Writing Matters: A Handbook For Writing And Research

Description

Writing Matters unites research, reasoning, documentation, grammar, and style into a cohesive whole, helping students see the conventions of writing as a network of responsibilities that writers have to other writers, to the audience, to the topic, and to themselves. With a diverse selection of professional writing examples, over a dozen new student projects samples, five mini-lessons that model how to overcome challenges when working with sources, and numerous ESL tips written in to each chapter, Writing Matters is perfect resource to provide reliable and relevant information to today’s students. Copyright......Page 2 Part One Writing Matters Planning, Drafting, Revising, Editing, Proofreading, and Formatting......Page 31 a. Writing Today......Page 32 b. The Writer’s Responsibilities......Page 33 Writing Responsibly Your Responsibilities as a Writer......Page 35 Writing Responsibly Taking Yourself Seriously as a Writer......Page 37 Student Model Newspaper Article......Page 38 a. Analyzing Your Writing Situation......Page 39 Writing Responsibly Seeing and Showing the Whole Picture......Page 43 b. Analyzing an Assignment......Page 47 c. Generating Ideas......Page 50 Student Model Freewrite......Page 51 Student Model Brainstorm......Page 52 Student Model Journalists’ Questions......Page 54 d. Narrowing or Broadening a Topic......Page 55 e. Working with Others: Planning a Collaborative Project......Page 56 a. Crafting an Effective Thesis......Page 59 b. Organizing Your Ideas......Page 63 Student Model Topic Outline and Sentence Outline......Page 66 c. Preparing to Draft......Page 68 d. Drafting: Explaining and Supporting Your Ideas......Page 70 Writing Responsibly Made-up Evidence......Page 71 Student Model First Draft......Page 72 e. Writing with Others: Collaborative Projects......Page 75 4 Crafting and Connecting Paragraphs......Page 76 b. Writing Unified Paragraphs......Page 77 c. Writing Coherent Paragraphs......Page 82 Writing Responsibly Guiding the Reader......Page 86 d. Developing Paragraphs Using Patterns......Page 89 e. Writing Introductory Paragraphs......Page 93 f. Writing Concluding Paragraphs......Page 95 Professional Model Editorial......Page 99 a. Deciding Whether to Illustrate College Writing Projects......Page 103 b. Using Visuals as Evidence......Page 104 d. Revising Visuals......Page 108 a. Gaining Perspective......Page 112 b. Revising Your Draft......Page 113 Writing Responsibly The Big Picture......Page 115 c. Reconsidering Your Title......Page 116 d. Choosing Your Words with Care......Page 117 e. Editing Your Sentences......Page 118 Revising with Others......Page 119 f. Revising with Peers......Page 120 g. Revising with a Tutor or an Instructor......Page 122 Writing Responsibly Beware the Spelling Checker!......Page 123 Student Model Final Draft......Page 125 j. Creating and Submitting a Portfolio......Page 129 Student Model Personal Statement......Page 131 k. Writing Responsibly Explaining Your Choice of Sources......Page 134 Part Two Reasoning Matters Reading, Thinking, and Arguing......Page 137 Writing Responsibly Engaging with What You Read......Page 138 Student Model Summary......Page 141 Professional Model Essay......Page 142 b. Reflecting......Page 144 Professional Model Editorial......Page 145 Student Model Double-Entry Reading Journal......Page 148 c. Preparing to Write......Page 149 Student Model Advertisement Critique......Page 151 Student Model Prewrite......Page 153 Writing Responsibly Drawing Inferences......Page 154 Writing Responsibly Understanding Criticism......Page 155 Student Model Critical Response Essay......Page 157 d. Writing Responsibly Understanding and Representing the Entire Source......Page 162 a. Persuading and Exploring......Page 164 Writing Responsibly The Well-Tempered Tone......Page 166 b. Making Claims......Page 168 Writing Responsibly Choosing an Engaging Topic......Page 170 c. Choosing Evidence Rhetorically......Page 172 Writing Responsibly