The Least You Should Know about English Writing Skills, Form A

by Wilson, Paige; Glazier, Teresa Ferster

• ISBN13: 9781413008944
• ISBN10: 1413008941
• Edition: 9th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-05-10
• Publisher: Wadsworth Publishing

Summary

For more than thirty years, the simple, friendly approach of THE LEAST YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT ENGLISH has helped students with their word choice, spelling, punctuation, sentence structure and writing. Extensive sets of exercises complement the text's informative and often humorous readings - engaging students in the mechanics of writing by introducing them to compelling, contemporary selections.

Table of Contents

To the Instructor	xi
What Is the Least You Should Know?	1	(2)
Word Choice and Spelling	3	(58)
Your Own List of Misspelled Words	3	(1)
Words Often Confused (Set 1)	4	(10)
Proofreading Exercise	12	(1)
Sentence Writing	13	(1)
Words Often Confused (Set 2)	14	(9)
Proofreading Exercise	22	(1)
Sentence Writing	22	(1)
The Eight Parts of Speech	23	(6)
Paragraph Exercise	28	(1)
Sentence Writing	28	(1)
Adjectives and Adverbs	29	(7)
Proofreading Exercise	35	(1)
Sentence Writing	35	(1)
Contractions	36	(6)
Proofreading Exercise	41	(1)
Sentence Writing	41	(1)
Possessives	42	(8)
Proofreading Exercise	47	(1)
Sentence Writing	47	(1)
Review of Contractions and Possessives	47	(3)
Words That Can Be Broken into Parts	50	(1)
Rule for Doubling a Final Letter	50	(5)
Progress Test	54	(1)
Using a Dictionary	55	(6)
Sentence Structure	61	(106)
Finding Subjects and Verbs	63	(6)
Paragraph Exercise	68	(1)
Sentence Writing	68	(1)
Locating Prepositional Phrases	69	(6)
Paragraph Exercise	73	(1)
Sentence Writing	74	(1)
Understanding Dependent Clauses	75	(7)
Paragraph Exercise	80	(1)
Sentence Writing	81	(1)
Correcting Fragments	82	(7)
Proofreading Exercise	87	(1)
Sentence Writing	88	(1)
Correcting Run-on Sentences	89	(8)
Review of Fragments and Run-On Sentences	95	(1)
Proofreading Exercise	96	(1)
Sentence Writing	96	(1)
Identifying Verb Phrases	97	(5)
Review Exercise	101	(1)
Using Standard English Verbs	102	(6)
Proofreading Exercise	107	(1)
Sentence Writing	107	(1)
Using Regular and Irregular Verbs	108	(10)
Progress Test	117	(1)
Maintaining Subject-Verb Agreement	118	(7)
Proofreading Exercise	124	(1)
Sentence Writing	124	(1)
Avoiding Shifts in Time	125	(2)
Proofreading Exercises	126	(1)
Recognizing Verbal Phrases	127	(6)
Paragraph Exercise	131	(1)
Sentence Writing	132	(1)
Correcting Misplaced or Dangling Modifiers	133	(4)
Proofreading Exercise	136	(1)
Sentence Writing	136	(1)
Following Sentence Patterns	137	(7)
Paragraph Exercise	142	(1)
Sentence Writing	143	(1)
Avoiding Cliches, Awkward Phrasing, and Wordiness	144	(4)
Proofreading Exercises	147	(1)
Correcting for Parallel Structure	148	(6)
Proofreading Exercise	152	(1)
Sentence Writing	153	(1)
Using Pronouns	154	(8)
Proofreading Exercise	161	(1)
Sentence Writing	161	(1)
Avoiding Shifts in Person	162	(5)
Proofreading Exercises	162	(2)
Review of Sentence Structure Errors	164	(1)
