Successful College Writing: Skills, Strategies, Learning Styles - 4th Edition Book

    Preface  

    Thematic Contents 

    To the Student 

PART ONE: ACADEMIC QUICK START  

1. Succeeding in College

        Chapter Quick Start

    STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS

        Focus on Success

        Manage Your Time

        Organize a Writing and Study Area

        Study Smarter

        Manage Stress

    CLASSROOM SKILLS

        Polish Your Academic Image

        Demonstrate Academic Integrity

        Communicate with Your Instructor

        Listen Carefully and Critically

        Ask and Answer Questions

        Work with Classmates

        Take Effective Notes in Class

2. Writing in College

        Chapter Quick Start

    ACADEMIC WRITING: WHAT TO EXPECT

        Expect Your Writing to Move from More Personal to Less Personal

        Expect Your Writing to Take Different Forms

        Expect to Use the Language of the Discipline

        Expect to Use Standard American English

        Expect to Use and Document Scholarly Sources

        Expect to Collaborate with Classmates

   WHY STRIVE TO IMPROVE YOUR WRITING SKILLS?

        Writing Skills Help in College and in Your Career

        Writing Facilitates Learning and Recall

        Writing Clarifies Your Thinking

        Writing Helps You Solve Problems

    DEVELOPING STRATEGIES FOR WRITING

        Start with a Positive Attitude

        Use your Course Syllabus

        Use the Right Learning Tools

        Use the College Writing Center

        Keep a Writing Journal

        Get the Most out of Writing Conferences

        Assessing Your Learning Style

        What Is Your Learning Style?

    LEARNING STYLE INVENTORY

        Interpreting Your Scores

        A Word About Your Findings

        How to Use Your Findings

    APPLYING YOUR LEARNING STYLE TO YOUR WRITING

3. Reading and Writing about Text  

        Chapter Quick Start  

    READING IN COLLEGE

    Changing Some Misconceptions about Reading  

    A Guide to Active Reading 

        Preview before Reading  

        Read with a Purpose  

        Reading: Purse Snatching, Donna Lopiano  

        Review after Reading 

    Understanding Difficult Text and Visuals  

        Draw a Graphic Organizer  

        Read Visuals  

    Responding to Text  

    A Guide to Responding to text 

        Summarize to Check Your Understanding  

        Link the Reading to Your Own Experiences  

        Analyze the Reading  

    Using Your Learning Style  

    HOW TO APPROACH THE STUDENT ESSAYS IN THIS BOOK  

        How to Focus on Writing Features  

    STUDENTS WRITE  

        Reading: The Games We Play: Inequality in the Pro-Sports Workplace, Tracey Aquino (student essay) 

PART TWO: STRATEGIES FOR WRITING ESSAYS

4. Prewriting: How to Find and Focus Ideas 

        Chapter Quick Start  

    Choosing and Narrowing a Topic  

        Choosing a Topic  

        Narrowing a Topic  

    Thinking about Your Purpose, Audience, and Point of View  

        Determining Your Purpose  

        Considering Your Audience 

        Choosing a Point of View  

    Discovering Ideas to Write About  

        Freewriting  

        Mapping  

        Brainstorming  

        Group Brainstorming  

        Questioning  

        Writing Assertions 

        Interviewing  

        Using the Patterns of Development  

        Visualizing or Sketching 

        Researching Your Topic 

    STUDENTS WRITE 

        Christine Lee’s Prewriting Strategies  

5. Developing and Supporting a Thesis  

        Chapter Quick Start  

    What Is a Thesis Statement?  

    Developing Your Thesis Statement 

        Coming Up with a Working Thesis Statement  

        Writing an Effective Thesis Statement  

        Placing the Thesis Statement  

        Using an Implied Thesis 

    Supporting Your Thesis Statement with Evidence 

        Choosing Types of Evidence 

        Collecting Evidence to Support Your Thesis 

        Choosing the Best Evidence  

        Using Sources to Support Your Thesis  

    STUDENTS WRITE  

        Christine Lee’s Working Thesis  

    Working With Text  

        Reading: Pet Therapy for Heart and Soul, Kerry Pechter  

6. Drafting An Essay  

        Chapter Quick Start  

    The Structure of an Essay  

    Organizing Your Supporting Details 

        Selecting a Method of Organization 

        Preparing an Outline or Graphic Organizer  

        Connecting Your Supporting Details with Transitions and Repetition  

    Writing Your Introduction, Conclusion, and Title 

        Writing a Strong Introduction 

        Writing an Effective Conclusion  

        Writing a Good Title  

    Drafting with a Computer  

    STUDENTS WRITE  

        Reading: The Reality of Real TV, Christine Lee (student essay)  

