Subject and Strategy

1 Reading
 Developing an Effective Reading Process
     Step 1: Prepare Yourself to Read the Selection
     Step 2: Read the Selection
     Step 3: Reread the Selection
     Step 4: Annotate the Selection
          *An Example: Annotating Rita Dove's “Loose Ends”
          *Rita Dove, Loose Ends

     Step 5: Analyze and Evaluate the Selection
The Reading Process in Action: Thomas L. Friedman's “My Favorite Teacher”
*About the Photographs and Visual Texts in This Book

The Reading-Writing Connection
     Reading as a Writer

2 Writing
 Developing an Effective Writing Process
     Step 1: Understand Your Assignment
          Finding a Subject Area and Focusing on a Topic
          Determine Your Purpose
          Know Your Audience
     Step 2: Gather Ideas and Formulate a Thesis
          Brainstorming
          Clustering
          Researching
          Rehearsing Ideas
          Formulating a Thesis
     Step 3: Organize and Write Your First Draft
          Determining a Strategy for Developing Your Essay
          Choosing Strategies across the Disciplines
          Writing Your First Draft
          Academic Writing
     Step 4: Revise Your Essay
          Taking Advantage of Peer Critiques
          Revising the Larger Elements of Your Essay
          Writing Beginnings and Endings
          Revising the Smaller Elements of Your Essay
     Step 5: Edit and Proofread Your Essay
A Student Essay in Progress
     Step 1: Keith's Assignment
     Step 2: Keith's Ideas
     Step 3: Keith's First Draft
     Step 4: Keith's Revised Essay
     Step 5: Keith's Edited Essay
          Keith Eldred, Secular Mantras (student essay)

3 Six Writers on Writing
     Russell Baker, Discovering the Power of My Words
     Anne Lamott, Shitty First Drafts
     Linda Flower, Writing for an Audience
     William Zinsser, Simplicity
     Donald M. Murray, The Maker's Eye: Revising Your Own Manuscripts
     *Stephen King, Reading to Write

4 Narration
What is Narration?
Narration in Written Texts
Using Narration as a Writing Strategy
Using Narration across the Disciplines
Sample Student Essay Using Narration as a Writing Strategy
     Laura LaPierre, Why Are You Here? (student essay)
Suggestions for Using Narration as a Writing Strategy
     Planning Your Narration Essay
          Select a Topic That Has Meaning for You
          Determine Your Point and Purpose
          Establish a Context
          Choose the Most Appropriate Point of View
          Gather Details That “Show, Don't Tell”
     Organizing Your Narration Essay
          Identify the Sequence of Events in Your Narrative
     Writing Your Narration Essay
          Keep Your Verb Tense Consistent
          Use Narrative Time for Emphasis
          Use Transitional Words to Clarify Narrative Sequence
          Use Dialogue to Bring Your Narrative to Life
     Revising and Editing Your Narration Essay
          Share Your Draft with Others
          Question Your Own Work While Revising and Editing
Malcolm X, Coming to an Awareness of Language
Annie Dillard, From An American Childhood
Barry Winston, Stranger Than True
David P. Bardeen, Not Close Enough for Comfort
*Vernon E. Jordon Jr., Vernon Can Read!
Writing Suggestions for Narration

What is Description?
Description in Written Texts
Using Description as a Writing Strategy
Using Description across the Disciplines

Sample Student Essay Using Description as a Writing Strategy
     *Jim Tassé, Trailcheck (student essay)

Suggestions for Using Description as a Writing Strategy
     Planning Your Description Essay
          Determine a Purpose
          Use Description in the Service of an Idea
     Organizing Your Description Essay
          Create a Dominant Impression
          Organize Your Details to Create a Vivid Picture
     Revising and Editing Your Description Essay
          Show, Don't Tell: Use Specific Nouns and Action Verbs
          Question Your Own Work While Revising and Editing
     Questions for Revising and Editing: Description
Cherokee Paul McDonald, A View from the Bridge

*Stan Badgett, Rock Dust

Pat Mora, Remembering Lobo

Robert Ramirez, The Barrio

Maya Angelou, Sister Flowers

Writing Suggestions for Description

 

What is Illustration?

