LC = LearningCurve
Preface for Instructors
Introduction: Becoming a College Writer
Part I The Writing Process
1 Exploring, planning, and drafting [e-Pages]
Becoming a college writer: Choose topics you care about
a Assessing the writing situation
b Exploring your subject
c Drafting and revising a working thesis
d Drafting a plan
e Drafting an introduction
f Drafting the body
g Drafting a conclusion
h Managing your files
2 Revising, editing, and reflecting [e-Pages]
Becoming a college writer: Form a community of readers around you
a Revising with comments
b Approaching global revision in cycles
c Revising and editing sentences; proofreading a final draft
d Student writing: Literacy narrative
Writing guide: Literacy narrative
e Preparing a portfolio; reflecting on your writing
Writing guide: Reflective opening statement for a portfolio
3 Building effective paragraphs [e-Pages]
a Focusing on a main point
b Developing the main point
c Choosing a suitable pattern of organization
d Making paragraphs coherent
e Adjusting paragraph length
Part II Academic Reading and Writing
4 Reading and writing critically [e-Pages]
Becoming a college writer: Engage with the texts you read
a Reading actively
b Outlining a text to identify main ideas
c Summarizing to deepen your understanding
d Analyzing to demonstrate your critical reading
e Sample student essay: Analysis of an article
Writing Guide: Analyzing a written text
5 Reading and writing about images and multimodal texts [e-Pages]
a Reading actively
b Outlining to identify main ideas
c Summarizing to deepen your understanding
d Analyzing to demonstrate your critical reading
e Sample student essay: Analysis of an advertisement
6 Reading and writing arguments [e-Pages]
Becoming a college writer
a Distinguishing between reasonable and fallacious argumentative tactics
b Distinguishing between legitimate and unfair emotional appeals
c Judging how fairly a writer handles opposing views
d Identifying your purpose and context
e Viewing your audience as a panel of jurors
f Establishing credibility and stating your position
g Backing up your thesis with persuasive lines of argument
h Supporting your claims with specific evidence
i Anticipating objections; countering opposing arguments
j Building common ground
k Sample argument paper
Writing Guide: Constructing an argument
7 Reading and writing about literature [e-Pages]
a Reading actively
b Forming an interpretation
c Drafting a working thesis
d Using evidence from the text; avoiding plot summary
e Observing the conventions of literature papers
f Integrating quotations from the text
g Documenting secondary sources and avoiding plagiarism
h Sample student essays
ANALYSIS with a primary source and secondary sources
Part III Clear Sentences
8 Prefer active verbs. [e-Pages, LC]
a Active versus passive verbs
b Active versus be verbs
c Subject that names the actor
9 Balance parallel ideas. [e-Pages, LC]
a Parallel ideas in a series
b Parallel ideas presented as pairs
c Repetition of function words
10 Add needed words.
a In compound structures
b that
c In comparisons
d a, an, and the
11 Untangle mixed constructions.
a Mixed grammar
b Illogical connections
c is when, is where, and reason . . . is because
12 Repair misplaced and dangling modifiers. [e-Pages]
a Limiting modifiers
b Misplaced phrases and clauses
c Awkwardly placed modifiers
d Split infinitives
e Dangling modifiers
13 Eliminate distracting shifts. [e-Pages, LC]
a Point of view (person, number)
b Verb tense
c Verb mood, voice
d Indirect to direct questions or quotations
14 Emphasize key ideas. [e-Pages]
a Coordination and subordination
b Choppy sentences
c Ineffective or excessive coordination
d Ineffective subordination
e Excessive subordination
f Other techniques
15 Provide some variety. [e-Pages]
a Sentence openings
b Sentence structures
c Inverted order
d Question or quotation
Part IV Word Choice
16 Tighten wordy sentences. [e-Pages, LC]
a Redundancies
b Unnecessary repetition
c Empty or inflated phrases
