All too often, students feel the writing course has nothing to do with their own lives and goals. Drawing on more than 35 years of combined classroom experience, Kate Mangelsdorf and Evelyn Posey give beginning writers the skills and confidence they need to choose topics and approaches that matter to them, providing them with step-by-step guidance for producing well-written, meaningful essays. Maintaining a supportive yet respectful tone, Choices helps students understand writing as a process, see the connections between reading and writing, and use rhetorical strategies, among other necessary academic skills. A wealth of professional and student models, reflecting an impressive diversity, chapters on writing for different situations, and a comprehensive handbook provide everything students need to become effective academic writers — far below the cost of comparable rhetorics.

Kate Mangelsdorf is professor of English and director of rhetoric and developmental English at the University of Texas at El Paso, where she has also been director of composition and associate dean of University College. She was formerly coordinator of ESL writing at the University of Arizona, and she has also taught at Yavapai Community College. Mangelsdorf has published articles in the Journal of Second Language Writing, English Language Teaching Journal, and Teaching English in the Two Year College.

Evelyn Posey is a Professor in the Department of English at the University of Texas at El Paso. She has served as an associate vice president for instructional design and technology integration, associate dean in the College of Liberal Arts, director of English education in the department of English, and director of the West Texas Writing Project. Posey has published articles in journals such as Computers and Composition, The Journal of Developmental Education, and Teaching English in the Two-Year College.

* = new to this edition

Preface

Part One Composing Ourselves, Writing for Others

Chapter 1: The Writing Process

Writing Assignment

Reading to Improve Writing

A Writer’s Composing Process

Step 1. Explore Your Choices

Analyzing Your Audience and Purpose

Gathering Ideas

Step 2. Write Your Discovery Draft

Choosing a Topic

Sharing Your Ideas

Step 3. Revise Your Draft

Developing Your Ideas

Building Your Essay

Step 4. Edit Your Sentences

Using Standard Written English

Correcting Errors

One Student’s Writing Process

Charles' Ideas

Charles' Drafting

Charles' Revising

Charles' Editing

*Charles Lujan, "Thinking about Writing"

Charles' Sharing

Chapter Checklist

Reflecting on Your Writing

Chapter 2: Crafting Paragraphs

Writing Assignment

Topic Sentences

Unity

Organization

General-to-Specific Order

Topic-Illustration-Explanation Order

Progressive Order

Directional Order

Question-and-Answer Order

Specific-to-General Order

Special Kinds of Paragraphs

Introductions

Conclusions

One Student’s Paragraph

Melissa’s Choices

Melissa’s Drafting

Melissa’s Revising

Melissa Ruiz, "After Katrina"

Melissa’s Editing

Melissa’s Sharing

Chapter Checklist

Reflecting on Your Writing

Chapter 3: The Patterns of Development

Writing Assignment

Description

Narration

Chronological Order

Flashback

Dialogue

Examples

Facts

Expert Testimony

Process Explanation

Classification

Definition

Comparison and Contrast

Cause and Effect

Argument

One Student’s Writing Process

Carlos' Ideas

Carlos' Drafting

Charles' Revising and Editing

*Carlos Montijo, "Television and Children"

Carlos's Sharing

Chapter Checklist

Reflecting on Your Writing

Part Two Writing to Share Ideas

Chapter 4: Remembering: Significant Events, People, and Times in Our Lives

Getting Started: Reading Essays Remembering a Significant Person, Event, Time

A Significant Person

Joshua Bell, "My Maestro"

A Memorable Event

James Dillard, "A Doctor’s Dilemma"

An Important Period

Malcolm X, "Prison Studies"

Writing Your Essay: A Step-by-Step Guide

Writing Assignment

Step 1. Explore Your Choices

Analyzing Your Audience and Purpose

Gathering Ideas

Step 2. Write Your Discovery Draft

Choosing a Topic

Sharing Your Ideas

A Student's Discovery Draft

Jesus Ramirez (discovery draft)

Step 3. Revise Your Draft

Developing Your Ideas

Building Your Essay

A Student’s Revised Draft

Jesus Ramirez, "Baseball Memories"

Step 4. Edit Your Sentences

Combining Sentences Using Coordinating Conjunctions

Correcting Run-on Sentences

A Student’s Edited Essay

Jesus Ramirez, "Baseball Memories"

