Choices: A Basic Writing Guide with Readings Book

PART I. COMPOSING OURSELVES, WRITING FOR OTHERS

1. The Writing Process

Writing Assignment

Reading to Improve Writing

A Writer's Composing Process

Step 1. Explore Your Choices

Step 2. Write Your Discovery Draft

Step 3. Revise Your Draft

Step 4. Edit Your Sentences

Step 5. Share Your Essay

One Student's Writing Process
Kwan Lu, ÒMediation, Not LawsuitsÓ

Chapter Checklist

Reflecting on Your Writing

2. Crafting Paragraphs

Writing Assignment

Topic Sentences

Unity

Organization

Special Kinds of Paragraphs

One Student's Paragraph
]Melissa Ruiz, ÒAfter KatrinaÓ

Chapter Checklist

Reflecting on Your Writing

]3. The Patterns of Development

Writing Assignment

Description

Narration

Examples

Process Explanation

Classification

Definition

Comparison and Contrast

Cause and Effect

]Argument

Chapter Checklist

Reflecting on Your Writing

PART II. WRITING TO SHARE IDEAS

4. Explaining a Personal Change Using Description and Narration

Reading Essays about Personal Changes

A Significant Person

]Joshua Bell, ÒMy MaestroÓ

A Memorable Event

]James Dillard, ÒA Doctor's DilemmaÓ

An Important Period

Malcolm X, ÒPrison StudiesÓ

Writing Assignment

Step 1. Explore Your Choices Analyzing Your Audience and Purpose

Gathering Ideas Brainstorming about a Significant Person

Relating a Memorable Event Clustering about an Important Period

Step 2. Write Your Discovery Draft

Choosing a Topic

Sharing Your Ideas

Step 3. Revise Your Draft

Developing Your Ideas

Description

Narration

Building Your Essay

Revise Your Thesis Statement

Add Topic Sentences

Strengthen Your Focus

A Student's Revised Draft
Jesus Ramirez, ÒBaseball MemoriesÓ

Step 4. Edit Your Sentences Combining Sentences Using Coordinating Conjunctions

Correcting Run-On Sentences

A Student's Edited Essay
Jesus Ramirez, ÒBaseball MemoriesÓ

Step 5. Share Your Essay

Chapter Checklist

Reflecting on Your Writing

Additional Readings

A Significant Person
Thomas L. Friedman, ÒMy Favorite TeacherÓ

A Memorable Event

]Cheryl Peck, ÒFat Girls and Lawn ChairsÓ

An Important Period

]Brent Staples, ÒBlack Men and Public SpaceÓ

5. Examining a Culture Using Examples and Process Explanation

Reading Essays about Cultures

A Cultural Symbol

]Nora Okja Keller, ÒMy Mother's FoodÓ

A Cultural Tradition

]Kevin Kling, ÒHook, Line, and TelevisionÓ

A Cultural Hero
John Culhane, ÒOprah Winfrey: How Truth Changed Her LifeÓ

Writing Assignment

Step 1. Explore Your Choices

Analyzing Your Audience and Purpose

Gathering Ideas

Clustering about a Cultural Symbol

Asking Questions about a Cultural Tradition

Freewriting about a Cultural Hero

Step 2. Write Your Discovery Draft

Choosing a Topic

Sharing Your Ideas

Step 3. Revise Your Draft

Developing Your Ideas

]Examples

Process Explanation

Building Your Essay

Write an Effective Introduction

Write a Powerful Conclusion

Connect Ideas

A Student's Revised Draft

Sandra Cordero, ÒEl Grito de DoloresÓ

Step 4. Edit Your Sentences

Combining Sentences Using Conjunctive Adverbs

Correcting Sentence Fragments

A Student's Edited Essay

Sandra Cordero, ÒEl Grito de DoloresÓ

Step 5. Share Your Essay

Chapter Checklist

Reflecting on Your Writing

Additional Readings

A Cultural Symbol

Gerald Hausman, ÒFeatherÓ

A Cultural Tradition

]Anastacia Marx de Salcedo,
ÒPass the Pernil, Save Room for the TartaÓ

A Cultural Hero

]Jeremy Dorn, ÒA Hero's Last RideÓ

6. Investigating a Workplace Using Classification and Definition

Reading Essays about Work

An Occupation

The Editors of WetFeet.com, ÒCareer Profile: ScienceÓ

Workplace Communication

Perri Klass, ÒShe's Your Basic L.O.L. in N.A.D.Ó

A Job-Related Problem

]Donald Trump, ÒYou're Hired!Ó

Writing Assignment

Step 1. Explore Your Choices

Analyzing Your Audience and Purpose

Gathering Ideas

Freewriting about an Occupation

Brainstorming about Workplace Communication

Consulting Others about a Job-Related Problem

Step 2. Write Your Discovery Draft

Choosing a Topic

Sharing Your Ideas

Step 3. Revise Your Draft

Developing Your Ideas

Classification

]Definition

Building Your Essay

]Find Information to Strengthen Your Support

]Outline Your Plan

]Correctly Use Research Material

A Student's Revised Draft

Kathy Chu, ÒHelping Children HealÓ

Step 4. Edit Your Sentences

Combining Sentences Using Subordinating Conjunctions

Correcting Pronoun Reference and Agreement

A Student's Edited Essay

Kathy Chu, ÒHelping Children HealÓ

Step 5. Share Your Essay

Chapter Checklist

Reflecting on Your Writing

Additional Readings

An Occupation

Tamera Helms, ÒLessons in ShrimpingÓ

Workplace Communication

Rita Warren Hess, ÒAmerican Workplace Slang and JargonÓ

A Job-Related Problem

Ellen Goodman, ÒThe Company ManÓ

7. Evaluating a Subject Using Comparison and Contrast

Reading Essays that Evaluate

Evaluation of a Product

]Leander Kahney, ÒThe Joy of iPod: iCandy for the EarsÓ

Evaluation of a Performance

]Diane Heiman and Phyllis Bookspan, ÒSesame Street:
Brought to You by the Letters M-A-L-EÓ

