Composition courses

The English department offers a variety of Composition courses at different levels from basic grammar and usage to advanced research-based writing. These courses are intended to give students control of the many essential writing skills required for their studies and employment.

We offer a variety of courses designed to help you improve your writing skills:

• English 206: Focus on English grammar and idiom
• English 207: Focus on sentence construction, paragraphing, and summarizing
• English 210: Introduction to academic essay writing
• English 212: Advanced essay organization and development
• English 213: Conducting and writing academic research
• English 396: Advanced composition and professional writing
  
  

Placement tests

If you would like to enroll in a Composition course, or into the Professional Writing Minor, you must first write a Composition placement test to determine the course level that is best suited to meet your writing needs. Professional Writing requires an ENGL 213 evaluation. The placement test is available online through Moodle during active test dates. You will be asked to write a short essay response to an assigned topic. If you have difficulties using Moodle, please email help@concordia.ca

• Placement test dates

ENGL 206     Fundamentals of Written English – Stage I (3 credits)

Prerequisite: ESL 204 or placement test. This course provides training in grammar and idiomatic usage, through practice with articles and plurals, verb forms and tenses, prepositions and verb-preposition combinations, sentence structure, and punctuation, as well as reading comprehension and vocabulary development through practice in paraphrasing short texts.

NOTE 1: This course does not count for credit within any English program.
NOTE 2: Students who have received credit for this course may not subsequently take any ESL course for credit.

ENGL 207     Fundamentals of Written English – Stage II (3 credits)

Prerequisite: ENGL 206 or placement test. This course continues the work begun in ENGL 206 by providing additional training and practice in grammar and idiomatic usage, sentence structure and punctuation, as well as vocabulary development and reading comprehension through practice in paraphrasing and summarizing.

NOTE 1: This course does not count for credit within any English program.
NOTE 2: Students who have received credit for this course may not subsequently take any ESL course or ENGL 206 for credit.

ENGL 210     Introduction to Essay Writing (3 credits)

Prerequisite: ENGL 207 or placement test. The course provides further practice in English composition by focusing on diction, sentence structure, punctuation, paragraph development, and essay writing.

NOTE 1: This course does not count for credit within any English program.
NOTE 2: Students who have received credit for this course may not subsequently take ENGL 206 or 207 for credit.

ENGL 212     English Composition — Stage I (3 credits)

Prerequisite: ENGL 210 or placement test. This course is intended to help students produce clear, concise, logically organized essays and reports. Emphasis is placed on purpose, organization, and development through analysis and integration of information from a variety of sources.

NOTE: Students who have received credit for this course may not subsequently take ENGL 206, 207, or 210 for credit.

ENGL 213     English Composition — Stage II (3 credits)

Prerequisite: ENGL 212 or placement test. This course develops further the writing skills acquired in ENGL 212 by familiarizing students with the processes and techniques necessary for the preparation of research papers and academic reports. Emphasis is placed on summarizing and paraphrasing, critiquing ideas and information, and synthesizing, citing, and documenting multiple sources. A library orientation is a required part of this course.
NOTE 1: Students who have received credit for this course may not subsequently take ENGL 206, 207, 210, or 212 for credit.

ENGL 396     Advanced Composition and Professional Writing (6 credits)

Prerequisite: ENGL 213. This course is intended for students already in control of the essentials of composition who wish to develop their ability to write effectively for professional purposes. Emphasis is placed on writing for specific audiences within a variety of rhetorical situations and on peer revision and editing in a workshop format.

NOTE: Students who have received credit for this course may not subsequently take ENGL 206–213 for credit.