d Simplifying the structure
e Reducing clauses to phrases, phrases to single words
17 Choose appropriate language. [e-Pages, LC]
a Jargon
b Pretentious language, euphemisms, “doublespeak”
c Obsolete and invented words
d Slang, regional expressions, nonstandard English
e Levels of formality
f Sexist language
g Offensive language
18 Find the exact words. [e-Pages, LC]
a Connotations
b Specific, concrete nouns
c Misused words
d Standard idioms
e Clichés
f Figures of speech
Part V Grammatical Sentences
19 Repair sentence fragments. [e-Pages, LC]
a Subordinate clauses
b Phrases
c Other fragmented word groups
d Acceptable fragments
20 Revise run-on sentences. [e-Pages, LC]
a Correction with coordinating conjunction
b Correction with semicolon, colon, or dash
c Correction by separating sentences
d Correction by restructuring
21 Make subjects and verbs agree. [e-Pages, LC]
a Standard subject-verb combinations
b Words between subject and verb
c Subjects joined with and
d Subjects joined with or, nor, either . . . or, or neither . . . nor
e Indefinite pronouns
f Collective nouns
g Subject following verb
h Subject, not subject complement
i who, which, and that
j Words with plural form, singular meaning
k Titles of works, company names, words mentioned as words, gerund phrases
22 Make pronouns and antecedents agree. [e-Pages, LC]
a Singular with singular, plural with plural (indefinite pronouns, generic nouns)
b Collective nouns
c Antecedents joined with and
d Antecedents joined with or, nor, either . . or, or neither . . . nor
23 Make pronoun references clear. [e-Pages, LC]
a Ambiguous or remote reference
b Broad reference of this, that, which, and it
c Implied antecedents
d Indefinite use of they, it, and you
e who for persons, which or that for things
24 Distinguish between pronouns such as I and me. [e-Pages]
a Subjective case for subjects and subject complements
b Objective case for objects
c Appositives
d Pronoun following than or as
e we or us before a noun
f ubjects and objects of infinitives
g Pronoun modifying a gerund
25 Distinguish between who and whom. [e-Pages]
a In subordinate clauses
b In questions
c As subjects or objects of infinitives
26 Choose adjectives and adverbs with care. [e-Pages]
a Adjectives to modify nouns
b Adverbs to modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs
c good and well, bad and badly
d Comparatives and superlatives
e Double negatives
27 Choose appropriate verb forms, tenses, and moods in standard English. [e-Pages, LC]
a Irregular verbs
b lie and lay
c -s (or -es) endings
d -ed endings
e Omitted verbs
f Verb tense
g Subjunctive mood
Part VI Multilingual Writers and ESL Challenges
28 Verbs [e-Pages, LC]
a Appropriate form and tense
b Passive voice
c Base form after a modal
d Negative verb forms
e Verbs in conditional sentences
f Verbs followed by gerunds or infinitives
29 Articles [e-Pages, LC]
a Articles and other noun markers
b When to use the
c When to use a or an
d When not to use a or an
e No articles with general nouns
f Articles with proper nouns
30 Sentence structure [e-Pages, LC]
a Linking verb between a subject and its complement
b A subject in every sentence
c Repeated nouns or pronouns with the same grammatical function
d Repeated objects, adverbs in adjective clauses
e Mixed constructions with although or because
f Placement of adverbs
g Present participles and past participles
h Order of cumulative adjectives
31 Prepositions and idiomatic expressions [e-Pages]
a Prepositions showing time and place
b Noun (including -ing form) after a preposition
c Common adjective + preposition combinations
d Common verb + preposition combinations
Part VII Punctuation
32 The comma [e-Pages, LC]
a Independent clauses joined with and, but, etc.
b Introductory clauses or phrases
c Items in a series
d Coordinate adjectives
e Nonrestrictive elements
f Transitions, parenthetical expressions, absolute phrases, contrasts
g Direct address, yes and no, interrogative tags, interjections
h he said, etc.