    Working with Text  

        Reading: Black Men and Public Space, Brent Staples 

7. Writing Effective Paragraphs

        Chapter Quick Start

    THE STRUCTURE OF A PARAGRAPH

    WRITING A TOPIC SENTENCE

        A Topic Sentence Should Be Focused

        A Topic Sentence May Preview the Organization of the Paragraph

        A Topic Sentence Should Support Your Thesis

        A Topic Sentence Should be Strategically Placed

    INCLUDING SUPPORTING DETAILS

        Effective Paragraphs Have Unity

        Effective Paragraphs Are Well Developed

        Effective Paragraphs Provide Specific Supporting Details

        Details are Arranged Logically

    USING TRANSITIONS AND REPETITION

        Coherent Paragraphs Include Transitional Expressions

        Coherent Paragraphs Include Repetition of Key Words

    DICTION IN ACADEMIC WRITING

    STUDENTS WRITE  

        Reading: The Reality of Real TV, Christine Lee (student essay): Paragraph Excerpt

    WORKING WITH TEXT

8. Revising Content and Organization  

        Chapter Quick Start  

    Why Revise?

    Useful Techniques for Revision 

        Using a Graphic Organizer for Revision  

    Key Questions for Revision 

        Analyzing Your Purpose and Audience 

        Analyzing Your Thesis, Topic Sentences, and Evidence  

        Analyzing Your Organization 

        Analyzing Your Paragraph Development 

    Working with Classmates to Revise Your Essay  

        How to Find a Good Reviewer  

        Suggestions for the Writer 

        Suggestions for the Reviewer  

    USING YOUR INSTRUCTOR’S COMMENTS  

        Revising an Essay Using Your Instructor’s Comments  

        Using Your Instructor’s Comments to Improve Future Essays  

    Considering Your Learning Style  

    STUDENTS WRITE 

        Reading: A Trend Taken Too Far: The Reality of Real TV, Christine Lee (student essay)  

9. Editing Sentences and Words 

        Chapter Quick Start  

    Analyzing Your Sentences  

        Are Your Sentences Concise?  

        Are Your Sentences Varied?  

        Are Your Sentences Parallel in Structure? 

        Do Your Sentences Have Strong, Active Verbs?  

    Analyzing Your Word Choice  

        Are Your Tone and Level of Diction Appropriate? 

        Do You Use Words with Appropriate Connotations?  

        Do You Use Concrete Language?  

        Do You Use Fresh, Appropriate Figures of Speech? 

        Evaluating Your Word Choice  

    Suggestions for ProofReading  

        Keeping an Error Log  

    STUDENTS WRITE  

        Excerpt from Christine Lee’s Edited Second Draft  

PART THREE: PATTERNS OF DEVELOPMENT

10. Narration: Recounting Events  

        Chapter Quick Start  

    Writing a Narrative  

    What Is Narration?  

        Reading: Right Place, Wrong Face, Alton Fitzgerald White 

        Characteristics of a Narrative  

        Visualizing a Narrative: A Graphic Organizer

        Reading: Selling Civility, Peter Scott  

    Integrating a Narrative into an Essay  

    A GUIDED WRITING ASSIGNMENT  

        The Assignment 

        Generating Ideas  

        Evaluating Your Ideas 

        Developing Your Thesis 

        Organizing and Drafting  

        Analyzing and Revising  

        Editing and Proofreading  

    STUDENTS WRITE  

        Reading: You Can Count on Miracles, Aphonetip Vasavong (student essay)  

    Reading a Narrative  

    Working with Text: Reading Narratives 

    Thinking Critically about Narration  

        Reading: Selling in Minnesota, Barbara Ehrenreich 

        Reading: Another Mother’s Child: A Letter to a Murdered Son, Norma Molen (patterns combined)  

    Applying Your Skills: Additional Essay Assignments 

11. Description: Portraying People, Places, and Things  

        Chapter Quick Start  

    Writing a Description  

    What Is Description?  

        Reading: Eating Chili Peppers, Jeremy MacClancy  

    Characteristics of Descriptive Writing  

    Visualizing a Description: A Graphic Organizer  

        Reading: Inferior Decorating, Amy Tan  

    Integrating Description into an Essay  

    A GUIDED WRITING ASSIGNMENT  

        The Assignment  

        Generating Ideas and Details  

        Evaluating Your Details  

        Creating a Dominant Impression  

        Organizing and Drafting 

        Analyzing and Revising 

        Editing and Proofreading  

    STUDENTS WRITE  

        *Reading: Heatstroke with a Side of Burn Cream, Ted Sawchuck (student essay)  

    Reading a Description  

    Working with Text: Reading Descriptive Essays  

    Thinking Critically about Description  

        *Reading: Shipwreck, Cat Bohannon

        *Reading: Bloggers Without Borders…, Riverbend (patterns combined)

    Applying Your Skills: Additional Essay Assignments  

12. Illustration: Explaining With Examples  

        Chapter Quick Start  

    Writing an Illustration Essay  

    What Is Illustration?  

