Steps for Writers: Composing Essays, Volume 2 (Penguin Academics Series)

by Eggers, Phillip

• ISBN13: 9780321198822
• ISBN10: 0321198824
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-01-01
• Publisher: Longman

Summary

Every developing writer is different and has specific needs. Whether students lack confidence, are overconfident, or come to the course under prepared in grammar and process, writing their own event. By organizing Three Steps to College Writing around three phases of college writingfinding oners"s own writing process, writing essays based on oners"s own experience and perceptions, and writing essays involving texts and research, Phil Eggers aims to transform writing into an intrinsic experience for todayrs"s developing writers. His graduated approach to grammar and writing teaches students the basic of composing solid paragraphs and essays by allowing students to mature in the process and build confidence. Grammar correctness and peer review are heavily emphasized, and student and professional models are incorporated throughout the text to show "real" writing. As part of the Penguin Academic Series, Three Steps to College Writing offers a compact, trade-format size and streamlined narrative to make this book both easy to handle and easy to read. Its brevity and low cost allows instructors to easily supplement the basic text with other books, including those on the list of Penguin titles offered at a deep discount as part of the Longman/Penguin Program. Teaches students the basics of composing solid paragraphs and essays in preparation for freshman composition. Ï Paragraph-to-Essay level Ï Penguin Academic = concise and affordable Ï Three phases of college writingfinding oners"s own writing process, writing essays based on oners"s own experience and perceptions, and writing essays involving texts and research Ï Graduated approach with grammar and writing: "Basic," "Intermediate," Challenge" Ï Heavy emphasis on grammar, proofreading, and peer review Ï Student and professional models are incorporated throughout text

