A Writer's Resource (comb-version) Student Edition Book

1. Learning across the Curriculum

1. Writing to Learn a. Studying the world through a range of disciplines b. Using writing as a tool for learning c. Taking responsibility for reading, writing, and research d. Recognizing that writing improves with practice

*2. Learning in a Multimedia World a. Becoming aware of the persuasive power of images b. Making effective use of multimedia elements c. Taking advantage of online and other electronic tools for learning

3. Learning in English as a Second Language a. Becoming aware of cultural differences in communication b. Using writing to learn more about English c. Using learning tools that are available for multilingual students

2. Writing and Designing Papers

4. Reading, Thinking, Writing: The Critical Connection a. Reading critically b. Thinking critically c. Writing critically

5. Planning and Shaping a. Learning how to approach assignments b. Exploring your ideas c. Developing a working thesis d. Planning a structure that suits your assignment e. Considering visuals

6. Drafting a. Using online tools for drafting b. Developing ideas and using visuals c. Writing focused, clearly organized paragraphs d. Integrating visuals effectively

7. Revising and Editing a. Getting comments from readers b. Using online tools for revising c. Focusing on the purpose of your writing d. Testing your thesis e. Reviewing the structure of your paper as a whole f. Revising for paragraph development, paragraph unity, and coherence g. Revising visuals h. Editing sentences i. Proofreading carefully j. Using campus, Internet, and community resources k. Learning from onestudent’s revisions

8. Designing Academic Papers and Portfolios a. Considering audience and purpose b. Using computer toolbars c. Thinking intentionally about design *d. Compiling a portfolio

3. Common Assignments across the Curriculum

9. Informative Reports a. Understanding the assignment b. Approaching writing an informative report as a process c. Student paper: Informative report d. Writing reviews of the literature

10. Interpretive Analyses and Writing about Literature a. Understanding the assignment b. Approaching writing an interpretive analysis as a process c. Student paper: Interpretive analysis

11. Arguments a. Understanding the assignment b. Approaching writing an argument as a process c. Student paper: Argument

12. Other Kinds of Writing Assignments a. Personal essays b. Lab reports in the experimental sciences c. Case studies in the social sciences d. Essays exams e. Coauthored projects

13. Oral Presentations a. Planning and shaping your presentation b. Drafting your presentation c. Preparing for your presentation

14. Multimedia Writing a. Learning about tools for creating multimedia texts b. Analyzing images c. Creating a hypertext essay d. Creating multimedia presentations e. Creating a Web site f. Creating and interacting with weblogs

4. Writing beyond College

15. Service Learning and Community-Service Writing a. Addressing the community on behalf of your organization or yourself b. Designing brochures, posters, and newsletters

16. Letters to Raise Awareness and Share Concern

17. Writing to Get and Keep a Job a. Exploring internship possibilities b. Keeping an up-to-date résumé c. Writing an application letter d. Preparing for a job interview e. Applying college writing to writing on the job f. Writing as a consumer

5. Researching

18. Understanding Research a.
Understanding primary and secondary research b.
Recognizing the connection between research and college writing c.
Choosing an interesting research question d.
Understanding the research assignment e.
Creating a research plan

19. Finding and Managing Print and Online Sources a. Using the library in person and online b. Consulting various kinds of sources c. Understanding keywords and keyword searches d. Using printed and online reference works e. Using print indexes and online databases f. Using search engines and subject directories to find Internet sources g. Using your library’s online catalog or card catalog to find books h. Taking advantage of printed and online government documents i. Exploring online communication

20. Finding and Creating Effective Visuals a. Finding quantitative data and displaying it visually b. Searching for appropriate images in online and print sources

21. Evaluating Sources a. Questioning print sources b. Questioning Internet sources c. Evaluating a source’s arguments

22. Doing Research in the Archive, Field, and Lab a. Adhering to ethical principles b. Preparing yourself for archival research c. Planning your field research carefully d. Keeping a notebook when doing lab research

23. Working with Sources and Avoiding Plagiarism a. Maintaining a working bibliography b. Taking notes on your sources c. Taking stock of and synthesizing what you have learned d. Integrating quotations, paraphrases, and summaries e. Avoiding plagiarism and copyright infringement


24. Writing the Paper a. Planning and drafting your paper b. Revising your draft c. Documenting your sources

25. Discipline-Specific Resources in the Library and on the Internet

*6. MLA Documentation Style *26. MLA Style: In-Text Citations MLA In-Text Citations: Directory to Sample Types *27. MLA Style: List of Works Cited MLA Works-Cited Entries: Directory to Sample Types *28. MLA Style: Explanatory Notes *29. MLA Style: Paper Format *30. Student Paper in MLA Style

