The Longman Writer Book

I. THE READING PROCESS.

1. Becoming a Strong Reader.

Stage 1: Get an Overview of the Selection.

Stage 2: Deepen Your Sense of the Selection.

Stage 3: Evaluate the Selection.

* Ellen Goodman, Family Counterculture.

II. THE WRITING PROCESS.

2. Getting Started Through Prewriting.

Observations About the Writing Process.

Use Prewriting to Get Started.

Keep a Journal.

Understand the Boundaries of the Assignment.

Determine Your Purpose, Audience, Tone, and Point of View.

Discover Your Essay's Limited Subject.

Generate Raw Material About Your Limited Subject.

Organize the Raw Material.

Activities: Getting Started Through Prewriting.

3. Identifying a Thesis.

What Is a Thesis?

Finding a Thesis.

Writing an Effective Thesis.

Tone and Point of View.

Implied Pattern of Development.

Including a Plan of Development.

Don't Write a Highly Opinionated Statement.

Don't Make an Announcement.

Don't Make a Factual Statement.

Don't Make a Broad Statement.

Arriving at an Effective Thesis.

Placing the Thesis in an Essay.

Activities: Identifying a Thesis.

4. Supporting the Thesis with Evidence.

What Is Evidence?

How Do You Find Evidence?

How the Patterns of Development Help Generate Evidence.

Characteristics of Evidence.

The Evidence Is Relevant and Unified.

The Evidence Is Specific.

The Evidence Is Adequate.

The Evidence Is Dramatic.

The Evidence Is Accurate.

The Evidence Is Representative.

The Evidence Is Documented.

Activities: Supporting the Thesis with Evidence.

5. Organizing the Evidence.

Use the Patterns of Development.

Select an Organizational Approach.

Chronological Approach.

Spatial Approach.

Emphatic Approach.

Simple-to-Complex Approach.

Prepare an Outline.

Activities: Organizing the Evidence.

6. Writing the Paragraphs in the First Draft.

How to Move from Outline to First Draft.

General Suggestions on How to Proceed.

If You Get Bogged Down.

A Suggested Sequence for Writing the First Draft.

Write the Supporting Paragraphs.

Write Other Paragraphs in the Essay's Body.

Write the Introduction.

Write the Conclusion.

Write the Title.

Pulling It All Together.

Sample First Draft.

Harriet Davids, Challenges for Today's Parents.

Activities: Writing the Paragraphs in the First Draft.

7. Revising Overall Meaning, Structure, and Paragraph Development.

Strategies to Make Revision Easier.

Set Your First Draft Aside for a While.

Work from Typed or Printed Text.

Read the Draft Aloud.

View Revision as a Series of Steps

Evaluate and Respond to Instructor Feedback.

Peer Review: An Additional Revision Strategy

Evaluate and Respond to Peer Review

Revising Overall Meaning and Structure.

Revising Paragraph Development.

Sample Student Revision of Overall Meaning, Structure, and Paragraph Development.

Activities: Revising Overall Meaning, Structure, and Paragraph Development.

8. Revising Sentences and Words.

Revising Sentences.

Make Sentences Consistent with Your Tone.

Make Sentences Economical.

Vary Sentence Type.

Vary Sentence Length.

Make Sentences Emphatic.

Revising Words.

Make Words Consistent with Your Tone.

Use an Appropriate Level of Diction.

Avoid Words That Overstate or Understate.

Select Words with Appropriate Connotations.

Use Specific Rather Than General Words.

Use Strong Verbs.

Delete Unnecessary Adverbs.

Use Original Figures of Speech.

Avoid Sexist Language.

Sample Student Revision of Sentences and Words.

Activities: Revising Sentences and Words.

9. Editing and Proofreading.

Edit Carefully.

Use the Appropriate Manuscript Format.

Proofread Closely.

Student Essay: From Prewriting Through Proofreading.

Harriet Davids, Challenges for Today's Parents.

Commentary.

Activities: Editing and Proofreading.

III. THE PATTERNS OF DEVELOPMENT.

10. An Overview of the Patterns of Development.

The Patterns in Action: During the Writing Process.

The Patterns in Action: In an Essay.

Student Essay—Tasha Walker, The Super-Sizing of America’s Kids

Commentary

Professional Selection—Virginia Woolf, The Death of a Moth.

Commentary

11. Description.

What Is Description?

How Description Fits Your Purpose and Audience.

Prewriting Strategies.

Strategies for Using Description in an Essay.

Revision Strategies.

Student Essay: From Prewriting Through Revision.

Marie Martinez, Salt Marsh.

Commentary.

Activities: Description.

Prewriting Activities.

Revising Activities.