Step 5. Sharing Your Essay

Chapter Checklist

Reflecting on Your Writing

Chapter 5: Explaining: Cultural Symbols, Traditions, and Heroes

Getting Started: Reading Essays Explaining a Cultural Symbol, Tradition, or Hero

A Cultural Symbol

Nora Okja Keller, "My Mother’s Food"

A Cultural Tradition

Kevin Kling, "Hook, Line, and Television"

A Cultural Hero

*Jeffrey Zaslow, "What We Can Learn from Sully's Journey"

Writing Your Essay: A Step-by-Step Guide

Writing Assignment

Step 1. Explore Your Choices

Analyzing Your Audience and Purpose

Gathering Ideas

Step 2. Write Your Discovery Draft

Choosing a Topic

Sharing Your Ideas

A Student's Discovery Draft

Sandra Cordero, "El Grito de Dolores" (discovery draft)

Step 3. Revise Your Draft

Developing Your Ideas

Building Your Essay

A Student’s Revised Draft

Sandra Cordero, "El Grito de Dolores"

Step 4. Edit Your Sentences

Combining Sentences Using Conjunctive Adverbs

Correcting Sentence Fragments

A Student’s Edited Essay

Sandra Cordero, "El Grito de Dolores"

Step 5. Sharing Your Essay

Chapter Checklist

Reflecting on Your Writing

Chapter 6: Analyzing: Occupations, Workplace Communication, and Job-related Problems

Getting Started: Reading Essays Analyzing a Work Issue

An Occupation

*Heather Robinson, "I am Not a Babysitter"

Workplace Communication

Perri Klass, "She’s Your Basic L.O.L. in N.A.D."

A Job-Related Problem

Donald Trump, "You’re Hired!"

Writing Your Essay: A Step-by-Step Guide

Writing Assignment

Step 1. Explore Your Choices

Analyzing Your Audience and Purpose

Gathering Ideas

Step 2. Write Your Discovery Draft

Choosing a Topic

Sharing Your Ideas

A Student's Discovery Draft

Kathy Chu (discovery draft)

Step 3. Revise Your Draft

Developing Your Ideas

Building Your Essay

A Student’s Revised Draft

Kathy Chu, "Helping Children Heal"

Step 4. Edit Your Sentences

Combining Sentences Using Subordinating Conjunctions

Correcting Pronoun Reference and Agreement

A Student’s Edited Essay

Kathy Chu, "Helping Children Heal"

Step 5. Sharing Your Essay

Chapter Checklist

Reflecting on Your Writing

Chapter 7: Evaluating: Products, Performances, and Places

Getting Started: Reading Essays Evaluating a Product, Performance, or Place

Evaluation of a Product

*Nicholas Carr, "The P.C. Officially Died Today."

Evaluation of a Performance

*Richard Corliss, "Michael Jackson’s This is It Review: He’s Still a Thriller."

Evaluation of a Place

*Nicolai Ouroussoff, "Two New Baseball Palaces: One Stoic, One Scrappy."

Writing Your Essay: A Step-by-Step Guide

Writing Assignment

Step 1. Explore Your Choices

Analyzing Your Audience and Purpose

Gathering Ideas

Step 2. Write Your Discovery Draft

Choosing a Topic

Sharing Your Ideas

A Student's Discovery Draft

Paul LaPrade (discovery draft)

Step 3. Revise Your Draft

Developing Your Ideas with Comparison and Contrast

Building Your Essay

A Student’s Revised Draft

*Paul LaPrade, "The Disappeared"

Step 4. Edit Your Sentences

Combining Sentences Using Relative Clauses

Correcting Comma Splices

A Student’s Edited Essay

*Paul LaPrade, "The Disappeared"

Step 5. Sharing Your Essay

Chapter Checklist

Reflecting on Your Writing

Chapter 8: Arguing a Position: Censorship, Stereotypes, and Media in Our Lives

Getting Started: Reading Essays Arguing a Position about a Media Issue

A Censorship Issue

Anna Quindlen, "Write and Wrong"

A Stereotyping Issue

Samuel L. Jackson, "In Character"