Table of Contents

To the Instructor	xv
To the Student	xxv
INTRODUCTION Visualizing the Essay	1	(6)
Student Essay	3	(4)
STEP ONE DEVELOPING YOUR OWN THINKING, WRITING, AND LEARNING PROCESS	7	(230)
CHAPTER 1 Prewriting	8	(15)
Prewriting Experiments: Freewriting, Focused Writing, Brainstorming, Clustering, Outlining, and Cubing	9	(5)
Interacting with Your Readers	11	(1)
Identifying Your Purpose	12	(1)
Prewriting Activities: A Glimpse of a Student Writer at Work	12	(4)
WRITING TIP #1	14	(1)
WRITING EXERCISES: BASIC, INTERMEDIATE, CHALLENGE	14	(2)
Proofreading Practice: Identifying Sentence Divisions in Your Prewriting Activities	16	(4)
Correcting Fragments	16	(1)
Correcting Run-on Sentences	17	(2)
Correcting Comma Splices	19	(1)
PROOFREADING EXERCISES: BASIC, INTERMEDIATE, CHALLENGE	20	(3)
CHAPTER 2 Making a Point	23	(11)
Thesis Statements	23	(2)
Thesis Statements Must Take a Position	24	(1)
Thesis Statements Must Be Precise	24	(1)
Introductory Paragraphs	25	(4)
Starting with the Three-Step Design	25	(1)
Model Introductory Paragraph	26	(1)
Avoid Bad Starts	26	(5)
WRITING TIP #2	29	(1)
WRITING EXERCISES: BASIC, INTERMEDIATE, CHALLENGE	29	(2)
Proofreading Practice: Agreement of Subjects and Verbs	31	(1)
Watch Those S-Endings	31	(1)
PROOFREADING EXERCISES: BASIC, INTERMEDIATE, CHALLENGE	32	(2)
CHAPTER 3 Developing Your Body Paragraphs and Making Conclusions	34	(17)
Explaining and Illustrating Ideas in Body Paragraphs	34	(1)
Applying Techniques of Development	34	(6)
Analyzing a Topic	35	(1)
Using Personal Experience	36	(1)
Using Analogies	36	(1)
Acknowledging the Reader	37	(2)
Appealing to Emotion	39	(1)
Using Public Sources of Information	39	(1)
Choosing Modes of Development	40	(1)
WRITING TIP #3	41	(1)
Concluding Paragraphs	41	(3)
Conclusions to Avoid	42	(1)
Model Concluding Paragraph	43	(1)
WRITING EXERCISES: BASIC, INTERMEDIATE, CHALLENGE	44	(1)
Proofreading Practice: Special Problems with Agreement	44	(5)
Forms of Be, Have, and Do	45	(1)
Subjects That Come After Verbs	46	(1)
Special Subjects	47	(1)
Group Nouns	47	(1)
Verbs Separated from Subjects by Prepositional Phrases	48	(1)
PROOFREADING EXERCISES: BASIC, INTERMEDIATE, CHALLENGE	49	(2)
CHAPTER 4 Global Revising: Doing an Extreme Makeover	51	(10)
Moving from a Draft to an Essay: A Glimpse of a Student Writer at Work	51	(2)
Testing Your Thesis: Looking for Digressions and Weak Spots	53	(1)
Achieving Continuity through Transitions	54	(1)
Improving Your Style: Breaking Up, Varying, and Combining Sentences	54	(1)
Interacting with Your Reader (Reading Aloud to Others)	55	(2)
Peer Review Questions	56	(1)
WRITING TIP #4	56	(1)
WRITING EXERCISES: BASIC, INTERMEDIATE, CHALLENGE	57	(1)
Proofreading Practice: Subordination	57	(2)
PROOFREADING EXERCISES: BASIC, INTERMEDIATE, CHALLENGE	59	(2)
CHAPTER 5 Putting on the Final Touches	61	(15)
Improving Word Choice; Eliminating Wordiness	61	(2)
Proofreading Aloud; Locating Your Patterns of Error	63	(1)
Using Your Spelling and Grammar Check	64	(1)
WRITING TIP #5	64	(1)
WRITING EXERCISES: BASIC, INTERMEDIATE, CHALLENGE	65	(1)
Proofreading Practice: Spelling	66	(6)
Spelling Patterns	67	(2)
Twenty Common Mix-ups	69	(3)
PROOFREADING EXERCISES: BASIC, INTERMEDIATE, CHALLENGE	72	(3)
WRITING ESSAYS BASED ON YOUR OWN EXPERIENCE AND PERCEPTIONS	75	(1)
CHAPTER 6 Describing a Situation, Person, or Group	76	(10)
Visualizing Your Subject and Giving It Meaning	76	(1)
Student Essay: Describing a Person	76	(2)
Organizing a Description	78	(1)
Example by a Published Author: Using Details	78	(2)
WRITING TIP #6	79	(1)
WRITING EXERCISES: BASIC, INTERMEDIATE, CHALLENGE	80	(1)
Essay Topics: Descriptive Writing	81	(1)
Peer Review Questions	81	(1)
Proofreading Practice: Adjectives and Adverbs	82	(2)
Telling the Difference Between Adjectives and Adverbs	82	(2)
PROOFREADING EXERCISES: BASIC, INTERMEDIATE, CHALLENGE	84	(2)
CHAPTER 7 Telling a Story to Make a Point	86	(13)
Organizing Chronologically	86	(1)
Telling a Meaningful and Moving Story	86	(1)
Student Essay: Telling a Story to Make a Point	87	(3)
Example by a Published Author	90	(2)
WRITING TIP #7	92	(1)
WRITING EXERCISES: BASIC, INTERMEDIATE, CHALLENGE	92	(1)
Essay Topics: Narration	93	(1)
Peer Review Questions	94	(1)
Proofreading Practice: Past Tense	94	(3)
Verb Tenses in Writing: Some Guidelines	94	(1)
D-Endings in the Past Tense	95	(1)
The Past Tense of Irregular Verbs	96	(1)
PROOFREADING EXERCISES: BASIC, INTERMEDIATE, CHALLENGE	97	(2)
CHAPTER 8 Enumerating Examples	99	(12)
Student Essay: Enumerating Examples	99	(3)
Example by a Published Author: Enumerating Examples	102	(2)
WRITING TIP #8	104	(1)
WRITING EXERCISES: BASIC, INTERMEDIATE, CHALLENGE	104	(1)
Essay Topics: Illustration by Examples	105	(1)
Peer Review Questions	106	(1)
Proofreading Practice: Parallel Structure	106	(2)
PROOFREADING EXERCISES: BASIC, INTERMEDIATE, CHALLENGE	108	(3)
CHAPTER 9 Defining a Term	111	(17)
Student Essay: Defining a Term	112	(1)
