Browse complete writing, composition, rhetoric and technical-writing series from the local English Wikibooks and Wikiversity canonical dumps. Every detail retains its source revision and full cleaned native sections; media is deliberately excluded.
Each page belongs to a named source series. Redirects, template-only pages and pages below the 500-character native-text threshold are excluded from independent details. Source links are secondary revision and attribution references, not the main reading path.
Argumentation When teaching argumentation, it is important to show practical methods, as this is often an area that confuses students. By showing pragmatic approaches to structuring an argument, students can better articulate their thoughts. Moreover, the skill of argumentation can be applied to…
:This section will feature a random sampling of standard college-level assignments for freshmen students. Simple adjustments can be made to the requirements to suit 4-year or master's level students, and also may be adjusted easily to match the specific requirements of the class. Each assignment is…
Though this may seem like a simple or natural creation, there are some rhetorical and pedagogical questions to think about while creating the assignment sequence for the class. Topical assignment sequence With the topical assignment sequence you let a topic dictate the order of assignments. For…
Though this may seem like a simple or natural creation. There are some rhetorical and pedagogical questions to think about while creating the assignment sequence for the class. Topical assignment sequence: With the topical assignment sequence you let a topic dictate the order of assignments. For…
Teaching the descriptive essay offers the opportunity to address concepts like word choice, figurative language and detailed writing that students often find troublesome. The descriptive essay also allows the students to write with their own voices without relying on research to support their…
Most students are well versed at forming opinions on just about anything that they experience in life. The skill students lack is the ability to effectively support their opinions. Although they have no problem reaching the conclusion that the food served in the cafeteria is good, they have a hard…
There are four traditional modes of rhetorical discourse: Argument, Description, Exposition, and Narration. The most commonly used of these modes, Exposition (expository writing), aims at presenting information and/or ideas in a clear, objective manner and in many cases, this is the mode used for…
For Your Information For the duration of your college career, most of the time you will be asked to format you paper using either APA, MLA, or Chicago style. You will also be expected to know and execute basic rules of grammar, mechanics, punctuation, and word choice. Therefore, knowing where you…
Setting the Scene: Setting the scene is a great place to talk about sensory detail. Try introducing the topic with a short literary story or by asking students to describe the classroom using all their senses. Using detail can be fun, and it can be a good way to foreshadow the upcoming story.…
Designing a Unit of Study for Teaching Rhetorical Analysis Have you ever planned a trip to a new destination? If you have, you know that it requires having some knowledge of where you are going, what you would like to do when you get there, where you will stay, and how you will get back home.…
Annotated Bibliography An annotated bibliography or annotated bib is a bibliography (a list of books or other works) that includes descriptive and evaluative comments about the sources cited in your paper. The annotated bibliography is the first step to writing a successful research paper. It is…
No matter how intelligently designed or unique you make the writing assignments for your students to do, the issue of grammar will most likely be a a subject you will have to address in your class. Depending on the struggles students may have with grammar at this level, you can probably expect to…
It has been said that the greatest fear people have is that of public speaking. The comic, Jerry Seinfeld, once remarked on this phenomenon, saying: "Most people would rather be in the coffin than giving the eulogy." With this fear of public speaking so pervasive, it is no wonder that your students…
Since 1890 sentence pedagogy was an integral part of composition instruction. Sentence types were classified, grammatical types were taught, and students would practice by writing each of the different kinds. Francis Christensen published "A Generative Rhetoric of Science" in 1963, advocating that…
Students are to copy the model sentence and then write 2 or 3 (or more, if you choose) sentences using the same structure—no more, no less. I teach ELL students, so I also insist on keeping the given verb tense, because I want them working on past tense irregular verbs or –ed endings or –s endings…
Many teachers of writing from all over the world have viewed this wikitext and wondered if it would be appropriate for their classroom. There are obviously some big changes you'll have to make if you're accustomed to a traditional printed textbook. This chapter will address some of the more common…
Teaching Writing as a Process Though some composition theorists are now challenging and complicating the idea of writing, most accept that diverse writing instruction involves going beyond simple matters of correctness. By viewing writing as a process, not just as a product, the critical thinking…
Writing for the Web demands more than an understanding of proper mechanical and grammatical writing techniques and rules. Unfortunately, these techniques and rules are often the last focus of Web-based writing. Within Internet writing, delivery becomes the main focus. Known as the 5th Canon of…
The portfolio method is a type of assessment emphasizes writing process over writing product. Many composition instructors teach writing as process over product. Thus, the portfolio method, which also helps teachers to align their instruction with their assessment. A portfolio is a type of…
Communication skills, including writing, are one of the most important transferrable skills students should learn when they are in college. Most professions require high competency in written communication. It could be a chance for one to shine or hinder one's success. With emails, memos, letters,…
Scientific writing is distinct from other forms of writing, yet unique conventions often pertain to specific disciplines. This page is intended to provide an overview of scientific writing as well as some activities that can be used in any classroom. A variety of exercises can help students become…
The writing process is complicated, and often seems loosely defined. According to Webster’s, writing is “ the way you use written words to express your ideas or opinions." Although we may think of it as little more than arranging letters and words on a page, a few moments' reflection reveals that…
There are several different types of sentences. Each is classified based on its structure and purpose. Using a variety of sentences helps the reader follow the flow of a writer’s thoughts. Choosing between simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences and mixing them up throughout the…
The amount of information that needs to be entered into the database is enormous, and it needs to be entered in a different way for each patient. This will make the design process complex." The example uses a demonstrative pronoun (such as this, these, or those), but there are two or more possible…
Editing symbols: vt (verb tense) or shift Verbs are action words. “Tense” refers to the time when an action takes place: past, present, or future. Necessary tense shifts simply make it clear to your reader when actions have taken, are taking, or will take place. When you “shift tense…
In its simplest form, your website should drive users to logically and easily perform all the desired actions you would like them to perform (whether that be a purchase, or registration, download, etc.). For optimal usability, your website should always: * Present your information to the user in a…
Be sure to use the correct pronoun case in your writing. Decide whether the pronoun you want to use serves the function of a subject or object in the sentence. Subject Pronouns: I, you, he, she, it, we, you, they, who, whoever Object Pronouns: me, you, him, her, it, us, you, them, whom, whomever…
While surfing the Internet, and it may not be readily apparent, but the best information is that which is useful and serves a purpose. The purposes of various web documents range over the broad spectrum of human communication. These texts might be trying to amuse, to sell something, to establish a…
Rhetoric is the art of persuasion to motivate and influence people. Rhetoric can be thought of as the language you use to phrase your thoughts and ideas, and the forces that impact your choices. If you think about the different groups of people that you communicate with, you will see that you use…
The first part of this book is about the stages of the writing process. Now it's time to shift gears and start thinking about the kinds of assignments you're likely to encounter in college. Each "writing mode" requires a different mode of thinking, and that's why teachers and professors often ask…
