• Cross-Cultural Expository Writing
• Introduction to Expository Writing
• Fundamentals of Grammar
• Fundamentals of Composition
• Fundamentals of Academic Writing
• Introduction to Academic Writing and Critical Reading
• Advanced Academic Research and Writing
• The Essay
• Developing Style and Voice
• Writing for Publication
• Related Courses

EXPO E-C Cross-Cultural Expository Writing (10414)
Joanne Richman, BS.
Workshop. 4 units. Undergraduate credit $625. Wednesday 5:30-7:30 pm. Sever Hall 212. Limited enrollment. Fall term.

In a class setting designed for students whose first language is not English, this course offers practice in academic and professional expository writing. Special attention will be paid to ways English grammar and writing differ from those of other languages. Students will read a variety of materials. Writing assignments will include in-class exercises and independent work. Grammar problems will be addressed on an individual basis as needed.

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EXPO E-1 Introduction to Expository Writing (20788)
Philip Gambone, MA, Author.
4 units. Undergraduate credit $395. Thursday 5:30-7:30 pm. 51 Brattle Street Grossman Common Room. Limited enrollment. Spring term.

This course is designed specifically for students who do little writing, who find writing difficult, or who lack confidence when they write. Informal lectures, small group discussions, and weekly short reading, writing, or revision assignments will allow students to reinforce their skills; deal with common writing problems of grammar, organization, and syntax; and develop various methods for presenting information.

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EXPO E-5 Fundamentals of Grammar
Workshop. 4 units. Undergraduate credit $625. Prerequisite(s): fluency in English. Limited enrollment.

Review of the elements of grammar. We shall examine sentence structure, correct verb forms, case of pronouns, agreement, punctuation, and the construction and linkage of paragraphs. Short readings, both fiction and nonfiction, will illustrate the basic elements of grammar and style.

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EXPO E-10 Fundamentals of Composition
Workshop. 4 units. Undergraduate credit $625. Limited enrollment.

Good writing is a matter of competence; it is also a matter of confidence. In this course we will develop both. Through short writing assignments, a variety of prose readings, and directed exercises, each student will work toward developing a unique voice and style. Class time will be devoted to close readings of great fiction and essays, and to discussions of students' drafts. Writing assignments on narrative and argument will help students to produce clear, persuasive prose.

This course will focus on the craft and adventure of writing compelling and persuasive essays. Through a variety of short exercises, focused discussion, and sustained revision, we will work toward the production of three interesting essays based on readings and the interests of individual students.

The goal of this course is to equip students with the skills they need to write clear, articulate essays. Assignments will provide practice in three types of writing: reflecting on personal experience, analyzing and interpreting information, and arguing an opinion. Each class will include discussion of students' work in progress, focusing on the fundamentals: organizing the essay's argument; using sources; and revising for correct punctuation, grammar, and word choice.

Good writing is a matter of competence; it is also a matter of confidence. In this course we will develop both. Through short writing assignments, a variety of prose readings, and directed exercises, each student will work toward developing a unique voice and style. Class time will be devoted to close readings of great fiction and essays, and to discussions of students' drafts. Writing assignments on narrative and argument will help students to produce clear, persuasive prose.

This course's goal, both simple and lofty, is for students to improve their ability to express complex ideas in clear, compelling prose. Students will learn to write persuasively, organize ideas, use source material, revise, and critique classmates' writing gently and helpfully. Short, skill-oriented writing exercises will lead to drafts and revisions of longer essays.

The goal of this course is to equip students with the skills they need to write clear, articulate essays. Assignments will provide practice in three types of writing: reflecting on personal experience, analyzing and interpreting information, and arguing an opinion. Each class will include discussion of students' work in progress, focusing on the fundamentals: organizing the essay's argument; using sources; and revising for correct punctuation, grammar, and word choice.

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EXPO E-15 Fundamentals of Academic Writing
Workshop. 4 units. Undergraduate credit $625. Limited enrollment.

This course is designed for students seeking preparation for EXPO E-25 and for others wanting to review such basics of academic argument as thesis, evidence, and structure. Short writing assignments will help students develop the skills essential for producing well-reasoned and substantiated academic essays. Students also will learn strategies for reading and analyzing difficult texts.

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EXPO E-25 Introduction to Academic Writing and Critical Reading
4 units. Undergraduate credit $395. Prerequisite(s): EXPO E-10, E-15, or equivalent. Students also must pass the placement test (see below). Limited enrollment.

