Now in it's 4th edition, Exploring Writing emphasizes writing skills and process. By referring to a set of four skills for effective writing, Exploring Writing encourages new writers to see writing as a skill that can be learned and a process that must e explored. The four skills, or bases, for effective writing are as follows: Unity: Discover a clearly stated point or topic sentence, and make sure that all other information in the paragraph or essay supports that point. Support: Support the points with specific evidence, and plenty of it. Coherence: Organize and connect supporting evidence so that paragraphs and essays transition smoothly from one bit of supporting information to the next. Sentence skills: Revise and edit so that sentences are error-free for clearer and more effective communication. The four bases are essential to effective writing, whether it be a narrative paragraph, a cover letter for a job application, or an essay assignment. Updated with 11 new readings (including works by Carol Dweck and Ta-Nehisi Coates), new content on literary analysis and updated student examples, Exploring Writing engages students in the writing process and facilitates their development as academic and professional writers.
Author(s): Zoé L. Albright, John Langan
Edition: 4th
Publisher: McGraw-Hill Education
Year: 2019
Language: English
Pages: 748
Tags: English Language: Paragraphs: Problems, Exercises, etc., English Language: Rhetoric: Problems, exercises, etc., Report Writing: Problems, Exercises
Cover......Page 1
Title Page......Page 2
Copyright Page......Page 3
About the Authors......Page 4
Brief Contents......Page 5
Contents......Page 7
Readings Listed by Rhetorical Mode......Page 13
Preface......Page 15
PART 1: Writing: Skills and Process......Page 25
Chapter 1: An Introduction to Writing......Page 27
Point and Support......Page 28
Benefits of Paragraph Writing......Page 31
Writing as a Way to Communicate with Others: Audience and Purpose......Page 32
Writing as a Skill......Page 35
Writing as a Process of Discovery......Page 37
Keeping a Journal......Page 38
Using Technology to Work Efficiently......Page 40
MLA Format......Page 45
Chapter 2: The Writing Process......Page 48
Prewriting......Page 49
Writing a First Draft......Page 57
Revising......Page 59
Editing......Page 60
Using Peer Review......Page 63
Review Activities......Page 65
PART 2: Basic Principles of Effective Writing......Page 81
Chapter 3: The First and Second Steps in Writing......Page 83
Step 1: Begin with a Point......Page 84
Step 2: Support the Point with Specific Evidence......Page 94
Reinforcing Point and Support......Page 97
The Importance of Specific Details......Page 100
The Importance of Adequate Details......Page 104
Writing a Paragraph......Page 110
Chapter 4: The Third and Fourth Steps in Writing......Page 113
Step 3: Organize and Connect the Specific Evidence......Page 114
Step 4: Write Clear, Error-Free Sentences......Page 128
Chapter 5: Four Bases for Revising Writing......Page 149
Base 1: Unity......Page 150
Base 2: Support......Page 156
Base 3: Coherence......Page 159
Base 4: Sentence Skills......Page 165
Evaluating Paragraphs for All Four Bases: Unity, Support, Coherence, and Sentence Skills......Page 169
The Writing Process in Action......Page 172
PART 3: Paragraph Development......Page 185
Chapter 6: Exemplification......Page 187
Paragraphs to Consider......Page 188
Developing an Exemplification Paragraph......Page 190
Writing an Exemplification Paragraph......Page 192
Chapter 7: Narration......Page 198
Paragraphs to Consider......Page 199
Developing a Narrative Paragraph......Page 201
Writing a Narrative Paragraph......Page 203
Chapter 8: Description......Page 207
Paragraphs to Consider......Page 208
Developing a Descriptive Paragraph......Page 210
Writing a Descriptive Paragraph......Page 212
Chapter 9: Process......Page 218
Paragraphs to Consider......Page 219
Developing a Process Paragraph......Page 222
Writing a Process Paragraph......Page 224
Chapter 10: Cause and/or Effect......Page 229
Paragraphs to Consider......Page 230
Developing a Cause and/or Effect Paragraph......Page 231
Writing a Cause and/or Effect Paragraph......Page 233
Chapter 11: Comparison and/or Contrast......Page 239
Paragraphs to Consider......Page 240
Methods of Development......Page 241
Additional Paragraph to Consider......Page 245
Developing a Comparison and/or Contrast Paragraph......Page 246
Writing a Comparison and/or Contrast Paragraph......Page 249
Chapter 12: Definition......Page 253
Paragraphs to Consider......Page 254
Developing a Definition Paragraph......Page 256
Writing a Definition Paragraph......Page 258
Chapter 13: Division- Classification......Page 263
Paragraphs to Consider......Page 264
Developing a Division-Classification Paragraph......Page 267
Writing a Division-Classification Paragraph......Page 270
Chapter 14: Argument......Page 274
Strategies for Arguments......Page 275
Paragraphs to Consider......Page 280
Developing an Argument Paragraph......Page 282
Writing an Argument Paragraph......Page 286
PART 4: Essay Development......Page 293
Chapter 15: Introduction to Essay Development......Page 295
Structure of the Traditional Essay......Page 296
Parts of an Essay......Page 298
Diagram of an Essay......Page 301
Important Considerations in Essay Development......Page 305
Chapter 16: Writing the Essay......Page 308
Step 1: Begin with a Point, or Thesis......Page 309
Step 2: Support the Thesis with Specific Evidence......Page 316
Step 3: Organize and Connect the Specific Evidence......Page 321
Step 4: Write Clear, Error-Free Sentences......Page 327
Revising Essays for All Four Bases: Unity, Support, Coherence, and Sentence Skills......Page 334
