Unit 1 Tutorials: The Basics of English
Composition .
INSIDE UNIT 1
Introduction to English Composition
English Composition
The Writing Process
Modes
Purpose and Audience
Language Choices
Tone
Identifying Purpose and Audience
Writing Effective Sentences
Parts of Speech
Verb Tense
Subjects and Verbs
Independent and Dependent Clauses
How to Join Independent and Dependent Clauses
Identifying Sentence Fragments
Correcting Sentence Fragments
Identifying Run-On Sentences
Correcting Run-On Sentences
Writing Effective Paragraphs
Paragraph Development
Paragraph Organization
Developing an Effective Topic Sentence
Writing an Effective TEE Paragraph
Transitions
Writing Effective Narrative and Descriptive Paragraphs
Narrative Writing
© 2020 SOPHIA Learning, LLC. SOPHIA is a registered trademark of SOPHIA Learning, LLC. Page 1
, Introduction to Narrative
Narrative Techniques
Dialogue
Elements of Narrative
Narrative Language
Writing Effective Narratives
Model Narratives
English Composition
by Sophia Tutorial
WHAT'S COVERED
This tutorial examines the goals of English Composition, and the skills and competencies used to
achieve them. It addresses the importance of engaged reading, and how it is connected to writing,
and describes the three main types of academic writing. The ways in which writing skills can applied
to accomplish goals outside college are also considered.
This tutorial provides an introduction to English Composition in four parts:
1. Goals of English Composition
2. The Reading-Writing Connection
3. Types of Academic Writing
a. Personal Narratives
b. Expository Writing
c. Persuasive Writing
4. Writing Beyond the Academy
1. Goals of English Composition
Four primary goals have been established for students of English Composition:
Developing writing skills, including the process of creating essays through brainstorming, research,
drafting, revision, and proofreading
Learning to read and write in an academic context
Becoming an engaged reader
Thinking critically
© 2020 SOPHIA Learning, LLC. SOPHIA is a registered trademark of SOPHIA Learning, LLC. Page 2
, HINT
In some very important ways, this class prepares you for all of your college coursework. English Composition
provides training that will help you to succeed in your other classes.
THINK ABOUT IT
All academic fields, and many jobs, require reading and writing ability. Effective business documents (e.g.,
email messages, project reports, etc.) are produced by those who are competent readers and writers. For
example, think about those who work in marketing or human resources. Do they write business memos? Do
they read resumes and cover letters? Almost all careers begin with written applications, resumes, and cover
letters. An employer's first impressions of job-seekers are often the result of their writing ability (or lack of it).
Remember, it's important to make a good first impression!
2. The Reading-Writing Connection
The first thing you must be able to do to succeed in a writing course is to read effectively. Effective reading is
referred to as engaged reading, and it can help you in many ways.
HINT
Engaged, independent reading requires the reader's complete concentration.
Engaged reading provides a launch point for the consideration, examination and discussion of any subject. It
enables you to identify topics for your written work, and to support those topics effectively.
3. Types of Academic Writing
What kind of writing must you learn how to do? Academic writing is used to make assertions that are
supported by research, and which contribute to the advance of knowledge in a particular area. There are
three main types of academic writing:
Personal narratives
Informative or expository writing
Persuasive or argumentative writing
TERM TO KNOW
Academic Writing
Writing that makes assertions, supported by research, that contribute to the advance of knowledge in a
particular area.
3a. Personal Narratives
Personal narratives, which include memoirs, creative nonfiction, and other kinds writing about lives and
experiences, convey information in the form of a story.
TERM TO KNOW
© 2020 SOPHIA Learning, LLC. SOPHIA is a registered trademark of SOPHIA Learning, LLC. Page 3
, Narrative Writing
Writing that conveys information in the form of a story.
Following are the first paragraphs of an essay about "my experiences while learning to ride a motorcycle." The
only source of information for the essay was the narrator, since it is a story about his or her personal
experience. This essay demonstrates one way in which personal narrative can be used to establish the
background for an argument that will follow.
