Assignments
Style Exercises
Style exercises from Williams Style will be assigned during class meetings and as homework. See the course schedule for a list of exercises and due dates.
Revision Projects
There will be three major revision projects due during the term, each focusing on different elements of correctness and style. For these projects, the student will start with one of her/his own texts and revise according to the lessons for that particular unit. The text chosen should be 1-2 pages and may be an excerpt from a longer paper. The student should turn in two copies--the original with marked changes (using Word "track changes") and a second clean copy of the revised text. At the end of the revised text, the student should include a summary of major changes with a rationale. The Project emphases are listed below; see the schedule for due dates.
- Revision Project 1: focus on "Grammar and Correctness"
- Revision Project 2: focus on "Clarity-Actions and Characters"
- Revision Project 3: focus on "Clarity-Cohesion and Coherence and Emphasis"
Final Portfolio
For the Final Portfolio, the student will choose two texts, totaling 4-5 pages, and revise them according to all of the rhetoric and style lessons learned during the term (a single longer text may also be used). The student should submit an original with marked changes (using Word "track changes") for each, a clean copy of the revised text, and a summary of changes with a rationale. The final component of the portfolio is a self-assessment of the student's writing. Part of the goal of the course is to make students more aware of their own writing style, strengths, and weaknesses. Students should address these issues in the self-assessment.
© 2010 Susan Shelangoskie, Ph.D.