I. WRITING.
1. Thinking, Reading, and Viewing Critically.
Think Critically
Engage Actively and Critically in the Reading Process.
* Engage Actively and Critically in the Viewing Process.
2. Preparing.
Experiment and Explore.
Invent and Prewrite.
Gather Information.
Plan and Organize.
3. Composing.
Review.
Draft.
Collaborate.
Be Flexible About Your Writing Process.
4. Rewriting.
Shift from Writer to Reader.
Revise.
Edit.
Proofread.
Give and Receive Feedback.
Review a Model Student Paper.
5. Structuring Paragraphs.
Write Unified Paragraphs.
Use Clear Organizational Patterns.
Use Sentence-Linking Techniques.
Be Consistent with Verb Tense, Person, and Number.
Use Parallelism to Make Paragraphs Coherent.
Decide on Appropriate Paragraph Length.
Link Paragraphs with Key Words.
Construct Effective Introductory and Concluding Paragraphs.
6. Constructing and Evaluating Arguments.
Formulate an Arguable Thesis.
Generate Good Supporting Evidence.
Take Note of Evidence for Alternative Views.
Develop and Test the Main Points.
Build a Compelling Case.
Structure the Argument.
Avoid Logical and Emotional Fallacies.
Use Special Techniques for Electronic Argument.
Visual Argument.
II. RESEARCH.
7. The Research Project.
Become a Researcher.
Schedule a Time Frame.
Create a Research Notebook.
Create a Working Bibliography.
Gather Background Information.
Conduct Focused Research.
8. Using the Internet for Research.
Use Internet Sources Throughout the Research Process.
Get to Know the Internet and the Web.
Search the Internet and the Web.
Follow a Student Internet Search.
Follow a Student Search of a Library Subscription Database Service.
9. Evaluating Electronic and Print Sources.
Choose Legitimate Sources.
Follow a Student's Evaluation of Web Links.
10. Using Sources and Avoiding Plagiarism.
Use Sources Responsibly.
Paraphrase Sources Accurately.
Summarize Sources Briefly.
Quote Sources Sparingly.
11. Writing the Research Paper.
Review the Rhetorical Stance and Thesis.
Plan a Structure.
Write a Draft.
Review and Revise Your Draft.
Follow Formatting Conventions.
III. MLA DOCUMENTATION.
12. MLA Documentation.
Integrate Sources and Avoid Plagiarism in the MLA System.
Use the MLA System for In-Text Citations.
Format Bibliographic Footnotes According to the MLA System.
Format the Works Cited Page According to the MLA System.
Review a Sample Research Paper in MLA Format.
IV. APA, CMS, AND CBE DOCUMENTATION.
13. APA, CMS, and CBE Documentation.
Integrate Sources and Avoid Plagiarism in the APA System.
Use the APA System for In-Text Citations.
Format any Content Notes According to the APA System.
Format the References Page According to the APA System.
Review a Sample Research Report in APA Format.
Integrate Sources and Avoid Plagiarism in the CMS System.
Use the CMS System for In-Text Citations.
Format Notes According to the CMS System.
Format the Bibliography Entries According to the CMS System.
Integrate Sources and Avoid Plagiarism in the CBE System.
Use the CBE System for In-Text Citations.
Format the References List for the Citation Sequence System in CBE style.
V. DESIGN IN PRINT AND ON THE WEB
14. Design Principles and Graphics.
Follow the Three Basic Design Principles.
Use Formatting Tools.
Use Graphics.
Review Your Document.
15. Designing for the Web.
Generate a Basic Design for the Web.
Plan Your Web Document.
16. Writing Web Pages.
Methods Used to Construct Individual Web Pages.
Use HTML Editors and HTML Codes.
Evaluate and Refine Your Website.
Transfer Your Site to an Internet Server.
VI. WRITING FOR DIFFERENT PURPOSES
17. E-mail and Electronic Communications.
Locate E-mail Addresses.
Practice Good E-mail Etiquette.
Use File Attachments.
Use Instant Messaging.
* 18. Disciplinary Discourse.
Disciplinary Research.
Disciplinary Discourse.
