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Summary
Writing Today: Contexts and Options for the Real World is a text designed to help students see reading and writing as practical tools both in college and in the world of work. This text focuses on both academic and professional contexts for writing.
Table of Contents
PART 1: APPROACHES
Chapter 1: The Essay: Determining Purpose, Audience, and Approach
Characteristics of the Essay
Rhetorical Context
Defining Your Purpose
Defining Your Audience
Rhetorical Structures
The Classical Pattern of Organization
Anticipating Rhetorical Options
Reading with a Writers Eye
Consider the Writers Rhetorical Context and Rhetorical Structures
Consider Your Purposes as a Reader
Suzanne Britt, Neat People vs. Sloppy People
Essay Analysis
The Essays Rhetorical Context
The Essays Rhetorical Structure
Writing with a Readers Eye
STUDENT ESSAY: "A Very Secret Santa"
The Writing Process
Using the Internet
Chapter 2: Shaping Your Essay: Prewriting, Organizing, and Drafting
Why Should You Plan an Essay?
Choosing Your Topic
Establishing Your Rhetorical Context
Prewriting Strategies
Considering Your Purpose and Audience
Considering Your Learning Style
Aural Learners: Brainstorming with Peers
Aural Learners: Brainstorming with a Recorder
Verbal Learners: Written Brainstorming
Verbal Learners: Freewriting
Verbal Learners: Invisible Writing
Verbal Learners: Looping
Visual Learners: Clustering and Chart Making
Focusing Strategies
Establishing Your Working Thesis
Focusing Your Thesis
Organizational Strategies
Structuring Your Prewriting
Informal Outlines
Sentence Outlines
Formal Outlines
Drafting Strategies
Drafting In-class Essays
Drafting Out-of-Class Essays
Drafting with a Computer
Establishing Your Voice
STUDENT ESSAY: Verlindas First Draft of "A Very Secret Santa"
Using the Internet
Chapter 3: Developing Strong Paragraphs: Exploring Your Options
Paragraphs in Context
Introductory Paragraphs
Positioning the Thesis
Getting Your Readers Attention
Body Paragraphs
Description
Narration
Exemplification
Process Analysis
Causal Analysis
Definition
Classification
Comparison/Contrast
Argument
Concluding Paragraphs
Writing Effective Topic Sentences
Topic Sentence at the Paragraphs Beginning
Ending with the Topic Sentence
Topic Sentence within the Paragraph
Topic Sentence Used for Two Paragraphs
The Implied Topic Sentence
Achieving Unity
Achieving Coherence
Using Effective Transitions
Achieving Coherence Through Careful Choice of Nouns and Pronouns
Using Parallelism
Achieving Specificity Through the Use of Concrete Details
Using the Internet
Chapter 4: Reshaping Your Essay: Global Revision
Peer Response and Review
Peer Review Checklist
Responding to Suggestions for Revision
STUDENT ESSAY: Peer-Reviewed Draft of "A Very Secret Santa"
Using a Word Processor to Revise
Revising Essays
Checking for Unity
Improving Coherence
Using the Appropriate Language Level
Making Your Language More Concrete and Specific
Finding the Right Tone
Checking Your Introductory Paragraphs and Thesis
Checking Your Topic Sentences and Body Paragraphs
Checking Your Conclusion
Completing Your Essay on Computer
Writing an Effective Title
Using the Internet
Chapter 5: Refining Your Essay: Editing and Proofreading
Combining Sentences
Merging and Submerging Related Ideas
Merging
Submerging
Coordinating and Subordinating Related Ideas
Using Coordinating Conjunctions
Using Conjunctive Adverbs/Transitional Expressions
Using Subordinating Conjunctions
Using Correlative Conjunctions
Using Hybrid Sentence Patterns
Compound Sentences
Complex Sentences
Compound-Complex Sentences
Using Periodic and Climactic Sentence Structure to Create Emphasis
Choosing Words Carefully
Striving for Parallelism
Including All Necessary Words
Avoiding Awkward Repetition
Using Only Words That Matter
Avoiding Redundancy
Avoiding Euphemisms
Using Figurative Language Appropriately
Avoiding Clichs
Learning to Use Denotation and Connotation
Using Idiomatic English
Using Active, Specific Language
Using the Internet
PART 2 : STRUCTURES
Chapter 6: Description
How Does Description Work?
