The Center for Writing and Speaking offers a wide variety of handouts to provide quick tips on writing, speaking, and tutoring. These handouts have been developed by the CWS staff and with consultation from faculty. They are revised annually.
Assignment Handouts
- Research Papers
- Annotated Bibliography
- Writing Compare/Contrast Papers
- Blog Writing
- Writing Effective Position Papers
- Peer Editing
- Writing Timed Essays
- Journal Writing
- Conducting an Interview
- Revising Prose
- Reflections and Think Pieces
- Style Guide for Emails
- Writing News Stories
- Writing Editorials
- Close Readings Across Disciplines
- Sample Persuasive Speech Outline
- Comparison of Two Persuasive Formats
- How to Introduce a Speaker
Writing Essentials
- Writing Effective Conclusions
- Revising Your Draft
- Effective Introductions
- Organizing Your Paper
- Outlining Your Paper
- Summary Versus Analysis
- Avoiding Plagiarism
- Thesis Statements
- Getting Past Writer’s Block
- Clarity in Writing
- Narrowing Scope
- How to Read Critically
- Transitioning to College Writing
- Getting Started
- Time Management
Specific Fields
- Biology Lab Reports
- Effective Quoting in the Humanities
- A Guide to Creative Writing
- Writing Reviews in the Visual and Performing Arts
- Writing in Philosophy
- Writing in Math
- Writing About Film
- Describing Art: Writing a Formal Analysis
- Writing in Sociology and Anthropology
- Writing in Economics
- Writing a Literature Review
- Historiographical Essays
- Writing about Poetry
- Chemistry Lab Reports
Sentence Level
Public Speaking
- Speech Anxiety
- Basic Speech Outline
- General Tips for Improving your Presentation
- How to Motivate Audiences
- Introductions & Conclusion
- Speech Transitions
- Repetition as a Rhetorical Device
- Using Examples & Stories
- Presenting with Presentation Software
- Movement, Delivery, and Establishing Credibility
- Audience Analysis
- Successful Speech Checklist
- Self Evaluation for Speeches
- Citing Sources in a Speech
- Presenting a Paper
- Group Presentations
- Leading a Discussion
- Special Occasion Speeches: How to Accept or Present an Award