Preface
I. THE READING PROCESS.
1. Becoming a Strong Reader
Stage 1: Get an Overview of the Selection
Stage 2: Deepen Your Sense of the Selection
Stage 3: Evaluate the Selection
Ellen Goodman, Family Counterculture
II. THE WRITING PROCESS
2. Getting Started Through Prewriting
Observations About the Writing Process
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
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
Don't Write a Highly Opinionated Statement
Don't Make an Announcement
Don't Make a Factual Statement
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
Write the Supporting Paragraphs
Write Other Paragraphs in the Essay's Body
Write the Introduction
Write the Conclusion
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. Revising 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
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
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
Maya Angelou, Sister Flowers
*David Helvarg, The Storm this Time
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
George Orwell, Shooting an Elephant
*Charmie Gholson, Charity Display?
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
*Leslie Savan, Black Talk and Pop Culture
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
William Lutz, Double Speak
Scott Russell Sanders, The Men We Carry in Our Minds
*David Brooks, Psst! 'Human Capital'
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
Clifford Stoll, Cyberschool
Diane Cole, Don't Just Stand There
*David Shipley, Talk About Editing
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
Toni Morrison, A Slow Walk of Trees
Patricia Cohen, Reality TV: Surprising Throwback to the Past?
*Eric Weiner, Euromail and Amerimail
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
*Buzz Bissinger, Innocents Afield
Brent Staples, Black Men and Public Space
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
K. C. Cole, Entropy
James Gleick, Life as Type A
*Natalie Angier, The Cute Factor
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
* Stanley Fish, Free Speech Follies
Mary Sherry, In Praise of the 'F' Word
Debating the Issues: Date Rape
Camille Paglia, A Bigger Danger than Feminists Know
Susan Jacoby, Common Decency
*Debating the Issues: Immigration
*Roberto Rodriguez, The Border On Our Backs
*Star Parker, Se Habla Entitlement
Additional Writing Topics: Argumentation-Persuasion
IV. THE RESEARCH PAPER
19. Locating, Evaluating, and Integrating Online and Print Sources
Plan the Research
Understand the Paper's Boundaries
Understand Primary versus Secondary Research
Choose a General Subject
Prewrite to Limit the General Subject
Conduct Preliminary Research
Identify a Working Thesis
Make a Schedule
Find Sources in the Library
The Computerized Catalog
The Reference Section
Periodicals
Use the Internet
The Internet and the World Wide Web
What the Web Offers
The Advantages and Limitations of the Library and the Web
Using Online Time Efficiently
Using the Net to Find Materials on Your Topic
Using Discussion Groups and Blogs
Using Wikis
Evaluating Online Materials
Using Other Online Tools
Prepare a Working Bibliography
Take Notes to Support the Thesis with Evidence
Before Note-Taking: Evaluate Sources
Before Note-Taking: Refine Your Working Bibliography
Before Note-Taking: Read Your Sources
When Note-Taking: What to Select
When Note-Taking: How to Record Statistics
When Note-Taking: Recording Information
When Note-Taking: Photocopies and Printouts
Kinds of Notes
Plagiarism
Combining Notes
Activities: Locating, Evaluating, and Integrating Research Sources
20. Writing the Research Paper
Refine Your Working Thesis
Sort Your Notes
Organize the Evidence by Outlining
Write the First Draft
Presenting the Results of Primary Research
Document Borrowed Material to Avoid Plagiarism: MLA Format
Indicate Author and Page
Special Cases of Authorship
Special Cases of Pagination
Blending Quotations into Your Text
Presenting Statistics
Revise, Edit, and Proofread the First Draft
Prepare the Works Cited List: MLA Format
Citing Book Sources
Citing Periodical Sources
Citing Electronic Sources
Citing Other Nonprint Sources
Document Borrowed Material to Avoid Plagiarism: APA Format
Parenthetic Citations
References List
Citing Book Sources
Citing Periodical Sources
Citing Electronic Sources
Citing Other Nonprint Sources
A Note About Other Documentation Systems
Student Research Paper: MLA-Style Documentation
Brian Courtney, America's Homeless: How the Government Can Help
Commentary
Activities: Writing the Research Paper
V. THE LITERARY PAPER 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
Ask Questions about the Work
Reread and Annotate
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 of 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
Appendix: A Guide to Avoiding Plagiarism
Acknowledgements
Index