Writing Lab staff are pleased to visit tutorials and other classes to make presentations on various topics related to academic writing at Grinnell. Presentation topics and brief descriptions follow. For more information, contact any of the Writing Lab instructors.
Judy Hunter : Janet Carl : Kevin Crim : Helyn Wohlwend : Claire Moisan

Writing at Grinnell: What Should I Expect?
The presenter will review the faculty's criteria for good academic writing as well as discuss the range of writing assignments and writing assessment at Grinnell.

Sentence Clinic
What makes an effective sentence? Using students' sentences as examples, the presenter will help class members improve clarity and conciseness and reduce use of passive voice and linking verbs.

Staking a Claim: How to Write a Clear, Compelling and Complete Thesis Statement
The presenter will draw on a set of papers by class members to help them critique and improve their thesis statements. She or he will also present tips for creating a memorable and arguable thesis.

Standing on the Shoulders of Giants: Citation and Collaboration
The presenter will review the theory and practice of citation, emphasizing that citation serves as both a signpost for the location of the source of ideas and as an acknowledgment of indebtedness to other scholars. She or he will discuss formats, faculty expectations, and citation resources.

Make It Snappy: Economy of Expression/How to Drive a Clause
This presentation shows students how a minimal knowledge of clause structure and verb forms can help them dramatically improve the economy and clarity of their sentences.

Unify, Focus and Develop: Thinking in Paragraphs
This presentation gives students a basic model for planning the structure and scale of argumentative essays.

Guide Your Reader on a Journey: The Rhetoric of the Essay
This presentation emphasizes the relationship among the writer, audience and context.

Basic Analysis of Arguments I
This presentation acquaints students with a basic knowledge of argument by subjecting the American Declaration of Independence to three forms of logical analysis.

Basic Analysis of Arguments II
The presenter will survey how arguments work by making a claim and supporting it. The presentation will include an analysis of an argument using Stephen Toulmin's scheme of claim, evidence, warrant, backing, concession and refutation.