English 1302: Week Eight

1. English 1302: Week Eight Revising for the Draft 1.2

2. Class Overview Announcements and Deadlines Addressing Mechanical Issues/Top Twenty Errors Revising Theses and Topic Sentences Reverse Outlining Paragraph-by-paragraph Workshop

3. Reminders and Deadlines Remember that the draft 1.2 should be a substantial revision of the original: papers will be graded with stricter guidelines than before and are being measured for signs of revision. Your draft 1.2 should contain eight scholarly sources. Draft is due Monday March 24th.

4. Top Twenty Common Errors-Quick Help Several of the Top Twenty Common Errors have to do with sentence structure. Identifying sentence clauses can help us understand where a comma should be placed and which verbs should correspond with which subjects. Compound Sentence (contains complete clauses with subjects and verbs, connected by a conjunction: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so OR FANBOYS) Johnwent to the market, butheforgot his wallet. Compound Verbs, two or more verbs referring to the same subject (actor) and connected by a conjunction, do NOT require a comma before the conjunction. Johnwent to the market butforgot his wallet.

5. Top Twenty Continued Which of the following contain correct comma usage? Philips also argues that modernist art requires viewer interpretation, but does not agree with Jonson’s belief that the viewer “constructs” the work. Schmidt et al. confirm the role serotonin plays in mood regulation, but they also indicate that the chemical’s role in the sleep process is not completely understood. Although many researchers have confirmed the Mississippi River must be rerouted to prevent future damage to the surrounding population, many are in debate as to the most effective method of preventing long-term damage to the native wetlands.

6. Faulty Sentence Structure An independent clause is a complete grammatical thought (complete subject and verb) that can stand on its own. A dependent clause is one that cannot stand on its own and requires an independent clause to make sense. (usually begins with “If, while, because, whereas, not only, although, to [verb], or –ing verbs (participial phrases)) A complex sentence has one or more dependent clauses. Examples INDEPENDENT: “John Smith left home at an early age.” DEPENDENT: “Having left home at an early age.” COMPLEX: “Having left home at an early age, Johndeveloped a strong work ethic.

7. Identify the Sentence-Structure Issue Doctors Brown and Smith define four criteria for understanding bipolar depression. Those being severity of mood swings, genetic disposition, frequency of mania, and the coincidence of major depressive episodes. Whereas early research found few results. Current researchers suggest that bipolar disorder may prove significantly distinct from major depression. Many advocate for early-age medication treatment. Although Brown argues that medications run the risk of obstructing proper diagnosis.

8. Returning to Higher-Order Concerns • If you are having any of the following issues, you will want to begin your revisions here (particularly in this order): • Thesis: narrowness, accuracy to literature review style, clarity • Review topic: narrowness, focus on research conversation, • Synthesis: direct comparisons between articles, significant comparisons, logic of comparisons and outcome statements • Sources: scholarly, clearly summarized (and synthesized!) argument, at least 8 altogether(!), well-integrated, citation accuracy • Topic sentences: focus on conversation subtopic, apply to multiple researchers, characterize a pattern in response to subtopic, can stand alone in clarity • Style: emphasis is on researchers throughout, scholarly tone, avoidance of argument

9. Reverse Outlining On the left margin of your paper, identify the topic of each body paragraph in as few words as possible On the right, describe how the topic fits into the research conversation (also in as few words as possible) If you’re having difficulty, consider what revisions may be necessary to the paragraph structure and topic sentence. Check to see if your “topics” come together clearly to illustrate a research conversation: are these “topics” focused on subject matter only, or are they focused on researchers’ views?

10. Workshop Beginning • Choose a partner and read to one another your “topic sentence” paragraph from your homework. • Is the thesis appropriate for a lit review? Does it focus on research (“Current research…”) and identify a significant trend/pattern in said research? • Does the paragraph make sense? Do the topic sentences apply to multiple researchers (broadly) as opposed to specific researchers (too narrow)? • BAD EX: “Johnson identifies season as a primary determiner in…” • BETTER: “Several researchers are in debate over the role that season plays in the severity of manic episodes.”

11. Workshop Guidelines • As we go down our structural outline for the literature review, make sure to mark your own work for potential problem spots. • Trade your paper with a partner sitting near you and provide written constructive criticism via notes on the following elements (we will spend ten minutes on each): • Introduction and thesis • A body paragraph: topic sentence, synthesis, and clarity • Organization of draft

12. Homework • To prepare for the researched argument I want you to do two things over the break: • 1) Begin drafting a formal topic proposal in the manner of the literature review • Your topic should be of a scholarly nature: no controversial/hot-button topics (narcotics legalization, abortion, gun control, etc.); if you’re not sure of a topic, ask me. • Your argument should be arguable: don’t take a stance no one would argue against, as you need to find a clear counterargument (a researcher who argues the opposite of your stance) • Try to use the word “should” in your argument thesis: “should” will allow us to take a stance and make a call for something to be “done” about a problem or debate. Your supporting reasons will end up becoming subtopics for body paragraphs. • Find, read, and print out three arguments from newspapers or online periodicals (New York Times, CNN, etc.)