Literary Criticism and Study Material

ENG1501/101/3/2014

Tutorial letter 101/3/2014
Foundations in English Literary Studies

ENG1501
Semesters 1 & 2
Department of English Studies
IMPORTANT INFORMATION:
This tutorial letter contains important information about your module.

ENG1501/101

CONTENTS
Page
1

INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................ 3

2

PURPOSE OF AND OUTCOMES FOR THE MODULE ................................................................ 4

2.1

Purpose ......................................................................................................................................... 4

2.2

Outcomes ....................................................................................................................................... 4

3

LECTURER(S) AND CONTACT DETAILS .................................................................................... 5

3.1

Lecturer(s) ...................................................................................................................................... 5

3.2

Department ..................................................................................................................................... 6

3.3

University ........................................................................................................................................ 6

4

MODULE-RELATED RESOURCES .............................................................................................. 7

4.1

Prescribed books ............................................................................................................................ 7

4.2

Recommended Books .................................................................................................................... 8

4.3

Electronic Reserves (e-Reserves) .................................................................................................. 8

5

STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES FOR THE MODULE ................................................................ 8

5.1

Contact with fellow students ........................................................................................................... 8

6

MODULE-SPECIFIC STUDY PLAN .............................................................................................. 9

7

MODULE PRACTICAL WORK AND WORK-INTEGRATED LEARNING .................................... 9

8

ASSESSMENT ............................................................................................................................... 9

8.1

Assessment plan ............................................................................................................................ 9

8.2

Submitting your assignments…………………………………………………………………………....10

8.3

Commentaries and feedback on assignments ...................................................................... .10

8.4

General assignment numbers....................................................................................................... 10

8.5

Unique assignment numbers ........................................................................................................ 10

8.6

Due dates for assignments ........................................................................................................... 10

8.7

Submission of assignments .......................................................................................................... 12

9

ASSIGNMENTS ........................................................................................................................... 13

10

ASSESSMENT METHODS .......................................................................................................... 16

11

COMMON ERRORS IN ESSAY WRITING .................................................................................. 17

12

EXAMINATIONS .......................................................................................................................... 18

12.1

Examination admission ................................................................................................................. 18

12.2

Examination period ....................................................................................................................... 18

12.3

Examination paper ........................................................................................................................ 18

12.4

Previous examination papers ....................................................................................................... 18

12.5

Tutorial letter with information on the examination ....................................................................... 18

13

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS .......................................................................................... 18

14

DECLARATION REGARDING PLAGIARISM ............................................................................. 20

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ENG1501/101

1

INTRODUCTION
Dear Student
We are pleased to welcome you to this module and hope that you will find it both interesting and rewarding. We shall do our best to make your study of this module successful. You will be well on your way to success if you start studying early in the semester and resolve to do the assignments thoroughly and in good time for submission. A number of tutorial letters w i l l b e p l a c e d o n t h e E N G 1 5 0 1 c o u r s e s i t e o n m y U n i s a during the semester. A tutorial letter is our way of communicating with you about teaching, learning and assessment.
Tutorial Letter 101 (this letter) contains important information about the scheme of work, resources and assignments for this module. We urge you to read it carefully and to keep it at hand when working through the study material, preparing the assignment(s), preparing for the examination and addressing questions to your lecturers. In Tutorial Letter 101, you will find the assignments and assessment criteria as well as instructions on the preparation and submission of the assignments. This tutorial letter also provides all the information you need with regard to the prescribed study material and other resources and how to obtain it. Please study this information carefully and make sure that you obtain the prescribed material as soon as possible.
We have also included certain general and administrative information about this module. Right from the start we would like to point out that you must read all the tutorial letters you receive during the semester immediately and carefully, as they always contain important and, sometimes, urgent information.
We hope that you will enjoy this module and wish you all the best!