Professional Selections: Description.

*Gary Soto, The Jacket.

Maya Angelou, Sister Flowers.

Gordon Parks, Flavio's Home.

Additional Writing Topics: Description.

12. Narration.

What Is Narration?

How Narration Fits Your Purpose and Audience.

Prewriting Strategies.

Strategies for Using Narration in an Essay.

Revision Strategies.

Student Essay: From Prewriting Through Revision.

Paul Monahan, If Only.

Commentary.

Activities: Narration.

Prewriting Activities.

Revising Activities.

Professional Selections: Narration.

George Orwell, Shooting an Elephant.

Audre Lorde, The Fourth of July.

*Adam Mayblum, The Price We Pay

Additional Writing Topics: Narration.

13. Illustration.

What Is Illustration?

How Illustration Fits Your Purpose and Audience.

Prewriting Strategies.

Strategies for Using Illustration in an Essay.

Revision Strategies.

Student Essay: From Prewriting Through Revision.

Michael Pagano, Pursuit of Possessions.

Commentary.

Activities: Illustration.

Prewriting Activities.

Revising Activities.

Professional Selections: Illustration.

Beth Johnson, Bombs Bursting in Air.

*Kay S. Hymowitz, Tweens: Ten Going on Sixteen

Joyce Garity, Is Sex All That Matters?

Additional Writing Topics: Illustration.

14. Division-Classification.

What Is Division-Classification?

How Division-Classification Fits Your Purpose and Audience.

Prewriting Strategies.

Strategies for Using Division-Classification in an Essay.

Revision Strategies.

Student Essay: From Prewriting Through Revision.

Gail Oremland, The Truth about College Teachers.

Commentary.

Activities: Division-Classification.

Prewriting Activities.

Revising Activities.

Professional Selections: Division-Classification.

*Scott Russell Sanders, The Men We Carry in Our Minds

Deborah Tannen, But What Do You Mean?

William Lutz, Double Speak.

Additional Writing Topics: Division-Classification.

15. Process Analysis.

What Is Process Analysis?

How Process Analysis Fits Your Purpose and Audience.

Prewriting Strategies.

Strategies for Using Process Analysis in an Essay.

Revision Strategies.

Student Essay: From Prewriting Through Revision.

Robert Barry, Becoming a Videoholic.

Commentary.

Activities: Process Analysis.

Prewriting Activities.

Revising Activities.

Professional Selections: Process Analysis.

Diane Cole, Don't Just Stand There.

*Clifford Stoll, Cyberschool

Richard Rhodes, Watching the Animals.

Additional Writing Topics: Process Analysis.

16. Comparison-Contrast.

What Is Comparison-Contrast?

How Comparison-Contrast Fits Your Purpose and Audience.

Prewriting Strategies.

Strategies for Using Comparison-Contrast in an Essay.

Revision Strategies.

Student Essay: From Prewriting Through Revision.

Carol Siskin, The Virtues of Growing Older.

Commentary.

Activities: Comparison-Contrast.

Prewriting Activities.

Revising Activities.

Professional Selections: Comparison-Contrast.

Toni Morrison, A Slow Walk of Trees.

*Patricia Cohen, Reality TV: Surprising Throwback to the Past?

Joseph H. Suina, And Then I Went to School.

Additional Writing Topics: Comparison-Contrast.

17. Cause-Effect.

What Is Cause-Effect?

How Cause-Effect Fits Your Purpose and Audience.

Prewriting Strategies.

Strategies for Using Cause-Effect in an Essay.

Revision Strategies.

Student Essay: From Prewriting Through Revision.

Carl Novack, Americans and Food.

Commentary.

Activities: Cause-Effect.

Prewriting Activities.

Revising Activities.

Professional Selections: Cause-Effect.

Steven King, Why We Crave Horror Movies.

*Jay Walljasper, Our Schedules, Our Selves

Brent Staples, Black Men and Public Space.

Additional Writing Topics: Cause-Effect.

18. Definition.

What Is Definition?

How Definition Fits Your Purpose and Audience.

Prewriting Strategies.

Strategies for Using Definition in an Essay.

Revision Strategies.

Student Essay: From Prewriting Through Revision.

Laura Chen, Physics in Everyday Life.

Commentary.

Activities: Definition.

Prewriting Activities.

Revising Activities.

Professional Selections: Definition.

K. C. Cole, Entropy.

James Gleick, Life as Type A.

*Alexandra Robbins & Abby Wilner, What Is the Quarterlife Crisis?

Additional Writing Topics: Definition.

19. Argumentation-Persuasion.

What Is Argumentation-Persuasion?

How Argumentation-Persuasion Fits Your Purpose and Audience.

