Motivates students with a real-world emphasis. In Real Essays’ assignment chapters, each type of writing is illustrated with selections from college, work, and everyday life. “Profiles of Success” boxes feature former students, now employed in a range of professions, who discuss the importance of the writing skills they gained in college. In Part 8, Readings for Writers, student-authored readings are real-world oriented, such as Monique Rizer’s “When Students Are Parents” and veteran Michael Jernigan’s “Living the Dream.” These and other features help students connect the activities of the writing class with their own long-term goals.
Presents Essay Writing in Logical, Manageable Increments. Real Essays first presents the “four basics” of good writing and of each type of writing, such as illustration and argument. This approach keeps students focusing on the essentials, preventing overload. Other effective learning tools in Real Essays are color-coded model passages, step-by-step writing guides, graphic flow-charts, an abundance of practices, and absorbing examples by students and professional writers.
Covers Grammar and Editing in a Clear, Concise Way that Works. The editing section first considers “the four most serious errors”—fragments, run-ons, subject-verb agreement problems, and verb errors—allowing students to gain confidence. Later chapters on grammar, punctuation, and mechanics build on this foundation. Innovative practices and review charts reinforce key points, and marginal references direct students to Exercise Central for even more practice.
Includes a strong college success component. A practical first chapter, “Succeeding in College,” encourages students to find and use available campus resources, get involved in their college community, communicate frequently with a trusted advisor, and have a knowledgeable plan for reaching degree goals, even if those goals change along the way.