1.1

Tutorial matter
Unisa’s department of Despatch should supply you with the following tutorial matter for this module:
Tutorial Letters 101 and 301 (READ THESE FIRST)
Study Guide for ENG1501
This study material can be downloaded from myUnisa.
Inventory letter: you will receive an inventory letter containing information about your tutorial matter. Also see the brochure entitled My Studies @ Unisa (which you received with your tutorial material). Check the study material that you have received against the inventory letter. You should have received all the items listed in the inventory, unless

3

ENG1501/101 there is a statement like ‘out of stock’ or ‘not available’. If any item is missing, follow the instructions on the back of the inventory letter without delay.
1.2

Study material
This module has the following study material, at least:
Only Study Guide for ENG1501
Tutorial Letters 101 and 301 after payment of the necessary deposit, and other tutorial material at a later stage.
Apart from Tutorial Letters 101 and 301, we will also write other tutorial letters during the semester. These tutorial letters will not necessarily be available at the time of registration.
Tutorial letters will appear on myUnisa at http://my.unisa.ac.za as soon as they are needed (for example, feedback letters on your assignments, pre-exam information, and so on). You will be notified every time new material is available on myUnisa..

2

PURPOSE OF AND OUTCOMES FOR THE MODULE

2.1

Purpose
This module aims to establish a literary and academic foundation for English studies. It will introduce you to representations of diversity in literature. You will learn to apply appropriate reading strategies to a wide variety of literary and non-literary texts in
English and you will also be expected to demonstrate basic skills of writing academic
English.
All the assignments invite you to explore new areas of thinking. Each will take you through a process of learning in which you will encounter a wide range of ideas. The assignments are designed to guide you towards an informed understanding of what writers (and texts) seem to do. They require you to read and think about the literary texts. 2.2

Outcomes
This module provides a foundation for literary study. Its outcomes include:
•

reading a range of literary texts in different genres (poetry, prose and drama) with comprehension at an inferential level;

•

reading and commenting on a selection of literary texts, using acceptable academic discourse;

•

demonstrating basic awareness of the creative choices made by writers of literary texts in English;

•

exploring and explaining aspects of artistic imagination and literary devices; and using acceptable conventions of literary criticism.

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3
3.1

LECTURER(S) AND CONTACT DETAILS
Lecturer(s)
All of the lecturers involved in guiding you through this module are eager to help. If you live in or near Pretoria, you are welcome to arrange a personal interview with a lecturer.
You can speak to the lecturers at the numbers below. Alternatively, you can contact us by letter or e-mail. Address your letter to the Course Coordinator or directly to the lecturer concerned.
The lecturers responsible for this module are as follows:
Lecturer’s name:
Building and office number:
E-mail address:
Telephone number:

Fetson Kalua (Prof)
Theo Van Wijk 6-21 [e-mail] 012 429-3826

Lecturer’s name:
Building and office number:
E-mail address:
Telephone number:

Deirdre Byrne (Prof)
Theo Van Wijk 6-32 [e-mail] 012 429-6356

Lecturer’s name:
Building and office number:
E-mail address:
Telephone number:

Thlalo Radithlalo (Prof)
Theo van Wijk 7-29 [e-mail] 012 429-8928

Lecturer’s name:
Building and office number:
E-mail address:
Telephone number:

Ruth Scheepers (Ms)
Theo Van Wijk 6-20 [e-mail] 012 429-6914

Lecturer’s name:
Building and office number:
E-mail address:
Telephone number:

Kgomotso Masemola (Prof)
Theo Van Wijk 6-22 [e-mail] 012 429-2298

Lecturer’s name:
Building and office number:
Telephone number:
E-mail address:

Barbara Janari (Ms)
Theo van Wijk 7-22
012 429-6326 [e-mail] The administrative officer for ENG1501 is Ms J Seshibedi (e-mail: [e-mail];
Tel. [phone]). Kindly contact Ms Seshibedi if you wish to make an appointment with one of your lecturers, as lecturers are not always available. She is also able to help you with administrative queries regarding dates and venues for classes, prescribed books and so on.
All queries that are not of a purely administrative nature but which are about the content of this module should be directed to t h e t e a c h i n g t e a m . Please have your study material with you when you contact us.
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3.2

Department
Contact e-mail addresses and telephone numbers are included above, but you might also want to write to us. Letters should be sent to:
The Course Coordinator (ENG1501)
Department of English Studies
PO Box 392
UNISA
0003
PLEASE NOTE: Letters to lecturers may not be enclosed or inserted into assignments. 3.3

