The Blair Handbook + Online Website

by Fulwiler, Toby; Hayakawa, Alan R.

• ISBN13: 9780130486035
• ISBN10: 0130486035
• Edition: 4th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2002-06-01
• Publisher: Pearson College Div

Summary

A reference handbook for any course. Focused on the needs of contemporary college writers, the widely acclaimed Blair Handbook provides a practical, comprehensive handbook and extensive research manual. Organized around the writing process, it offers professional and student samples of the qualities of good writing, and teaches students how to effectively shape, organize, and develop a voice of their own as they write. It explains and illustrates issues of style, grammar, punctuation, usage, and mechanics as matters of writer choices that depend upon audience, purpose, and situation rather than static and absolute rules.

Table of Contents

Preface	xxii
PART ONE Writing in College	1	(36)
Questions and Answers About Writing	3	(8)
What is difficult about writing?	3	(1)
What do you enjoy about writing?	4	(1)
What surprises are in store?	5	(1)
Why is reading important?	6	(1)
What can you learn from the experience of others?	6	(2)
What else do you want to know about writing?	8	(3)
Reading Critically to Think Critically	11	(15)
Reading to understand ESL*	11	(4)
Reading critically	15	(11)
The Writing Process	26	(11)
Describing writing as a process ESL	26	(2)
Planning	28	(1)
Drafting	29	(1)
Researching	30	(1)
Revising	31	(1)
Editing	32	(1)
Writing with computers	33	(1)
Writing in English as a second language	34	(3)
PART TWO Planning	37	(38)
Keeping a Journal	39	(11)
Understanding journals	39	(2)
Keeping college journals	41	(2)
Ideas for college journals ESL	43	(7)
Inventing and Discovering	50	(8)
Personal brainstorming	50	(1)
Freewriting ESL	51	(2)
Looking	53	(1)
Asking reporters' questions	53	(1)
Making outlines	54	(1)
Clustering	55	(1)
Talking with peers	55	(3)
Assuming a Rhetorical Stance	58	(17)
Writing for a purpose	58	(4)
Addressing audiences	62	(5)
Assessing the situation	67	(1)
Finding a voice	68	(7)
PART THREE Drafting	75	(78)
Reflecting on Experience	77	(16)
Delineating character (who?)	78	(1)
Finding a subject (what?)	79	(3)
Establishing perspective (how?)	82	(2)
Describing the setting (where?)	84	(1)
Narrating a sequence of events (when?)	85	(1)
Developing a theme (why?)	86	(3)
Shaping the whole paper (student essay)	89	(4)
Explaining Things	93	(17)
Writing to explain	93	(1)
Focusing on a topic	94	(1)
Developing a thesis	95	(1)
Using strategies to explain	96	(8)
Organizing with logic	104	(1)
Maintaining a neutral perspective	105	(1)
Shaping the whole paper (student essay)	105	(5)
Arguing Positions	110	(28)
Understanding the elements of argument	110	(3)
Finding an issue	113	(2)
Analyzing an issue	115	(2)
Taking a position	117	(1)
Developing an argument	118	(6)
Organizing a position paper	124	(5)
Shaping the whole paper (student essay)	129	(9)
Interpreting Texts	138	(15)
Writing interpretive essays	138	(1)
Exploring a text	139	(1)
Joining an interpretive community	140	(3)
Developing an interpretation	143	(4)
Interpreting different genres	147	(2)
Shaping the whole paper (student essay)	149	(4)
PART FOUR Researching	153	(118)
Writing Research Essays	155	(17)
Understanding research	156	(2)
Managing the research process ESL	158	(5)
Formulating a working thesis	163	(1)
Keeping a research log	164	(1)
Using the writing process	165	(7)
Conducting Library Research	172	(23)
Planning library research	173	(2)
Finding sources of information	175	(11)
Using electronic sources	186	(2)
Reading library sources critically	188	(1)
Taking notes	189	(6)
Conducting Internet Research	195	(8)
Select a search engine	195	(3)
Check e-mail and newsgroups	198	(1)
A sample Web search	199	(4)
Conducting field Research	203	(10)
Planning field research	204	(1)
Interviewing ESL	205	(3)
Conducting surveys	208	(2)
Observing	210	(3)
Evaluating Research Sources	213	(15)
Evaluating library sources	213	(4)
Evaluating electronic sources	217	(7)
Evaluating field sources	224	(4)
Using Sources	228	(17)
Controlling your sources	228	(1)
