The Bedford Handbook

Front Cover
......Page 1
Inside Front Cover
......Page 2
Title Page......Page 5
Copyright Page......Page 6
Preface for Instructors......Page 7
For Students: How to Use The Bedford Handbook......Page 20
Contents......Page 21
Introduction: Becoming a College Writer
......Page 35
Part I: The Writing Process......Page 43
Becoming a College Writer: Choose Topics You Care About......Page 44
1a. Assess the Writing Situation......Page 45
1b. Explore Your Subject......Page 58
1c. Draft and Revise a Working Thesis Statement......Page 63
1d. Draft a Plan......Page 70
1e. Draft an Introduction......Page 73
1f. Draft the Body......Page 76
1g. Draft a Conclusion......Page 80
1h. Manage Your Files......Page 82
2. Revising, Editing, and Reflecting......Page 83
Becoming a College Writer: Form a Community of Readers Around You......Page 84
2a. Develop Strategies for Revising with Comments......Page 85
2b. Approach Global Revision in Cycles......Page 91
2c. Revise and Edit Sentences; Proofread a Final Draft......Page 99
2d. Sample Student Writing: Literacy Narrative......Page 103
2e. Prepare a Portfolio; Reflect on Your Writing......Page 111
Writing Guide: Literacy Narrative......Page 112
Writing Guide: Reflective Letter......Page 118
3a. Focus on a Main Point......Page 121
3b. Develop the Main Point......Page 124
3c. Choose a Suitable Pattern of Organization......Page 125
3d. Make Paragraphs Coherent......Page 133
3e. If Necessary, Adjust Paragraph Length......Page 139
Part II: Academic Reading and Writing......Page 141
Becoming a College Writer: Engage with the Texts You Read......Page 142
4a. Read Actively......Page 143
4b. Outline a Text to Identify Main Ideas......Page 149
4c. Summarize to Deepen Your Understanding......Page 152
4d. Analyze to Demonstrate Your Critical Reading......Page 153
Writing Guide: Analytical Essay......Page 156
4e. Sample Student Writing: Analysis of an Article......Page 158
5. Reading and Writing About Images and Multimodal Texts......Page 161
5a. Read Actively......Page 162
5b. Outline to Identify Main Ideas......Page 166
5c. Summarize to Deepen Your Understanding......Page 167
5d. Analyze to Demonstrate Your Critical Reading......Page 169
5e. Sample Student Writing: Analysis of an Advertisement......Page 171
6. Reading and Writing Arguments......Page 175
Becoming a College Writer: Consider Counterarguments......Page 176
6a. Distinguish between Reasonable and Fallacious Argumentative Tactics
......Page 177
6b. Distinguish between Legitimate and Unfair Emotional Appeals
......Page 184
6c. Judge How Fairly a Writer Handles Opposing Views......Page 187
6d. When Writing Arguments, Begin by Identifying Your Purpose and Context......Page 190
6e. View Your Audience as a Panel of Jurors......Page 191
6f. In Your Introduction, Establish Credibility and State Your Position......Page 193
6g. Back Up Your Thesis with Persuasive Lines of Argument......Page 194
6h. Support Your Claims with Specific Evidence......Page 195
6i. Anticipate Objections; Counter Opposing Arguments......Page 198
6j. Build Common Ground......Page 200
6k. Sample Student Writing: Argument......Page 201
Writing Guide: Argument Essay......Page 208
7a. Be an Active Reader......Page 210
7b. Form an Interpretation......Page 211
7c. Draft a Working Thesis......Page 215
7d. Support Your Interpretation with Evidence from the Text; Avoid Plot Summary......Page 218
7e. Observe the Conventions of Literature Papers......Page 220
7f. Integrate Quotations from the Text......Page 221
7g. Document Secondary Sources Appropriately and Avoid Plagiarism......Page 226
7h. Sample Student Writing: Literary Analysis......Page 229
Part III: Clear Sentences......Page 233
8. Prefer Active Verbs......Page 234
8a. Use the Active Voice Unless You Have a Good Reason for Choosing the Passive......Page 235
8b. Replace be Verbs That Result in Dull or Wordy Sentences
......Page 236
8c. As a Rule, Choose a Subject That Names the Person or Thing Doing the Action......Page 237
9. Balance Parallel Ideas......Page 238
9a. Balance Parallel Ideas in a Series......Page 239
9b. Balance Parallel Ideas Presented as Pairs......Page 240
9c. Repeat Function Words to Clarify Parallels......Page 242
10. Add Needed Words......Page 243
