LGGA99H3F - Linguistic Concepts for Effective Writing

The information posted here is meant to give a general indication of what the course is about and how it is structured. Students enrolled in the course should consult the course page on the UTSC Intranet for up-to-date information, course handouts, and announcements.

A non-technical introduction to ways of thinking about language that will help students write clear and effective prose.

This course covers aspects of descriptive linguistics and provides writing practice and feedback for native and non-native speakers of English. Topics include: functions and uses of language; the structure and flow of information in discourse; effective use of word order; identification of assumptions and assertions. Students will be required to apply these concepts in analyzing the writing of others and in producing cogent writing of their own. Tutorials will provide students with detailed guidance on how to organize their ideas into well-structured prose. Forms of evaluation include assignments, short essays, and a final examination.

Prerequisites and co-requisites: none

Exclusions:LGGA10, LGGA19, HUMA10, HUMA09, ENGA12, ENG100, INI203, INI204, TRN190

Instructor: Elizabeth Cowper Office: H·528 E-mail: cowper@utsc.utoronto.ca Telephone: 416-287-7127 (Scarborough) 416-978-1767 (St. George campus) When I'm not in my office, you can send me an e-mail, or leave a message for me in my mailbox in the Department of Humanities mailroom (H525C).

Schedule:

Required texts:

None. Readings will be distributed in class.

Recommended Reference Works:

Dictionaries

Barber, Katherine. 2001. The Canadian Oxford Dictionary. Don Mills, Ont.: Oxford University Press.

De Wolf, Gaelan Dodds. 2000. Gage Canadian Dictionary. Rev & expanded ed. Vancouver: Gage Educational Pub. Co.

ITP Nelson. 1997. ITP Nelson Canadian Dictionary of the English Language: An Encyclopedic Reference. Toronto: ITP Nelson.

Style Manuals

American Psychological Association. 2001. Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. 5th ed. Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association.

Gibaldi, Joseph, and Modern Language Association of America. 1999. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. 5th ed. New York: Modern Language Association of America.

University of Chicago Press. 1993. The Chicago Manual of Style. 14th ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Guides to English Usage

Clements, Warren, and J. A. McFarlane. 1998. The Globe and Mail Style Book: A Guide to Language and Usage. Rev. and updated ed. Toronto: McClelland & Stewart.

Fowler, H. W., and R. W. Burchfield. 1998. The New Fowler's Modern English Usage. Rev. 3rd ed. Oxford: Clarendon Press.

Strunk, William, E. B. White, and Roger Angell. 2000. The Elements of Style. 4th ed. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

Introductory Texts in Linguistics

Archibald, John, and William D. O'Grady. 2000. Contemporary Linguistic Analysis: An Introduction. 4th ed. Toronto: Addison Wesley Longman.

Fromkin, Victoria, Rodman, Robert, Hultin, Neil, and Logan, Harry. 2001. An Introduction to Language. 2nd Canadian ed. Toronto: Harcourt Brace & Company.

Bedtime Reading

Truss, Lynne. 2004. Eats, Shoots and Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation. New York: Gotham Books.

Parrish, Thomas. 2002. The Grouchy Grammarian: A How-not-to Guide to the 47 Most Common Mistakes in English Made by Journalists, Broadcasters, and Others Who Should Know Better. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons Inc.

Evaluation:

Calendar:

Links