University
Communication with the University
If you need to contact the University about matters not related to the content of this module, please consult the publication My studies @ Unisa that you received with your study material. This booklet contains information on how to contact the University (e.g. to whom you can write for different queries, important telephone and fax numbers, addresses and details of the times certain facilities are open).
Website: www.unisa.ac.za Mobi: http://mobi.unisa.ac.za myUnisa: http://my.unisa.ac.za
Once you are registered as a Unisa student, you can download your study material and submit your assignments online. You can also access certain information such as your academic record, cancellation requests and study fee balances.
Please send individual enquiries to the correct e-mail accounts to avoid delays in response and always include your student number in the subject line.
E-mail addresses:
_ [e-mail] for registration-related enquiries
_ [e-mail] for assignment enquiries
_ [e-mail] for examination enquiries
_ [e-mail] for study material enquiries
_ [e-mail] for student account enquiries
_ [e-mail] for graduation enquiries
_ [e-mail] for assistance with myUnisa
_ [e-mail] for assistance with myLife e-mail account

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ENG1501/101
SMS numbers:
The SMS numbers are only for students residing in South Africa. International students are urged to make use of the e-mail address [e-mail].
_ 43578 for applications and registrations
_ 43584 for assignments
_ 43584 for examinations
_ 43579 for study material
_ 31954 for student accounts
_ 43582 for myunisa and myLife

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4.1

MODULE-RELATED RESOURCES
Prescribed books
1.

Moffett, Helen and Es’kia Mphahlele, (eds). Seasons Come to Pass: An
Anthology for Southern African Students. Cape Town: Oxford University Press,
2002 (258 pp).

2.

Kane, Gwen, Byrne, Deirdre and Scheepers, Ruth (third edition). Introduction to
English Literary Studies. Cape Town: Oxford University Press, 2013 (217pp)

3.

Salinger, David Jerome, The Catcher in the Rye. London: Penguin 2010 (192pp).

4.

Fugard, Athol, The Road to Mecca. Johannesburg:
(80pp).

5.

Head, Bessie, When Rain Clouds Gather. London: Heinemann, 1972 & 1987
(215pp).

Penguin, 2003

NOTE 1:
The teaching team for ENG1501 has followed Unisa’s Code of Ethics and Conduct in prescribing Introduction to English Literary Studies, given that two of the three authors are Unisa employees. The Tuition Committee of the School of Arts has considered the ethical implications of prescribing the book and has approved it.
NOTE 2:
Students frequently ask whether it is necessary to buy all five prescribed books, as it is expensive to buy all five. Be aware that second-hand copies of the books are available from past students. In addition, Oxford University Press offers a substantial discount to students who buy Seasons Come to Pass and Introduction to English Literary Studies together.
Please consult their website on www.oxford.co.za for details of how to order the books and claim your discount.
Finally, you are encouraged to read the instructions for the second assignment
(literature) before buying your books.

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Please consult the list of official booksellers and their addresses in MyStudies
@ Unisa.
If you have any difficulties with obtaining books from these bookshops, please contact the prescribed books section, as soon as possible, at:
Telephone number 012 429-4152
Email [e-mail]
4.2

Recommended Books
There are no recommended books for this module.

4.3

Electronic Reserves (e-Reserves)
There are no e-reserves for this module

5

STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES FOR THE MODULE
For information on the various student support systems and services available at Unisa
(e.g. student counselling, tutorial classes, language support), please consult the publication: My Studies @ Unisa that you received with your study material.
Please note that e-tutors (electronic tutors) have been appointed to assist students in achieving their educational goals. The e-tutors are trained educators who will provide online support and guidance on the myUnisa portal. Students are therefore urged to actively interact and participate on the site as this has the dual function of providing tutorial guidance and an opportunity to engage meaningfully with fellow students. Kindly register for a Mylife e-mail account to make use of this added advantage.

5.1

Contact with fellow students
It is advisable to have contact with fellow students. One way to do this is to form study groups. The addresses of students in your area may be obtained from the following department: Directorate: Student Admissions and Registration
P.O. Box 392
UNISA
0003
If you have access to a computer that is linked to the Internet, you can quickly access resources and information at the University. The myUnisa learning management system is
Unisa’s online campus that will help you to communicate with your lecturers, with other students and with the administrative departments at Unisa – all through the computer and the Internet.

