Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to: write within the standard conventions of American or British English; write clear, effective essays designed to address critical positions and problems; understand fundamental stages of writing: pre-writing, writing and rewriting; write research essays, developing theme and using research sources; describe the ways in which narratives (fiction and non-fiction), expository writings and arguments attempt to persuade an audience through appeals to reason and emotion; identify the ways in which narratives, expository pieces and arguments (including literary analyses) are shaped by an author's social, historical, moral, psychological, and philosophical assumptions; draw sound inferences from data; learn difference between inductive and deductive reasoning; take notes effectively; distinguish and use effectively both denotative and connotative aspects of language; locate and evaluate outside sources for use in developing their own analysis; effectively use  writing strategies as analysis, synthesis, interpretation, and definition; develop an ability to refine positions or seek new ones when they recognize weaknesses in their own arguments; and demonstrate an awareness of a broad range of cultural experiences and voices.