Writing with Confidence: Writing Effective Sentences and Paragraphs Book

Rhetorical Contents

The Writing Process

Hints and Help for Writers

UNIT I. BUILDING YOUR WRITING SKILLS

1. Why Write?

Speaking and Writing

Writing with Confidence

Finding the Right Way to Write

Writing for Every Reason

Writing to Work

Writing to Learn

Writing to Communicate

Writing for Yourself

Getting a Head Start

2. The Writing Process: Laying the Foundation

Writing with Confidence in Six Steps

Step 1: Exploring Ideas

Your Subject

Your Purpose

Your Audience

Step 2: Prewriting

Brainstorming

Clustering

Freewriting

Step 3: Organizing

Selecting

Outlining

Step 4: Writing a First Draft

Step 5: Revising the Draft

Reviewing

Reading Aloud

Predicting

Making a Clean Copy

Step 6: Producing the Final Copy

Editing

Proofreading

3. Writing a Powerful Paragraph: Building the Foundation

What Is a Paragraph?

Exploring and Planning

Writing the Topic Sentence

General and Specific Statements

Making a Claim

Expressing an Attitude or Opinion

Writing the Body and Conclusion

Generating Ideas

Selecting and Organizing Ideas

Developing Ideas

Looking at Paragraph Development

Writing a First Draft

Writing a Conclusion

Revising the Paragraph

Unity

Coherence

Refining the Topic Sentence and Conclusion

Using Peer Review

Revision Guidelines: Writing a Powerful Paragraph

4. Writing an Effective Essay: Building a Larger Structure

What Is an Essay?

Composing an Essay

Getting Started

Developing the Thesis Statement

Writing the First Draft

Revising

Revision Guidelines: Writing an Effective Essay

Editing and Proofreading

Unit I Blueprint for Success

UNIT II. BUILDING AND REPAIRING SENTENCES

5. Recognizing Sentences and Fixing Fragments

What Is a Sentence?

Identifying Subjects

Identifying Verbs

What Is a Fragment?

Fixing Simple Fragments

Missing Subjects

Missing or Incomplete Verbs

Infinitives and -ing Words

Hanging Details or Examples

Fixing Complex Fragments

Although and Because Types

Who, That, and Which Types

Editing for Mastery

6. Joining Sentences through Coordination

Connecting Words

The Coordinating Conjunctions

Joining Sentences with Coordination

Punctuating Compound Sentences

Joining Sentences with Semicolons

The Semicolon

Transitional Words after the Semicolon

Editing for Mastery

7. Joining Sentences through Subordination

What Is Subordination?

Subordinating with Clauses

Common Subordinating Conjunctions

Punctuating Dependent Clauses

Subordinating with Phrases

Editing for Mastery

8. Joining Sentences with Pronouns

Relative Clauses

Placement of Relative Clauses

Commas with Relative Clauses

Relative Pronouns as Subjects

Relative Pronouns as Objects

Relative Clauses with Whose

Noun Clauses

Phrases

Editing for Mastery

9. Repairing Run-ons and Correcting Comma Splices

Run-on Sentences

Comma-Spliced Sentences

Editing for Mastery

Unit II Blueprint for Success

III. REVISING WITH CARE: BUILDING ON THE FRAMEWORK

10. Making Subjects and Verbs Agree

What Is Subject-Verb Agreement?

Subjects

Nouns as Subjects (and Objects)

Irregular Plurals

Pronouns as Subjects

Subjects Joined by and

Special Present Tense Verbs

To Be

To Do

To Have

Special Problems with Subject-Verb Agreement

Questions

Sentences That Begin with There

Collective Nouns

Indefinite Pronouns

Phrases Between the Subject and Verb

Relative Clauses

Editing for Mastery

11. Using the Past Tense and the Past Participle

The Past Tense in Its Usual Forms

Regular Verbs

To Be

Could and Would

The Present-Perfect Tense

Forming the Present-Perfect Tense

Using the Present-Perfect Tense

The Past-Perfect Tense

Forming the Past-Perfect Tense

Using the Past-Perfect Tense

Irregular Verbs

Category 1: -d to –y

Category 2: -d and Possible Vowel Change

Category 3: -t and Possible Vowel Change

Category 4: Single Vowel Change

Category 5: Double Vowel Change

Category 6: No Change

Category 7 –n or –en and Possible Vowel Change

Other Uses of the Past Participle

In Three-Word Verb Phrases

In the Passive Voice

As an Adjective

Editing for Mastery

12. Using Pronouns

Selecting the Right Pronoun

Personal Pronouns as Subjects and Objects

Personal Pronouns in Comparisons

Avoiding Pronoun Confusion and Bias

Agreement in Number

Pronouns without Antecedents

Pronouns Referring to Pronouns

Pronouns Referring to Collective Nouns

Special Pronouns

Reflexive Pronouns

Demonstrative Pronouns

Relative Pronouns

Editing for Mastery

13. Using Modifiers

What Are Modifiers?