10a. Add Words Needed to Complete Compound Structures......Page 244
10c. Add Words Needed to Make Comparisons Logical and Complete......Page 245
10d. Add the Articles a, an, and the Where Necessary for Grammatical Completeness......Page 247
11a. Untangle the Grammatical Structure......Page 248
11b. Straighten Out the Logical Connections......Page 250
11c. Avoid is when, is where, and reason . . . is because Constructions
......Page 251
12a. Put Limiting Modifiers in Front of the Words They Modify......Page 252
12b. Place Phrases and Clauses So That Readers Can See at a Glance What They Modify......Page 253
12c. Move Awkwardly Placed Modifiers......Page 254
12d. Avoid Split Infinitives When They are Awkward......Page 255
12e. Repair Dangling Modifiers......Page 256
13a. Make the Point of View Consistent in Person and Number......Page 260
13b. Maintain Consistent Verb Tenses......Page 262
13c. Make Verbs Consistent in Mood and Voice......Page 263
13d. Avoid Sudden Shifts from Indirect to Direct Questions or Quotations......Page 264
14. Emphasize Key Ideas......Page 266
14a. Coordinate Equal Ideas; Subordinate Minor Ideas......Page 267
14b. Combine Choppy Sentences......Page 269
14c. Avoid Ineffective or Excessive Coordination......Page 273
14d. Do Not Subordinate Major Ideas......Page 275
14e. Do Not Subordinate Excessively......Page 276
14f. Experiment with Techniques for Gaining Emphasis......Page 277
15. Provide Some Variety......Page 279
15a. Vary Your Sentence Openings......Page 280
15c. Try Inverting Sentences Occasionally......Page 281
15d. Consider Adding an Occasional Question or Quotation......Page 282
Part IV: Word Choice......Page 285
16b. Avoid Unnecessary Repetition of Words......Page 286
16c. Cut Empty or Inflated Phrases......Page 287
16d. Simplify the Structure......Page 288
16e. Reduce Clauses to Phrases, Phrases to Single Words......Page 289
17a. Stay Away from Jargon......Page 291
17b. Avoid Pretentious Language, Most Euphemisms, and “Doublespeak.”......Page 292
17d. In Most Contexts, Avoid Slang, Regional Expressions, and Nonstandard English......Page 295
17e. Choose an Appropriate Level of Formality......Page 297
17f. Avoid Sexist Language......Page 298
17g. Revise Language That May Offend Groups of People......Page 302
18a. Select Words with Appropriate Connotations......Page 303
18b. Prefer Specific, Concrete Nouns......Page 304
18c. Do Not Misuse Words......Page 305
18d. Use Standard Idioms......Page 306
18e. Do Not Rely Heavily on Clichés......Page 307
18f. Use Figures of Speech with Care......Page 309
Part V: Grammatical Sentences......Page 311
19. Repair Sentence Fragments......Page 312
19a. Attach Fragmented Subordinate Clauses or Turn Them into Sentences......Page 314
19b. Attach Fragmented Phrases or Turn Them into Sentences......Page 316
19c. Attach Other Fragmented Word Groups or Turn Them into Sentences......Page 317
19d. Exception: A Fragment May Be Used for Effect......Page 318
20. Revise Run-On Sentences......Page 320
20a. Consider Separating the Clauses with a Comma and a Coordinating Conjuction......Page 323
20b. Consider Separating the Clauses with a Semicolon, a Colon, or a Dash......Page 324
20c. Consider Making the Clauses into Separate Sentences......Page 325
20d. Consider Restructuring the Sentence, Perhaps by Subordinating One of the Clauses......Page 326
21b. Make the Verb Agree with its Subject, Not with a Word That Comes between
......Page 329
21c. Treat Most Subjects Joined with and as Plural......Page 332
21d. With Subjects Joined with or or nor (or with either . . . or or neither . . . nor), Make the Verb Agree with the Part of the Subject Nearer to the Verb
......Page 333
21e. Treat Most Indefinite Pronouns as Singular......Page 334
21f. Treat Collective Nouns as Singular Unless the Meaning is Clearly Plural......Page 335
21g. Make the Verb Agree with its Subject Even When the Subject Follows the Verb......Page 336
21h. Make the Verb Agree with its Subject, Not with a Subject Complement......Page 337
21i. Who, which, and that Take Verbs That Agree with Their Antecedents
......Page 338
21k. Titles of Works, Company Names, Words Mentioned as Words, and Gerund Phrases are Singular......Page 339
22. Make Pronouns and Antecedents Agree......Page 341