Organizing your sources	229	(1)
Synthesizing information from sources	229	(1)
Integrating information from sources ESL	230	(10)
Using Internet sources	240	(1)
Using sources in an I-search essay	241	(1)
Understanding and avoiding plagiarism	241	(4)
A Sampler of Research Essays	245	(26)
Free choice topics	245	(2)
Personal research essay	247	(7)
Internet research essay	254	(11)
Collaborative research essay	265	(6)
PART FIVE Revising	271	(44)
The Revising Process	273	(9)
Understanding revising ESL	273	(1)
Planning to revise	274	(1)
Asking revision questions	275	(2)
Using revision strategies	277	(5)
Focused Revising	282	(14)
Limiting	282	(3)
Adding	285	(2)
Switching	287	(3)
Transforming	290	(4)
Experimenting with revising versus academic convention	294	(2)
Responding to Writing	296	(9)
Asking for help	296	(1)
Giving constructive responses ESL	297	(3)
Responding in writing	300	(1)
Responding through one-to-one conferences	300	(1)
Responding in writing groups ESL	301	(4)
Creative Nonfiction	305	(10)
Lists	305	(1)
Snapshots	306	(2)
Playful sentences	308	(2)
Repetition/refrain	310	(1)
Double voice	311	(2)
Electronic style	313	(2)
PART SIX Editing	315	(16)
The Editing Process	317	(14)
Editing techniques ESL	318	(7)
Understanding the meaning of ``error''	325	(1)
Working with others	325	(1)
Editing with a computer	326	(2)
Editing when English is your second language ESL	328	(1)
Using part six of The Blair Handbook	329	(2)
EDITING FOR EFFECTIVENESS	331	(132)
Shaping Strong Paragraphs	333	(10)
Ensuring that paragraphs are unified	333	(1)
Organizing paragraphs	334	(4)
Making paragraphs coherent	338	(5)
Improving Openings and Conclusions	343	(14)
Making openings engaging	343	(4)
Strengthening openings	347	(3)
Making conclusions satisfying	350	(3)
Strengthening conclusions	353	(4)
Strengthening Sentence Structure	357	(17)
Using coordination ESL	357	(4)
Using subordination	361	(2)
Coordinating and subordinating effectively ESL	363	(5)
Eliminating choppy sentences	368	(1)
Using parallelism	368	(3)
Creating effective parallelism	371	(3)
Creating Emphasis and Variety	374	(15)
Using the emphatic first and final positions	374	(3)
Editing sentence length	377	(2)
Varying sentence types ESL	379	(5)
Varying sentence openings	384	(1)
Using deliberate repetition	385	(1)
Omitting words deliberately	386	(3)
Building Vital Sentences	389	(15)
Using concrete, specific nouns	390	(1)
Choosing strong verbs	391	(4)
Selecting active or passive voice ESL	395	(5)
Using vital modifiers ESL	400	(4)
Being Concise	404	(13)
Eliminating vague generalities	405	(1)
Removing idle words	406	(1)
Simplifying grammatical constructions	407	(2)
Eliminating redundancy ESL	409	(3)
Avoiding pretentious language	412	(1)
Minimizing euphemism	413	(4)
Adjusting Tone	417	(10)
Making lone appropriate	417	(2)
Selecting a point of view	419	(2)
Achieving the right level of formality	421	(3)
Maintaining consistent tone	424	(3)
Choosing the Right World	427	(25)
Understanding the history of English	427	(2)
Using the dictionary and thesaurus ESL	429	(6)
Expanding your vocabulary	435	(4)
Considering connotations	439	(1)
Distinguishing among frequently confused words	440	(1)
Using prepositions and particles idiomatically ESL	440	(5)
Using slang, regionalisms and jargon	445	(2)
Using figurative language	447	(2)
Eliminating cliches	449	(3)
Eliminating Biased Language	452	(11)
Eliminating stereotypes	452	(2)
Using labels carefully ESL	454	(3)
Using nonsexist language	457	(6)
EDITING GRAMMAR	463	(120)
Eliminating Sentence Fragments	464	(8)
Editing fragments lacking subjects or verbs ESL	464	(4)
Editing dependent clause fragments	468	(1)
Using sentence fragments for special effects	469	(3)
Correcting Fused Sentences and Comma Splices	472	(10)
Using a comma and a coordinating conjunction	474	(1)
Adding a semicolon	475	(2)
Adding a colon	477	(1)
Writing separate sentences	477	(1)
Subordinating one clause to the other	478	(1)
Creating one independent clause	478	(4)
Using Verbs Correctly	482	(39)
Verb Forms	482	(1)
Understanding the five verb forms	482	(3)
Using standard verb forms ESL	485	(8)
