The Writer's World

Part I The Writing

Process

1 Exploring

Key Steps in Exploring

Topic

Audience

Purpose

Exploring Strategies

Journal and Portfolio Writing

2 Developing the Main Idea

Key Steps in Developing the Main Idea

Writing a Thesis Statement

Developing the Supporting Ideas

3 Developing the Essay Plan

Key Steps in Developing the Essay Plan

Organizing Supporting Ideas

Space Order

Emphatic Order

Developing an Essay Plan

4 Developing the First Draft

Key Steps in Developing the First Draft

Writing an Introduction

Writing Complete Body Paragraphs

Writing a Conclusion

Choosing an Essay Title

Writing the First Draft

5 Revising and Editing

Key Steps in Revising and Editing

Revising for Unity

Revising for Adequate Support

Revising for Coherence

Revising for Style

Editing for Errors

Writing the Final Draft

 



Part II Essay Patterns

6 Illustration

What Is Illustration?

The Illustration Essay

Explore Topics

The Thesis Statement

The Supporting Ideas

The Essay Plan

The First Draft

Revise and Edit an Illustration Essay

A Professional Essay

“We’re Watching What We Eat” by Al Kratina

7 Narration

What Is Narration?

The Narrative Essay

Explore Topics

The Thesis Statement

The Supporting Ideas

The Essay Plan

The First Draft

Revise and Edit a Narrative Essay

A Professional Essay

“Botched Tan” by Sarah Stanfield

8 Description

What Is Description?

The Descriptive Essay

Explore Topics

The Thesis Statement

The Supporting Ideas

The Essay Plan

The First Draft

Revise and Edit a Descriptive Essay

A Professional Essay

“With an Open Mouth” by Sy Montgomery

9 Process

What Is Process?

The Process Essay

Explore Topics

The Thesis Statement

The Supporting Ideas

The Essay Plan

The First Draft

Revise and Edit a Process Essay

A Professional Essay

“Do You Have What It Takes to Be Happy?” by Stacey Colino

10 Definition

What Is Definition?

The Definition Essay

Explore Topics

The Thesis Statement

The Supporting Ideas

The Essay Plan

The First Draft

Revise and Edit a Definition Essay

A Professional Essay

“Internet Trolls” by Lisa Selin Davis

11 Classification

What Is Classification?

The Classification Essay

Explore Topics

The Thesis Statement

The Supporting Ideas

The Essay Plan

The First Draft

Revise and Edit a Classification Essay

A Professional Essay

“Types of Correctional Officers” by Frank Schmalleger

12 Comparison and Contrast

What Is Comparison and Contrast?

The Comparison and Contrast Essay

Explore Topics

The Thesis Statement

The Supporting Ideas

The Essay Plan

The First Draft

Revise and Edit a Comparison and Contrast Essay

A Professional Essay

“Viral Vigilantes” by Matthew Fraser

13 Cause and Effect

What Is Cause and Effect?

The Cause and Effect Essay

Explore Topics

The Thesis Statement

The Supporting Ideas

The Essay Plan

The First Draft

Revise and Edit a Cause and Effect Essay

A Professional Essay

“Friendless in North America” by Ellen Goodman

14 Argument

What Is Argument?

The Argument Essay

Explore Topics

The Thesis Statement

The Supporting Ideas

The Essay Plan

The First Draft

Revise and Edit an Argument Essay

A Professional Essay

“Keep Your Roses” by Melonyce McAfee

 



Part III More College and Workplace Writing

15 The Essay Exam

Preparing for Exams

Writing Essay Exams

16 Summarizing

What Is a Summary?

How to Write a Summary

Summarizing a Longer Text

17 The Research Essay

Planning a Research Essay

Gathering Information

Evaluating Sources

Taking Notes

Organizing Your First Draft

Incorporating Visuals

Citing Sources

Avoid Plagiarism

Integrating Paraphrases, Summaries, and Quotations

MLA Style: In-Text Citations

Sample Research Essay

18 The Response Essay

Writing a Response Essay

Follow the Writing Process

Include Quotations

19 The Résumé and Letter of Application

Preparing a Résumé

Writing a Letter of Application

 



Part IV Editing Handbook

SECTION 1 Effective Sentences, Section THEME: Conflict

20 Identifying Subjects and Verbs in Simple Sentences

Identifying Subjects

Identifying Verbs

21 Sentence Combining

Understanding the Parts of a Sentence and Sentence Types

Making Compound Sentences

Making Complex Sentences

22 Sentence Variety

What Is Sentence Variety?

