Preface xv
Part I
The Reading Process
1 Becoming a Critical Reader
Stage 1: Get an Overview of the Selection
Stage 2: Deepen Your Sense of the Selection
Stage 3: Evaluate the Selection
Assessing Visuals in a Reading
Assessing an Image: An Example
Assessing a Graph: An Example
A Model Annotated Reading
Ellen Goodman, "Family Counterculture"
Part II
The Writing Process
2 Getting Started Through Prewriting
Use Prewriting to Get Started
Keep a Journal
The Pre-Reading Journal Entry
Understand the Boundaries of the Assignment
Determine Your Purpose, Audience, Tone, and Point of View
Discover Your Essay's Limited Subject
Generate Raw Material About Your Limited Subject
Conduct Research
Organize the Raw Material
Activities: Getting Started Through Prewriting
3 Identifying a Thesis
What Is a Thesis?
Finding a Thesis
Writing an Effective Thesis
Tone and Point of View
Implied Pattern of Development
Including a Plan of Development
1. Don't Write a Highly Opinionated Statement
2. Don't Make an Announcement
3. Don't Make a Factual Statement
4. Don't Make a Broad Statement
Arriving at an Effective Thesis
Placing the Thesis in an Essay
Activities: Identifying a Thesis
4 Supporting the Thesis with Evidence
What Is Evidence?
How Do You Find Evidence?
How the Patterns of Development Help Generate Evidence
Characteristics of Evidence
The Evidence Is Relevant and Unified
The Evidence Is Specific
The Evidence Is Adequate
The Evidence Is Dramatic
The Evidence Is Accurate
The Evidence Is Representative
Borrowed Evidence Is Documented
Activities: Supporting the Thesis with Evidence
5 Organizing the Evidence
Use the Patterns of Development
Select an Organizational Approach
Chronological Approach
Spatial Approach
Emphatic Approach
Simple-to-Complex Approach
Prepare an Outline
Activities: Organizing the Evidence
6 Writing the Paragraphs in the First Draft
How to Move from Outline to First Draft
General Suggestions on How to Proceed
If You Get Bogged Down
A Suggested Sequence for Writing the First Draft
1. Write the Supporting Paragraphs
2. Write Other Paragraphs in the Essay's Body
3. Write the Introduction
4. Write the Conclusion
5. Write the Title
Pulling It All Together
Sample First Draft
Harriet Davids, "Challenges for Today's Parents"
Commentary
Activities: Writing the Paragraphs in the First Draft
7 R evising Overall Meaning, Structure, and Paragraph Development
Five Strategies to Make Revision Easier
Set Your First Draft Aside for a While
Work from Printed Text
Read the Draft Aloud
View Revision as a Series of Steps
Evaluate and Respond to Instructor Feedback
Peer Review: An Additional Revision Strategy
Evaluate and Respond to Peer Review
Revising Overall Meaning and Structure
Revising Paragraph Development
Sample Student Revision of Overall Meaning, Structure, and Paragraph Development
Activities: Revising Overall Meaning, Structure, and Paragraph Development
8 Revising Sentences and Words
Revising Sentences
Make Sentences Consistent with Your Tone
Make Sentences Economical
Vary Sentence Type
Vary Sentence Length
Make Sentences Emphatic
Revising Words 1
Make Words Consistent with Your Tone
Use an Appropriate Level of Diction
Avoid Words That Overstate or Understate
Select Words with Appropriate Connotations
Use Specific Rather Than General Words
Use Strong Verbs
Delete Unnecessary Adverbs
Use Original Figures of Speech
Avoid Sexist Language
Sample Student Revision of Sentences and Words
Activities: Revising Sentences and Words
9 Editing and Proofreading
Edit Carefully
Use the Appropriate Manuscript Format
Proofread Closely
Student Essay: From Prewriting Through Proofreading
Harriet Davids, "Challenges for Today's Parents"
Commentary
Activities: Editing and Proofreading
Part III
The Patterns of Development
10 Description
What Is Description?
How Description Fits Your Purpose and Audience
Prewriting Strategies
Strategies for Using Description in an Essay
Revision Strategies
Student Essay: From Prewriting Through Revision
Marie Martinez, "Salt Marsh"
Commentary
Activities: Description
Prewriting Activities
Revising Activities
Professional Selections: Description
Mario Suarez, "El Hoyo"
Cherokee Paul McDonald, "A View from the Bridge"
Gordon Parks, "Flavio's Home"
Additional Writing Topics: Description
11 Narration
What Is Narration?