Using auxiliary verbs ESL	493	(3)
Verb Tense	496	(1)
Understanding verb tense	496	(3)
Using verb tenses in appropriate sequence	499	(3)
Verb Mood	502	(1)
Understanding verb mood	502	(1)
Using the subjunctive mood	503	(2)
Subject-Verb Agreement	505	(1)
Making subjects and verbs agree	505	(1)
Ignoring words between subject and verb	506	(1)
Finding the subject when it follows the verb	507	(1)
Creating agreement with linking verbs	508	(1)
Making verbs agree with subjects joined by and	509	(1)
Making verbs agree with subjects joined by or and nor	510	(1)
Making verbs agree with collective nouns ESL	511	(1)
Making verbs agree with indefinite pronouns ESL	512	(3)
Making verbs agree with who, which, and that	515	(1)
Making verbs agree with subjects that refer to amounts	516	(1)
Using noun phrases and noun clauses	516	(1)
Using singular verbs with titles and with words used as words	517	(1)
Recognizing singular subjects ending in -s	517	(1)
Recognizing troublesome plurals ESL	517	(4)
Using Modifiers Correctly	521	(19)
Choosing adjectives or adverbs ESL	521	(3)
Using adjectives after linking verbs	524	(1)
Choosing between commonly confused modifiers	524	(2)
Avoiding double negatives ESL	526	(2)
Using comparatives and superlatives ESL	528	(4)
Placing modifiers correctly	532	(2)
Eliminating dangling modifiers	534	(1)
Moving disruptive modifiers ESL	535	(5)
Using Pronouns Correctly	540	(28)
Pronoun Reference	540	(1)
Establishing a clear antecedent	540	(2)
Providing explicit antecedents ESL	542	(2)
Replacing a vague if, the, that	544	(1)
Choosing who, which, that	545	(3)
Eliminating unneeded pronouns	548	(1)
Pronoun Reference	548	(1)
Making pronouns and antecedents agree ESL	548	(2)
Making pronouns agree with antecedents joined by and	550	(1)
Making pronouns agree with antecedents, joined by or and nor	550	(1)
Making pronouns agree with collective nouns	551	(1)
Making pronouns agree with indefinite antecedent	552	(3)
Pronoun Case	555	(1)
Choosing pronoun case	555	(1)
Choosing case after elements joined by and, or, and nor	556	(3)
Choosing case for appositive pronouns	559	(1)
Choosing us or we before a noun	560	(1)
Choosing case with verbals	560	(2)
Choosing case after than or as	562	(1)
Choosing who or whom	563	(2)
Choosing reflexive pronouns	565	(3)
Making Sentences Consistent and Complete	568	(15)
Avoiding unnecessary shifts	568	(7)
Eliminating mixed constructions	575	(3)
Inserting missing words	578	(5)
EDITING PUNCTUATION	583	(72)
End Punctuation	584	(6)
Using periods	584	(1)
Using question marks	585	(2)
Using exclamation points	587	(3)
Commas	590	(23)
Using commas before coordinating conjunctions joining independent clauses	591	(1)
Using commas after introductory elements	592	(2)
Using commas to self off nonrestrictive elements	594	(3)
Using commas to set off parenthetical expressions and element of contract	597	(1)
Using commas to set off tag sentences, direct address, and interjections	598	(2)
Using commas between items in a serious and between coordinate adjectives	600	(1)
Using commas with quotations	601	(2)
Using commas with numbers, dates, names, places, and addresses	603	(2)
Using commas to prevent misreading	605	(2)
Editing misused commas	607	(6)
Semicolons	613	(6)
Using semicolons between independent clauses	613	(2)
Using semicolons in a series containing commas	615	(4)
Colons	619	(4)
Using colons as marks of introduction	619	(2)
Using colons as marks of separation	621	(2)
Apostrophes	623	(9)
Using appostrophes to form the possessive case of nouns and indefinite pronouns	623	(3)
Forming plurals of words used as words, letters, numbers, and symbols	626	(1)
Using apostrophes to show the omission of letter	627	(5)
Quotation Marks	632	(11)
Using quotation marks for direct quotations	633	(2)
Using quotation marks for dialogue	635	(1)
Using quotation marks for certain titles	636	(2)
Using quotation marks for translations, specialized terms, ironic usages, and nicknames	638	(1)
Using other punctuation with quotation marks	639	(4)
Other Punctuation	643	(12)
Using parentheses	643	(3)
Using dashes	646	(2)