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HOW TO GAIN ACCESS TO THE myUnisa WEBSITE
Start at the main Unisa website, http://www.unisa.ac.za, then click on the “Login to myUnisa” link on the right-hand side of the screen. This should take you to the myUnisa website. You can also go there directly by typing in http://my.unisa.ac.za
DOWNLOADING TUTORIAL LETTERS FROM myUnisa
All the Tutorial Letters are uploaded to myUnisa. You should, therefore, access this material yourself whilst waiting for the printed version. Refer to myUnisa on a regular basis and keep up to date.
PRACTICE EXERCISES
From time to time, we will put some writing and reading activities and exercises on myUnisa. These are designed to help you work through your study material and practise the skills of literary criticism. You are NOT expected to submit these exercises to us as formal assignments. Keep your answers in a safe place so that you can compare them to the answers that we will provide on myUnisa.
In this way you can keep track of your progress in your studies.
Please consult the publication My Studies @ Unisa which you can download from the
Unisa website.

6

MODULE-SPECIFIC STUDY PLAN
None.

7

MODULE PRACTICAL WORK AND WORK-INTEGRATED LEARNING
There are no practicals for this module.

8
8.1

ASSESSMENT
Assessment plan
Assignments are seen as an integral part of the learning material for this module. As you complete each assignment, study the prescribed texts, consult other resources, discuss the work with fellow students or tutors or do research, you are actively engaged in learning. Looking at the assessment criteria given for each assignment will help you to understand more clearly what is required of you.
In some cases, additional assessment might be available on the myUnisa site for your module. For students attending tutorial sessions, tutors may also set additional tasks and give feedback in class.
Your f i n a l mark for this module will consist of a year mark that will be gained from TWO written assignments and the mark you achieve in a two-hour written examination at the end of the semester.

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8.2 Submitting your assignments
If you are submitting your assignments electronically via myUnisa, please make sure you use ONE of the following file formats:
•
•

MS word (a .doc or .docx file)
PDF (a .pdf file)
This will enable your marker to comment on your assignment easily. Other file formats will not be accepted

8.3 Commentaries and feedback on assignments
For written assignments, markers will comment constructively a n d i n d i v i d u a l l y on your work.
As soon as you see the feedback tutorial letters on the assignments, please check your answers. The assignments and the commentaries on these assignments constitute an important part of your learning and should help you to be better prepared for the next assignment and the examination.
Feedback on myUnisa additional assessments will be automated and therefore immediate.
Additional work set by your e-tutors will be discussed on the myUnisa student forum. 8.4

General assignment numbers
Assignments are numbered consecutively per module, starting from 01.
There are two assignments for this module: Assignment 01 and Assignment 02.
Both assignments must be submitted.

8.5

Unique assignment numbers
Assignment 01 (first semester): 859786
Assignment 02 (first semester): 842634
Assignment 01 (second semester): 871775
Assignment 02 (second semester): 777452

8.6

Due dates for assignments
The closing dates for the submission of the assignments are:
• Assignment 01:
2014/03/10 (first semester)
2014/09/01 (second semester)
• Assignment 02:
2014/04/11 (first semester)
2014/09/29 (second semester)
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PLAGIARISM: VERY IMPORTANT!
While you are strongly encouraged to become familiar with a broad range of ideas, be very vigilant regarding plagiarism. Any idea or argument that you incorporate in your essays, if drawn from elsewhere, must be clearly attributed to its source (and this, very importantly, includes Internet sources). Remember that plagiarism is a serious offence and, while often committed inadvertently, will result in zero per cent (0%) being awarded for submitted work.
Please read the detailed explanation below very carefully:
• If you copy something out of a book, an article, a website or another document without acknowledging its source, and pass it off as your own, that is plagiarism. In effect, you are stealing something that belongs to someone else, dishonestly pretending that it is your own.
• If you paraphrase material (i.e. change the wording slightly) or use ideas or a line of argument without acknowledging the original source, this also constitutes plagiarism and the same severe penalty will apply.
• It is not enough to cite sources in the bibliography at the end of your essay.
You must refer to these in the body of your essay, in brackets, next to every statement that is based on borrowed formulations or ideas.
• The Disciplinary Code for Students (2004) is given to all students at registration. You are advised to study the Code, especially Sections 2.1.13 and 2.1.14 (2004: 3-4). Kindly read the University’s Policy on Copyright Infringement and Plagiarism as well.
• The declaration which appears on the following page must be attached to every assignment which you submit while you are a student in the Department of English
Studies. No assignment will be accepted unless the declaration has been completed and attached. If you are submitting the assignment electronically, via myUnisa, please copy and paste the declaration into your document and add your initials and name. You need not furnish a digital signature.
• The following are examples of the type of reference and quotation you are expected to provide. The ellipsis (…) indicates where you would expand on that line of thought.
• As suggested by J. Smith (1998: 64), it would be fruitful to explore further Jane
Austen’s attempt to subvert society’s expectations . Therefore, I propose to investigate this aspect.
• I intend to pursue the line of inquiry opened by J. Smith (1998: 64-76) regarding Jane
Austen’s attempt to ... and I should like to offer further arguments in support of Smith’s suggestion... • After consulting an article on J.M. Coetzee on Google Scholar (cite the exact website),
I have reconsidered my views on Coetzee’s portrayal of Elizabeth Costello ... I disagree, however, with some of the author’s assertions, namely…
In approaching the assignment question, I took as my starting point Sarah Werner’s comment: ‘To insist on the primacy of character is to miss the opportunity to contest the idea of Shakespeare’s universal truth’ (2001: 36). My argument partly supports and partly counters hers

