Writing Simplified A Composition Guide

by Selby, Norwood; Bledsoe, Pamela S.

• ISBN13: 9780321102898
• ISBN10: 0321102894
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2003-06-19
• Publisher: Pearson

Summary

Writing Simplifiedprovides a brief and affordable alternative to writing texts.KEY FEATURES:The text is a full rhetoric that covers the entire writing process, from invention through revision and proofreading. Numerous exercises and writing activities appear in each section of the text.Anyone interested in improving basic writing skills.

Table of Contents

Overview: The Process of Writing
The Writer's Mindset	1	(1)
The Writer's Tools	1	(1)
Steps in the Writing Process	1	(1)
Step One: Planning and Prewriting	1	(1)
Step Two: Drafting	2	(1)
Step Three: Editing and Revising	2	(1)
Step Four: Proofreading and Correcting	2	(1)
The Elements of Good Writing	2	(1)
Exercises (The Writing Process)	2	(1)
Prewriting: Where to Begin
Basic Writing Techniques	3	(1)
Finding Topics	3	(1)
Brainstorming	3	(1)
Listing	3	(1)
Freewriting	4	(1)
Looping	5	(1)
Mapping	6	(1)
Clustering/Branching	6	(1)
Writing Drafts	7	(1)
Manuscript Preparation	8	(1)
Writing Effective Paragraphs
What Is a Paragraph?	9	(1)
The Topic Sentence	9	(1)
Unity	10	(1)
Organization	11	(1)
Fact vs. Opinion	12	(1)
Development of Body Paragraphs	13	(1)
Evaluating and Editing Your Paragraphs	14	(1)
Exercises (Writing Paragraphs)	15	(2)
Essays: What to Write About
What Is an Essay?	17	(1)
Planning and Prewriting	17	(2)
Using Outlines	19	(1)
Introductory Paragraph	19	(1)
Body Paragraphs	20	(1)
The Concluding Paragraph	21	(1)
Paragraph Hooks and Transitions	21	(1)
Guidelines for Writing a Good Essay	22	(1)
Writing in the Classroom	22	(1)
Checking Your Essays: A Sample Completed Essay	23	(1)
Evaluating Your Writing: Checklist	24	(1)
Good, Mediocre, and Ineffective Writing	25	(1)
Exercises (Writing Essays)	25	(1)
Writing: How to Use Strategies for Paragraph and Essay Development
Introduction to Strategies for Development	26	(1)
Narration	26	(2)
Example	28	(1)
Description	28	(1)
Definition	29	(1)
Process	30	(1)
Enumeration/Chronology	31	(1)
Classification	32	(2)
Comparison and/or Contrast	34	(1)
Cause and/or Effect	35	(1)
Argument	36	(1)
Dialectical Persuasion	37	(2)
Writing a Summary	39	(1)
Review: The Writing Process
Editing and Revising	39	(5)
Collaborative Writing and Peer Reviewing	44	(2)
The Fine Points
Checking Grammar	46	(12)
Checking Punctuation	58	(14)
Spelling	72	(4)
Usage	76	(2)
Proofreading	78	(1)
Elements of Style
Improving Style	79	(1)
Sexist Language	79	(1)
Eliminating Awkwardness: Parallelism	79	(2)
Coherence	81	(3)
Other Writing Situations
Answering Essay Questions	84	(3)
Writing the Research Paper: MLA	87	(9)
Index	96