Reading the Descriptive Essay with a Writers Eye
Thomas McGuane, Roanie
Maxine Hong Kingston, Photographs of My Parents
Hildegard Knef, From The Gift Horse
Sherman Alexie, Family Portrait
Writing the Descriptive Essay with a Readers Eye
Issues to Keep in Mind
Audience and Language Level
Description and Narrative
Objective Description versus Subjective Description
Structuring Your Description
Choosing a Topic
Prewriting
Organizing
Drafting
The Introduction
The Body
The Conclusion
Revising Your Draft
Questions for Revising a Descriptive Essay
STUDENT ESSAYS: Jennifer Janisz, "Help! Anyone!"
Jennifers Final Draft
Jennifers First Draft
Exercise: Revising
Additional Writing Topics
Responding to a Photograph
Writing about Film
Using the Internet
Chapter 7: Narration
How Does Narration Work?
Reading the Narrative Essay with a Writers Eye
Lynda Barry, The Sanctuary of School
Sandra Cisneros, Only Daughter
Annie Dillard, The Chase
George Orwell, A Hanging
Writing the Personal Narrative with a Readers Eye
Issues to Keep in Mind
Using Time Economically
Transitions
Paragraphing and Topic Sentences
Choosing a Topic
Prewriting
Organizing
Drafting
The Introduction
The Body
The Conclusion
Revising Your Draft
Questions for Revising a Narrative
STUDENT ESSAY: Claire Reid, "After the Fray"
Claires Final Draft
Claires First Draft
Exercise: Revising
Additional Writing Topics
Responding to a Photograph
Writing about Film
Using the Internet
Chapter 8: Exemplification
How Does Exemplification Work?
Reading the Exemplification Essay with a Writers Eye
Phyllis Rose, Shopping and Other Spiritual Adventures in America Today
Brent Staples, Just Walk on By
Lars Eighner, On Dumpster Diving
Harry F. Waters, Life According to TV
Writing the Exemplification Essay with a Readers Eye
Issues to Keep in Mind
Sources of Examples
Relevant and Representative Examples
Choosing a Topic
Prewriting
Organizing
Drafting
The Introduction
The Body
The Conclusion
Revising Your Draft
Questions for Revising an Exemplification Essay
STUDENT ESSAY: Jennifer Janisz, "Three Families"
Jennifers Final Draft
Jennifers First Draft
Exercise: Revising
Additional Writing Topics
Responding to a Photograph
Writing about Film
Using the Internet
Chapter 9: Process Analysis
How Does Process Analysis Work?
Reading the Process Analysis Essay with a Writers Eye
Jerry Jesness, Why Johnny Cant Fail
Joan Gould, Binding Decisions
Malcolm X, My First Conk
Umberto Eco, How Not to Use the Fax Machine and the Cellular Phone
Writing the Process Analysis Essay with a Readers Eye
Issues to Keep in Mind
Audience Analysis
Language Level
Voice
Choosing a Topic
Prewriting
Organizing
Drafting
The Introduction
The Body
The Conclusion
Revising Your Draft
Questions for Reviewing a Process Analysis Essay
STUDENT ESSAY: Manny Meregildo, "Get the Right Job"
Mannys Final Draft
Mannys First Draft
Exercise: Revising
Additional Writing Topics
Responding to a Photograph
Writing about Film
Using the Internet
Chapter 10: Causal Analysis
How Does Causal Analysis Work?
Reading the Causal Analysis Essay with a Writers Eye
Barbara Ehrenreich, The Cult of Busyness
Natalie Angier, Is War Our Biological Destiny?
Gore Vidal, Drugs
Richard Rhodes, Hollow Claims about Fantasy Violence
Writing the Causal Analysis Essay with a Readers Eye