Using ellipsis points	648	(2)
Using brackets ESL	650	(2)
Using slashes	652	(3)
EDITING MECHANICS	655	(46)
Spelling	656	(15)
Checking for commonly confused words ESL	656	(6)
Using spelling rules	662	(9)
Capitalization	671	(7)
Capitalizing the first word of sentence	671	(1)
Capitalizing quotations and lines of poetry	672	(1)
Capitalizing proper nouns and their derivatives	673	(3)
Capitalizing titles	676	(2)
Hyphenation	678	(6)
Hyphenating words at the ends of lines	678	(1)
Hyphenating after some prefixes	679	(1)
Hyphenating compound words	680	(1)
Hyphenating numbers, fractions and units of measure	681	(3)
Italics	684	(5)
Italicizing titles	684	(1)
Italicizing the names of individual trains, ships, airplanes, and spacecraft	685	(1)
Italicizing for emphasis and clarity	685	(1)
Italicizing words, numerals, and letters used as words	686	(1)
Italicizing words from other languages	686	(3)
Numbers and Abbreviations	689	(12)
Choosing between figures and words according to context	689	(2)
Using figures when required by convention ESL	691	(2)
Limiting abbreviations in nontechnical texts	693	(1)
Abbreviating titles and degrees	693	(1)
Abbreviating time, dates, amounts, and symbols	694	(1)
Abbreviating geographic names	695	(2)
Abbreviating common Latin terms	697	(1)
Using initials and acronyms ESL	697	(4)
PART SEVEN Presenting Your Work	701	(44)
Designing Documents	703	(14)
Objectives of design	703	(1)
Tools for designing	704	(9)
Proofreading ESL	713	(3)
Choosing a printing method and paper	716	(1)
Portfolios and Publishing	717	(9)
Writing portfolios	717	(1)
Preparing a course portfolio	717	(4)
Preparing a story portfolio	721	(3)
Publishing class books	724	(2)
Writing for the World Wide Web	726	(11)
Organizing for the Web	726	(5)
HTML basics	731	(6)
Making Oral Presentations	737	(8)
Interpreting the assignment	737	(1)
Preparing a speaking text	738	(2)
Speaking in public ESL	740	(2)
Selecting creative options	742	(3)
PART EIGHT Writing Across the Curriculum	745	(128)
Understanding the College Curriculum	747	(4)
Understanding differences among the disciplines	747	(2)
Understanding similarities among the disciplines	749	(2)
Writing in Languages and Literature	751	(43)
The aims of writing in languages and literature	751	(2)
The style of writing in languages and literature	753	(1)
Common forms of writing in languages and literature	753	(2)
Documenting sources: MLA style	755	(8)
Conventions for list of Works Cited	763	(20)
Research essay: MIA style	783	(11)
Writing in the Humanities	794	(13)
The aims of writing in the humanities	794	(1)
The style of writing in the humanities	795	(1)
Common forms of writing in the humanities	795	(1)
Documentation and format conventions: Chicago style (CMS)	796	(8)
Sample page with endnotes	804	(1)
Sample page with footnotes	804	(3)
Writing in the Social Sciences	807	(31)
The aims of writing in the social sciences	807	(1)
The style of writing in the social sciences	808	(1)
Common forms of writing in the social science	809	(1)
Documentation and format conventions: APA guidelines	810	(16)
Informational research paper: APA style	826	(12)
Writing in the Physical Sciences	838	(8)
The aims of writing in the sciences	838	(1)
The style of writing in the sciences	839	(1)
Common forms of writing in the sciences	840	(1)
Documentation and format conventions systems	841	(5)
Writing in Business	846	(9)
The aims of writing in business	846	(1)
The style of writing in business	846	(1)
Common forms of writing in business	847	(7)
Documentation and format conventions	854	(1)
Columbia Online Style	855	(11)
Citing sources in the body of a paper: COS style	855	(2)
Guidelines for compiling a COS Works Cited list	857	(1)
Preparing a COS bibliography	858	(8)
Writing Essay Examinations	866	(7)
Understanding the question	867	(1)
Writing a good answer	868	(5)
PART NINE A Grammar Reference	873	(28)
Parts of Speech	875	(14)
Nouns	875	(1)
Pronouns	876	(5)
Verbs	881	(3)
Adjectives and adverbs	884	(2)
Prepositions	886	(1)
Conjunctions	887	(1)
Interjections	888	(1)
The Elements of a Sentence	889	(8)
Subjects	889	(1)
Predicates	890	(1)
