Writing with a Thesis A Rhetoric and Reader (with InfoTrac)

by Skwire, Sarah E.; Skwire, David

• ISBN13: 9780838407806
• ISBN10: 0838407803
• Edition: 9th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-06-18
• Publisher: Wadsworth Publishing

Summary

WRITING WITH A THESIS is based on the persuasive principle-the development and support of a thesis in order to persuade a reader, which is exactly the skill the beginning writer in freshman composition needs to develop. The book's 52 professional and 10 student essays are almost all short and easy to read so that class time can be devoted not to what the readings mean, but to what they mean for the student's writing.

Table of Contents

Guide to ``What About Your Writing?''	xiii
To the Instructor	xv
To the Student	xvii
Acknowledgments	xix
The Persuasive Principle	1	(36)
General Subject	2	(1)
Limited Subject	2	(1)
Thesis	3	(1)
What a Thesis Isn't	4	(2)
A Thesis Is Not a Title	4	(1)
A Thesis Is Not an Announcement of the Subject	5	(1)
A Thesis Is Not a Statement of Absolute Fact	5	(1)
A Thesis Is Not the Whole Essay	6	(1)
What a Good Thesis Is	6	(4)
A Good Thesis Is Restricted	6	(1)
A Good Thesis Is Unified	7	(1)
A Good Thesis Is Specific	7	(2)
Exercises for Review	9	(1)
The Thesis at Work in the Paper	10	(27)
Two Ads on the Community Bulletin Board	14	(1)
Two ``Personals''	14	(1)
Two Sets of Directions	15	(1)
Two Thank-You Notes	16	(1)
Two Letters of Complaint	17	(3)
Two Replies to the Second Letter of Complaint	20	(2)
Two ``How I Spent My Summer Vacation'' Essays	22	(1)
Two Freshman English Essays on a Literary Subject	23	(1)
The Lottery	24	(10)
Shirley Jackson
Chapter 1 1/2 Basic Tools for Writers	34	(3)
Narration	37	(28)
Stress the Story	38	(1)
Remember That a Good Story Has Conflict	38	(1)
Use Plenty of Convincing Realistic Details	39	(1)
Play Fair	39	(1)
Writing Suggestions for Narration Themes	39	(1)
Student Essay: ``Big Bully,''	40	(2)
Elizabeth Hiestand
Computer Games Anonymous	42	(4)
Joanna Connors
What About Your Writing? (paragraph length)	45	(1)
Foul Shots	46	(3)
Rogelio R. Gomez
What About Your Writing? (getting even, settling scores)	49	(1)
Salvation	49	(3)
Langston Hughes
What About Your Writing? (nostalgia)	52	(1)
My Greatest Day in Baseball	52	(4)
Dick Feagler
What About Your Writing? (pronoun agreement)	55	(1)
A Cultural Divorce	56	(3)
Elizabeth Wong
What About Your Writing? (specific details)	58	(1)
Dakota: A Christmas Memoir	59	(6)
J. Bottum
What About Your Writing? (repetition for emphasis)	62	(1)
Chapter 2 1/2 Reading Around	63	(2)
Description	65	(34)
Emotional Appeal	65	(2)
Try a Deliberately Unconventional Thesis	66	(1)
Show Your Powers of Observation by Stressing Specific Details	66	(1)
Use Specific Language	66	(1)
Stress the Psychological Impact of What You Describe	67	(1)
Organization	67	(1)
Persuasive Principle	67	(2)
Writing Suggestions for Description Themes	68	(1)
Student Essay: ``Lauren, Don't Dust My Piano,''	69	(2)
Lauren Cote
Winstead's Best Burgers	71	(3)
Sarah Bryan Miller
What About Your Writing? (allusion)	73	(1)
The Last Tree House	74	(5)
Rodrigo Ortiz Meoz
What About Your Writing? (personal involvement or bias, handling of)	77	(2)
Say Now, That Was Milo	79	(4)
Cheryl Heckler-Feltz
What About Your Writing? (intensifiers)	82	(1)
A Promise in a Lunch Pail	83	(3)
Connie Schultz
What About Your Writing? (finding a subject: family life)	85	(1)
I Am a Catholic	86	(4)
Anna Quindlen
What About Your Writing? (and at the start of a sentence)	89	(1)
Good Used Cars	90	(9)
John Steinbeck
What About Your Writing? (stream-of-consciousness writing)	95	(2)