The aim of this course is to introduce students to the demands and conventions of academic reading and writing. It will focus on analyzing texts, building effective arguments, and using evidence and secondary source material. Instruction on the stages of the writing process, from pre-writing exercises through rough drafts and revisions, will form a key part of the curriculum. This course is required of all students applying to the undergraduate degree programs at the Extension School, but it is open to any student interested in gaining an understanding of academic writing. The course assumes a solid understanding of English grammar and basic sentence construction.

Students also must pass the EXPO E-25 placement test, offered September 2, September 10, January 20, and January 28, 6-7 pm, in Emerson Hall 105. The one-hour test consists of two parts: in part one, students demonstrate their ability to comprehend a long passage of prose by answering multiple-choice questions; in part two, they demonstrate their writing skills by composing a coherent essay in response to a question. Students who fail the test will be dropped from the course and encouraged to enroll in other appropriate writing courses. However, they are advised that these courses fill quickly; they should therefore take the earliest placement exam offered. Students who do not take the test will be dropped from the course. Photo ID is required to take the test. Late test dates, assuming spaces remain in the course, are offered on September 18 and February 5, 6-7 pm in Grossman Common Room, 51 Brattle Street.

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EXPO E-26 Advanced Academic Research and Writing (21351)
Monika Wadman, BA, Teaching Fellow in Expository Writing, Harvard University.
Workshop. 4 units. Undergraduate credit $625, graduate credit $1,105. Wednesday 7:35-9:35 pm. Sever Hall 105. Prerequisite(s): EXPO E-25. Limited enrollment. Spring term.

This course will focus on the conventions and methods of academic research and writing. Students will write three research papers during the semester, gaining experience in formulating research projects; selecting and analyzing evidence; constructing arguments; and selecting, evaluating, and using sources. This course will help to prepare advanced writers for academic writing in different disciplines. Students must have access to a good library.

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EXPO E-35 The Essay
Workshop. 4 units. Undergraduate credit $625, graduate credit $1,105. Prerequisite(s): for Spring term, Section 1, a recent college-level writing course. Limited enrollment.

This course is designed for those writers interested in the relationship among form, idea, and style. We will read the best of contemporary academic essays, ranging from the traditional (Martha Nussbaum's writings on ethics) to the experimental (Susan Howe's poetic analysis of Emily Dickinson), and we will write essays within these different forms, reflecting on the choices writers make.

This course is designed for anyone who wants to write stronger essays. How do you move an expository essay forward? The techniques of narrative, of telling a story, work well for this purpose. We will use some brilliant writers of narrative, particularly Anton Chekhov, Charles Dickens, Charles Darwin, Dorothy Parker, James Baldwin, and Gore Vidal. We will work on note-taking, crucial for both writing and medicine, and review current science journal essays.

"The essayist does what we do with our lives; the essayist thinks about actual things." We will explore Annie Dillard's assertion through careful readings of professional and student writings. Short exercises, considered drafts, and copious revisions will lead toward the production of three honed essays on topics largely of the students' choosing. Prerequisite: recent college-level writing course.

This course is designed for those writers interested in the relationship among form, idea, and style. We will read the best of contemporary academic essays, ranging from the traditional (Martha Nussbaum's writings on ethics) to the experimental (Susan Howe's poetic analysis of Emily Dickinson), and we will write essays within these different forms, reflecting on the choices writers make.

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EXPO E-37 Developing Style and Voice
Workshop. 4 units. Undergraduate credit $625, graduate credit $1,105. Prerequisite(s): EXPO E-35 or equivalent. Students should bring writing samples to the first class. Limited enrollment.

How does a writer make a piece of writing uniquely his or her own? The focus of this course is to help students develop their own voice in the personal essay and memoir. In the workshop students will write a series of short weekly assignments, leading to a final longer piece. While we will read work by Susanna Kaysen, Tobias Wolff, Joan Didion, and E. B. White, student writing will be the focus of the course.

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EXPO E-38 Writing for Publication (20996)
George Packer, BA, Author.
Workshop. 4 units. Undergraduate credit $625, graduate credit $1,105. Monday 7:35-9:35 pm. Sever Hall 215. Prerequisite(s): EXPO E-35 or equivalent. Limited enrollment. Spring term.

What marks the difference between the essay that sits in a writer's drawer and the essay that appears in a periodical? This course will try to address that question by examining the specific demands of writing for a public audience. We will read and discuss a variety of widely published essayists. Writing assignments are designed around essay genres that typically appear in print. Students should be prepared to share their work.

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• CSS 500 Effective Written Communication
• CSS 520 Development Communications
• CSS 535 Writing for Public Relations and Marketing