"Last summer I bought a motorcycle, learned to ride it, and crashed, in that order. During the months
of my rehabilitation, I had a lot of time to think. I began to do so during the Vicodin-induced haze in
which I spent the first few days after the accident. But mostly, I watched Netflix, attempted to read,
and tried to find a comfortable position in which I could both eat ice cream and not bleed on my bed
sheets."
3b. Expository Writing
The second type of academic writing you must learn is expository writing. Expository writing is informative:
The writer explains his or her ideas, and conveys information. It is used to analyze processes, compare and
contrast concepts and ideas, and to define terms.
TERM TO KNOW
Expository Writing
Writing that explains, defines, or describes.
Following is an informative section of the essay referenced above. This section cites some of the research
that was performed to support the essay. In this section the subject of the essay has expanded beyond
narration of the writer's story to a broad consideration of motorcycling. Do you see how the writer develops
his or her argument using exposition?
"The type of accident involving cars and motorcycles that occurs most frequently in England is called
the SMIDSY (Sorry Mate, I Didn't See You). In this type of accident, a car pulls into traffic and collides
with a motorcycle because the driver of the car doesn't see the motorcycle approaching, or mistakes
it for a car that's further away. In over 70% of accidents involving a car and a motorcycle in the U.S.,
the driver of the car was found to be at fault."
3c. Persuasive Writing
The third, and perhaps the most common type of academic writing, is persuasive or argumentative writing.
This is writing meant to convince readers of something; to accept a proposal, take specific action, agree with
the writer's interpretation of data or research, etc.
TERM TO KNOW
Persuasive Writing
Writing designed to convince readers to accept a proposition or take an action.
Here is the final paragraph of the motorcycling essay. In it the writer presents his or her conclusion about who
was to blame for the accident — and by implication, who is to blame in most motorcycle accidents. Note how
© 2020 SOPHIA Learning, LLC. SOPHIA is a registered trademark of SOPHIA Learning, LLC. Page 4
Composition .
INSIDE UNIT 1
Introduction to English Composition
English Composition
The Writing Process
Modes
Purpose and Audience
Language Choices
Tone
Identifying Purpose and Audience
Writing Effective Sentences
Parts of Speech
Verb Tense
Subjects and Verbs
Independent and Dependent Clauses
How to Join Independent and Dependent Clauses
Identifying Sentence Fragments
Correcting Sentence Fragments
Identifying Run-On Sentences
Correcting Run-On Sentences
Writing Effective Paragraphs
Paragraph Development
Paragraph Organization
Developing an Effective Topic Sentence
Writing an Effective TEE Paragraph
Transitions
Writing Effective Narrative and Descriptive Paragraphs
Narrative Writing
© 2020 SOPHIA Learning, LLC. SOPHIA is a registered trademark of SOPHIA Learning, LLC. Page 1
, Introduction to Narrative
Narrative Techniques
Dialogue
Elements of Narrative
Narrative Language
Writing Effective Narratives
Model Narratives
English Composition
by Sophia Tutorial
WHAT'S COVERED
This tutorial examines the goals of English Composition, and the skills and competencies used to
achieve them. It addresses the importance of engaged reading, and how it is connected to writing,
and describes the three main types of academic writing. The ways in which writing skills can applied
to accomplish goals outside college are also considered.
This tutorial provides an introduction to English Composition in four parts:
1. Goals of English Composition
2. The Reading-Writing Connection
3. Types of Academic Writing
a. Personal Narratives
b. Expository Writing
c. Persuasive Writing
4. Writing Beyond the Academy
1. Goals of English Composition
Four primary goals have been established for students of English Composition:
Developing writing skills, including the process of creating essays through brainstorming, research,
drafting, revision, and proofreading
Learning to read and write in an academic context
Becoming an engaged reader
Thinking critically
© 2020 SOPHIA Learning, LLC. SOPHIA is a registered trademark of SOPHIA Learning, LLC. Page 2
, HINT
In some very important ways, this class prepares you for all of your college coursework. English Composition
provides training that will help you to succeed in your other classes.