Preparing Oral Arguments......Page 174 d. Considering Alternative Viewpoints......Page 175 Student Model Exploratory Argument......Page 177 f. Organizing Arguments: Classical, Rogerian, and Toulmin Models......Page 184 Writing Responsibly Visual Claims and Visual Fallacies......Page 186 Part Three Media Matters Designing, Writing, and Presenting......Page 191 a. Understanding the Four Principles of Design......Page 192 b. Planning Your Design Project......Page 193 c. Applying the Principles of Design......Page 194 Writing Responsibly Selecting Fonts with Readers in Mind......Page 195 Writing Responsibly Establishing a Consistent Font......Page 196 Writing Responsibly Designing for Those with Impaired Color Vision......Page 198 10 Writing for Multiple Media......Page 201 a. Writing and Answering E-mail......Page 202 Writing Responsibly Maintaining Confidentiality in E-mail......Page 203 Writing Responsibly Making Considerate Attachments......Page 204 Writing Responsibly Understanding E-mail and Privacy......Page 205 b. Creating Websites and Web Pages......Page 206 c. Writing in Interactive Media......Page 211 Writing Responsibly Flaming......Page 212 a. Identifying Your Purpose, Audience, Context, and Genre......Page 213 b. Devising a Topic and Thesis......Page 214 c. Organizing the Presentation......Page 215 d. Preparing and Rehearsing the Presentation......Page 216 f. Speaking Responsibly......Page 219 Writing Responsibly Listening Actively......Page 220 Part Four Research Matters Finding, Evaluating, and Citing Sources......Page 221 a. Analyzing the Assignment’s Purpose, Audience, and Method of Development......Page 222 b. Setting a Schedule......Page 224 d. Drafting Research Questions and Hypotheses......Page 225 e. Choosing Research Sources Strategically......Page 227 f. Establishing a Research Log......Page 228 Writing Responsibly Avoiding Accidental Plagiarism......Page 229 g. Building and Annotating a Working Bibliography......Page 230 a. Finding Reference Works......Page 236 Writing Responsibly Using Wikipedia Responsibly......Page 238 b. Finding Information on the Web......Page 240 c. Finding Reliable Interactive Media......Page 244 d. Finding Articles in Journals and Other Periodicals Using Databases and Indexes......Page 245 Writing Responsibly Really Reading Real Sources......Page 246 e. Finding Books Using Library Catalogs......Page 250 f. Finding Government Information......Page 254 g. Finding Multimedia Sources......Page 255 h. Conducting and Reporting Field Research......Page 256 Writing Responsibly Conducting Interviews Fairly......Page 257 Writing Responsibly Avoiding Manipulation and Bias in Observations......Page 258 Writing Responsibly Reporting Results Fairly......Page 259 a. Evaluating for Relevance and Reliability......Page 260 Writing Responsibly Keeping an Open, Inquiring Mind......Page 264 b. Evaluating Online Texts: Websites, Blogs, Wikis, and Discussion Forums......Page 266 c. Evaluating Visual Sources......Page 269 d. Writing Responsibly Choosing and Unpacking Complex Sources......Page 274 15 Using Information Responsibly: Taking Notes and Avoiding Plagiarism......Page 276 b. Using Information Ethically: What You Do and Do Not Have to Acknowledge......Page 278 Writing Responsibly Using Illustrations and Avoiding Plagiarism......Page 279 c. Making Notes That Help You Avoid Plagiarizing......Page 280 Writing Responsibly Highlighting versus Making Notes......Page 281 e. Paraphrasing without Patchwriting......Page 282 f. Summarizing......Page 286 Student Model Summary......Page 287 g. Quoting......Page 289 Writing Responsibly Using Quotations Fairly......Page 290 Student Model Reading Note......Page 291 h. Using Analysis, Interpretation, Synthesis, and Critique in Your Notes......Page 292 Student Model Summary Note with Writer’s Assessment......Page 293 a. Drafting a Thesis Statement......Page 294 Student Model Thesis Statement......Page 295 b. Organizing Your Ideas......Page 296 Writing Responsibly Acknowledging Counterevidence......Page 