The Least You Should Know About English Writing Skills (Form B)

by Wilson, Paige; Glazier, Teresa Ferster

• ISBN13: 9780838407714
• ISBN10: 0838407714
• Edition: 8th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2003-05-13
• Publisher: Wadsworth Publishing

Summary

For over twenty years, the simple, friendly approach of The Least You Should Know About English has helped students with their spelling, punctuation, and sentence and paragraph structure.

Table of Contents

What Is the Least You Should Know?	1	(3)
Word Choice and Spelling	4	(51)
Your Own List of Misspelled Words	4	(1)
Words Often Confused (Set 1)	5	(9)
Proofreading Exercise	13	(1)
Sentence Writing	14	(1)
Words Often Confused (Set 2)	14	(10)
Proofreading Exercise	23	(1)
Sentence Writing	23	(1)
The Eight Parts of Speech	24	(5)
Paragraph Exercise	28	(1)
Sentence Writing	29	(1)
Contractions	29	(7)
Proofreading Exercise	35	(1)
Sentence Writing	35	(1)
Possessives	36	(8)
Proofreading Exercise	41	(1)
Sentence Writing	42	(1)
Review of Contractions and Possessives	42	(2)
Words That Can Be Broken into Parts	44	(1)
Rule for Doubling a Final Letter	45	(4)
Progress Test	48	(1)
Using a Dictionary	49	(6)
Sentence Structure	55	(116)
Finding Subjects and Verbs	56	(6)
Paragraph Exercise	61	(1)
Sentence Writing	62	(1)
Locating Prepositional Phrases	62	(7)
Paragraph Exercise	68	(1)
Sentence Writing	69	(1)
Understanding Dependent Clauses	69	(8)
Paragraph Exercise	76	(1)
Correcting Fragments	77	(6)
Proofreading Exercise	83	(1)
Sentence Writing	83	(1)
Correcting Run-On Sentences	83	(9)
Review of Fragments and Run-On Sentences	90	(1)
Proofreading Exercise	91	(1)
Sentence Writing	91	(1)
Identifying Verb Phrases	92	(5)
Review Exercise	97	(1)
Using Standard English Verbs	97	(8)
Proofreading Exercise	103	(1)
Sentence Writing	104	(1)
Using Regular and Irregular Verbs	105	(10)
Progress Test	114	(1)
Maintaining Subject/Verb Agreement	115	(7)
Proofreading Exercise	121	(1)
Sentence Writing	121	(1)
Avoiding Shifts in Time	122	(2)
Proofreading Exercises	123	(1)
Recognizing Verbal Phrases	124	(6)
Paragraph Exercise	129	(1)
Sentence Writing	130	(1)
Correcting Misplaced or Dangling Modifiers	130	(5)
Proofreading Exercise	134	(1)
Sentence Writing	134	(1)
Following Sentence Patterns	135	(7)
Paragraph Exercise	141	(1)
Sentence Writing	141	(1)
Avoiding Cliches, Awkward Phrasing, and Wordiness	142	(8)
Proofreading Exercise	149	(1)
Sentence Writing	150	(1)
Correcting for Parallel Structure	150	(7)
Proofreading Exercise	156	(1)
Sentence Writing	157	(1)
Using Pronouns	157	(9)
Proofreading Exercise	165	(1)
Sentence Writing	165	(1)
Avoiding Shifts in Person	166	(5)
Proofreading Exercises	166	(2)
Review of Sentence Structure Errors	168	(1)
Proofreading Exercise	169	(2)
Punctuation and Capital Letters	171	(36)
Period, Question Mark, Exclamation Point, Semicolon, Colon, Dash	171	(6)
Proofreading Exercise	176	(1)
Sentence Writing	177	(1)
Comma Rules 1, 2, and 3	177	(7)
Proofreading Exercise	183	(1)
Sentence Writing	183	(1)
Comma Rules 4, 5, and 6	184	(9)
Proofreading Exercise	190	(1)
Sentence Writing	190	(1)
Review of the Comma	191	(1)
Comma Review Exercise	191	(1)
Sentence Writing	192	(1)
Quotation Marks and Underlining/ Italics	193	(6)
Paragraph Exercise	198	(1)
Sentence Writing	198	(1)
Capital Letters	199	(8)
Review of Punctuation and Capital Letters	204	(1)
Comprehensive Test	205	(2)
Writing	207	(42)
What Is the Least You Should Know about Writing?	208	(1)
Basic Structures	208	(7)
The Paragraph	208	(1)
Defining a Paragraph	209	(1)
Types of Paragraphs	209	(2)
The Essay	211	(1)
The Five-Paragraph Essay and Beyond	212	(1)
Defining an Essay	212	(1)
A Sample Essay	213	(1)
``Harmonious Cord''	213	(2)
Writing Skills	215	(34)
Writing in Your Own Voice	215	(1)
Narration	216	(3)
Description	219	(1)
Writing Assignments	220	(1)
Narration: Famous Sayings	220	(1)
Description: A Valuable Object	221	(1)
Finding a Topic	221	(1)
Look to Your Interests	221	(1)
Focused Free Writing (or Brainstorming)	222	(1)
Clustering	222	(1)
Talking with Other Students	223	(1)
List Your Interests	223	(1)
Do Some Free Writing	223	(1)
Try Clustering Ideas	223	(1)
Organizing Ideas	224	(1)
Thesis Statements	224	(1)
Exercise 1 Thesis or Fact?	225	(1)
Write a Thesis Statement	225	(1)
Organizing an Essay	225	(1)
Topic Sentences	226	(1)
Organizing Body Paragraphs (or Single Paragraphs)	226	(1)
Transitional Expressions	227	(1)
Exercise 2 Adding Transitional Expressions	227	(1)
Do You Want to Live to Be 100?	228	(1)
Supporting with Details	228	(1)
Types of Support	229	(2)
Write an Essay on One of Your Interests	231	(1)
A Mistake	231	(1)
Revising Your Papers	231	(2)
A Tradition	233	(1)
Revision Checklist	234	(1)
Exchanging Papers	234	(1)
Proofreading Aloud	234	(1)
``Hey Man, Give Me Some Space!''	235	(1)
What Is Home?	235	(1)
The Best Advice	235	(1)
``Love Is Blind; Friendship Closes Its Eyes''	235	(1)
Presenting Your Work	236	(1)
Paper Formats	236	(1)
Titles	236	(1)
Writing about What You Read	237	(1)
Writing a Reaction	237	(1)
Write a Reaction Paragraph	238	(1)
``How to Talk with Your Child about Disasters''	238	(1)
Coming to Your Own Conclusions	239	(1)
``Popularity''	239	(1)
What Are Your Conclusions?	240	(2)
Write a 100-Word Summary	242	(1)
``Elvis on Celluloid''	243	(1)
Write a Reaction or a 100-Word Summary	244	(1)
``Are We Getting Smarter?''	245	(4)
Answers	249	(77)
Index	326