Illustration in Written Texts
Using Illustration as a Writing Strategy
Using Illustration across the Disciplines
Sample Student Essay Using Illustration as a Writing Strategy
     *Paula Kersch, Weight Management: More than a Matter of Good Looks (student essay)
Suggestions for Using Illustration as a Writing Strategy
     Planning Your Illustration Essay
          Focus on Your Thesis or Main Idea
          Gather More Examples Than You Can Use
          Choose Relevant Examples
          Be Sure Your Examples Are Representative
     Organizing Your Illustration Essay
          Sequence Your Examples Logically
          Use Transitions
     Revising and Editing Your Illustration Essay
          Share Your Work with Others
          Question Your Own Work While Revising and Editing
     Questions for Revising and Editing: Illustration
Natalie Goldberg, Be Specific

Mitch Albom, If You Had One Day with Someone Who's Gone

Deborah Tannen, How to Give Orders Like a Man

*Mike Rose, Blue Collar Brilliance

*Alice Walker, In Full Bloom

Writing Suggestions for Illustration
 
7 Process Analysis

What is Process Analysis?
Process Analysis in Written Texts
Using Process Analysis as a Writing Strategy
     Directional Process Analysis
     Informational Process Analysis
     Evaluative Process Analysis
Using Process Analysis across the Disciplines
Sample Student Essay Using Process Analysis as a Writing Strategy
     Shoshanna Lew, How (Not) to Be Selected for Jury Duty (student essay)
Suggestions for Using Process Analysis as a Writing Strategy
     Planning Your Process Analysis Essay
          Know the Process You Are Writing About
          Have a Clear Purpose
     Organizing Your Process Analysis Essay
          Organize the Process into Steps
          Use Transitions to Link the Steps
     Revising and Editing Your Process Analysis Essay
          Energize Your Writing: Use the Active voice and Strong Action Verbs
          Use Consistent Verb Tense
          Share Your Drafts with Others
          Question Your Own Work While Revising and Editing
     Questions for Revising and Editing: Process Analysis
 Mortimer Adler, How to Mark a Book

 Paul Roberts, How to Say Nothing in 500 Words

 *Michael Pollan, Eating Industrial Meat

 *Tiffany Sharples, Young Love

 Nikki Giovanni, Campus Racism 101

 Writing Suggestions for Process Analysis

What are Comparison and Contrast?
Comparison and Contrast in Written Texts
Using Comparison and Contrast as a Writing Strategy
Using Comparison and Contrast across the Disciplines
Sample Student Essay Using Comparison and Contrast as a Writing Strategy
     Barbara Bowman, Guns and Cameras (student essay)
Suggestions for Using Comparison and Contrast as a Writing Strategy

     Planning Your Comparison and Contrast Essay
          Compare Subjects from the Same Class
          Determine Your Purpose, and Focus on it
          Formulate a Thesis Statement
          Choose the Points of Comparison
     Organizing and Writing Your Comparison and Contrast Essay
          Choose an Organizational Pattern That Fits Your Material
          Use Parallel Constructions for Emphasis
     Revising and Editing Your Comparison and Contrast Essay
          Share Your Drafts with Others
          Question Your Own Work While Revising and Editing
     Questions for Revising and Editing: Comparison and Contrast

*Kim Hoang, Chinese in New York, American in Beijing

*Bharati Mukherjee, Two Ways to Belong in America

*Malcolm Jones, Who Was More Important: Lincoln or Darwin?