How Narration Fits Your Purpose and Audience
Prewriting Strategies
Strategies for Using Narration in an Essay
Revision Strategies
Student Essay: From Prewriting Through Revision
Paul Monahan, "If Only"
Commentary
Activities: Narration
Prewriting Activities
Revising Activities
Professional Selections: Narration
Audre Lorde, "The Fourth of July"
Lynda Barry, "The Sanctuary of School"
Joan Murray, "Someone's Mother"
Additional Writing Topics: Narration
12 Illustration
What Is Illustration?
How Illustration Fits Your Purpose and Audience
Prewriting Strategies
Strategies for Using Illustration in an Essay
Revision Strategies
Student Essay: From Prewriting Through Revision
Michael Pagano, "Pursuit of Possessions"
Commentary
Activities: Illustration
Prewriting Activities
Revising Activities
Professional Selections: Illustration
Kay S. Hymowitz, "Tweens: Ten Going On Sixteen"
Beth Johnson, "Bombs Bursting in Air"
France Borel, "The Decorated Body"
Additional Writing Topics: Illustration
13 Division-Classification
What Is Division-Classification?
How Division-Classification Fits Your Purpose and Audience Prewriting Strategies
Strategies for Using Division-Classification in an Essay
Revision Strategies
Student Essay: From Prewriting Through Revision
Gail Oremland, "The Truth About College Teachers"
Commentary
Activities: Division-Classification
Prewriting Activities
Revising Activities
Professional Selections: Division-Classification
Ann McClintock, "Propaganda Techniques in Today's Advertising"
Scott Russell Sanders, "The Men We Carry in Our Minds"
Bianca Bosker, "How Teens Are Really Using Facebook: It's a 'Social Burden,' Pew Study Finds"
Additional Writing Topics: Division-Classification
14 Process Analysis
What Is Process Analysis?
How Process Analysis Fits Your Purpose and Audience
Prewriting Strategies
Strategies for Using Process Analysis in an Essay
Revision Strategies
Student Essay: From Prewriting Through Revision
Robert Barry, "Becoming a Recordoholic"
Commentary
Activities: Process Analysis
Prewriting Activities
Revising Activities
Professional Selections: Process Analysis
Amy Sutherland, "What Shamu Taught Me About a Happy Marriage"
David Shipley, "Talk About Editing"
Alex Horton, "On Getting By"
Additional Writing Topics: Process Analysis
15 Comparison-Contrast
What Is Comparison-Contrast?
How Comparison-Contrast Fits Your Purpose and Audience
Prewriting Strategies
Strategies for Using Comparison-Contrast in an Essay
Revision Strategies
Student Essay: From Prewriting Through Revision
Carol Siskin, "The Virtues of Growing Older"
Commentary
Activities: Comparison-Contrast
Prewriting Activities
Revising Activities
Professional Selections: Comparison-Contrast
Eric Weiner, "Euromail and Amerimail"
Patricia Cohen, "Reality TV: Surprising Throwback to the Past?"
Alex Wright, "Friending, Ancient or Otherwise"
Additional Writing Topics: Comparison-Contrast
16 Cause-Effect
What Is Cause-Effect?
How Cause-Effect Fits Your Purpose and Audience
Prewriting Strategies
Strategies for Using Cause-Effect in an Essay
Revision Strategies
Student Essay: From Prewriting Through Revision
Carl Novack, "Americans and Food"
Commentary
Activities: Cause-Effect
Prewriting Activities
Revising Activities
Professional Selections: Cause-Effect
Stephen King, "Why We Crave Horror Movies"
Belinda Luscombe, "The Science of Romance: Why We Flirt"
Josie Appleton, "The Body Piercing Project"
Additional Writing Topics: Cause-Effect
17 Definition
What Is Definition?
How Definition Fits Your Purpose and Audience
Prewriting Strategies
Strategies for Using Definition in an Essay
Revision Strategies
Student Essay: From Prewriting Through Revision
Laura Chen, "Physics in Everyday Life"
Commentary
Activities: Definition
Prewriting Activities
Revising Activities
Professional Selections: Definition
Ann Hulbert, "Beyond the Pleasure Principle"
Laura Fraser, "The Inner Corset"
Keith Johnson, "Who's a Pirate? In Court, a Duel over Definitions"
Additional Writing Topics: Definition
18 Argumentation-Persuasion
What Is Argumentation-Persuasion?
