Rhetorical Contents The Writing Process Hints and Help for Writers UNIT I. BUILDING YOUR WRITING SKILLS 1. Why Write? Speaking and Writing Writing with Confidence Finding the Right Way to Write Writing for Every Reason Writing to Work Writing to Learn Writing to Communicate Writing for Yourself Getting a Head Start 2. The Writing Process: Laying the Foundation Writing with Confidence in Six Steps Step 1: Exploring Ideas Your Subject Your Purpose Your Audience Step 2: Prewriting Brainstorming Clustering Freewriting Step 3: Organizing Selecting Outlining Step 4: Writing a First Draft Step 5: Revising the Draft Reviewing Reading Aloud Predicting Making a Clean Copy Step 6: Producing the Final Copy Editing Proofreading 3. Writing a Powerful Paragraph: Building the Foundation What Is a Paragraph? Exploring and Planning Writing the Topic Sentence General and Specific Statements Making a Claim Expressing an Attitude or Opinion Writing the Body and Conclusion Generating Ideas Selecting and Organizing Ideas Developing Ideas Looking at Paragraph Development Writing a First Draft Writing a Conclusion Revising the Paragraph Unity Coherence Refining the Topic Sentence and Conclusion Using Peer Review Revision Guidelines: Writing a Powerful Paragraph 4. Writing an Effective Essay: Building a Larger Structure What Is an Essay? Composing an Essay Getting Started Developing the Thesis Statement Writing the First Draft Revising Revision Guidelines: Writing an Effective Essay Editing and Proofreading Unit I Blueprint for Success UNIT II. BUILDING AND REPAIRING SENTENCES 5. Recognizing Sentences and Fixing Fragments What Is a Sentence? Identifying Subjects Identifying Verbs What Is a Fragment? Fixing Simple Fragments Missing Subjects Missing or Incomplete Verbs Infinitives and -ing Words Hanging Details or Examples Fixing Complex Fragments Although and Because Types Who, That, and Which Types Editing for Mastery 6. Joining Sentences through Coordination Connecting Words The Coordinating Conjunctions Joining Sentences with Coordination Punctuating Compound Sentences Joining Sentences with Semicolons The Semicolon Transitional Words after the Semicolon Editing for Mastery 7. Joining Sentences through Subordination What Is Subordination? Subordinating with Clauses Common Subordinating Conjunctions Punctuating Dependent Clauses Subordinating with Phrases Editing for Mastery 8. Joining Sentences with Pronouns Relative Clauses Placement of Relative Clauses Commas with Relative Clauses Relative Pronouns as Subjects Relative Pronouns as Objects Relative Clauses with Whose Noun Clauses Phrases Editing for Mastery 9. Repairing Run-ons and Correcting Comma Splices Run-on Sentences Comma-Spliced Sentences Editing for Mastery Unit II Blueprint for Success III. REVISING WITH CARE: BUILDING ON THE FRAMEWORK 10. Making Subjects and Verbs Agree What Is Subject-Verb Agreement? Subjects Nouns as Subjects (and Objects) Irregular Plurals Pronouns as Subjects Subjects Joined by and Special Present Tense Verbs To Be To Do To Have Special Problems with Subject-Verb Agreement Questions Sentences That Begin with There Collective Nouns Indefinite Pronouns Phrases Between the Subject and Verb Relative Clauses Editing for Mastery 11. Using the Past Tense and the Past Participle The Past Tense in Its Usual Forms Regular Verbs To Be Could and Would The Present-Perfect Tense Forming the Present-Perfect Tense Using the Present-Perfect Tense The Past-Perfect Tense Forming the Past-Perfect Tense Using the Past-Perfect Tense Irregular Verbs Category 1: -d to -y Category 2: -d and Possible Vowel Change Category 3: -t and Possible Vowel Change Category 4: Single Vowel Change Category 5: Double Vowel Change Category 6: No Change Category 7 -n or -en and Possible Vowel Change Other Uses of the Past Participle In Three-Word Verb Phrases In the Passive Voice As an Adjective Editing for Mastery 12. Using Pronouns Selecting the Right Pronoun Personal Pronouns as Subjects and Objects Personal Pronouns in Comparisons Avoiding Pronoun Confusion and Bias Agreement in Number Pronouns without Antecedents Pronouns Referring to Pronouns Pronouns Referring to Collective