A Lifestyle Issue

*Tara Parker-Pope, "The Ugly Toll of Technology: Impatience and Forgetfulness"

Writing Your Essay: A Step-by-Step Guide

Writing Assignment

Step 1. Explore Your Choices

Analyzing Your Audience and Purpose

Gathering Ideas

Step 2. Write Your Discovery Draft

Choosing a Topic

Sharing Your Ideas

A Student's Discovery Draft

Reginald Jones, (discovery draft)

Step 3. Revise Your Draft

Developing Your Ideas with Cause-and-Effect Analysis

Building Your Essay

A Student’s Revised Draft

Reginald Jones, "Newspaper Ad Sparks Controversy"

Step 4. Edit Your Sentences

Combining Sentences Using Introductory Phrases

Correcting Subject-Verb Agreement Problems

A Student’s Edited Essay

Reginald Jones, "Newspaper Ad Sparks Controversy"

Step 5. Sharing Your Essay

Chapter Checklist

Reflecting on Your Writing

Chapter 9: Proposing a Solution: Health, Education, and the Environment

Getting Started: Reading Essays That Propose a Solution to a Problem

A Health Problem

Darshak Sanghavi, "Quicker Liquor: Should We Lower the Drinking Age?"

An Education Problem

Amanda Schaffer, "How to Buck Up the Science Ladies"

An Environmental Problem

David Sirota, "Putting the 'I' in the Environment"

Writing Your Essay: A Step-by-Step Guide

Writing Assignment

Step 1. Explore Your Choices

Analyzing Your Audience and Purpose

Gathering Ideas

Step 2. Write Your Discovery Draft

Choosing a Topic

Sharing Your Ideas

A Student's Discovery Draft

Andrea Benitez (discovery draft)

Step 3. Revise Your Draft

Developing Your Ideas with Argument

Building Your Essay

A Student’s Revised Draft

Andrea Benitez "Why Go Vegan?"

Step 4. Edit Your Sentences

Combining Sentences Using Appositives

Correcting Shifts in Person

A Student’s Edited Essay

Andrea Benitez "Why Go Vegan?"

Step 5. Share Your Essay

Chapter Checklist

Reflecting on Your Writing

Part Three Writing for Different Situations

Chapter 10: Keeping Journals

Writing Assignment

Why Writers Keep Journals

Lucy Calkins, from The Art of Teaching Writing

Personal Journals

Dialogue Journals

Learning Logs

Chapter Checklist

Reflecting on Your Writing

Chapter 11: Writing Summaries

Writing Assignment

Writing a Summary

Reread the Original Text

Write the Summary

Chapter Checklist

Reflecting on Your Writing

Chapter 12: Conducting Research

Writing Assignment

Preparing to Conduct Research

Narrow Your Topic

Write Research Questions

Primary Research

Making Observations

Surveying Others

Conducting Interviews

Secondary Research

Locating Sources of Information

Evaluating Sources of Information

Avoiding Plagiarism

Taking Notes

Philip Zimbardo and Anne Weber, "Cross-Cultural Perspective: Culture Shock"

Quoting Information

Paraphrasing Information

Summarizing Information

Documenting Sources

Sample Research Paper

Leslie Lozano, "Culture Shock"

Chapter Checklist

Reflecting on Your Writing

Chapter 13: Taking Timed Writing Tests

Writing Assignment

The Essay Exam

Preparing for an Essay Exam

Taking the Essay Exam

Sample Essay Question and Student Response

In-Class Timed Writing about a Reading

Preparing for In-Class Timed Writing about a Reading

Performing In-Class Timed Writing about a Reading

Sample In-Class Writing Question and Student Response

Brian A. Courtney, "Freedom from Choice"

