, paper, pens and pencils, etc.
  • expect to turn in all assignments on time, at the beginning of a class period.
  • respect other peoples' opinions and ideas.
  • only turn in his/her own, original work. Work that is copied without proper citation will be considered plagiarized

Essay Writing Skills

At the beginning of English 94 a student should

  • be able to compose an essay of five to six well-developed paragraphs.
  • be able to create effective introductory and concluding paragraphs.
  • show some skill at developing a focused thesis statement.
  • show control over transitional devices and strategies between sentences and between paragraphs.
  • be able to understand the distinction between drafting, editing, and revising.
  • be able to create examples that effectively use concrete details to demonstrate a point; s/he should not rely on abstraction or "telling."
  • be able to write using thesis and topic sentence structure instead of first person ("I" voice) narrative storytelling.
  • be able to create a more formal tone and diction and not rely on a chatty, overly familiar, and "slangy" voice.
  • be comfortable using a dictionary and thesaurus--not just spell-check--on a regular basis during the composition and revision process.

Grammatical and Technical Skills

At the beginning of English 94 a student should

  • show consistent control of basic verb tenses and point of view.
  • show a consistent awareness of sentence boundaries, including confident use of the period in avoiding fragments and run-ons.
  • show consistent mastery of coordination and the punctuation patterns that go with coordination.
  • show an awareness of the differences between subordination and coordination.
  • have control over basic subject-verb agreement and plural/singular forms and patterns.
  • know the differences between independent and dependent clauses and show some skill in using and punctuating each type of clause.

Reading Skills

At the beginning of English 94 a student should

  • have a minimum score of 20 on the RFU 3 Test.
  • be able to consistently identify a writer's thesis, topic sentences, and supporting information.
  • be able to analyze the relationships between different elements of a reading assignment: how a thesis shapes the form of an essay, how sequence and strategy are served by examples and details, etc.
  • not be asking the instructor or peers for definitions and information about a reading; the student shows independence and self-reliance in obtaining that information.

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