Placing Modifiers Correctly

Misplaced Modifiers

Dangling Modifiers

Editing for Mastery

14. Making Comparisons

Comparing with Adjectives and Adverbs

Adjective Forms

The Simple Form

The Comparative Forms

The Superlative Forms

Adverb Forms

Irregular Adjectives and Adverbs

Adjectives and Adverbs That Are the Same

Good and Well, Bad and Badly

Lively Comparisons

Editing for Mastery

15. Being Consistent

Keeping Pronouns Straight

Keeping Tense Consistent

Keeping Structures Parallel

Editing for Mastery

16. Writing Concretely and Concisely

Choosing Words That Work

Strong Verbs

Vivid Adjectives and Details

Discarding Words That Don’t Contribute

Empty Sentence Starters

Vague Expressions

Repetition

Wordiness

Tired Expressions

Editing for Mastery

Unit III Blueprint for Success

IV. WRITING TYPES OF PARAGRAPHS: SHAPING THE STRUCTURE

17. Describing a Scene

A Model Paragraph: Describing a Scene

Writing Assignment for Describing a Scene

Gathering, Generating, and Arranging the Materials

Composing the Paragraph

Templates for Description

Revising Your First Draft

Revision Checklist for Description

Further Revising and Editing

Additional Writing Assignment

A Student Model Paragraph

Final Writing Assignment

18. Developing Through Exemplification

Models of Exemplification

The Short Example

The Sentence Example

The Long–or Extended–Example

Writing Assignment for Developing Through Exemplification

Gathering, Generating, and Arranging the Materials

Composing the Paragraph

Templates for Exemplification

Revising Your First Draft

Revision Checklist for Exemplification

Further Revising and Editing

Additional Writing Assignment

A Longer Model of Exemplification

Final Writing Assignment

19. Writing Narration

A Model of Narration

Writing Assignment for Narration

Gathering, Generating, and Arranging the Materials

Composing the Paragraph or Essay

Templates for Narration

Revising Your First Draft

Revision Checklist for Narration

Further Revising and Editing

Additional Writing Assignment

A Student Model Essay

Final Writing Assignment

20. Writing a Report

A Model Paragraph: A Report

Writing Assignment for a Report

Gathering, Generating, and Arranging the Materials

Composing the Report

Templates for a Report

Revising Your First Draft

Revision Checklist for a Report

Further Revising and Editing

Additional Writing Assignment

A Student Model Report

Final Writing Assignment

21. Describing a Process

A Model Paragraph: Process Analysis

Writing Assignment for Describing a Process

Gathering, Generating, and Arranging the Materials

Composing the Paragraph

Templates for Process Analysis

Revising Your First Draft

Revision Checklist for Process Analysis

Further Revising and Editing

Additional Writing Assignment

A Student Model Essay

Final Writing Assignment

22. Writing about Causes and Effects

A Model Paragraph: Causal Analysis

Writing Assignment for Causal Analysis

Gathering, Generating, and Arranging the Materials

Composing the Paragraph

Templates for Causes and Effects

Revising Your First Draft

Revision Checklist for Causes and Effects

Further Revising and Editing

Additional Writing Assignment

A Student Model Paragraph

Final Writing Assignment

23. Classifying Information

A Model Paragraph: Classification

Writing Assignment for Classification

Gathering, Generating, and Arranging the Materials

Composing the Paragraph

Templates for Classification

Revising Your First Draft

Revision Checklist for Classification

Further Revising and Editing

Additional Writing Assignment

A Student Model Essay

Final Writing Assignment

24. Writing Comparisons and Contrasts

A Model Paragraph: Comparison-Contrast

Writing Assignment for Comparison-Contrast

Gathering, Generating, and Arranging the Materials

Composing the Paragraph

Templates for Comparisons and Contrasts

Revising Your First Draft

Revision Checklist for Comparisons and Contrasts

Further Revising and Editing

Additional Writing Assignment

A Student Model Essay

Final Writing Assignment

25. Defining Terms

A Model of Definition

Writing Assignment for a Definition

Gathering, Generating, and Arranging the Materials

Composing the Paragraph

Templates for Definitions

Revising Your First Draft

Revision Checklist for Definitions

Further Revising and Editing

Additional Writing Assignment

A Student Model Essay

Final Writing Assignment

26. Summarizing and Responding

A Student Model: A Summary

Writing Assignment for a Summary

Gathering, Generating, and Arranging the Materials

Composing the Summary

Templates for a Summary

Revising Your First Draft

Revision Checklist for a Summary

Further Revising and Editing

Writing Assignment for a Response, with a Student Model

Gathering, Generating, and Arranging the Materials

Composing the Response

Templates for a Response

Revising Your First Draft

Revision Checklist for a Response

Further Revising and Editing

Final Writing Assignment

Unit IV Blueprint for Success

V. EDITING FOR GRAMMAR AND MECHANICS: FINISHING THE JOB

27. Punctuating Sentences

The Comma [,]

