GRAMMAR & READING Web Links:
Blue Book of Grammar

Daily Grammar

New York Times

Click to go to Letters to the Editor List

Click to go to issue topics:
CURRENT ISSUES

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Click to e-mail Professor Winson Letters to the Editor & Related Articles
Exam Preparation Steps
Essay Organization
Reading Journal Directions
ACT PRACTICE Essay Prompts

Goal of the Course:

This course is designed to give the students the writing skills, as well as knowledge of grammar and essay form required so to be able to pass the CUNY/ACT Writing test. The Critical Inquiry method will be used throughout to enable the studnet to read comprehensively and analytically and to write thoughtful well-organized, grammatically-correct essays

Text & Materials: 

  • Coy, Penelope, et al. Basic Grammar and Usage. 5th ed.. Fort Worth: Harcourt Brace College Publisher, 1998.
  • A collegiate dictionary
  • Various articles from The New York Times
  • A black and white composition book (for Reading Journal and grammar exercise records)
To be eligible to take the ACT Writing test you must:
  1. Attend all fifteen [10] classes.
  2. Attend at least ten [6] tutoring sessions (it doesn't hurt to attend more).
  3. Complete two typed essays--300-400 words (over the weekends).
  4. Complete all the Reading Journal writing entries (5 in all).
Writing and Reading Work:
  1. Quizzes—Throughout this short semester you will be given brief quizzes to check your own progress in gaining the appropriate grammar and sentence writing skills.
  2. Practice exam writing—You will be given three practice ACT writing tests. These essays will be returned with double entry corrections to be made as will be instructed.
  3. Critical Inquiry of Letters to the Editor and related articles—We will read several Letters to the Editor [obtainable from this site] and apply the C.I. questioning method to journal writing and in-class discussions.
  4. Week-end Assignments—Write two 300-400 word letter to the editor type essay based on one of the articles read during the week and an interpretive question that came out of the journal writing.
  5. Share a sample sentences from any the article or student essays to be analyzed grammatically in class.
  6. Read aloud articles in class and at home. In fact, you should read aloud whenever and wherever you can.
General Class Schedule:
  • 1 hour – Grammar 
  • 1 hour - Reading articles, learning to comprehend and analyze the articles, and preparing to write
  • 1 hour – Essay form

Prep Writing Exam & Essay Writing Schedule – 

  • Jan 8th – Obtain a writing sample. 
  • Jan 12th – Take 1st Prep ACT Writing Exam.
  • Jan 16th – Hand-in 1st 300-400 word essay based on journal essays.
  • Jan. 17th - Take 2nd Prep ACT Writing Exam - OPTIONAL
  • Jan 19th - Take 3rd Prep ACT Writing Exam
  • June 19th – Hand-in 2nd 300-400 word essay based on journal essays.
  • Jan. 22th – Review for ACT Writing test.
  • Jan. 23th- ACT Writing Test - (1 hour)
Reading & Testing Schedule--C.I journals for the following articles are to completed by the date indicated (click to go to titles):
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
Jan. 8
The North Wind and the Sun		 Jan. 9  Jan. 10
Teaching Youth 'Abstinence Only'		 Jan. 11
Can Bilingual Education Be Saved?		 Jan. 12 
Practice Exam#1
Jan. 15

MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY - no class

 Jan. 16
Next, an Education Revolution?		 Jan. 17
Practice Exam#2
Family Court Lawyers		 Jan. 18
After All the Votes Are Counted		 Jan. 19
Practice Exam#3
Jan. 22
Review Session		 Jan. 23
ACT Writing Exam		 Jan. 24 Jan. 25 Jan. 26
Topics to be discussed and mastered:
  • Finding Key Words and Ideas in the readings (and essay prompts for ACT test)
  • Asking relevant Questions.
  • Writing a Summaries..
  • Brainstorming techniques.
  • Writing a Preliminary Thesis Statement and Final Thesis Statements
  • Determining Reasons to support an argument.
  • Writing an introduction and conclusion for a 500 world essay.

Please sign the following statement before beginning the class:

I will commit myself for the next two weeks to mastering the necessary skills needed to pass the ACT Writing Exam and to becoming a better writer. I realize that I will have to work everyday and concentrate if I am to reach my goal. Furthermore, I promise to read aloud every night for the next three weeks from the New York Times or a newspaper of my choice or a book that I enjoy.

Signature _____________________________________________________________