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Please note: Although students may work together when preparing assignments, each student must write and submit his or her own individual assignment. In other words, each student must submit his or her own work. It is unacceptable for students to submit identical assignments on the basis that they worked together.
This is a form of plagiarism and none of these assignments will be marked.
Furthermore, these students may be penalised or subjected to University disciplinary proceedings.
8.7

Submission of assignments
You may submit written assignments and assignments done on mark-reading sheets either by post or electronically via myUnisa. Assignments may not be submitted by fax or e-mail.
For detailed information and requirements as far as assignments are concerned, see the brochure My studies @ Unisa that you received with your study material. If you are posting your assignment it should be addressed to:
The Registrar
PO Box 392
UNISA
0003
To submit an assignment via myUnisa:
• Go to myUnisa.
• Log in with your student number and password.
• Select the module.
• Click on assignments in the left-hand menu.
• Click on the assignment number you want to submit.
• Follow the instructions on the screen.

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ASSIGNMENTS
ASSIGNMENT 01: COMPULSORY FOR EXAMINATION ADMISSION
DUE DATES:
First semester:

10 March 2014

Unique Number: 859786

Second semester:

01 September 2014

Unique Number: 871775

Assignment 01: Poetry (Seasons Come to Pass)
Read the text of the poem below and then answer the questions that follow:

OZYMANDIAS*
Percy Bysshe Shelley
I met a traveller from an antique land
Who said: "Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. Near them on the sand,
Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown
And wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed.
And on the pedestal these words appear:
`My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings:
Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!'
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare,
The lone and level sands stretch far away".

5

10

*Ozymandias has been identified as the Egyptian Pharaoh Rameses II, whose tomb is at Thebes.
1.
2.

The poet takes great care to describe, in lines 4 and 5, the ‘passions’ of Ozymandias that are ‘stamped on these lifeless things’ (line 7). What is the effect of the juxtaposition of ‘passions’ and ‘lifeless’? What is Shelley suggesting about human ambition?

3.

13

What kind of man was the Pharaoh Ozymandias, do you think? Quote from the poem to substantiate your answer.

The ‘hand’ and the ‘heart’ (line 8) are, of course, the hand and heart of the sculptor, not
Ozymandias. Discuss the irony in this fact, referring particularly to lines 10 and 11.

ENG1501/101
4.

An atmosphere of degeneration and despair is created in the poem. How does the poet achieve this? Quote from the poem to substantiate your answer.

5.

The poet makes use of the poetic device of alliteration in the last two lines. Identify the words that make up this figure of speech and comment on the effect this device creates here. ASSIGNMENT 02:
DUE DATES:
First semester:
Second semester:

11 April 2014
29 September 2014

Unique Number: 842634
Unique Number: 777452

Assignment 02: Fiction, Literary Criticism and Drama
Answer ONE of the following questions. Question (a) focuses on The Catcher in the
Rye, question (b) focuses on Introduction to English Literary Studies, question (c) focuses on The Road to Mecca, and question (d) focuses on When Rain Clouds Gather.
(a)

The Catcher in the Rye (J.D. Salinger)

“You know what I’d like to be?” I said. “You know what I’d like to be? I mean if I had my goddam choice?”
“What? Stop swearing.”
“You know that song “If a body catch a body comin’ through the rye”? I’d like –”
“It’s ‘If a body meet a body coming through the rye’! old Phoebe said. “It’s a poem by
Robert Burns.”
“I know it’s a poem by Robert Burns.”
She was right, though. It is “If a body meet a body coming through the rye”. I didn’t know it then, though.
“I thought it was ‘If a body catch a body’,” I said. “Anyway, I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all. Thousands of little kids, and nobody’s around – nobody big, I mean – except me. And I’m standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff – I mean if they’re running and they don’t look where they’re going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them. That’s all I’d do all day. I’d just be the catcher in the rye and all. I know it’s crazy, but that’s the only thing I’d really like to be. I know it’s crazy.”
(pp. 179-180)
The title of the novel is taken from a poem by Robert Burns. Read this passage carefully and write an essay in which you explain how this poem sums up Holden’s deepest desire, and how this theme is developed in the novel. Write between two and three pages.