19. Writing About Literature.
Read Literature Critically.
Determine Purpose, Persona, and Audience.
Develop a Claim and Write a Thesis.
Use the Appropriate Person and Tense.
Write Your Literature Paper.
* 20. Writing in the Natural and Social Sciences.
Know the Different Types of Writing in the Natural and Social Sciences.
Understand Your Purpose and Your Audience.
Examples of Research Reports in APA and CBE/CSE Formats.
21. Business Writing.
Write Concise and Professional Business Letters.
Write Specifically Tailored Letters of Application.
Write Appropriately Packed Resumes.
Write Focused Memos.
22. Oral Presentations.
Prepare Thoroughly.
Pick Your Visual Aids Carefully.
Practice, Practice, Practice.
Speak With Enthusiasm and Focus.
Use Overhead Transparencies.
Use PowerPoint.
23. Essay Exams.
Prepare for an Essay Exam.
Attend to the Writing Process.
Review Sample Student Responses to an Essay Exam.
VII. CORRECT SENTENCES.
* 24. Word Processing Tools and Online Resources for Improving Sentences.
Use a Style/Grammar Checker Only with Caution.
Use Style Templates.
Use Other Applications for Sentence Revisions.
Consult Internet Resources for Writing Help.
25. Sentence Structure.
Learn to Identify Parts of Speech.
Learn to Identify Basic Sentence Patterns.
Learn to Expand Sentences.
Learn How to Classify Sentences.
26. Pronoun Problems.
Make Pronouns Agree in Number and Gender with Their Antecedents.
Refer to a Specific Noun Antecedent.
Avoid Vague Use of This, That, Which, and It.
Be Consistent with Use of That and Which.
Use the Subjective Case When a Pronoun Functions as a Sentence Subject, Clause Subject, or Subject Complement.
Use the Objective Case When a Pronoun Functions as an Object.
Test for Pronoun Case in Compound Constructions by Using the Pronoun Alone.
Choose the Form for an Interrogative or Relative Pronoun Based on How It Functions in Its Clause.
Use Possessive Pronouns to Show Ownership.
Choose the Case for a Pronoun in a Comparison Based on How It Would Function in Its Own Clause.
27. Verbs.
Learn the Regular Verb Forms.
Learn Common Irregular Verb Forms.
Know How to Use Auxiliary Verbs.
Learn the Verb Tenses.
Observe Sequence of Tenses.
Use Transitive and Intransitive Verbs Correctly (sit/set, lie/lay, rise/raise)
Favor Active over Passive Voice.
Make Sure Verbs Are in the Proper Mood.
28. Adjectives and Adverbs.
Use Adjectives to Modify Nouns.
Avoid Overuse of Nouns as Modifiers.
Use Adverbs to Modify Verbs, Adjectives, Other Adverbs, and Clauses.
Be Aware of Some Commonly Confused Adjectives.
Use Comparative and Superlative Forms of Adjectives and Adverbs Correctly.
Avoid Double Negatives.
VIII. COMMON GRAMMAR PROBLEMS.
29. Sentence Fragments.
Make Sentences Grammatically Complete.
Connect Dependent Clauses.
Connect Sentences.
Use Sentence Fragments Only for Special Effect.
30. Comma Splices and Run-on Sentences.
Turn One Clause into a Subordinate Clause.
Separate Clauses with a Comma and a Coordinating Conjunction.
Separate Independent Clauses with a Semicolon.
Separate Independent Clauses with a Period.
31. Subject-Verb Agreement.
Use Plural Verbs with Plural Subjects; Singular Verbs With Singular Subjects.
Use Plural Verbs with Most Compound Subjects.
Make the Verb Agree with the Closest Part of a Disjunctive Subject.
Make the Verb Agree in Number with the Sense of the Indefinite Pronoun.
Use Singular Verbs with Most Collective Nouns.
Use Singular Verbs with Nouns That Are Plural in Form but Singular in Sense.
Be Sure Linking Verb Agrees with Its Subject.
Make the Verb Agree with Its True Subject, Not the Expletive Here or There.
32. Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers.
Position Modifiers Close to the Words They Modify.