Suzanne Britt, Neat People vs. Sloppy People

Bruce Catton, Grant and Lee: A Study in Contrasts

Writing Suggestions for Comparison and Contrast

What are Division and Classification?
Division and Classification in Written Texts
Using Division and Classification as a Writing Strategy
Using Division and Classification across the Disciplines
Sample Student Essay Using Division and Classification as a Writing Strategy
     Gerald Cleary, How Loud? How Good? How Much? How Pretty? (student essay)
Suggestions for Using Division and Classification as a Writing Strategy
     Planning Your Division and Classification Essay
          Determine Your Purpose, and Focus on It
          Formulate a Thesis Statement
     Organizing and Writing Your Division and Classification Essay
          Establish Valid Categories
          State Your Conclusion
     Revising and Editing Your Division and Classification Essay
          Listen to What Your Classmates Have to Say
          Question Your Own Work While Revising and Editing
     Questions for Revising and Editing: Division and Classification
Rosalind Wiseman, The Queen Bee and Her Court

*Jim Kitchens, The Psychology of Persuasive Messaging

Judith Viorst, The Truth about Lying

*Amy Rashap, The American Dream for Sale: Ethnic Images in Magazines

Martin Luther King Jr., The Ways of Meeting Oppression

Writing Suggestions for Division and Classification

 

What is Definition?
Definition in Written Texts
Using Definition as a Writing Strategy
Using Definition across the Disciplines
Sample Student Essay Using Definition as a Writing Strategy
     Howard Solomon, Jr., Best Friends (student essay)
Suggestions for Using Definition as a Writing Strategy

     Planning Your Definition Essay
          Determine Your Purpose
          Formulate a Thesis Statement
          Consider Your Audience
          Choose a Type of Definition That Fits Your Subject
     Organizing and Writing Your Definition Essay
          Develop an Organizational Plan
          Use Other Rhetorical Strategies to Support Your Definition
     Revising and Editing Your Definition Essay
          Share Your Drafts with Others
          Select Words That Accurately Denote and Connote What You Want to Say
          Use Specific and Concrete Words
          Question Your Own Work While Revising and Editing
     Questions for Revising and Editing: Definition
Jo Goodwin Parker, What Is Poverty?

G. Anthony Gorry, Steal This MP3 File: What Is Theft?

*Deborah M. Roffman, What Does 'Boys Will Be Boys' Really Mean?

Sojourner Truth, Ain't I a Woman?

*David Brooks, The Odyssey Years

Writing Suggestions for Definition

 

What is Cause and Effect Analysis?
Cause and Effect Analysis in Written Texts
Using Cause and Effect Analysis as a Writing Strategy
Using Cause and Effect Analysis across the Disciplines
Sample Student Essay Using Cause and Effect Analysis as a Writing Strategy
     Kevin Cunningham, Gentrification (student essay)
Suggestions for Using Cause and Effect Analysis as a Writing Strategy
     Planning Your Cause and Effect Analysis
          Establish Your Focus
          Determine Your Purpose
          Formulate a Thesis Statement
     Organizing and Writing Your Cause and Effect Analysis
          Avoid Oversimplification and Errors of Logic
          Use Other Rhetorical Strategies
     Revising and Editing Your Cause and Effect Analysis
          Select Words That Strike a Balanced Tone
          Share Your Draft with Others
          Question Your Own Work While Revising and Editing
     Questions for Revising and Editing: Cause and Effect Analysis
Jon Katz, How Boys Become Men

*Jennie Yabroff, Here's Looking at You, Kids

Andrew Sullivan, iPod World: The End of Society?

Carl M. Cannon, The Real Computer Virus

*Michael Jonas, The Downside of Diversity

Writing Suggestions for Cause and Effect Analysis

 

What is Argumentation?
Argument in Written Texts
Using Argumentation as a Writing Strategy
Using Argumentation across the Disciplines
Sample Student Essay Using Argumentation as a Writing Strategy
     Mark Jackson, The Liberal Arts: A Practical View (student essay)