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(b)

Introduction to English Literary Studies

Choose topic (i) on The Catcher in the Rye or topic (ii) on The Road to Mecca. Give your assignment a heading so that your marker knows which topic you have answered. Topic (i): The Catcher in the Rye
First read the third chapter of Introduction to English Literary Studies (“The Novel”). Then go to p. 102 and answer the questions on The Catcher in the Rye under the heading “Time to Write”. The questions are reproduced for you here:
We would like you to look closely at the first paragraph of Catcher in the Rye and pages 5-6 of the novel. See what you can discover about what is to come. What do you think the author is able to achieve by using the technique of the flashback? If you have read the novel already, this will be a most rewarding exercise, but even if you haven’t, you can achieve something by it. Look very closely at the things
Holden says and make a list of things that strike you as interesting, odd or intriguing.
Then refer to this list as you read the novel – you will soon begin to see how these ideas are developed and woven into the fabric of Holden’s tale.
Your task:
1.
2.

Write a list of things that Holden says in the first paragraph of the novel and on pages 5-6 that strike you as interesting or as holding some clue to what is to come in his tale.
Write a page explaining what is achieved by the “flashback” technique of looking back on events that have already happened.

Topic (ii): The Road to Mecca
First read the fourth chapter of Introduction to English Literary Studies (“Reading Drama”).
Then go to p. 176 and answer the questions on the review of The Road to Mecca, under the heading “Time to Write”. The review appears on pages 174-176 and the questions are reproduced for you here:
Look carefully at the remarks the writer of the review makes about the structure of
The Road to Mecca. Now write a paragraph, based on the information both in this review and in the notes on dramatic structure earlier in this chapter, explaining how the play’s structure affected the reviewer.
Your answer should include the following points:
• Did the reviewer enjoy the play?
• What did s/he admire about it, and dislike about it?
• What has this to do with the structure of the play?

OR

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(c)

The Road to Mecca (Athol Fugard)
In Act 1, when Elsa and Helen are discussing Katrina (Helen’s “maid”), Elsa says:
“There’s nothing sacred in a marriage that abuses the woman” (p. 11). Use this statement as a starting point for a discussion of the way the play represents women’s rights to express themselves freely. Write between two and three pages.

OR
(d)

When Rain Clouds Gather (Bessie Head)
It is quite clear that When Rain Clouds Gather deals with Makhaya’s suffering, trauma and eventual healing, particularly when he arrives in Golema Mmidi. But, at the same time, the novel deals with problems of tribalism, greed and hate in a postcolonial state. In between three and five pages, discuss these statements by referring closely to the novel.

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ASSESSMENT METHODS
Here is a guide which markers use when assessing your work and essays in particular.
NB :Please bear in mind that both content/organization and form/expression are important components in the assessment process.
Content includes both ideas (relevance, weight, originality) and their organization
(introduction, body & conclusion; support of claims and interpretation made; cohesion and control, of argument).
Please consult the Marking Grid below:
MARK OUT OF 50 FOR CONTENT/ORGANISATION:
SCORE
50-38
(100%76%)

LEVEL
1
EXCELLENT
TO VERY
GOOD

CRITERIA
Content: focused on assigned topic, thoroughly developed, clearly demonstrating the skills required by the NQF criteria (e.g. familiarity with – recognising and recalling – the subject matter; understanding it; application of this information; analysis, for instance of relationships; evaluation, for example critiquing different approaches). Organisation: generating a piece of writing (such as an essay) with ideas clearly stated, succinct, well-organised, logically sequenced, cohesive, and well supported.