Nouns Special Pronouns Reflexive Pronouns Demonstrative Pronouns Relative Pronouns Editing for Mastery 13. Using Modifiers What Are Modifiers? Placing Modifiers Correctly Misplaced Modifiers Dangling Modifiers Editing for Mastery 14. Making Comparisons Comparing with Adjectives and Adverbs Adjective Forms The Simple Form The Comparative Forms The Superlative Forms Adverb Forms Irregular Adjectives and Adverbs Adjectives and Adverbs That Are the Same Good and Well, Bad and Badly Lively Comparisons Editing for Mastery 15. Being Consistent Keeping Pronouns Straight Keeping Tense Consistent Keeping Structures Parallel Editing for Mastery 16. Writing Concretely and Concisely Choosing Words That Work Strong Verbs Vivid Adjectives and Details Discarding Words That Don't Contribute Empty Sentence Starters Vague Expressions Repetition Wordiness Tired Expressions Editing for Mastery Unit III Blueprint for Success IV. WRITING TYPES OF PARAGRAPHS: SHAPING THE STRUCTURE 17. Describing a Scene A Model Paragraph: Describing a Scene Writing Assignment for Describing a Scene Gathering, Generating, and Arranging the Materials Composing the Paragraph Templates for Description Revising Your First Draft Revision Checklist for Description Further Revising and Editing Additional Writing Assignment A Student Model Paragraph Final Writing Assignment 18. Developing Through Exemplification Models of Exemplification The Short Example The Sentence Example The Long-or Extended-Example Writing Assignment for Developing Through Exemplification Gathering, Generating, and Arranging the Materials Composing the Paragraph Templates for Exemplification Revising Your First Draft Revision Checklist for Exemplification Further Revising and Editing Additional Writing Assignment A Longer Model of Exemplification Final Writing Assignment 19. Writing Narration A Model of Narration Writing Assignment for Narration Gathering, Generating, and Arranging the Materials Composing the Paragraph or Essay Templates for Narration Revising Your First Draft Revision Checklist for Narration Further Revising and Editing Additional Writing Assignment A Student Model Essay Final Writing Assignment 20. Writing a Report A Model Paragraph: A Report Writing Assignment for a Report Gathering, Generating, and Arranging the Materials Composing the Report Templates for a Report Revising Your First Draft Revision Checklist for a Report Further Revising and Editing Additional Writing Assignment A Student Model Report Final Writing Assignment 21. Describing a Process A Model Paragraph: Process Analysis Writing Assignment for Describing a Process Gathering, Generating, and Arranging the Materials Composing the Paragraph Templates for Process Analysis Revising Your First Draft Revision Checklist for Process Analysis Further Revising and Editing Additional Writing Assignment A Student Model Essay Final Writing Assignment 22. Writing about Causes and Effects A Model Paragraph: Causal Analysis Writing Assignment for Causal Analysis Gathering, Generating, and Arranging the Materials Composing the Paragraph Templates for Causes and Effects Revising Your First Draft Revision Checklist for Causes and Effects Further Revising and Editing Additional Writing Assignment A Student Model Paragraph Final Writing Assignment 23. Classifying Information A Model Paragraph: Classification Writing Assignment for Classification Gathering, Generating, and Arranging the Materials Composing the Paragraph Templates for Classification Revising Your First Draft Revision Checklist for Classification Further Revising and Editing Additional Writing Assignment A Student Model Essay Final Writing Assignment 24. Writing Comparisons and Contrasts A Model Paragraph: Comparison-Contrast Writing Assignment for Comparison-Contrast Gathering, Generating, and Arranging the Materials Composing the Paragraph Templates for Comparisons and Contrasts Revising Your First Draft Revision Checklist for Comparisons and Contrasts Further Revising and Editing Additional Writing Assignment A Student Model Essay Final Writing Assignment 25. Defining Terms A Model of Definition Writing Assignment for a Definition