Suggestions for Using Argumentation as a Writing Strategy

     Planning Your Argumentation Essay
          Determine Your Thesis or Proposition
          Consider Your Audience
          Gather Supporting Evidence
     Organizing and Writing Your Argumentation Essay
          Choose an Organizational Pattern
          Consider Refutations to Your Argument
          Use Other Rhetorical Strategies
          Conclude Forcefully
     Revising and Editing Your Argumentation Essay
          Avoid Faulty Reasoning
          Share Your Draft with Others
          Question Your Own Work While Revising and Editing
     Questions for Revising and Editing: Argumentation
Thomas Jefferson, The Declaration of Independence

Richard Lederer, The Case for Short Words

Martin Luther King Jr., I Have a Dream

*Steven Pinker, In Defense of Dangerous Ideas

*Barbara Ehrenreich, This Land Is Their Land: How the Rich Confiscate Natural Beauty from the Public

*Argument Trio: On Blogging
     *Andrew Sullivan, Why I Blog
     *Andrew Keen, Web 2.0
     *Matt Welch, Blogworld and Its Gravity: The New Amateur Journalists Weigh In
 *Argument Roundtable: Alpha Wives: The Trend and the Truth
     *Stephanie Coontz, Women Finally Start to Catch Up
     *Claudia Goldin, The Benefits of the Breadwinning Wife
     *Ralph Richard Banks, The Marriage Decline
     *Andrew J. Cherlin, The Housewife Anomaly
     *Janet Reibstein, It's About Respect
     *Kathleen Gerson, No Role Reversals
     *Barbara Dafoe Whitehead, Separate and Unequal Mating Markets 
Writing Suggestions for Argumentation

 

What Does it Mean to Combine Strategies?
Combining Strategies in Written Texts
Sample Student Essay Using a Combination of Strategies

     Tara E. Ketch, Kids, You Can't Read That Book! (student essay)
Suggestions for Using a Combination of Strategies in an Essay
     Planning Your Combined Strategies Essay
          Determine Your Purpose
          Formulate a Thesis Statement
     Organizing Your Combined Strategies Essay
          Determine Your Dominant Strategy
          Determine Your Supporting Strategies
     Revising and Editing Your Combined Strategies Essay
          Listen to What Your Classmates Have to Say
          Question Your Own Work While Revising and Editing
     Questions for Revising and Editing: Combining Strategies
Lars Eighner, On Dumpster Diving

*Doris Lessing, On Not Winning the Nobel Prize

George Orwell, Shooting an Elephant

Jonathan Swift, A Modest Proposal

Writing Suggestions for Combining Strategies

 

What Does It Mean to Write with Sources?
Writing with Sources

     Summarizing

     Paraphrasing

     Using Direct Quotation
     Integrating Borrowed Material into Your Text
Avoiding Plagiarism
     Using Quotation Marks for Language Borrowed Directly
     Using Your Own Words and Word Order When Summarizing and Paraphrasing
Sample Student Essay Using Library and Internet Sources
     *Christine Olson, Distortions in the Media (student essay)

     *Lily Huang, The Case of the Disappearing Rabit
     *Ed Yong, East Meets West: How the Brain Unites Us All

     *Jake Jamieson, The English-Only Movement: Can America Proscribe Language With a Clear Conscience? (student essay)

 

Establishing a Realistic Schedule
Finding and Using Sources
     Conducting Keyword Searches  

     Using Subject Directories to Define and Develop Your Research Topic
Evaluating Your Sources
Analyzing Your Sources
Developing a Working Bibliography
Taking Notes
Documenting Sources
     In-Text Citations
          Periodical Print Publications: Journals, Magazines, and Newspapers
          Nonperiodical Print Publications: Books, Brochures, and Pamphlets
     Web Publications
          Online Scholarly Journals
          Periodical Publications in an Online Database
          Nonperiodical Web Publications
     Additional Common Sources

Run-Ons: Fused Sentences and Comma Splices
Sentence Fragments
Comma Faults
Subject-Verb Agreement
Unclear Pronoun References
Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement
Dangling and Misplaced Modifiers
Faulty Parallelism
Weak Nouns and Verbs
Shifts in Verb Tense, Mood, and Voice
Wordiness
Sentence Variety