Proofreading Exercise	165	(2)
Punctuation and Capital Letters	167	(37)
Period, Question Mark, Exclamation Point, Semicolon, Colon, Dash	167	(7)
Proofreading Exercise	173	(1)
Sentence Writing	173	(1)
Comma Rules 1, 2, and 3	174	(7)
Proofreading Exercise	179	(1)
Sentence Writing	179	(2)
Comma Rules 4, 5, and 6	181	(8)
Proofreading Exercise	186	(1)
Sentence Writing	187	(1)
Review of the Comma	187	(1)
Comma Review Exercise	188	(1)
Sentence Writing	188	(1)
Quotation Marks and Underlining/Italics	189	(6)
Paragraph Exercise	193	(1)
Sentence Writing	194	(1)
Capital Letters	195	(9)
Review of Punctuation and Capital Letters	201	(1)
Comprehensive Test	202	(2)
Writing	204	(39)
What Is the Least You Should Know about Writing?	205	(1)
Basic Structures	206	(6)
The Paragraph	206	(1)
Defining a Paragraph	206	(1)
Types of Paragraphs	206	(2)
The Essay	208	(1)
The Five-Paragraph Essay and Beyond	209	(1)
Defining an Essay	210	(1)
A Sample Essay	210	(1)
``Paper Chase''	210	(2)
Writing Skills	212	(31)
Writing in Your Own Voice	212	(1)
Narration	213	(2)
Description	215	(1)
Writing Assignments	216	(1)
Assignment 1 Narration: Famous Sayings	216	(1)
Assignment 2 Description: A Picture Worth 250 Words?	217	(1)
Finding a Topic	217	(1)
Look to Your Interests	217	(1)
Focused Free Writing (or Brainstorming)	218	(1)
Clustering	218	(1)
Talking with Other Students	219	(1)
Assignment 3 List Your Interests	219	(1)
Assignment 4 Do Some Free Writing	220	(1)
Assignment 5 Try Clustering Ideas	220	(1)
Organizing Ideas	220	(1)
Thesis Statements	220	(1)
Exercise 1 Thesis or Fact?	221	(1)
Assignment 6 Write a Thesis Statement	222	(1)
Organizing an Essay	222	(1)
Topic Sentences	222	(1)
Organizing Body Paragraphs (or Single Paragraphs)	223	(1)
Transitional Expressions	223	(1)
Exercise 2 Adding Transitional Expressions	224	(1)
Assignment 7 How Do You Get Ready?	224	(1)
Supporting with Details	225	(1)
Types of Support	225	(2)
Assignment 8 Write an Essay on One of Your Interests	227	(1)
Assignment 9 An Influential Person	227	(1)
Revising Your Papers	227	(2)
Assignment 10 What Does It Take to Be a Leader?	229	(1)
Revision Checklist	229	(1)
Exchanging Papers	230	(1)
Proofreading Aloud	230	(1)
Assignment 11 What's in a Name?	230	(1)
Assignment 12 ``Clothes Make the Man''	230	(1)
Assignment 13 A Movie or TV Show That Has Made an Impression	230	(1)
Assignment 14 An Achievement	231	(1)
Presenting Your Work	231	(1)
Paper Formats	231	(1)
Titles	231	(1)
Writing about What You Read	232	(1)
Writing a Reaction	232	(1)
Assignment 15 Write a Reaction Paragraph	233	(1)
Excerpt from Backtalk: 4 Steps to Ending Rude Behavior in Your Kids	233	(1)
Coming to Your Own Conclusions	234	(1)
Poem: ``A Brief Lecture on Door Closers''	234	(2)
Assignment 16 What Are Your Conclusions?	236	(1)
Writing 100-Word Summaries	236	(2)
Assignment 17 Write a 100-Word Summary	238	(1)
``The First Horoscopes''	238	(1)
Summary Checklist	239	(1)
Assignment 18 Write a Reaction or a 100-Word Summary	239	(1)
``A Woman Can Learn Anything a Man Can''	240	(3)
Answers	243	(76)
Index	319