22a. Do Not Use Plural Pronouns to Refer to Singular Antecedents......Page 342
22c. Treat Most Compound Antecedents Joined with and as Plural......Page 344
22d. With Compound Antecedents Joined with or or nor (or with either . . . or or neither . . . nor), Make the Pronoun Agree with the Nearer Antecedent
......Page 346
23. Make Pronoun References Clear......Page 347
23b. Generally, Avoid Broad Reference of this, that, which, and it
......Page 348
23c. Do Not Use a Pronoun to Refer to an Implied Antecedent......Page 349
23d. Avoid the Indefinite Use of they, it, and you
......Page 350
23e. To Refer to Persons, Use who, whom, or whose, Not which or that
......Page 351
24. Distinguish between Pronouns Such as I and me
......Page 353
24b. Use the Objective Case (me, you, him, her, it, us, them) for All Objects
......Page 354
24c. Put an Appositive and the Word to Which it Refers in the Same Case......Page 355
24f. Use the Objective Case for Subjects and Objects of Infinitives......Page 356
24g. Use the Possessive Case to Modify a Gerund......Page 357
25a. Use who and whom Correctly in Subordinate Clauses
......Page 360
25c. Use whom for Subjects or Objects of Infinitives
......Page 362
26a. Use Adjectives to Modify Nouns......Page 364
26b. Use Adverbs to Modify Verbs, Adjectives, and Other Adverbs......Page 366
26c. Distinguish between good and well, bad and badly
......Page 367
26d. Use Comparatives and Superlatives with Care......Page 368
26e. Avoid Double Negatives......Page 370
27a. Choose Standard English Forms of Irregular Verbs......Page 372
27b. Distinguish Among the Forms of lie and lay
......Page 376
27c. Use -s (or -es) Endings on Present-Tense Verbs That Have Third-Person Singular Subjects......Page 378
27d. Do Not Omit -ed Endings on Verbs......Page 380
27e. Do Not Omit Needed Verbs......Page 382
27f. Choose the Appropriate Verb Tense......Page 383
27g. Use the Subjunctive Mood in the Few Contexts That Require it......Page 388
Part VI: Multilingual Writers and ESL Challenges......Page 391
28. Verbs......Page 392
28a. Use the Appropriate Verb Form and Tense......Page 393
28b. To Write a Verb in the Passive Voice, Use a Form of be with the Past Participle
......Page 396
28c. Use the Base Form of the Verb After a Modal......Page 399
28d. To Make Negative Verb Forms, Add not in the Appropriate Place
......Page 402
28e. In a Conditional Sentence, Choose Verb Tenses According to the Type of Condition Expressed in the Sentence......Page 403
28f. Become Familiar with Verbs That May Be Followed by Gerunds or Infinitives......Page 406
29a. Be Familiar with Articles and Other Noun Markers......Page 409
29b. Use the with Most Specific Common Nouns......Page 411
29d. Use a Quantifier Such as some or more, Not a or an, with a Noncount Noun to Express an Approximate Amount
......Page 415
29e. Do Not Use Articles with Nouns That Refer to All of Something or Something in General......Page 417
29f. Do Not Use Articles with Most Singular Proper Nouns. Use the with Most Plural Proper Nouns......Page 418
30. Sentence Structure......Page 420
30b. Include a Subject in Every Sentence......Page 421
30c. Do Not Use Both a Noun and a Pronoun to Perform the Same Grammatical Function in a Sentence......Page 422
30d. Do Not Repeat a Subject, an Object, or an Adverb in an Adjective Clause......Page 423
30e. Avoid Mixed Constructions Beginning with although or because
......Page 425
30f. Do Not Place an Adverb between a Verb and its Direct Object
......Page 426
30g. Distinguish between Present Participles and Past Participles Used as Adjectives
......Page 427
30h. Place Cumulative Adjectives in an Appropriate Order......Page 428
31a. Become Familiar with Prepositions That Show Time and Place......Page 430
31b. Use Nouns (including -ing forms) After Prepositions......Page 431
31c. Become Familiar with Common Adjective + Preposition Combinations......Page 432
31d. Become Familiar with Common Verb + Preposition Combinations......Page 433
Part VII: Punctuation......Page 435
32a. Use a Comma Before a Coordinating Conjunction Joining Independent Clauses......Page 436
32b. Use a Comma After an Introductory Clause or Phrase......Page 437
32c. Use a Comma between All Items in a Series