Gathering, Generating, and Arranging the Materials Composing the Paragraph Templates for Definitions Revising Your First Draft Revision Checklist for Definitions Further Revising and Editing Additional Writing Assignment A Student Model Essay Final Writing Assignment 26. Summarizing and Responding A Student Model: A Summary Writing Assignment for a Summary Gathering, Generating, and Arranging the Materials Composing the Summary Templates for a Summary Revising Your First Draft Revision Checklist for a Summary Further Revising and Editing Writing Assignment for a Response, with a Student Model Gathering, Generating, and Arranging the Materials Composing the Response Templates for a Response Revising Your First Draft Revision Checklist for a Response Further Revising and Editing Final Writing Assignment Unit IV Blueprint for Success V. EDITING FOR GRAMMAR AND MECHANICS: FINISHING THE JOB 27. Punctuating Sentences The Comma [,] Items in a Series Independent Clauses Interrupters Introductory or Concluding Expressions Two or More Adjectives Dates, Places, and Addresses The Period [.] Statements Abbreviations The Question Mark [?] The Exclamation Point [!] The Semicolon [;] Independent Clauses Items in a Series The Colon [:] The Dash [-] Parentheses [()] Quotation Marks [] Titles Definitions Words Used in a Special Way Speech Editing for Mastery 28. Checking Spelling, Apostrophes, Hyphens, and Capitals Spelling The Long and Short Vowel Sounds Plurals of Nouns and Singulars of Verbs Suffixes Prefixes The Apostrophe ['] Possessives Contractions Plurals of Letters Hyphens [-] Hyphens to Join Words Syllables Capitalization Editing for Mastery 29. Writing the Right Word The Most Common Sound-Alikes and Look-Alikes Contractions Too/Two/To The of Error Three Words Ending in -d Commonly Confused Words Accept/Except Advice/Advise Affect/Effect An/And Breath/Breathe Buy/By Clothes/Cloths Conscience/Conscious -ence/-ent; -ance/-ant Fine/Find Know/No Knew/New Led/Lead Lie/Lay Lose/Loose Mine/Mind Passed/Past Quiet/Quite/Quit Rise/Raise Sit/Set Then/Than There is/It is Whether/Weather Editing for Mastery 30. Keeping Verbs in Order The Continuous Tenses In the Present In the Past More Verb Phrases Two-Word Verb Phrases Three-Word Verb Phrases Four-Word Verb Phrases Indirect Questions Objects after Verbs Objects with Phrasal Verbs Common Phrasal Verbs Direct and Indirect Objects Adverbs Single Adverbs Placing Two or More Adverbs Past Participles and Present Participles Double Negatives Editing for Mastery 31. Mastering the Little Words: Articles and Prepositions Articles A/An Singular Countable Nouns: A/An versus The The Plural Countable Nouns and Uncountable Nouns: Using The or Nothing Additional Advice about A/An and The Prepositions To Indicate Time To Indicate Place For Vehicles and Chairs Other Prepositions To Repeat the Meaning of Prefixes Editing for Mastery Unit V Blueprint for Success Reading Selections Malcolm X with Alex Haley, My Prison Studies Kurt Vonnegut, How to Write with Style Dawn Turner Trice, Doing Laundry Comes with a Load of Rules Elizabeth Wong, The Struggle to Be an All-American Girl Mark Schlitt, My Fifteen Minutes of Fame [Student Essay] Ehsan Ghoreishi, Tough Pitches [Student Essay] Mark Twain, Two Views of the Mississippi Ellen Goodman, Divining the Strange Eating Habits of Kids Rita Pyrillis, Sorry for Not Being a Stereotype The Writing on the Wall, adapted from The People's Almanac Robert Hughes, Running with Walker Sam Lubell, Block That Ringtone! Anna Quindlen, Homeless Jeffrey D. Sachs, The Power of One: the $10 Solution Gary Soto, This Man Sonia Nazario, The Boy Left Behind Appendix A Preparing Portfolios The Rationale for the Portfolio Section 1: The Self-Assessment Essay Section 2: The Revised Papers Final Essay Progress Log The Portfolio as a Semester-long Project Appendix B Pronouns Personal Pronouns Possessive Pronouns Demonstrative Pronouns Interrogative Pronouns Relative Pronouns Indefinite Pronouns Reflexive Pronouns Appendix C Common Irregular Verbs Appendix D Commonly Misspelled Words Appendix E Common Expressions Using Prepositions Answers to Chapter Exercises Glossary Credits Index