Items in a Series

Independent Clauses

Interrupters

Introductory or Concluding Expressions

Two or More Adjectives

Dates, Places, and Addresses

The Period [.]

Statements

Abbreviations

The Question Mark [?]

The Exclamation Point [!]

The Semicolon [;]

Independent Clauses

Items in a Series

The Colon [:]

The Dash [—]

Parentheses [()]

Quotation Marks [“”]

Titles

Definitions

Words Used in a Special Way

Speech

Editing for Mastery

28. Checking Spelling, Apostrophes, Hyphens, and Capitals

Spelling

The Long and Short Vowel Sounds

Plurals of Nouns and Singulars of Verbs

Suffixes

Prefixes

The Apostrophe [’]

Possessives

Contractions

Plurals of Letters

Hyphens [-]

Hyphens to Join Words

Syllables

Capitalization

Editing for Mastery

29. Writing the Right Word

The Most Common Sound-Alikes and Look-Alikes

Contractions

Too/Two/To

The of Error

Three Words Ending in –d

Commonly Confused Words

Accept/Except

Advice/Advise

Affect/Effect

An/And

Breath/Breathe

Buy/By

Clothes/Cloths

Conscience/Conscious

-ence/-ent; -ance/-ant

Fine/Find

Know/No Knew/New

Led/Lead

Lie/Lay

Lose/Loose

Mine/Mind

Passed/Past

Quiet/Quite/Quit

Rise/Raise

Sit/Set

Then/Than

There is/It is

Whether/Weather

Editing for Mastery

30. Keeping Verbs in Order

The Continuous Tenses

In the Present

In the Past

More Verb Phrases

Two-Word Verb Phrases

Three-Word Verb Phrases

Four-Word Verb Phrases

Indirect Questions

Objects after Verbs

Objects with Phrasal Verbs

Common Phrasal Verbs

Direct and Indirect Objects

Adverbs

Single Adverbs

Placing Two or More Adverbs

Past Participles and Present Participles

Double Negatives

Editing for Mastery

31. Mastering the Little Words: Articles and Prepositions

Articles

A/An

Singular Countable Nouns: A/An versus The

The

Plural Countable Nouns and Uncountable Nouns: Using The or Nothing

Additional Advice about A/An and The

Prepositions

To Indicate Time

To Indicate Place

For Vehicles and Chairs

Other Prepositions

To Repeat the Meaning of Prefixes

Editing for Mastery

Unit V Blueprint for Success

Reading Selections

Malcolm X with Alex Haley, “My Prison Studies”

Kurt Vonnegut, “How to Write with Style”

Dawn Turner Trice, “Doing Laundry Comes with a Load of Rules”

Elizabeth Wong, “The Struggle to Be an All-American Girl”

Mark Schlitt, “My Fifteen Minutes of Fame” [Student Essay]

Ehsan Ghoreishi, “Tough Pitches” [Student Essay]

Mark Twain, “Two Views of the Mississippi”

Ellen Goodman, “Divining the Strange Eating Habits of Kids”

Rita Pyrillis, “Sorry for Not Being a Stereotype”

“The Writing on the Wall,” adapted from The People’s Almanac

Robert Hughes, “Running with Walker”

Sam Lubell, “Block That Ringtone!”

Anna Quindlen, “Homeless”

Jeffrey D. Sachs, “The Power of One: the $10 Solution”

Gary Soto, “This Man”

Sonia Nazario, “The Boy Left Behind”

Appendix A Preparing Portfolios

The Rationale for the Portfolio

Section 1: The Self-Assessment Essay

Section 2: The Revised Papers

Final Essay Progress Log

The Portfolio as a Semester-long Project

Appendix B Pronouns

Personal Pronouns

Possessive Pronouns

Demonstrative Pronouns

Interrogative Pronouns

Relative Pronouns

Indefinite Pronouns

Reflexive Pronouns

Appendix C Common Irregular Verbs

Appendix D Commonly Misspelled Words

Appendix E Common Expressions Using Prepositions

Answers to Chapter Exercises

Glossary

Credits

Index