Example by a Published Author: Definition Essay	113	(2)
Examples of Short Definitions	115	(1)
Limiting the Scope of Your Definition	116	(1)
Examining Your Subject from Different Angles	116	(1)
Giving Examples of the Concept	117	(1)
WRITING TIP #9	117	(1)
WRITING EXERCISES: BASIC, INTERMEDIATE, CHALLENGE	118	(1)
Essay Topics: Definition	119	(2)
Peer Review Questions	120	(1)
Proofreading Practice: Use of Pronouns; Who and Which Clauses	121	(3)
Avoiding Relative Clause Fragments	122	(1)
Restrictive and Nonrestrictive Clauses	123	(1)
Using Who and Whom	123	(1)
PROOFREADING EXERCISES: BASIC, INTERMEDIATE, CHALLENGE	124	(3)
WRITING ESSAYS BASED ON YOUR READING AND RESEARCH	127	(1)
CHAPTER 10 Making a Comparison	128	(24)
Comparing and Contrasting as a Way of Knowing	128	(1)
Types of Comparison	128	(3)
Categories of Comparison	129	(2)
Gathering Facts on Both Subjects	131	(1)
Exploring Similarities and Differences: A Student Writer at Work	131	(4)
Andrea's Brainstorming Notes about Two Career Options	132	(3)
Organizing Your Material	135	(2)
The Block Method of Organizing	135	(1)
The Similarities/Differences Method of Organization	135	(1)
Organizing by Categories	136	(1)
Student Essay: Exploring Similarities and Differences	137	(3)
Example by a Published Author: Comparing and Contrasting	140	(2)
WRITING TIP #10	142	(1)
WRITING EXERCISES: BASIC, INTERMEDIATE, CHALLENGE	142	(4)
Essay Topics: Comparison/Contrast	146	(1)
Peer Review Questions	147	(1)
Proofreading Practice: Modifiers in Comparisons	147	(3)
Adjectives in Comparisons	147	(1)
Adverbs in Comparisons	148	(2)
PROOFREADING EXERCISES: BASIC, INTERMEDIATE, CHALLENGE	150	(2)
CHAPTER 11 Explaining a Process or Procedure	152	(15)
"How-To" Writing: Giving Clear Instructions	152	(1)
Student Essay: Explaining a Procedure	153	(2)
Analyzing a Process: Making the Connections	155	(1)
Researching the Facts of the Process	156	(1)
Example by a Published Author: Explaining a Process	156	(2)
WRITING TIP #11	158	(1)
WRITING EXERCISES: BASIC, INTERMEDIATE, CHALLENGE	158	(4)
Essay Topics: Procedural Writing	162	(1)
Peer Review Questions	163	(1)
Proofreading Practice: Present and Progressive Tenses	163	(1)
PROOFREADING EXERCISES: BASIC, INTERMEDIATE, CHALLENGE	164	(3)
CHAPTER 12 Analyzing Cause and Effect	167	(14)
Student Essay: Analyzing Causes	168	(2)
Example by a Published Author: Analyzing Effects	170	(1)
Being Logical: Causes vs. Coincidences	171	(1)
Identifying All the Causes and Effects	172	(1)
Finding the Necessary Information	172	(1)
WRITING TIP #12	173	(1)
WRITING EXERCISES: BASIC, INTERMEDIATE, CHALLENGE	173	(2)
Essay Topics: Cause and Effect	175	(1)
Peer Review Questions	176	(1)
Proofreading Practice: Compound and Complex Sentences	176	(2)
PROOFREADING EXERCISES: BASIC, INTERMEDIATE, CHALLENGE	178	(3)
CHAPTER 13 Arguing Persuasively	181	(16)
Student Essay	182	(2)
Example by a Published Author	184	(2)
Guidelines for Persuasive Writing	186	(1)
Stressing the Argument, Not the Personalities	187	(1)
Approaching the Argument from Several Angles	188	(1)
Researching and Presenting Supporting Materials	188	(2)
WRITING TIP #13	189	(1)
WRITING EXERCISES: BASIC, INTERMEDIATE, CHALLENGE	190	(2)
Essay Topics: Argumentation	192	(1)
Peer Review Questions	193	(1)
Proofreading Practice: Sentence Combining	193	(2)
PROOFREADING EXERCISES: BASIC, INTERMEDIATE, CHALLENGE	195	(2)
CHAPTER 14 Writing a Research Paper	197	(21)
Making Sense of Sources	197	(1)
Paraphrasing	198	(1)
Quoting: the Long and Short of It	199	(1)
Common Mistakes in Short Quotations	199	(1)
Common Mistakes in Long Quotations	200	(1)
Using the Library and Internet	200	(3)
Analyzing Source Material; Evaluating Web Sites	201	(2)
Avoiding Plagiarism	203	(1)
Writing a Bibliography	204	(1)
Sample Research Paper in MLA Form	205	(4)
WRITING TIP #14	209	(1)
Research Paper Checklist	209	(1)
WRITING EXERCISES: BASIC, INTERMEDIATE, CHALLENGE	210	(3)
Essay Topics: Writing with Sources	213	(1)
Peer Review Questions	214	(1)
Proofreading Practice: MLA Form	214	(1)
PROOFREADING EXERCISES: BASIC, INTERMEDIATE, CHALLENGE	215	(3)
CHAPTER 15 Writing about Literature	218	(19)
Methods of Interpreting a Story, Play, or Poem	218	(1)
Student Essay: Writing about a Story	218	(3)
Example by a Published Author: Writing about Poetry	221	(3)
Analyzing vs. Paraphrasing	224	(1)
Developing a Point by Using the Text	224	(2)
WRITING TIP #15	225	(1)
WRITING EXERCISES: BASIC, INTERMEDIATE, CHALLENGE	226	(6)
Essay Topics: Writing about Literature	232	(1)
Peer Review Questions	233	(1)
Proofreading Practice: Quoting Correctly from Literary Works	233	(1)
PROOFREADING EXERCISES: BASIC, INTERMEDIATE, CHALLENGE	234	(3)
APPENDIX: Punctuation Handbook	237	(12)
The Elements of Punctuation	237	(12)
Commas	237	(8)
Apostrophes	245	(1)
End Punctuation: Periods, Question Marks, and Exclamation Points	246	(1)
Semicolons	247	(1)
Colons	247	(2)
Credits	249	(2)
Index	251