297 Student Model Outline......Page 298 c. Drafting Your Research Project......Page 300 d. Revising, Proofreading, Formatting, and Publishing Your Project......Page 303 17 Citing Expertly......Page 304 a. Integrating Source Material Responsibly......Page 305 b. Showing Source Boundaries......Page 306 c. Emphasizing Your Voice......Page 308 d. Providing Context......Page 310 e. Integrating Altered Quotations......Page 314 Part Five Documentation Matters......Page 317 Writing Responsibly Citing and Documenting Sources......Page 318 Writing Responsibly Using Signal Phrases to Demonstrate Your Relationship with Sources......Page 323 Books—Printed and Electronic......Page 335 Periodicals—Printed and Electronic......Page 345 Other Electronic Sources......Page 349 Audio and Visual Sources......Page 352 Miscellaneous Sources—Printed and Electronic......Page 358 c. Using MLA Style for Informational Notes......Page 361 d. Formatting a Paper in MLA Style......Page 362 Writing Responsibly Of Deadlines and Paperclips......Page 364 Student Model Research Project: MLA Style......Page 366 Writing Responsibly Citing and Documenting Sources......Page 377 Books—Printed and Electronic......Page 388 Periodicals—Printed and Electronic......Page 396 Other Electronic Sources......Page 400 Audio and Visual Sources......Page 402 Miscellaneous Sources—Printed and Electronic......Page 404 c. Using APA Style for Informational Notes......Page 406 d. Formatting a Paper in APA Style......Page 407 Writing Responsibly Of Deadlines and Paperclips......Page 410 Student Model Research Project: APA Style......Page 411 Writing Responsibly Citing and Documenting Sources......Page 419 Books—Printed and Electronic......Page 420 Periodicals—Printed and Electronic......Page 427 Other Electronic Sources......Page 432 Audio and Visual Sources......Page 434 Miscellaneous Sources—Printed and Electronic......Page 436 c. Formatting a Chicago-Style Research Project......Page 437 Writing Responsibly Of Deadlines and Paperclips......Page 438 Writing Responsibly Citing and Documenting Sources......Page 446 Books—Printed and Electronic......Page 448 Periodicals—Printed and Electronic......Page 452 Miscellaneous Sources—Printed and Electronic......Page 456 c. Formatting a CSE-Style Research Project......Page 458 Writing Responsibly Of Deadlines and Paperclips......Page 459 Part Six Genre Matters Writing in and beyond College......Page 461 a. Adopting the Approach of Literature and the Other Humanities......Page 462 Writing Responsibly Reading with Study Guides......Page 463 Student Model Textual Analysis......Page 464 b. Using the Resources of Literature and the Other Humanities......Page 465 d. Using the Language of Literature and the Other Humanities......Page 467 e. Writing about Fiction......Page 470 Student Model Writing about Fiction: Interpretive Analysis......Page 472 f. Writing about Poetry......Page 476 Professional Model Writing about Drama: Review of a Play......Page 481 a. Adopting the Approach of the Sciences and Social Sciences......Page 485 Writing Responsibly Presenting Data Accurately......Page 486 d. Using the Language of the Sciences and Social Sciences......Page 487 e. Writing Assignments in the Sciences and Social Sciences......Page 489 Student Model Research Report......Page 491 a. Preparing for an Essay Exam......Page 499 b. Previewing the Exam......Page 501 c. Writing an Effective Answer......Page 502 Writing Responsibly Using Your Computer during an Essay Exam......Page 503 Student Model Effective Essay Exam: Response......Page 504 a. Using Business Letter Formats......Page 506 Writing Responsibly Letters to the Editor......Page 509 Professional Model Business Letter: Apology......Page 510 c. Writing Business Memos......Page 511 Professional Model Business Memo......Page 512 Writing Responsibly Personal E-mails and IM at Work......Page 514 Student Model Job Application......Page 515 e. Writing Résumés......Page 516 Student Model Traditional Résumé......Page 517 Student Model Business