THINK ABOUT IT
All academic fields, and many jobs, require reading and writing ability. Effective business documents (e.g.,
email messages, project reports, etc.) are produced by those who are competent readers and writers. For
example, think about those who work in marketing or human resources. Do they write business memos? Do
they read resumes and cover letters? Almost all careers begin with written applications, resumes, and cover
letters. An employer's first impressions of job-seekers are often the result of their writing ability (or lack of it).
Remember, it's important to make a good first impression!
2. The Reading-Writing Connection
The first thing you must be able to do to succeed in a writing course is to read effectively. Effective reading is
referred to as engaged reading, and it can help you in many ways.
HINT
Engaged, independent reading requires the reader's complete concentration.
Engaged reading provides a launch point for the consideration, examination and discussion of any subject. It
enables you to identify topics for your written work, and to support those topics effectively.
3. Types of Academic Writing
What kind of writing must you learn how to do? Academic writing is used to make assertions that are
supported by research, and which contribute to the advance of knowledge in a particular area. There are
three main types of academic writing:
Personal narratives
Informative or expository writing
Persuasive or argumentative writing
TERM TO KNOW
Academic Writing
Writing that makes assertions, supported by research, that contribute to the advance of knowledge in a
particular area.
3a. Personal Narratives
Personal narratives, which include memoirs, creative nonfiction, and other kinds writing about lives and
experiences, convey information in the form of a story.
TERM TO KNOW
© 2020 SOPHIA Learning, LLC. SOPHIA is a registered trademark of SOPHIA Learning, LLC. Page 3
, Narrative Writing
Writing that conveys information in the form of a story.
Following are the first paragraphs of an essay about "my experiences while learning to ride a motorcycle." The
only source of information for the essay was the narrator, since it is a story about his or her personal
experience. This essay demonstrates one way in which personal narrative can be used to establish the
background for an argument that will follow.
"Last summer I bought a motorcycle, learned to ride it, and crashed, in that order. During the months
of my rehabilitation, I had a lot of time to think. I began to do so during the Vicodin-induced haze in
which I spent the first few days after the accident. But mostly, I watched Netflix, attempted to read,
and tried to find a comfortable position in which I could both eat ice cream and not bleed on my bed
sheets."
3b. Expository Writing
The second type of academic writing you must learn is expository writing. Expository writing is informative:
The writer explains his or her ideas, and conveys information. It is used to analyze processes, compare and
contrast concepts and ideas, and to define terms.
TERM TO KNOW
Expository Writing
Writing that explains, defines, or describes.
Following is an informative section of the essay referenced above. This section cites some of the research
that was performed to support the essay. In this section the subject of the essay has expanded beyond
narration of the writer's story to a broad consideration of motorcycling. Do you see how the writer develops
his or her argument using exposition?
"The type of accident involving cars and motorcycles that occurs most frequently in England is called
the SMIDSY (Sorry Mate, I Didn't See You). In this type of accident, a car pulls into traffic and collides
with a motorcycle because the driver of the car doesn't see the motorcycle approaching, or mistakes
it for a car that's further away. In over 70% of accidents involving a car and a motorcycle in the U.S.,
the driver of the car was found to be at fault."
3c. Persuasive Writing
The third, and perhaps the most common type of academic writing, is persuasive or argumentative writing.
This is writing meant to convince readers of something; to accept a proposal, take specific action, agree with
the writer's interpretation of data or research, etc.
TERM TO KNOW
Persuasive Writing
Writing designed to convince readers to accept a proposition or take an action.
Here is the final paragraph of the motorcycling essay. In it the writer presents his or her conclusion about who
was to blame for the accident — and by implication, who is to blame in most motorcycle accidents. Note how
© 2020 SOPHIA Learning, LLC. SOPHIA is a registered trademark of SOPHIA Learning, LLC. Page 4