Objects of verbs	891	(1)
Complements	891	(1)
Phrases	892	(2)
Clauses	894	(3)
Sentence Classification and Sentence Patterns	897	(4)
Classifying sentences by function	897	(1)
Classifying sentences by grammatical structure	898	(1)
Understanding sentence patterns	899	(2)
Glossary of Usage	901	(17)
Glossary of Terms	918	(22)
Credits	940	(1)
ESL Index	941	(2)
Index	943

Excerpts

This fourth edition of The Blair Handbook, like its predecessors, focuses on the needs of contemporary college writers. Our goal is the same: to offer clear explanations of language conventions, practices, and guidelines that govern good writing; to provide strategies for learning your own approach to the writing process; and samples of writing by both published authors and student writers that model both good practices and successful products. As the field of English studies continues to evolve--particularly with the growth of the computer as a writing and research tool--we have revised the text to make it as up-to-date as possible. We remain committed to the process-oriented approach that has characterized all previous editions. We have simplified the treatment of the writing process and expanded the coverage of research. The result is a handbook that continues to offer the most practical and jargon-free guidance available on the crafting of expository prose. PRINCIPLES UNDERLYING THE BLAIR HANDBOOK Writing as a process The organization of The Blair Handbook corresponds to the stages of the writing process, so all chapters are contextualized, as much as possible, within the process. We have presented traditional handbook material--information on style, grammar, punctuation, and mechanics--as part of the "editing process," where writers check their final-draft language for clarity and correctness. Part One, Writing in College (Chapters 1-3), introduces students to the five interrelated but discrete stages of the writing process--planning, drafting, researching, revising, and editing--explored in more detail in each of the next five parts. Part Two, Planning (Chapters 4-6), discusses planning as an informal yet focused activity where writers work out their voice in relation to their purpose and audience. Part Three, Drafting (Chapters 7-10), explains strategies for finding topics, formulating arguments, making claims, using evidence, and developing drafts for four specific writing purposes: reflecting, explaining, arguing, and interpreting. Part Four, Researching (Chapters 11-17), explores research methods and examines field, library, and online resources for writing lively research papers. Part Five, Revising (Chapters 18-21), focuses on a variety of strategies that make revision both the most demanding and creative part of the writing process. Part Six, Editing (Chapters 22-49), presents guidelines to make finished work as clear and correct as possible. An overview of "Editing" is introduced in Chapter 22, while subsequent chapters cover effectiveness (Chapters 23-31), grammar (Chapters 32-37), punctuation (Chapters 38-44), and mechanics (Chapters 45-49). Part Seven, Presenting Your Work (Chapters 50-53), covers topics ranging from the formatting of papers to publishing class books and Web pages to developing writing portfolios and making oral presentations. Part Eight, Writing Across the Curriculum (Chapters 54-61), discusses the distinguishing characteristics of writing in different academic disciplines and includes guidelines for documentation according to MLA, APA, and other disciplinary systems. Part Nine, A Grammar Reference (Chapters 62-64), is a concise resource for students who seek technical explanations of parts of speech and grammatical structure of sentences. Treatment of students as writers Because writing skills are essential to success in college and beyond, we encourage students to think of themselves as writers as well as being technically proficient in all phases of the writing process. We stress that writing is a dynamic activity in which writers make choices, experiment with language, evaluate the results, and rewrite as necess