Prewriting Strategies.

Strategies for Using Argumentation-Persuasion in an Essay.

Revision Strategies.

Student Essay: From Prewriting Through Revision.

Mark Simmons, Compulsory National Service.

Commentary.

Activities: Argumentation-Persuasion.

Prewriting Activities.

Revising Activities.

Professional Selections: Argumentation-Persuasion.

Mary Shelly, In Praise of the Word.

* James Barszcz, Can You Be Educated from a Distance?

Debating the Issues: Date Rape.

Camille Paglia, A Bigger Danger than Feminists Know.

Susan Jacoby, Common Decency.

*Debating the Issues: Torture of Terrorists

*Jonathan Alter, Time to Think About Torture

*Henry Porter, Now the Talk Is About Bringing Back Torture

Additional Writing Topics: Argumentation-Persuasion.

IV. THE RESEARCH PAPER.

20. Selecting a Subject, Using the Library and the Internet, and Taking Notes.

Some General Comments About the Research Paper.

Plan the Research.

Understand the Paper's Boundaries.

Understand Primary versus Secondary Research.

Choose a General Subject.

Prewrite to Limit the General Subject.

Conduct Preliminary Research.

Identify a Working Thesis.

Make a Schedule.

Find Sources in the Library.

The Computerized Catalog.

The Card Catalog.

The Reference Section.

Periodicals.

Use the Internet.

The Internet and the World Wide Web.

What the Web Offers.

The Advantages and Limitations of the Library and the Web.

Accessing the Web.

Using the Net to Find Books on Your Topic.

Using the Net to Find Articles and Other Materials on Your Topic.

Evaluating Internet Materials.

Using Other Internet Tools.

Prepare a Working Bibliography.

Take Notes to Support the Thesis with Evidence.

Why Take Notes?

Before Note-Taking: Evaluate Sources.

Before Note-Taking: Refine Your Working Bibliography.

Before Note-Taking: Read Your Sources.

When Note-Taking: What to Select.

When Note-Taking: How to Record Statistics.

When Note-Taking: Use Index Cards.

Two Other Note-Taking Approaches.

Kinds of Notes.

Activities: Selecting a Subject, Using the Library, and Taking Notes.

21. Writing the Research Paper.

Refine Your Working Thesis.

Sort the Note Cards.

Organize the Evidence by Outlining.

Write the First Draft.

Presenting the Results of Primary Research.

How to Avoid Plagiarism: Document Borrowed Material Using MLA Format.

Indicate Author and Page.

Special Cases of Authorship.

Special Cases of Pagination.

Blending Quoatations into Your Text.

Presenting Statistics.

Revise, Edit, and Proofread the First Draft.

Prepare the Works Cited List: MLA Format.

Citing Book Sources.

Citing Periodical Sources.

Citing Computerized Sources.

Citing Other, Nonprint Sources.

APA Documentation Format.

Parenthetic Citations.

References List.

Citing Book Sources.

Citing Periodical Sources.

Citing Computerized Sources.

Citing Other, Nonprint Sources.

A Note About Other Documentation Systems.

Student Research Paper: MLA-Style Documentation.

Brian Courtney, America's Homeless: How the Government Can Help.

Commentary.

Activities: Writing the Research Paper.

V. THE LITERARY PAPER AND EXAM ESSAY.

22. Writing About Literature.

Elements of Literary Works.

How to Read a Literary Work.

Read to Form a General Impression.

Ask Questions About the Work.

Reread and Annotate.

Modify Your Annotations.

Write the Literary Analysis.

Prewrite.

Identify Your Thesis.

Support the Thesis with Evidence.

Organize the Evidence.

Write the First Draft.

Revise Overall Meaning, Structure, and Paragraph Development.

Edit and Proofread.

Pulling It All Together.

Read to Form a General Impression.

Langston Hughes, Early Autumn.

Ask Questions about the Work.

Reread and Annotate.

Student Essay.

Karen Vais, Stopping to Talk.

Commentary.

Additional Selections and Writing Assignments.

Robert Frost, Out, Out!

Kate Chopin, The Story of an Hour.

23. Writing Exam Essays.

Three Forms of Written Answers.

Short Answers.

Paragraph-Length Answers.

Essay-Length Answers.

How to Prepare for Exam Essays.

At the Examination.

Survey of the Entire Test.

Understand the Essay Question.

Write the Essay.

Prewrite.

Identify Your Thesis.

Support the Thesis with Evidence.

Organize the Evidence.

Write the Draft.

Revise, Edit, and Proofread.

Sample Essay Answer.

Commentary.

Activity: Writing Exam Essays.

Index.