i Dates, addresses, titles, numbers
33 Unnecessary commas [e-Pages]
a Between two words, phrases, or subordinate clauses
b Between a verb and its subject or object
c Before the first or after the last item in a series
d Between cumulative adjectives, an adjective and a noun, or an adverb and an adjective
e Before and after restrictive or mildly parenthetical elements
f Before essential concluding adverbial elements
g After a phrase beginning an inverted sentence
h Other misuses
34 The semicolon [e-Pages]
a Independent clauses not joined with a coordinating conjunction
b Independent clauses linked with a transitional expression
c Series containing internal punctuation
d Misuses
35 The colon [e-Pages]
a Before a list, an appositive, a quotation, or a summary
b Conventional uses
c Misuses
36 The apostrophe [e-Pages, LC]
a Possessive nouns
b Possessive indefinite pronouns
c Contractions
d Not for plural numbers, letters, abbreviations, words as words
e Misuses
37 Quotation marks [e-Pages]
a Direct quotations
b Quotation within a quotation
c Titles of works
d Words as words
e With other punctuation marks
f Misuses
38 End punctuation
a The period
b The question mark
c The exclamation point
39 Other punctuation marks [e-Pages]
a Dash
b Parentheses
c Brackets
d Ellipsis mark
e Slash
Part VIII Mechanics
40 Abbreviations [e-Pages]
a Titles with proper names
b Familiar abbreviations
c Conventional abbreviations
d Units of measurement
e Latin abbreviations
f Plural of abbreviations
g Misuses
41 Numbers [e-Pages]
a Spelling out
b Using numerals
42 Italics [e-Pages]
a Titles of works
b Names of spacecraft, aircraft, and ships
c Foreign words
d Words as words, letters as letters, and numbers as numbers
43 Spelling
a Spelling rules
b The dictionary
c Words that sound alike
d Commonly misspelled words
44 The hyphen [e-Pages]
a Compound words
b Hyphenated adjectives
c Fractions and compound numbers
d With certain prefixes and suffixes
e To avoid ambiguity or to separate awkward double or triple letters
f Word division
45 Capitalization [e-Pages, LC]
a Proper versus common nouns
b Titles with proper names
c Titles and subtitles of works
d First word of a sentence
e First word of a quoted sentence
f First word after a colon
g Abbreviations
Part IX Grammar Basics
46 Parts of speech [e-Pages, LC]
a Nouns
b Pronouns
c Verbs
d Adjectives
e Adverbs
f Prepositions
g Conjunctions
h Interjections
47 Sentence patterns [e-Pages]
a Subjects
b Verbs, objects, and complements
c Pattern variations
48 Subordinate word groups [e-Pages]
a Prepositional phrases
b Verbal phrases
c Appositive phrases
d Absolute phrases
e Subordinate clauses
49 Sentence types [e-Pages]
a Sentence structures
b Sentence purposes
Part X Researched Writing
50 Conducting research [e-Pages]
Becoming a college writer: Join a research conversation
a Managing stress by managing the project
b Posing questions worth exploring
c Mapping out a search strategy
d Searching efficiently; mastering a few shortcuts to finding good sources
e Conducting field research, if appropriate
51 Managing information; taking notes responsibly [e-Pages]
a Maintaining a working bibliography
b Keeping track of source materials
c Avoiding unintentional plagiarism
52 Evaluating sources [e-Pages]
a Determining how sources might contribute to your writing
b Selecting sources worth your time and attention
c Selecting appropriate versions of online sources
d Reading with an open mind and a critical eye
e Assessing Web sources with care
f Constructing an annotated bibliography
Writing Guide: Annotated bibliography
Writing MLA papers
53 Supporting a thesis [e-Pages]
a Forming a working thesis
b Organizing ideas with a rough outline
c Using sources to inform and support your argument
d Drafting an introduction for your thesis
e Providing organizational cues
f Drafting the paper in an appropriate voice
54 Citing sources; avoiding plagiarism [e-Pages]
a Understanding how the MLA system works
b Avoiding plagiarism when quoting, summarizing, and paraphrasing sources
55 Integrating sources [e-Pages]
Becoming a college writer: Provide context for sources
a Using quotations appropriately
b Using signal phrases to integrate sources
c Synthesizing sources
56 MLA documentation style [e-Pages]
a MLA in-text citations
b MLA list of works cited
c MLA information notes (optional)
57 MLA manuscript format; sample research paper
a MLA manuscript format
b Sample MLA research paper
Writing guide: Research paper
Writing APA papers
58 Supporting a thesis [e-Pages]
a Forming a working thesis
b Organizing your ideas
c Using sources to inform and support your argument
59 Citing sources; avoiding plagiarism [e-Pages]
a Using the APA system for citing sources
b Avoiding plagiarism
60 Integrating sources [e-Pages]
a Using quotations appropriately
b Using signal phrases to integrate sources
c Synthesizing sources
61 APA documentation style [e-Pages]
a APA in-text citations
b APA list of references
62 APA manuscript format; sample research paper
a APA manuscript format
b Sample APA research paper
Writing Chicago papers
63 Chicago papers [e-Pages]
a Supporting a thesis
b Citing sources; avoiding plagiarism
c Integrating sources
d Chicago documentation style
e Chicago manuscript format
f Sample Chicago research paper
Part XI Writing in the Disciplines
64 Learning to write in a discipline
a Finding commonalities across disciplines
b Recognizing the questions that writers in a discipline ask
c Understanding the kinds of evidence that writers in a discipline use
d Becoming familiar with the discipline’s language conventions
e Using a discipline’s preferred citation style
65 Approaching writing assignments in the disciplines
a Writing in psychology
b Writing in business
c Writing in biology
d Writing in nursing
APPENDIX: A Document Design Gallery