        Reading: Rambos of the Road, Martin Gottfried  

        Characteristics of Illustration Essays  

        Visualizing an Illustration Essay: A Graphic Organizer  

        *Reading: Geeks in the Clubhouse, Tim Gideon and Jeff Pearlman

    Integrating Illustration into an Essay  

    A GUIDED WRITING ASSIGNMENT 

        The Assignment  

        Generating Ideas  

        Developing Your Thesis 

        Choosing and Evaluating Your Examples 

        Organizing and Drafting  

        Analyzing and Revising  

        Editing and Proofreading 

    STUDENTS WRITE  

        *Reading: Conforming to Stand Out: A Look at American Beauty, Nick Ruggia (student essay)  

        Reading an Illustration Essay  

    WORKING WITH TEXT: READING ILLUSTRATION ESSAYS  

        Thinking Critically about Illustration  

        Reading: Goin’ Gangsta, Choosin’ Cholita: Claiming Identity,Nell Bernstein  

        Reading: Words That Wound, Kathleen Vail (patterns combined) 

    Applying Your Skills: Additional Essay Assignments  

13. Process Analysis: Explaining How Something Works or Is Done  

        Chapter Quick Start  

    Writing a Process Analysis 

    What Is Process Analysis?  

        *Reading: How to Use Online Dating Sites, Ed Grabianowski

        *Reading: How Internet Search Engines Work, Curt Franklin

    Characteristics of Process Analysis Essays 

        Visualizing a Process Analysis Essay: A Graphic Organizer  

    Integrating Process Analysis into an Essay  

    A GUIDED WRITING ASSIGNMENT  

        The Assignment  

        Selecting a Process  

        Developing Your Thesis  

        Listing the Steps and Gathering Details  

        Evaluating Your Ideas and Thesis  

        Organizing and Drafting  

        Analyzing and Revising  

        Editing and Proofreading  

    STUDENTS WRITE  

        *Reading: Feed Your Friends . . . and Their Friends . . . and Their Friends: Chili for Fifty, Eric Michalski (student essay) 

    Reading a Process Analysis  

    Working with Text: Reading Process Analysis Essays  

    Thinking Critically about Process Analysis  

        Reading: Remote Control: How to Raise a Media Skeptic, Susan Douglas 

        *Reading: Panacea, Dorothy Allison (patterns combined) 

    Applying Your Skills: Additional Essay Assignments 

14. Comparison and Contrast: Showing Similarities and Differences  

        Chapter Quick Start  

    Writing a Comparison or Contrast Essay  

    What Are Comparison and Contrast?  

        *Reading: Amusing Ourselves to Death: Is The Onion Our Most Intelligent Newspaper?, Greg Beato

        Reading: Dearly Disconnected, Ian Frazier

    Characteristics of Comparison or Contrast Essays  

        Visualizing a Comparison or Contrast Essay: Two Graphic Organizers  

        Reading: Who’s Eating What, and Why, in the United States and Europe? Thomas Kinnear, Kenneth Bernhardt, and Kathleen Krentler 

    Integrating Comparison and Contrast into an Essay  

    A GUIDED WRITING ASSIGNMENT 

        The Assignment 

        Generating Ideas  

        Developing Your Thesis  

        Evaluating Your Ideas and Thesis  

        Organizing and Drafting 

        Analyzing and Revising  

        Editing and Proofreading  

    STUDENTS WRITE  

        Reading: Border Bites, Heather Gianakos (student essay)  

    Reading Comparison and Contrast  

    Working with Text: Reading Comparison or Contrast Essays 

    Thinking Critically about Comparison and Contrast  

        Reading: His Marriage and Hers: Childhood Roots, Daniel Goleman  

        Reading: Defining a Doctor, with a Tear, a Shrug, and a Schedule, Abigail Zuger (patterns combined)   

    Applying Your Skills: Additional Essay Assignments  

15. Classification and Division: Explaining Categories and Parts 

        Chapter Quick Start  

    Writing a Classification or Division Essay 

    What Are Classification and Division?  

        *Reading: My Life on the McJob: Fast Food Managers, Jerry Newman

        Characteristics of Classification and Division Essays  

        Visualizing a Classification or Division Essay: A Graphic Organizer  

        Reading: A Brush with Reality: Surprises in the Tube, David Bodanis  

    Integrating Classification or Division into an Essay  

    A GUIDED WRITING ASSIGNMENT  

        The Assignment  

        Generating Ideas 

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