Avoid Ambiguity.
Try to Put Lengthy Modifiers at the Beginning or End.
Avoid Disruptive Modifiers.
Avoid Dangling Modifiers.
33. Faulty Shifts.
Avoid Shifts in Focus.
Avoid Unnecessary Shifts in Verb Tense and Mood.
Avoid Shifts in Tone.
Avoid Mixed Constructions.
Create Consistency Between Subjects and Predicates.
Avoid Unmarked Shifts Between Direct and Indirect Discourse.
IX. EFFECTIVE SENTENCES AND WORDS.
34. Clarity and Conciseness.
Avoid Excessively Long Sentences.
Avoid Unnecessary Repetition and Redundancy.
Use Expletives Only Where Appropriate.
Use Passive Voice Only Where Appropriate.
Eliminate Wordy Phrases.
Avoid a Noun-Heavy Style.
Choose Words That Express Your Meaning Precisely.
Use That to Clarify Sentence Structure.
Make Comparisons Complete and Clear.
35. Coordination and Subordination.
Look for a Way to Combine Closely Related Sentences.
Coordinate Related Sentences of Equal Value.
Subordinate Less Important Ideas.
36. Parallelism.
Put Parallel Content in Parallel Form.
Make All Items in a List or Series Parallel.
Use Parallelism with Correlative Conjunctions.
Use Parallelism for Comparisons or Contrasts.
Make Parallel Constructions Complete and Clear.
37. Variety.
Vary Sentence Length.
Vary Sentence Structure.
Avoid Excessive Repetition.
38. Choosing the Right Words.
Choose the Right Denotation.
Choose the Right Connotation.
Find the Right Level of Formality.
Avoid Jargon, Slang, or Dialect.
Avoid Pretentiousness.
Use Figurative Language.
* 39. Language and Power.
"Correctness."
Language and Identity.
Avoid Biased Gender References.
Avoid Biased Language About Race and Ethnicity.
Avoid Biased Language About Age and Other Differences.
40. Using a Thesaurus and Dictionary.
Use a Thesaurus to Find Exact Word.
Use a Dictionary to Learn About Words.
X. PUNCTUATION.
41. End Punctuation.
The Period.
To Mark the End of a Statement.
Initials, Abbreviations, Unit Divisions, and Computer Names.
Common Misuses of Periods.
The Question Mark.
After a Direct Request.
The Exclamation Point.
To Signal a Strong Statement.
42. The Comma.
To Set Off an Introductory Phrase or Clause.
Before a Coordinating Conjunction to Separate Independent Clauses.
In a Series.
To Separate Coordinate Adjectives.
To Set off Nonessential Phrases or Clauses.
To Set off Conjunctive Adverbs.
With Dates, Place Names and Addresses, Titles and Degrees, and Numbers.
With Speaker Tags.
With Markers of Direct Address.
Misusing.
43. The Semicolon.
To Separate Independent Clauses Not Linked by a Coordinating Conjunction.
To Separate Independent Clauses Linked by a Conjunctive Adverb.
In a Series.
Outside Quotation Marks.
Common Errors.
44. The Colon.
To Introduce a List or Appositive.
To Set off a Second Independent Clauses That Explains the First.
To Introduce a Quotation.
In Titles.
In Business Letters and Memos.
In Numbers and Addresses.
45. The Apostrophe.
With Nouns to Indicate Possession.
To Indicate Contractions and Omitted Letters.
To Mark Certain Plural Forms.
Misusing.
46. Quotation Marks.
For Exact Direct Quotations.
For Skepticism.
For Shifts of Register.
When Citing Titles of Short Works.
With Other Punctuation.
47. Other Punctuation Marks.
Parenthese.
To Insert Parenthetical Comments.
Overuse.
Around Letters or Numbers to Set off Embedded Lists.
Dashes.
To Highlight Extra Informational Comments.
To Set off Important or Surprising Points.
Use Only One Pair of Dashes per Sentence.
Brackets.
To Insert Editorial Comments or Clarifications into Quotations.
To Acknowledge Editorial Emphasis within a Quotation.