......Page 439
32d. Use a Comma between Coordinate Adjectives Not Joined with and. Do Not Use a Comma between Cumulative Adjectives
......Page 440
32e. Use Commas to Set Off Nonrestrictive (nonessential) Elements. Do Not Use Commas to Set Off Restrictive (essential) Elements......Page 442
32f. Use Commas to Set Off Transitional and Parenthetical Expressions, Absolute Phrases, and Word Groups Expressing Contrast......Page 446
32h. Use Commas with Expressions Such as he said to Set Off Direct Quotations
......Page 448
32i. Use Commas with Dates, Addresses, Titles, and Numbers......Page 449
33b. Do Not Use a Comma to Separate a Verb from its Subject or Object......Page 451
33d. Do Not Use a Comma between Cumulative Adjectives, between an Adjective and a Noun, or between an Adverb and an Adjective
......Page 452
33f. Do Not Use a Comma to Set Off a Concluding Adverb Clause That is Essential for Meaning......Page 453
33h. Avoid Other Common Misuses of the Comma......Page 454
34. The Semicolon......Page 456
34b. Use a Semicolon between Independent Clauses Linked with a Transitional Expression
......Page 457
34c. Use a Semicolon between Items in a Series Containing Internal Punctuation
......Page 458
34d. Avoid Common Misuses of the Semicolon......Page 459
35a. Use a Colon After an Independent Clause to Direct Attention to a List, an Appositive, a Quotation, or a Summary or an Explanation......Page 461
35c. Avoid Common Misuses of the Colon......Page 462
36a. Use an Apostrophe to Indicate That a Noun is Possessive......Page 463
36d. Do Not Use an Apostrophe in Certain Situations......Page 465
36e. Avoid Common Misuses of the Apostrophe......Page 466
37a. Use Quotation Marks to Enclose Direct Quotations......Page 468
37c. Use Quotation Marks Around the Titles of Short Works......Page 470
37e. Use Punctuation with Quotation Marks According to Convention......Page 471
37f. Avoid Common Misuses of Quotation Marks......Page 474
38a. The Period......Page 476
38c. The Exclamation Point......Page 477
39a. The Dash......Page 478
39b. Parentheses......Page 479
39c. Brackets......Page 480
39e. The Slash......Page 481
Part VIII: Mechanics......Page 483
40b. Use Abbreviations Only When You are Sure Your Readers Will Understand Them......Page 484
40d. Units of Measurement......Page 485
40f. Plural of Abbreviations......Page 486
40g. Avoid Inappropriate Abbreviations......Page 487
41a. Follow the Conventions in Your Discipline for Spelling Out or Using Numerals to Express Numbers......Page 488
41b. Use Numerals According to Convention in Dates, Addresses, and So on......Page 489
42a. Italicize the Titles of Works According to Convention......Page 490
42c. Italicize Foreign Words Used in an English Sentence......Page 491
42d. Italicize Words Mentioned as Words, Letters Mentioned as Letters, and Numbers Mentioned as Numbers......Page 492
43a. Become Familiar with the Major Spelling Rules......Page 493
43b. Become Familiar with Your Dictionary......Page 495
43c. Discriminate between Words That Sound Alike But Have Different Meanings
......Page 499
43d. Be Alert to Commonly Misspelled Words......Page 500
44a. Consult the Dictionary to Determine How to Treat a Compound Word......Page 502
44c. Hyphenate Fractions and Certain Numbers When They are Spelled Out......Page 503
44f. Check for Correct Word Breaks When Words Must Be Divided at the End of a Line......Page 504
45a. Capitalize Proper Nouns and Words Derived from Them; Do Not Capitalize Common Nouns......Page 506
45b. Capitalize Titles of Persons When Used as Part of a Proper Name But Usually Not When Used Alone......Page 507
45d. Capitalize the First Word of a Sentence......Page 508
45f. Capitalize the First Word After a Colon if it Begins an Independent Clause......Page 509
Part IX: Grammar Basics......Page 511
46a. Nouns......Page 512
46b. Pronouns......Page 513
46c. Verbs......Page 516
46d. Adjectives......Page 518
46e. Adverbs......Page 519
46f. Prepositions......Page 521
46g. Conjunctions......Page 522
46h. Interjections......Page 523
47a. Subjects......Page 524
47b. Verbs, Objects, and Complements......Page 527
47c. Pattern Variations......Page 531
48a. Prepositional Phrases......Page 533
48b. Verbal Phrases......Page 535
48e. Subordinate Clauses......Page 539