Chapter 3 1/2 Notebooks: The Writer's Savings Account	97	(2)
Examples	99	(28)
Are There Enough Examples to Support Your Thesis?	100	(1)
Are the Examples Fairly Chosen?	100	(1)
Have You Stuck to Your Thesis?	101	(1)
Have You Arranged Your Examples to Produce the Greatest Impact?	101	(2)
Writing Suggestions for Example Essays	103	(1)
Student Essay: ``Commuter Rail,''	103	(2)
Sadie Van Buren
Couple Lies	105	(3)
Adair Lara
What About Your Writing? (``Why didn't I say that?'')	107	(1)
Darkness at Noon	108	(4)
Harold Krents
What About Your Writing? (dialogue)	110	(2)
Fruitful Questions	112	(3)
James Sollisch
What About Your Writing? (rhetorical questions)	114	(1)
How to Speak of Animals	115	(3)
Umberto Eco
What About Your Writing? (parallelism)	117	(1)
What I've Learned from Men	118	(9)
Barbara Ehrenreich
What About Your Writing? (preposition at end of sentence)	122	(2)
Chapter 4 1/2 Of Course They Count	124	(3)
Process	127	(34)
Be Sure You Are Writing About a Process	129	(1)
Follow Strict Chronological Order	130	(1)
Before Describing the First Step of the Process, Indicate Any Special Ingredients or Equipment That Will Be Needed	130	(1)
Be Sure the Process Is Complete	130	(1)
Try to Anticipate Difficulties	130	(1)
If You Need to Handle Many Separate Steps, Arrange Them into Groups When Possible	131	(1)
Define Unfamiliar Terms	131	(1)
Avoid Highly Technical Processes	131	(1)
Avoid Subjects for Which Pictures Work Better Than Words	131	(1)
Writing Suggestions for Process Essays	132	(1)
Student Essay: ``No Bows on the Butt: Choosing Your Wedding Gown,''	133	(2)
Jennifer Simms-Collins
How Can I Make My House Look Good in a Hurry?	135	(3)
Don Aslett
What About Your Writing? (humor)	137	(1)
Corn Bread with Character	138	(5)
Ronni Lundy
What About Your Writing? (introductions: how do I get my reader's attention?)	141	(2)
How to Write a Personal Letter	143	(4)
Garrison Keillor
What About Your Writing? (using you)	146	(1)
Twelve Steps to Quit Smoking	147	(4)
Robert Bezilla
What About Your Writing? (hyperbole)	150	(1)
The Spider and the Wasp	151	(10)
Alexander Petrunkevitch
What About Your Writing? (specialties of author)	156	(1)
Chapter 5 1/2 Uses and Abuses of the Computer	157	(4)
Comparison and Contrast	161	(32)
Patterns	162	(4)
Block Patterns	162	(3)
Alternating Pattern	165	(1)
Which Pattern?	166	(1)
Writing Suggestions for Comparison-and-Contrast Themes	167	(1)
Student Essay: ``Coming in Last,''	167	(3)
Annette P. Grossman
Student Essay: ``Chick Movies and Guy Movies,''	170	(1)
Edith Renaldo
Lassie Never Chases Rabbits	171	(4)
Kevin Cowherd
What About Your Writing? (conclusions)	173	(2)
My Real Car	175	(3)
Bailey White
What About Your Writing? (onomatopoeia)	178	(1)
That Lean and Hungry Look	178	(5)
Suzanne Britt
What About Your Writing? (comparisons)	181	(2)
Speaking of Writing	183	(2)
William Zinsser
What About Your Writing? (thesis at end of essay)	184	(1)
Conversational Ballgames	185	(8)
Nancy Masterson Sakamoto
What About Your Writing? (using I)	188	(2)
Chapter 6 1/2 Revision: An Overview	190	(3)
Cause and Effect	193	(30)
Do Not Oversimplify Causes	194	(1)
Do Not Oversimplify Effects	195	(1)
Distinguish Between Direct and Indirect Causes and Effects	195	(1)
Distinguish Between Major and Minor Causes and Effects	195	(1)
Do Not Omit Links in a Chain of Causes and Effects	196	(1)
Play Fair	196	(1)
Writing Suggestions for Cause-and-Effect Papers	196	(1)
Student Essay: ``A Few Short Words,''	197	(1)
Matthew Monroe
Falling into Place	198	(4)
Jaime O'Neill
What About Your Writing? (puns)	201	(1)
The Whoomper Factor	202	(3)
Nathan Cobb