Evaluation of a Place

]John Garvey, ÒChristo's 'Gates':
An Unexpected PleasureÓ

Writing Assignment

Step 1. Explore Your Choices

Analyzing Your Audience and Purpose

Gathering Ideas

Brainstorming about a Product

Asking Questions about a Performance

Freewriting about a Place

Step 2. Write Your Discovery Draft

Choosing a Topic

Sharing Your Ideas

Step 3. Revise Your Draft

]Developing Your Ideas with Comparison and Contrast

Building Your Essay

Express Your Judgment

Give Criteria

Provide Evidence

]Keep a Balanced Perspective

A Student's Revised Draft

Jody Albert, ÒAvoid Dryden HallÓ

Step 4. Edit Your Sentences

Combining Sentences Using Relative Clauses

]Correcting Comma Splices

A Student's Edited Essay

Jody Albert, ÒAvoid Dryden HallÓ

Step 5. Share Your Essay

Chapter Checklist

Reflecting on Your Writing

Additional Readings

Evaluation of a Product

]Ann Hodgman, ÒNo Wonder They Call Me a BitchÓ

Evaluation of a Performance

]Anthony Beal, ÒLet the Good Times RollÓ

Evaluation of a Place

Nicholas Jennings, ÒA Palace of RockÓ

]8. Considering the Media Using Cause and Effect

Reading Essays about the Media

A Censorship Issue

]Michael Crowley, ÒLet's Shut Them All DownÓ

A Representation Issue

]Samuel L. Jackson, ÒIn CharacterÓ

A Lifestyle Issue

]Brent Staples, ÒWhat Adolescents Miss When We Let Them Grow Up in CybersapceÓ

Writing Assignment

Step 1. Explore Your Choices

Analyzing Your Audience and Purpose

Gathering Ideas

Freewriting about a Censorship Issue

Brainstorming about a Representation Issue

Consulting Others about a Lifestyle Issue

Step 2. Write Your Discovery Draft

Choosing a Topic

Sharing Your Ideas

Step 3. Revise Your Draft

]Developing Your Ideas with Cause and Effect Analysis

Building Your Essay

Make a Claim

Provide Pro Points

Respond to Con Points

Organize Pro and Con Points

A Student's Revised Draft

Reginald Jones, ÒNewspaper Ad Sparks ControversyÓ

Step 4. Edit Your Sentences

Combining Sentences Using Introductory Phrases

Correcting Subject-Verb Agreement Problems

A Student's Edited Essay

Reginald Jones, ÒNewspaper Ad Sparks ControversyÓ

Step 5. Share Your Essay

Chapter Checklist

Reflecting on Your Writing

Additional Readings

A Censorship Issue

Judy Blume, ÒIs Harry Potter Evil?Ó

A Representation Issue

]Mark Andrejevic, Ò'Reality'
Camera Goes from Candid to CruelÓ

A Lifestyle Issue

]Janna Malamud Smith,
ÒOnline but Not AntisocialÓ

]9. Making a Difference Using Argument

Reading Essays about Problems and Solutions

A Health Problem

]Greg Critser, ÒDon't Eat the FlanÓ

An Education Problem

]Laura D'Andrea Tyson,
ÒNeeded: Affirmative Action for the PoorÓ

An Environmental Problem

]Patrick Moore, ÒGoing Nuclear:
A Green Makes the CaseÓ

Writing Assignment

Step 1. Explore Your Choices

Analyzing Your Audience and Purpose

Gathering Ideas

Relating Aloud about a Health Problem