How Argumentation-Persuasion Fits Your Purpose and Audience
Prewriting Strategies
Strategies for Using Argumentation-Persuasion in an Essay
Revision Strategies
Student Essay: From Prewriting Through Revision
Mark Simmons, "Compulsory National Service"
Commentary
Activities: Argumentation-Persuasion
Prewriting Activities
Revising Activities
Professional Selections: Argumentation-Persuasion
Anna Quindlen, "Driving to the Funeral"
Mary Sherry, "In Praise of the "F" Word"
Debating the Issues: Gender-Based Education
Gerry Garibaldi, "How the Schools Shortchange Boys"
Michael Kimmel, "A War Against Boys?"
Debating the Issues: Government Regulation to Help Control Obesity and Related Diseases
Robert Lustig, Laura Schmidt, and Claire Brindis, "The Toxic Truth About Sugar"
Michael Marlow and Sherzod Abdukadirov, "Government Intervention Will Not Solve Our Obesity Problem"
Additional Writing Topics: Argumentation-Persuasion
Part IV
The Research Essay
19 Locating, Evaluating, Analyzing, and Synthesizing Research Sources
Plan the Research
Understand the Essay's Boundaries
Choose a General Subject
Prewrite to Limit the General Subject
Understand Primary versus Secondary Research
Conduct Preliminary Research
Identify a Tentative (Working) Thesis
Make a Schedule
Conduct Primary Research
Conduct Interviews
Carry Out Surveys
Conduct Secondary Research
Find Books on Your Subject
Find Periodicals on Your Subject
Find Sources on the Internet
Know the Advantages and Limitations of the Library and the Web
Prepare a Working Bibliography and Take Notes
Record Information About the Source
Take Notes on the Source
Evaluate Sources and Analyze Information
Evaluate Sources
Analyze Information
Use Quotation, Summary, and Paraphrase to Synthesize Research While Avoiding Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Direct Quotation
Summary
Paraphrase
Activities: Locating, Evaluating, and Integrating Research Sources
20 Writing the Research Essay
Refine Your Working Thesis
Sort Your Research Results
Organize the Evidence by Outlining
Write the First Draft
Integrate Sources into Your Writing
Using Sources Effectively
Awkward Use of a Quotation
Effective Use of a Source
Introducing a Source
Using Variety in Attributions
Shortening or Clarifying Quotations
Capitalizing and Punctuating Short Quotations
Document Sources to Avoid Plagiarism
What Needs to Be Documented?
What Does Not Need to Be Documented?
Creating In-Text References: MLA Format
Revise, Edit, and Proofread the First Draft
Prepare the Works Cited List: MLA Format
General Instructions for the MLA Works Cited
Citing Print Sources-Periodicals
Citing Print Sources-Books
Citing Sources Found on a Website
Citing Sources Found Through an Online Database or Scholarly Project
Citing Other Common Sources
Prepare the References List: APA Format
Parenthetic Citations in the Text
General Instructions for the APA References List
Citing Print Sources-Periodicals
Citing Print Sources-Books
Citing Sources Found on a Website
Citing Sources Found Through an Online Database or Scholarly Project
Citing Other Common Sources
Student Research Paper: MLA-Style Documentation
Commentary
Student Research Paper: APA-Style Documentation
Activities: Writing the Research Essay
Part V
The Literary Essay and Exam Essay
21 Writing About Literature
Elements of Literary Works
Literary Terms
How to Read a Literary Work
Read to Form a General Impression
Ask Questions About the Work
Reread and Annotate
Modify Your Annotations
Write the Literary Analysis
Prewrite
Identify Your Thesis
Support the Thesis with Evidence
Organize the Evidence
Write the First Draft
Revise Overall Meaning, Structure, and Paragraph Development
Edit and Proofread
Pulling It All Together
Read to Form a General Impression
Langston Hughes, "Early Autumn"
Student Essay
Karen Vais, "Stopping to Talk"
Commentary
Additional Selections and Writing Assignments
Robert Frost, "Out, Out-"
Kate Chopin, "The Story of an Hour"
22 Writing Exam Essays
Three Forms of Written Answers
Short Answers
Paragraph-Length Answers
Essay-Length Answers
How to Prepare for Exam Essays
At the Examination
Survey the Entire Test
Understand the Essay Question
Write the Essay
Prewrite
Identify Your Thesis
Support the Thesis with Evidence
Organize the Evidence
Write the Draft
Revise, Edit, and Proofread
Sample Essay Answer
Commentary
Activity: Writing Exam Essays
