Steps to Writing Well Book

PART 1 THE BASICS OF THE SHORT ESSAY 1. Prewriting Getting Started Selecting a Subject Finding Your Essays Purpose and Focus Pump-Primer Techniques After Youve Found Your Focus Discovering your Audience How to Identify Your Readers Keeping a Journal (Talking to Yourself Does Help) Chapter 1 Summary 2. The Thesis Statement What Is a Thesis? What Does a 'Working Thesis' Do? Can a 'Working Thesis' Change? Guidelines for Writing a Good Thesis Avoiding Common Errors in Thesis Statements Using the Essay Map Chapter 2 Summary 3. The Body Paragraphs Planning the Body of Your Essay Composing the Body Paragraphs The Topic Sentence Paragraph Development Paragraph Length Paragraph Unity Paragraph Coherence Paragraph Sequence Transitions between Paragraphs Chapter 3 Summary 4. Beginnings and Endings How to Write a Good Lead-In Avoiding Errors in Lead-Ins How to Write a Good Concluding Paragraph Avoiding Errors in Conclusions How to Write a Good Title Chapter 4 Summary 5. Drafting and Revising: Creative Thinking, Critical Thinking What Is Revision? When Does Revision Occur? Myths about Revision Preparing to Draft: Some Time-Saving Hints A Revision Process for Your Drafts What is Critical Thinking? Thinking Critically as a Writer A Final Checklist for Your Essay Benefiting from Revision Workshops Some Last Advise: How to Play with Your Mental Blocks Chapter 5 Summary 6. Effective Sentences Developing a Clear Style Developing a Concise Style Developing a Lively Style Developing an Emphatic Style Chapter 6 Summary 7. Word Logic Selecting the Correct Words Selecting the Best Words Chapter 7 Summary 8. The Reading-Writing Connection How Can Reading Well Help Me Become a Better Writer? How Can I Become an Analytical Reader? Writing a Summary Chapter 8 Summary The Basics of the Short Essay: Part One Summary PART 2 PURPOSES, MODES, AND STRATEGIES 9. Exposition The Strategies of Exposition Strategy One: Development by Example Professional Essay: 'So Whats So Bad about Being So-So'? Strategy 2: Development by Process Analysis Professional Essays: 'To Bid the World Farewell' & 'How to Write a Personal Letter' Strategy Three: Development by Comparison and Contrast Essay Topics A Topic Proposal for Your Essay Professional Essays: 'Grant and Lee: A Study in Contrasts' & 'Two Ways of Viewing the River' Strategy Four: Development by Definition Professional Essay: 'The Munchausen Mystery' Strategy Five: Development by Division and Classification Professional Essay: 'Mystery!' 10. Argumentation Developing Your Essay Common Logical Fallacies Pro/Con Professional Essays: 'Grandparents Rights' Analyzing Advertisements 11. Description How to Write Effective Description Professional Essay: 'Still Learning from My Mother' 12. Narration Writing the Effective Narrative Essay Professional Essay: 'Sister Flowers' 13. Writing Essays Using Multiple Strategies Professional Essay: 'Dont Let Stereotypes Warp Your Judgements' PART 3 SPECIAL ASSIGNMENTS 14. Writing a Paper Using Research Focusing Your Topic Beginning Your Library Research Preparing a Working Bibliography Choosing and Evaluating Your Sources Preparing an Annotated Bibliography Taking Notes Incorporating Your Source Material Avoiding Plagiarism Choosing the Documentation Style for Your Essay MLA / APA Styles Using Supplementary Notes 15. Writing about Literature Using Literature in the Composition Classroom Suggestions for Close Reading of Literature Steps to Reading a Story Annotated Story: 'The Story of an Hour' Steps to Reading a Poem Annotated Poem 'When I Heard the Learnd Astronomer' Guidelines for Writing about Literature 16. Writing In-Class: Exams and 'Response' Essays Steps to Writing Well Under Pressure Writing the Summary-and-Response Essay 17. Writing in the World of Work Composing Business Letters Sample Business Letter Creating Memos Sending Professional E-Mail Designing R'sum's Sample R'sum? PART 4 A CONCISE HANDBOOK 18. Major Errors in Grammar Errors with Verbs Errors with Nouns Errors with Pronouns Errors with Adverbs and Adjectives Errors in Modifying Phrases Errors in Sentences 19. A Concise Guide to Punctuation The Period The Question Mark The Exclamation Point The Comma The Semicolon The Colon The Apostrophe Quotation Marks Parentheses Brackets The Dash The Hyphen Underlining The Ellipsis Mark 20. A Concise Guide to Mechanics Capitalization Abbreviations Numbers Spelling