Multiple-Choice Writing Tests

Preparing for a Multiple-Choice Writing Test

Taking a Multiple-Choice Writing Test

Chapter Checklist

Reflecting on Your Writing

Chapter 14: Writing Resumes and Cover Letters

Writing Assignment

The Resume

Required Information

Optional Sections

Format and Grammar

Sample Resume

Cover Letter

Sample Cover Letter

Chapter Checklist

Reflecting on Your Writing

Part Four Handbook with Exercises

Chapter 15: Writing Sentences

A. Subjects

Compound Subjects

Subject Pretenders

B. Verbs

Action and Linking Verbs

Verb Pretenders

Verb Tense

C. Subject-Verb Agreement

Singular and Plural Forms

Indefinite Pronouns

Chapter 16: Expanding Sentences

A. Phrases

B. Clauses

Independent or Main Clauses

Dependent or Subordinate Clauses

Relative Clauses

C. Pronouns

Pronoun Reference

Pronoun Agreement

D. Adjectives

E. Adverbs

Chapter 17: Combining Sentences

A. Coordination

Coordinating Conjunctions and Commas

Conjunctive Adverbs and Semicolons

B. Subordination

Subordinating Conjunctions

Relative Pronouns

C. Sentence-Combining Exercises

Specific Methods of Combining Sentences

Various Methods of Combining Sentences

Chapter 18: Improving Sentences

A. Sentence Fragments

B. Run-on Sentences

C. Comma Splices

D. Misplaced Modifiers

E. Dangling Modifiers

F. Active and Passive Voice

G. Parallelism

Chapter 19: Improving Word Choice

A. Vocabulary

Meaning from Context

Learn Roots, Prefixes, and Suffixes

B. Unnecessary Repetition

C. Wordiness

Chapter 20: Improving Spelling

A. Spelling Rules

B. Commonly Misspelled Words

C. Commonly Confused Words

Chapter 21: Improving Punctuation

A. Commas

B. Semicolons

C. Colons

D. End Punctuation

E. Apostrophes

F. Quotation Marks

Chapter 22: Improving Mechanics

A. Capital Letters

B. Italics

C. Abbreviations

D. Numbers

Chapter 23: Guide for Multilingual Writers

A. Articles

B. Count and Noncount Nouns

C. Prepositions

D. Omitted or Repeated Subjects

Omitted Subjects

Repeated Subjects

E. Word Order

Adjective Placement

Adverb Placement

F. Verbs

Verb Tense

Helping Verbs

Verbs Followed by Gerunds or Infinitives

Two-Part Verbs

Participles Used as Adjectives

G. Active and Passive Voice

Appendix: Additional Readings

Chapter 4: Remembering: Significant Events, People, and Periods in Our Lives

A Significant Person

Thomas L. Friedman, "My Favorite Teacher"

A Memorable Event

Francis Lam, "Killing Dinner"

An Important Period

Brent Staples, "Black Men and Public Space"

Chapter 5: Explaining: Cultural Symbols, Traditions, and Heroes

A Cultural Symbol

Jhumpa Lahiri, "Rice"

A Cultural Tradition

Lizette Alvarez, "Latinas Make Sweet 16-ish Their Own."

A Cultural Hero

John Culhane, "Oprah Winfrey: How Truth Changed Her Life"

Chapter 6: Analyzing: Occupations, Workplace Communication, and Job-related Problems

An Occupation

Donna McAleer, "How a Soldier Takes on Community Health Care"

Workplace Communication

Rita Warren Hess, "American Workplace Slang and Jargon"

A Job-Related Problem

Ellen Goodman, "The Company Man"

Chapter 7: Evaluating: Products, Performances, and Places

Evaluation of a Product

Ann Hodgman, "No Wonder They Call Me a Bitch"

Evaluation of a Performance

Diane Heiman and Phyllis Bookspan, "Sesame Street: Brought to You by the Letters M-A-L-E"

Evaluation of a Place

Nicholas Jennings, "A Palace of Rock"

Chapter 8: Arguing a Position: Censorship, Stereotypes, and Media in Our Lives

A Censorship Issue

Peter Singer, "Let's Hope the WikiLeaks Cables Move Us Closer to Open Diplomacy"

A Stereotyping Issue

Allison Samuels, "The Case Against Celebrity Gossip"

A Lifestyle Issue

Janna Malamud Smith, "Online but Not Antisocial"

Chapter 9: Proposing a Solution: Health, Education, and the Environment

A Health Problem

Elizabeth M. Whelan, "Perils of Prohibition"

An Education Problem

Mary Sherry, "In Praise of the F Word"

An Environmental Problem

Mark Hertsgaard, "A Global Green Deal"

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Choices A Writing Guide with Readings

9780312611408

0312611404

Supplemental Materials

Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials

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