7. APA Documentation Style 31. APA Style: In-Text Citations APA In-Text Citations: Directory to Sample Types 32. APA Style: References APA Reference Entries: Directory to Sample Types 33. APA Style: Paper Format 34. Student Paper in APA Style

8. Chicago and CSE Documentation Styles 35. Chicago Documentation Style a. Chicago style: In-text citations and notes b. Chicago style: Bibliography c. Sample Chicago-style notes and bibliography entries d. Sample from a student paper in Chicago style

36. CSE Documentation: Name-Year Style CSE Name-Year Style: Directory to Sample Types a. CSE name-year style: In-text citations
b. CSE name-year style: List of references c. CSE name-year style: Sample references list

37. CSE Documentation: Number style CSE Number Style: Directory to Sample Types a. CSE number style: In-text citations b. CSE number style: List of references c. CSE number style: Sample references list


9. Editing for Clarity

38. Wordy Sentences a. Eliminating redundancies b. Avoiding unnecessary repetition c. Replacing wordy phrases d. Reducing clauses and phrases e. Combining sentences f. Making sentences straightforward

39. Missing Words a. Adding words needed in compound structures b. Including that when it is needed for clarity c. Making comparisons clear d. Adding articles (a, an, the) where necessary

40. Mixed Constructions a. Untangling mixed-up sentence structures b. Making sure predicates fit subjects c. Editing sentences with is when, is where, the reason . . . is because

41. Confusing Shifts a. Making your point of view consistent in person and number b. Keeping verb tenses consistent c. Avoiding unnecessary shifts in mood and voice d. Avoiding shifts between direct and indirect quotations and questions

42. Faulty Parallelism a. Making items in a series parallel b. Making paired ideas parallel c. Repeating function words as needed


43. Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers a. Putting modifiers close to the words they modify b. Clarifying ambiguous modifiers c. Moving disruptive modifiers d. Checking split infinitives for ambiguity e. Fixing dangling modifiers


44. Coordination and Subordination a. Using coordination to express equal ideas b. Using subordination to express unequal ideas c. Avoiding subordination of major ideas d. Combining short, choppy sentences e. Avoiding excessive subordination

45. Sentence Variety a. Varying sentence openings b. Varying sentence length and structure c. Including cumulative and periodic sentences and rhetorical questions d. Trying inversions

46. Active Verbs a. Considering alternatives to be verbs b. Preferring the active voice

47. Appropriate Language a. Avoiding slang, regionalisms, and nonstandard English b. Using an appropriate level of formality c. Avoiding jargon d. Avoiding euphemisms and doublespeak e. Removing biased or sexist language

48. Exact Language a. Choosing words with suitable connotations b. Including specific, concrete words c. Using standard idioms d. Avoiding clichés e. Creating suitable figures of speech f. Avoiding misuse of words

49. The Dictionary and the Thesaurus a. Using the dictionary as a habit b. Consulting a thesaurus 50. Glossary of Usage

10. Editing for Grammar Conventions

51. Sentence Fragments a. Identifying sentence fragments b. Editing sentence fragments c. Phrases as fragments d. Dependent clauses as fragments

52. Comma Splices and Run-on Sentences a. Identifying commas splices and run-on sentences b. Learning five ways to edit commas splices and run-on sentences c. Joining two clauses with a comma and a coordinating conjunction d. Joining two clauses with a semicolon e. Separating the clauses into two sentences f. Making one clause dependent g. Transforming two clauses into one clause

53. Subject-Verb Agreement a. Standard subject-verb combinations b. A word group between subject and verb c. Compound subjects connected by conjunctions (and, but, either . . .or) d. Collective subjects (committee, jury) e. Indefinite subjects (everybody, no one) f. Subject following verb g. Subject complements h. Relative pronouns (who, which, that) i. –ing phrases (gerund phrases) as subjects j. Titles, company names, words considered as words

54. Problems with Verbs a. Principal forms of regular and irregular verbs b. Lay and lie, sit and set, rise and raise c. –s or –es endings d. –d or –ed endings e. Complete verbs f. Verb tenses g. Past perfect tense h. Special uses of the present tense i. Tense with infinitives and participles j. Mood


55. Problems with Pronouns a. Pronoun-antecedent agreement b. Pronoun reference c. Making pronouns consistent d. Pronoun case (for example, I vs. me) e. Who vs. whom