What About Your Writing? (elegant variation)	204	(1)
Why We Crave Horror Movies	205	(5)
Stephen King
What About Your Writing? (sexism: he)	208	(2)
The Best Years of My Life	210	(7)
Betty Rollin
What About Your Writing? (comma splice)	214	(3)
Thinking Like a Mountain	217	(6)
Aldo Leopold
What About Your Writing? (levels of usage)	219	(2)
Chapter 7 1/2 Revision: Help from the Audience	221	(2)
Division and Classification	223	(32)
Division	223	(1)
Classification	224	(4)
Use Only One Principle of Classification	225	(1)
Be Consistent	225	(1)
Make the Classifications as Complete as Possible	226	(1)
Acknowledge Any Complications	226	(1)
Follow the Persuasive Principle	226	(1)
Writing Suggestions for Classification Themes	227	(1)
Student Essay: ``Earthquakers,''	228	(2)
Lucy Johnson
How Fit Are You?	230	(3)
Kenneth H. Cooper
What About Your Writing? (fragmentary sentences)	232	(1)
It's Only a Paper World	233	(4)
Kathleen Fury
What About Your Writing? (sexism, stereotyping)	236	(1)
Mother-in-Law	237	(6)
Charlotte Latvala
What About Your Writing? (finding a subject: romantic highs and lows)	242	(1)
Take a Left Turn onto Nowhere Street	243	(4)
Anne Bernays
What About Your Writing? (titles)	246	(1)
Three Kinds of Discipline	247	(8)
John Holt
What About Your Writing? (alliteration)	251	(2)
Chapter 8 1/2 Revision: The Psychology of It All	253	(2)
Definition	255	(22)
A Definition Paper Can Compare and Contrast	256	(1)
A Definition Paper Can Classify	257	(1)
A Definition Paper Can Give Examples	257	(1)
A Definition Paper Can Trace a Process	257	(1)
A Definition Paper Can Study Cause-and-Effect Relationships	257	(1)
A Definition Paper Can Use Narration	257	(1)
Writing Suggestions for Definition Essays	257	(1)
Student Essay: ``Growing Up,''	258	(2)
Anonymous
The Real Thing	260	(2)
Frankie Germany
What About Your Writing? (comic book punctuation, exclamation points, etc.)	261	(1)
Feast for the Soul	262	(4)
Ronald E. Kotzsch
What About Your Writing? (citation of authority)	265	(1)
Spanglish	266	(3)
Janice Castro
Dan Cook
Cristina Garcia
What About Your Writing? (connotation)	268	(1)
Gross Domestic Nonsense	269	(2)
Wayne Muller
What About Your Writing? (topicality)	271	(1)
The Handicap of Definition	271	(6)
William Raspberry
What About Your Writing? (qualifying words and phrases)	274	(1)
Chapter 9 1/2 Deadlines	275	(2)
Argumentation	277	(42)
Go Easy on Universals---Qualify When Appropriate	279	(1)
Give Consideration to Differing Opinions	279	(1)
Be Cautious with Abuse and Ridicule	280	(1)
Devote Most of Your Attention Toward Supporting Your View, Not Advocating It	280	(1)
Some Common Logical Fallacies	280	(3)
Writing Suggestions for Argumentation Essays	283	(1)
Student Essay: ``Sing It When It Counts,''	284	(2)
Ben Ruggiero
Thanksgiving's No Turkey	286	(3)
Robert W. Gardner
What About Your Writing? (taking sides for fun, mental exercise)	288	(1)
What's Wrong with Black English?	289	(3)
Rachel L. Jones
What About Your Writing? (turning tables, beating opponents to the punch)	291	(1)
Dear Mom, Clear My Calendar	292	(4)
Cathy Rindner Tempelsman
What About Your Writing? (ironic quotation marks)	294	(2)
The Smiley-Face Approach	296	(3)
Albert Shanker
What About Your Writing? (passive voice)	298	(1)
Old Folks at Home	299	(4)
Bernard Sloan
What About Your Writing? (sentence length)	302	(1)
The Case for Torture	303	(3)
Michael Levin
What About Your Writing? (attack on an orthodox view)	306	(1)
A Modest Proposal	306	(13)
Jonathan Swift
What About Your Writing? (irony)	315	(2)
Chapter 10 1/2 What About the Rest of Your Writing?	317	(2)
Credits	319	(4)
Index	323