Chapter 17: Introductions, Conclusions, and Titles......Page 338
Introductory Paragraph......Page 339
Concluding Paragraph......Page 342
Identifying Introductions and Conclusions......Page 345
Titles......Page 346
Essay Writing Assignments......Page 347
Chapter 18: Patterns of Essay Development......Page 352
Developing an Essay with Emphasis on Exemplification......Page 353
Writing an Essay with Emphasis on Exemplification......Page 356
Developing an Essay with Emphasis on Narration......Page 357
Writing an Essay with Emphasis on Narration......Page 361
Developing an Essay with Emphasis on Description......Page 362
Writing an Essay with Emphasis on Description......Page 365
Developing an Essay with Emphasis on Process......Page 366
Writing an Essay with Emphasis on Process......Page 369
Developing an Essay with Emphasis on Cause and/or Effect......Page 370
Writing an Essay with Emphasis on Cause and/or Effect......Page 372
Developing an Essay with Emphasis on Comparison and/or Contrast......Page 373
Writing an Essay with Emphasis on Comparison and/or Contrast......Page 376
Developing an Essay with Emphasis on Definition......Page 377
Writing an Essay with Emphasis on Definition......Page 380
Developing an Essay with Emphasis on Division and Classification......Page 381
Writing an Essay with Emphasis on Division and Classification......Page 384
Developing an Essay with Emphasis on Argument......Page 385
Writing an Essay with Emphasis on Argument......Page 388
PART 5: Research-Based Writing......Page 391
Chapter 19: Information Literacy......Page 393
Using Online Sources Effectively......Page 394
Using the Library in the Context of the Digital World......Page 400
Chapter 20: Working with Sources......Page 408
Writing a Summary......Page 409
Writing a Paraphrase......Page 420
Using Direct Quotations......Page 423
Writing a Literary Analysis or Source-Based Essay......Page 425
Citing Sources......Page 429
Chapter 21: Writing a Research Paper......Page 440
Step 1: Get Started by Creating a Schedule......Page 441
Step 4: Brainstorm and Gather Information on Your Limited Topic......Page 442
Step 6: Write the Paper......Page 443
A Model Research Paper......Page 444
PART 6: Handbook of Sentence Skills......Page 457
SECTION I: Grammar......Page 459
A Simple Way to Find a Verb......Page 460
More about Subjects and Verbs......Page 461
Turning On Your Sentence Sense......Page 465
Summary: Using Sentence Sense......Page 467
Dependent-Word Fragments......Page 468
-ing and to Fragments......Page 471
Added-Detail Fragments......Page 474
Missing-Subject Fragments......Page 476
What Are Run-Ons?......Page 480
How to Correct Run-Ons......Page 481
Regular Verbs......Page 491
Irregular Verbs......Page 492
Words between Subject and Verb......Page 499
Compound Subjects......Page 500
Indefinite Pronouns......Page 501
Verb Tense......Page 504
Helping Verbs......Page 505
Verbals......Page 506
Pronoun Agreement......Page 508
Pronoun Reference......Page 510
Subject and Object Pronouns......Page 513
Possessive Pronouns......Page 516
Demonstrative Pronouns......Page 517
Adjectives......Page 519
Adverbs......Page 521
Misplaced Modifiers......Page 524
Dangling Modifiers......Page 525
SECTION II: Mechanics......Page 534
Main Uses of Capital Letters......Page 535
Other Uses of Capital Letters......Page 537
Unnecessary Use of Capitals......Page 539
Numbers......Page 542
Abbreviations......Page 543
SECTION III: Punctuation......Page 547
Apostrophe in Contractions......Page 548
Apostrophe to Show Ownership or Possession......Page 549
Quotation Marks to Set Off the Words of a Speaker or Writer......Page 554
Quotation Marks to Set Off Titles of Short Works......Page 557
Other Uses of Quotation Marks......Page 558
Six Main Uses of the Comma......Page 561
Semicolon (;)......Page 569
Parentheses ( )......Page 570
Hyphen (-)......Page 571
SECTION IV: Word Use......Page 575
Homonyms......Page 576
Other Words Frequently Confused......Page 580
Slang......Page 586
Clichés......Page 587
Inflated Words......Page 589
SECTION V: Tests......Page 593
Chapter 41: Editing Tests......Page 594
PART 7: Readings for Writers......Page 611
The Format of Each Selection......Page 613
How to Read Well: Four General Steps......Page 614
How to Answer the Comprehension Questions: Specific Hints......Page 615
What Students Need to Know about Today’s Job Crisis Don Bertram......Page 618
Propaganda Techniques in Today’s Advertising Ann McClintock......Page 628
The Great Spirit Zitkala-Ša......Page 636
Advice to Youth Mark Twain......Page 642
Inaugural Address John F. Kennedy......Page 646
Neat People vs. Sloppy People Suzanne Britt......Page 652
A Few Good Monuments Men Noah Charney......Page 656
On Homecomings Ta-Nehisi Coates......Page 663
The Professor Is a Dropout Beth Johnson......Page 670
How to Make It in College, Now That You’re Here Brian O’Keeney......Page 678
L.A. Targets Full-Time Community College Students for Free Tuition Anna M. Phillips......Page 686
Carol Dweck Revisits the “Growth Mindset” Carol Dweck......Page 691
In Praise of the F Word Mary Sherry......Page 696
Is Sex All That Matters? Joyce Garity......Page 703
Mayor of Rust Sue Halpern......Page 709
Why You May Need Social Media for Your Career John Warner......Page 719
Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address (1865) Abraham Lincoln......Page 724
Serena Williams Is the Greatest Vann R. Newkirk II......Page 728
Raise the Minimum Wage, Reduce Crime? Juleyka Lantigua-Williams......Page 733
C......Page 740
D......Page 741
G......Page 742
M......Page 743
P......Page 744
S......Page 745
T......Page 746
W......Page 747
Z......Page 748
