35 English questions

Readings from Language Awareness and Writing Matters

1. What does it mean to read “critically”?

2. Why is it important to understand who your audience is?

3. How can asking yourself questions before you write be useful?

4. LA Ch 1 and WM Ch 7 both talk about critical reading. Which of the two chapters is more effective? Why?

Henry Louis Gates, Jr – What’s in a Name?

1. What does the title refer to?

2. What does “moonlighting” mean and how is it no longer culturally relevant?

3. What is the significance of Mr. Wilson calling Mr. Gates “George”?

4. “One of those things.” What does this phrase mean as it is used in the story?

5. Why was the demographic of Piedmont, WV mentioned and how does it give the reader a deeper understanding of the interactions in the story?

David Raymond – On Being 17, Bright and Unable to Read

1. What educational advantages did David Raymond have as a result of his social status?

2. Why does Raymond mention the purpose of his essay in the last paragraph instead of the first paragraph?

3. Did David Raymond really write this? Why or why not?

Helen Keller – The Day Language Came into My Life

1. How did Helen Keller learn the names of objects?

2. Why do you think Anne Sullivan was interested in helping Helen Keller?

3. Does the process of naming lead to thinking? Why or why not?

Malcolm X – Coming to an Awareness of Language

1. What motivated Malcolm X “to acquire some kind of homemade education”?

2. How did Malcolm X educate himself?

3. Why didn’t Malcolm X feel like he was imprisoned?

Stephen King – Reading to Write

1. Is Stephen King an appropriate writer to use in a college composition textbook? Why or why not?

2. According to King, what do writers learn by reading good writing?

3. What does King feel is the creative center of a writer’s life?

4. Do you agree with King’s statement that, “The real importance of reading is that it creates an ease and intimacy with the process of writing?” Why or why not?

Anne Lamott – Shitty First Drafts

1. What does Lamott mean by “the fantasy of the uninitiated”?

2. What do you think of Lamott’s use of the word, “shitty”? Is it appropriate or inappropriate? Please give reasons for your answers.

3. Why does Lamott talk about her previous career as a food review writer?

Steven Pinker – Words Don’t Mean What They Mean

1. Given when this article was published, are the examples from Tootsie and Seinfeld still relevant?

2. Explain the concept of “felicity conditions” and give a real-life example.

3. Why does “coffee” mean “sex”?

4. What are two things that every sentence has to do at once?

William Zinsser – Simplicity

1. Zinsser’s goal was to persuade readers to use uncluttered, clear language to communicate when they are writing. Was he persuasive? Why or why not?

2. Do you agree with the statement, “Clear thinking becomes clear writing; one can’t exist without the other”? Why or why not?

3. What two questions does Zinsser think that writers should always ask themselves?

Linda Flower – Writing for an Audience (This is on Blackboard in the Reading and Writing folder.)

1. What do you think was the most valuable piece of advice that Linda Flower gave about writing for an audience? Why?

David Carr – Keep Your Thumbs Still When I’m Talking to You

1. Do you agree with De Rosa’s statement that, “mobile connectedness has eroded fundamental human courtesies”?

2. According to the article, how do phones compete with real life?