49. Sentence Types......Page 543
49a. Sentence Structures......Page 544
49b. Sentence Purposes......Page 546
Part X: Researched Writing......Page 547
Becoming a College Writer: Join a Research Conversation......Page 548
50a. Manage the Project......Page 549
50b. Pose Questions Worth Exploring......Page 550
50c. Map Out a Search Strategy......Page 555
50d. Search Efficiently; Master a Few Shortcuts to Finding Good Sources......Page 557
50e. Conduct Field Research, if Appropriate......Page 562
51a. Maintain a Working Bibliography......Page 564
51c. As You Take Notes, Avoid Unintentional Plagiarism......Page 565
52a. Think About How Sources Might Contribute to Your Writing......Page 572
52b. Select Sources Worth Your Time and Attention......Page 574
52c. Select Appropriate Versions of Online Sources......Page 578
52d. Read with an Open Mind and a Critical Eye......Page 580
52e. Assess Web Sources with Care......Page 582
52f. Construct an Annotated Bibliography......Page 587
Writing Guide: Annotated Bibliography......Page 588
Writing MLA Papers......Page 590
53a. Form a Working Thesis......Page 591
53b. Organize Ideas with a Rough Outline......Page 592
53c. Use Sources to Inform and Support Your Argument......Page 593
53d. Draft an Introduction for Your Thesis......Page 595
53e. Draft the Paper in an Appropriate Voice......Page 596
54. Citing Sources; Avoiding Plagiarism......Page 597
54a. Understand How the MLA System Works......Page 598
54b. Avoid Plagiarism When Quoting, Summarizing, and Paraphrasing Sources......Page 599
Becoming a College Writer: Provide Context for Sources......Page 603
55a. Use Quotations Appropriately......Page 604
55b. Use Signal Phrases to Integrate Sources......Page 607
55c. Synthesize Sources......Page 612
56. MLA Documentation Style......Page 616
56a. MLA In-Text Citations......Page 617
56b. MLA List of Works Cited......Page 630
56c. MLA Information Notes (optional)......Page 685
57a. MLA Manuscript Format......Page 686
57b. Sample MLA Research Paper......Page 689
Writing APA Papers......Page 696
58a. Form a Working Thesis......Page 697
58c. Use Sources to Inform and Support Your Argument......Page 698
59. Citing Sources; Avoiding Plagiarism......Page 700
59a. Use the APA System for Citing Sources......Page 701
59b. Avoid Plagiarism When Quoting, Summarizing, and Paraphrasing Sources......Page 702
60a. Use Quotations Appropriately......Page 705
60b. Use Signal Phrases to Integrate Sources......Page 708
60c. Synthesize Sources......Page 712
61. APA Documentation Style......Page 714
61a. APA In-Text Citations......Page 715
61b. APA List of References......Page 722
62a. APA Manuscript Format......Page 757
62b. Sample APA Research Paper......Page 762
63. Chicago Papers......Page 773
63a. Supporting a Thesis......Page 774
63b. Citing Sources; Avoiding Plagiarism......Page 777
63c. Integrating Sources......Page 781
63d. Chicago Documentation Style......Page 787
63e. Chicago Manuscript Format......Page 813
63f. Sample Pages from a Chicago Research Paper......Page 816
Part XI: Writing in the Disciplines......Page 823
64a. Find Commonalities Across Disciplines......Page 824
64b. Recognize the Questions That Writers in a Discipline Ask......Page 825
64c. Understand the Kinds of Evidence That Writers in a Discipline Use......Page 827
64e. Use a Discipline’s Preferred Citation Style......Page 829
65a. Writing in Psychology......Page 831
65b. Writing in Business......Page 833
65c. Writing in Biology......Page 835
65d. Writing in Nursing......Page 837
Appendix: A Document Design Gallery......Page 839
Glossary of Usage......Page 852
Answers to Lettered Exercises......Page 870
Acknowledgments......Page 887
A......Page 889
B......Page 895
C......Page 897
D......Page 902
E......Page 904
F......Page 906
G......Page 907
H......Page 908
I......Page 909
L......Page 912
M......Page 914
N......Page 916
O......Page 918
P......Page 919
Q......Page 925
R......Page 926
S......Page 929
T......Page 933
V......Page 936
W......Page 938
Y......Page 940
Multilingual Menu......Page 941
A List of Charts......Page 942
Revision Symbols......Page 944
A List of Grammatical Terms......Page 945
Detailed Menu......Page 946
Inside Back Cover......Page 947
Back Cover......Page 948