Freewriting about an Education Problem

Reading about an Environmental Problem

Step 2. Write Your Discovery Draft

Choosing a Topic

Sharing Your Ideas

Step 3. Revise Your Draft

]Developing Your Ideas with Argument

State the Problem

Provide Evidence

Propose a Solution

Building Your Essay

]Avoid Faulty Logic

]Persuade Your Readers

]Use a Reasonable Tone

A Student's Revised Draft

Li Chiang, ÒTollroad on the Information SuperhighwayÓ

Step 4. Edit Your Sentences

Combining Sentences Using Appositives

Correcting Shifts in Person

A Student's Edited Essay

Li Chiang, ÒTollroad on the Information SuperhighwayÓ

Step 5. Share Your Essay

Chapter Checklist

Reflecting on Your Writing

Additional Readings

A Health Problem

Elizabeth M. Whelan, ÒPerils of ProhibitionÓ

An Education Problem

]Mary Sherry, ÒIn Praise of the F WordÓ

An Environmental Problem

]Mark Hertsgaard, ÒA Global Green DealÓ

PART III. WRITING FOR DIFFERENT SITUATIONS

10. Keeping Journals

Writing Assignment

Why Writers Keep Journals

Lucy Calkins, from The Art of Teaching Writing

Personal Journals

Dialogue Journals

Learning Logs

Chapter Checklist

Reflecting on Your Writing

]11. Writing Summaries

]Writing Assignment

]Writing a Summary

]Chapter Checklist

]Reflecting on Your Writing

12. Conducting Primary, Library, and Internet Research

Writing Assignment

Preparing to Conduct Research

Primary Research

Secondary Research

Sample Research Paper

Leslie Lozano, ÒCulture ShockÓ

Chapter Checklist

Reflecting on Your Writing

13. Taking Timed Writing Tests

Writing Assignment

The Essay Exam

In-Class Timed Writing in Response to a Reading

Multiple-Choice Writing Tests

Chapter Checklist

Reflecting on Your Writing

]14. Writing R sum s and Cover Letters

]Writing Assignment

]The R sum

]The Cover Letter

]Chapter Checklist

]Reflecting on Your Writing

PART IV. HANDBOOK WITH EXERCISES

15. Writing Sentences

A. Subjects

B. Verbs

C. Subject-Verb Agreement

]16. Expanding Sentences

]A. Phrases

]B. Clauses

C. Pronouns

D. Adjectives

E. Adverbs

]17. Combining Sentences

]A. Coordination

]B. Subordination

]C. Sentence-Combining Exercises

18. Improving Sentences

A. Sentence Fragments

B. Run-On Sentences

C. Comma Splices

D. Misplaced Modifiers

E. Dangling Modifiers

F. Active and Passive Voice

]G. Parallelism

]19. Improving Word Choice

]A. Vocabulary

]B. Unnecessary Repetition

]C. Wordiness

20. Improving Spelling

A. Spelling Rules

]B. Commonly Misspelled Words

]C. Commonly Confused Words

21. Improving Punctuation

A. Commas

B. Semicolons

C. Colons

D. End Punctuation

E. Apostrophes

F. Quotation Marks

22. Improving Mechanics

A. Capital Letters

]B. Italics

C. Abbreviations

D. Numbers

23. Guide for Multilingual Writers

A. Articles

B. Count and Noncount Nouns

C. Prepositions

D. Omitted or Repeated Subjects

E. Word Order

F. Verbs

] new to this edition