Varying the Opening Words 326

Combining Sentences with an Appositive

Combining Sentences with Relative

Clauses

Writing Embedded Questions

SECTION 2 Common Sentence Errors, Section THEME: Urban Development

23 Fragments

What Are Fragments?

Phrase Fragments

Fragments with -ing and to

Explanatory Fragments

Dependent-Clause Fragments

24 Run-Ons

What Are Run-Ons?

Correcting Run-Ons

25 Faulty Parallel Structure

What Is Parallel Structure?

Correcting Faulty Parallel

Structure

26 Mistakes with Modifiers

Misplaced Modifiers

Dangling Modifiers

SECTION 3 Verbs, Section THEME: Travel and Survival

27 Subject—Verb Agreement

Basic Subject—Verb Agreement Rules

More Than One Subject

Special Subject Forms

Verb Before the Subject

Interrupting Words and Phrases

28 Verb Tenses

What Is Verb Tense?

Present and Past Tenses

Past Participles

Present Perfect Tense

Past Perfect Tense

Passive Voice

Progressive Forms

29 Problems with Verbs

Verb Consistency

Avoiding Double Negatives

Nonstandard Forms–Gonna, Gotta, Wanna, Ain’t

Problems in Conditional Forms

Nonstandard Forms–Would of, Could of, Should of

Recognizing Gerunds and Infinitives

SECTION 4 More Parts of Speech, Section THEME: Inventions and Discoveries

30 Nouns, Determiners, and Prepositions

Count and Noncount Nouns

Determiners

Prepositions

31 Pronouns

Pronoun—Antecedent Agreement

Indefinite Pronouns

Vague Pronouns

Pronoun Shifts

Pronoun Case

Relative Pronouns

32 Adjectives and Adverbs

Adjectives

Adverbs

Comparative and Superlative Forms

SECTION 5 Word Use and Spelling, Section THEME: Our Natural World

33 Exact Language

Using Specific and Detailed

Vocabulary

Avoiding Wordiness and Redundancy

Avoiding Clichés

Using Standard English

34 Spelling and Commonly Confused

Words

Spelling Rules

120 Commonly Misspelled Words

Look-Alike and Sound-Alike Words

SECTION 6 Punctuation and Mechanics, Section THEME: Human Development

35 Commas

What Is a Comma?

Commas in a Series

Commas After Introductory Words and Phrases

Commas Around Interrupting Words and Phrases

Commas in Compound Sentences

Commas in Complex Sentences

36 Apostrophes

What Is an Apostrophe?

Apostrophes in Contractions

Apostrophes to Show Ownership

Apostrophes in Expressions of Time

37 Quotation Marks, Capitalization, and Titles

Quotation Marks

Using Quotations in Research Essays

Capitalization

Titles

38 Numbers and Additional

Punctuation

Numbers

Additional Punctuation

SECTION 7 Editing

39 Editing Practice

Why Bother Editing?

 



Part V Reading Selections and Strategies

40 From Reading to Writing

Reading Strategies

Reading Selections

Conflict

“The CSI Effect” by Richard Willing

“Types of Rioters” by David Locher

“My Bully, My Best Friend” by Yannick LeJacq

Urban Development and Our Natural World

“Living Environments” by Avi Friedman

“My African Childhood” by David Sedaris

“Nature Returns to the Cities” by John Roach

Inventions and Discoveries

“Marketing New Inventions” by Robert Rodriguez

“Brands R Us” by Stephen Garey

“Can We Talk?” by Josh Freed

Travel and Survival

“The Rules of Survival” by Laurence Gonzales

“Into Thin Air” by Jon Krakauer

“Slum Tourism” by Eric Weiner

“Guy” by Maya Angelou

Human Development

“How Cults Become Religions” by John D. Carl

“The Untranslatable Word ‘Macho’” by Rose del Castillo Guilbault

“Chance and Circumstance” by David Leonhardt

“The Happiness Factor” by David Brooks

“Medicating Ourselves” by Robyn Sarah

“The Veldt” by Ray Bradbury

Appendices

Appendix 1: Grammar Glossary

Appendix 2: Irregular Verbs

Appendix 3: Verb Tenses

Appendix 4: Combining Ideas in Sentences 608

Appendix 5: Using APA Style

Appendix 6: Spelling, Grammar, and Vocabulary

Logs

Credits

Index

Revising Checklist for an Essay

Editing Checklist

Revising and Editing Symbols