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37-28
(74%-56%)
27-16
(54%-32%)

3
FAIR TO
SHAKY: AT
RISK

15-0 (30%0%)

11

2
GOOD TO
AVERAGE

4
VERY
SHAKY

Content: fairly sound demonstration of skills, mostly relevant to topic, lacks detail.
Organisation: loosely organised, logical but incomplete sequencing and signposting.
Content: not enough substance or relevance, insufficient support for ideas
Organisation: ideas confused or disconnected, not enough logical sequencing or development, little signposting Content: not pertinent or not enough material to evaluate. Organisation: does not communicate, no organisation or not enough material to evaluate.

COMMON ERRORS IN ESSAY WRITING
ERROR

REMEDY

Incomplete sentences.

Check that all your sentences have finite verbs, do not contain fragments of ideas and are not introduced by transitional words such as ‘which’.

Wrong tense

Make sure that you use the present tense whenever you are writing about ‘reality’ in literature.

Concord (subject-verb agreement) Singular subjects take singular verbs (which often end in –
s); plural subjects take plural verbs (which often do not end in –s).

Failure to present titles correctly.

Make sure all the titles of books are underlined, or, if you are using a computer, that you use italics.

Punctuation errors.

All brackets and inverted commas must be closed when they are opened. Sentences must begin with capital letters and end with full stops.

Spelling errors.

Look up all misspelt words in a dictionary and make sure you learn the correct spelling.

Lack of logic.

Connect each idea to those around it using transition words and phrases, such as ‘In addition’, ‘on the other hand’, ‘but’ and ‘then’.

Re-telling the story.

Keep your attention on the topic of the essay and do not tell the story of the novel, play, poem or short story to your marker. Study Tutorial Letter 301, entitled ‘A Beginner’s Guide to
Writing an Essay’ and make sure that your essay complies with the rules for correct referencing.

Referencing errors.

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12

EXAMINATIONS
For general information and requirements as far as assignments are concerned, see the brochure My studies @ Unisa which you received with your study material.

12.1

Examination admission
It is compulsory to submit Assignment 01 before 11 March 2014 (first semester) or by 2 September 2014 (second semester). This obligation is a university requirement to prove that you are an “active student”. If you do not submit this assignment, you will NOT be allowed to write the examination. You must also submit Assignment 02 by the due date.
Assignment marks will count towards your final mark. Thus for this module, your assignments will count as 25% of the final mark and the remaining 75% will reflect your performance in the examination. This means that there is a strong incentive for you to submit both assignments.

12.2

Examination period
This module is offered in a semester period of fifteen weeks. This means that if you are registered for the first semester, you will write the examination in May/June 2014 and the supplementary examination will be written in October/November 2014. If you are registered for the second semester you will write the examination in October/ November
2014 and the supplementary examination will be written in May/June 2015.
During the semester, the Examination Section will provide you with information regarding the examination in general, including examination venues, examination dates and examination times

12.3

Examination paper
This module has a TWO-HOUR examination.

12.4

Previous examination papers
Previous examination papers should be available on myUnisa. Examination questions will be similar to the questions asked in the previous examination papers

12.5

Information on the examination
To help you in your preparation for the examination, a tutorial letter w i l l b e p o s t e d o n m y U n i s a u n d e r ‘ o f f i c i a l s t u d y m a t e r i a l ’ that will explain the format of the examination paper, give you examples of the kinds of questions that you may expect and set out clearly what material you have to study for examination purposes.

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
The myStudies@Unisa brochure contains an A-Z guide of frequently asked questions and the most relevant study information
.
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We hope that you will enjoy this module and we wish you success with your studies.
Kind regards
The ENG1501 Teaching Team

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14

DECLARATION REGARDING PLAGIARISM
DECLARATION
Name and student number:…………………………………………………….
Assignment topic:……………………………………………………………………
I declare that this assignment is my own original work. Where secondary material has been used (either from a printed source or from the internet), this has been carefully acknowledged and referenced in accordance with departmental requirements. I understand what plagiarism is and am aware of the department’s policy in this regard. I have not allowed anyone else to borrow or copy my work.
Signature:……………………………………………………………………………
Date:………………………………….

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DECLARATION
Name and student number:……………………………………………………..
Assignment topic:……………………………………………………………………
I declare that this assignment is my own original work. Where secondary material has been used (either from a printed source or from the internet), this has been carefully acknowledged and referenced in accordance with departmental requirements. I understand what plagiarism is and am aware of the department’s policy in this regard. I have not allowed anyone else to borrow or copy my work.
Signature:……………………………………………………………………………
Date: ………………………………….

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