For Parenthetical Comments within Parentheses.
Ellipses.
To Indicate a Deletion from a Quotation.
To Indicate a Pause.
Slashes.
To Separate Lines of Poetry.
To Show Alternatives and to Indicate a Fraction.
In Internet Addresses and Informal Dates.
XI. MECHANICS AND SPELLING.
48. Capital Letters and Italics.
Capital Letters.
Capitalize the First Word of All Free-Standing Sentences.
Capitalize All Names, Associated Titles, and Proper Adjectives.
Capitalize All Significant Words in Titles.
Follow the Owner's Preferences in Capitalizing E-mail Addresses and URLs.
Italics.
Italicize Titles of Independent Creative Works.
Italicize URLs and E-mail Addresses.
Italicize Names of Vehicles.
Italicize Foreign Words and Phrases.
Italicize Words, Letters, and Numbers Referred to as Such.
Italicize Words for Emphasis.
49. Abbreviations and Numbers.
Abbreviations.
Abbreviate Titles, Ranks, and Degrees Only Before Or after Full Names.
Use Abbreviations after Numerical Dates and Times.
Use Latin Abbreviations Sparingly.
Use Acronyms and Initialisms Only If Their Meaning Is Clear.
Avoid Most Other Abbreviations in Formal Writing.
Numbers
Use Figures with Abbreviations and Conventionally Numerical References.
Write out Other Numbers That Can Be Expressed in One or Two Words.
Write out Numbers That Begin Sentences.
Write One Number as a Figure and the Other as a Word When One Number Modifies Another.
Write Related Numbers in the Same Way.
50. The Hyphen.
Consult Your Dictionary in Hyphenating Compounds.
Hyphenate Compounds Acting as Adjectives before Nouns.
Hyphenate Spelled-Out Fractions and Numbers from Twenty-One Through Ninety-Nine.
Hyphenate to Avoid Ambiguity and Awkward Spellings.
Use Hyphens for End-of-Line Word Division.
51. Spelling.
Use a Spell-Checker.
Master Troublesome Homophones.
Guard against Common Spelling Errors.
Learn General Spelling Rules and Patterns.
XII. ESL ISSUES.
52. Tips on Nouns and Articles.
Use the Plural Only with Count Nouns.
Use the for Specific References.
Use the with Most Proper Nouns Derived from Common Nouns.
Use a or an in Nonspecific References to Singular Count Nouns.
Use No Article in Nonspecific References to Plural Count
Nouns or Noncount Nouns.
53. Tips on Verbs.
Phrasal Verbs
Note Phrasal Verbs as You Listen and Read.
Verb Complements
Learn Which Verbs Take Participles as Complements.
Learn Which Verbs Take to Infinitives as Complements.
Learn Which Verbs Take Either Participles or to Infinitives as Complements.
Learn Which Verbs Take Only Unmarked Infinitives as Complements.
Verbs of State
Do Not Use the Progressive Tense with Verbs of State.
Modal Auxiliary Verbs
Use Only a Base Verb Form Immediately after a Modal Auxiliary.
Do Not Use More Than One Modal at a Time.
Conditional Sentences
In Factual Conditionals, Use the Same Verb Tense in Both Parts.
In Predictive Conditionals, Use a Present-Tense Verb in the if Clause and an Appropriate Modal in the Result Clause.
In Hypothetical Conditionals, Use a Past-Tense Verb in the if Clause and Would, Could, or Might in the Result Clause.
54. Tips on Word Order.
String Adjectives in the Order Preferred in English.
String Nouns for Easiest Recognition.
Use Meaning to Place Adverbs That Modify Verbs.
Place Adverbs Directly Before Adjectives or Adverbs That They Modify.
Place Adverbs Before Sentences or Clauses That They Modify.
Do Not Put an Adverb Between a Verb and Its Object.
55. Tips on Vocabulary.
Look for Cognates, but Watch Out for "False Friends."
Try to Get a Feel for Collocations.
Learn Idioms in Their Entirety.
Glossary of Usage,
Glossary of Computer Terms and Glossary of Grammatical and Rhetorical Terms are located on the Companion Website.
Index.
