The author lists and discusses nine patterns of errors that students in an inner city secondary English class exhibited during a six week writing skills development session. (Author/RK)

Investigates whether students at different ages write "beyond" their normal syntactic maturity. The authors also discuss whether students at different levels write at a level which is syntactically less mature than their own level and, if so, to what extent they adjust their syntax when told to write for a less mature audience. (Author/RK)

Presents an exercise which teaches students a systematized procedure for evaluating their own term papers in order to improve and rewrite them. (MB)

Presents exercises for two subjects which students find among the less interesting: constructing arguments and writing expository prose, especially factual reporting. (JM)

Notes how important it is that any critical writing assignments should take into account the individual reading, and that the teacher's role is to steer discussion that stems from a class of individual readings. Explores some of the aspects of Jane Austen's novel "Emma" to which students readily respond. (HTH)

Provides a method for students to involve themselves in the lives of characters from two books, "The Catherine Wheel" and "Love Medicine." Presents writing assignments that actively engage students with these characters who confront emotions in radically different ways. (MS)

Suggests clustering can help students of any ability level draw upon latent images and ideas, generate more original sentences, and experiment with metaphor and simile. (MS)

Describes a basic writing program which provides an enabling environment to give students opportunities and a plan for composing sentences and texts and interacting with readers, through such techniques as collaborative learning, writing as process, and sentence combining. Offers profiles of typical basic writers including examples of their work.…

Suggests that writing a resume as a classroom exercise is invaluable in promoting media writing by emphasizing editing in all areas of media. Contends that the resume will teach future journalists and media specialists that accuracy and clarity are intrinsic to success in the communications field. (JK)

Describes a writing assignment for which students must write a letter of application and a resume based on a fictitious biography and the text from an job advertisement. (SRT)

Presents step-by-step instructions to help developmental writing students write a cohesive essay by combining individually written paragraphs. (HTH)

Provides a step-by-step approach to teaching students the elements of poetry, such as similes, acrostics, metaphors, and odes. Copies of handouts are included. (HTH)

Presents a method for teaching report writing that first establishes the order followed when writing a good business report and then presents, in reverse order, the steps of gathering information, interpreting information, and organizing information. (SRT)

Suggests linking technical writing assignments to library research in students' fields to build on students' immediate concerns and to reinforce the practical nature of technical writing. Includes two such assignments: the comparative analysis and the user's guide for a specific reference work. (HTH)

Presents sequential assignments that require group cooperation and allow technical communication students to perceive the connection between self and subject as they become involved in various discourse communities rather than acting out simulated case studies. (HTH)