56. Problems with Adjectives and Adverbs a. Adverbs b. Adjectives c. Positive, comparative, and superlative adjectives and adverbs d. Double negatives

11. Editing for Correctness: Punctuation, Mechanics, and Spelling

57. Commas Common Uses of the Comma a.
Introductory word groups b.
Items in a series c.
Independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction d.
Series of adjectives e.
Nonessential additions to a sentence f.
Transitional and parenthetical expressions, contrasting comments, absolute phrases g.
Words of direct address, yes and no, mild interjections, tag questions h.
Direct quotations i.
Parts of dates, letters, addresses, people’s titles, and numbers j.
Omitted words or phrases, confusing combinations Common Misuses of the Comma k.
To separate major elements in an independent clause l.
In front of the first or following the final item in a series m.
To separate compound word groups that are not independent clauses n.
To set off restrictive modifiers, appositives, or slightly parenthetical elements o.
Other common errors

58. Semicolons a. Independent clauses b. Independent clauses with transitional expressions c. Items in a series that contain commas d. Common errors

59. Colons a. With lists, appositives, or quotations b. With a second independent clause that elaborates on the first one c. Other conventional uses d. Common errors

60. Apostrophes a. To indicate possession b. For missing letters in contractions and for missing numbers c. Distinguishing between possessive pronouns and contractions d. To form plural numbers, letters, abbreviations, words used as words e. Common errors

61. Quotation Marks a. Exact words of a speaker or writer b. Long quotations in indented blocks c. A quotation within a quotation d. Titles of short works e. A word or phrase used in a special way f. Other punctuation marks with quotation marks g. Integrating quotations into sentences h. Common errors

62. Other Punctuation Marks a. Periods b. Question marks c. Exclamation points d. A dash or dashes e. Parentheses f. Brackets g. Ellipses h. Slashes

63. Capitalization a. Names of people and derived names, including brand names, certain abbreviations b. Titles of persons c. Titles of creative works d. Names of areas and regions e. Names of races, ethnic groups, and sacred things f. First word of a quoted sentence g. First word of a sentence h. First word of an independent clause after a colon

64. Abbreviations and Symbols a. Titles that precede or follow a person’s name b. Familiar vs. unfamiliar abbreviations c. Words typically used with times, dates, and numerals; units of measurement in charts and graphs d. Latin abbreviations e. Inappropriate abbreviations and symbols

65. Numbers a. Numbers up to one hundred and round numbers over one hundred b. Numbers that begin a sentence c. Numbers in technical and business writing d. Dates, times of day, addresses

66. Italics (Underlining) a. Titles of lengthy works or separate publications b. Names of ships, trains, aircraft, and spaceships c. Foreign terms d. Scientific names e. Words, letters, and numbers referred to as themselves f. Overuse

67. Hyphens a. Compound words b. Compound adjective or noun forms c. Fractions and compound numbers d. With some prefixes and suffixes e. To divide words at the ends of lines

68. Spelling a. Spelling rules and exceptions b. Words pronounced alike but spelled differently

12. Basic Grammar Review with Tips for Multilingual Writers

69. Parts of Speech Tip: Recognizing language differences a. Verbs Tip: Using verbs followed by gerunds or infinitives Tip: Matching helping verbs (do, have, be) with the appropriate form of the main verb Tip: Understanding the form and meaning of modal verbs b. Nouns Tip: Using quantifiers with count and noncount nouns Tip: Using articles (a, an, the) appropriately c. Pronouns d. Adjectives Tip: Using adjectives correctly e. Adverbs f.
Prepositions Tip: Using prepositions g.
Conjunctions Tip: Using coordination and subordination appropriately h.
Interjections

70. Parts of Sentences Tip: Putting sentence parts in the correct order for English a.
Subjects Tip: Including a subject (but not two) b. Verbs and their objects or complements Tip: Including a complete verb Tip: Including only one direct object

71. Phrases and Dependent Clauses a. Noun phrases b. Verb phrases and verbals c. Appositive phrases d. Absolute phrases e. Dependent clauses Tip: Understanding the purposes and constructions of if clauses

72. Types of Sentences a. Sentence structures b. Sentence purposes

13. Further Resources for Learning Timeline of World History Selected Terms from across the Curriculum World Map and Quick Reference for Multilingual Writers and Guide to Weights and Measures(fold-out sheet) Index Index for Multilingual Writers Abbreviations and Symbols for Editing and Proofreading