Letter: Scannable Résumé......Page 519 f. Writing Reports and Proposals......Page 520 g. Writing Press Releases......Page 522 Professional Model Press Release......Page 523 Part Seven Style Matters......Page 525 Writing Responsibly Conciseness versus the Too-Short Paper......Page 526 a. Eliminating Wordy Expressions......Page 527 b. Eliminating Ineffective or Unnecessary Repetition......Page 529 c. Avoiding Indirect Constructions......Page 530 d. Consolidating Phrases, Clauses, and Sentences......Page 532 27 Using Coordination and Subordination......Page 535 a. Coordinating Terms, Phrases, and Clauses......Page 536 b. Coordinating Effectively......Page 537 c. Identifying Important Ideas and Supporting Information with Subordination......Page 540 d. Using Coordination and Subordination Together......Page 545 28 Using Parallelism......Page 548 a. Using Parallelism for Paired Items and Items in a Series......Page 550 c. Including Function Words to Maintain Parallelism......Page 552 d. Maintaining Parallelism for Items in Lists and Outlines......Page 553 e. Using Parallelism to Create Emphasis......Page 555 29 Engaging Readers with Variety and Emphasis......Page 557 a. Varying Sentence Length and Structure......Page 558 b. Varying Sentence Openings......Page 559 c. Creating Emphasis with Rhythm......Page 561 d. Creating Emphasis with Punctuation......Page 563 f. Using Strategic Repetition......Page 564 h. Choosing the Active or Passive Voice......Page 565 Writing Responsibly Voice and Responsibility......Page 566 i. Writing Responsibly Blending Voices in Your Text......Page 568 a. Using Language in Context......Page 570 Writing Responsibly Avoiding Online Shortcuts......Page 572 b. Avoiding Biased or Hurtful Language......Page 574 a. Diction: Finding the Right Word......Page 578 b. Choosing Compelling Words and Figures......Page 580 Writing Responsibly Word Choice and Credibility......Page 581 c. Mastering Idioms......Page 584 d. Avoiding Clichés......Page 585 a. Choosing a Dictionary......Page 588 b. Using a Dictionary......Page 590 c. Avoiding Common Spelling Problems......Page 592 Writing Responsibly Spelling Errors......Page 594 e. Forming Plurals......Page 599 f. Improving Your Day-to-Day Spelling......Page 601 Part Eight Grammar Matters Writing with Clarity......Page 603 Writing Responsibly Why Grammar Matters......Page 604 a. Nouns......Page 605 c. Verbs......Page 607 d. Adjectives......Page 610 e. Adverbs......Page 611 f. Prepositions......Page 612 g. Conjunctions......Page 613 h. Interjections......Page 614 i. Subjects......Page 615 j. Predicates......Page 617 k. Verb Types and Sentence Patterns......Page 618 l. Phrases......Page 621 m. Independent and Subordinate Clauses......Page 624 n. Sentence Types......Page 627 a. Recognizing Fragments......Page 630 Writing Responsibly Sentence Fragments and Context......Page 634 c. Using Intentional Fragments Effectively and Judiciously......Page 639 a. Correctly Joining Independent Clauses......Page 641 Writing Responsibly Clarifying Boundaries......Page 642 c. Recognizing When Comma Splices and Fused Sentences Tend to Occur......Page 643 Writing Responsibly Is a Comma Splice Ever Acceptable?......Page 644 d. Correcting Comma Splices and Fused Sentences......Page 645 a. Understanding How Subjects and Verbs Agree......Page 650 b. Ignoring Words That Intervene between the Subject and the Verb......Page 652 c. Distinguishing Plural from Singular Compound Subjects......Page 653 e. Understanding Collective Noun Subjects......Page 655 f. Finding Agreement When the Subject Is a Measurement, a Number, or the Word Number......Page 656 h. Treating Titles, Words as Words, and Gerund Phrases as Singular......Page 657 i. Matching a Relative Pronoun (Who, Which, or That) to Its Antecedent When the Pronoun Is the Subject of a Subordinate Clause......Page 658 k. Matching a Linking Verb with Its Subject, Not Its Subject Complement......Page 659 Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement......Page 660 l. Matching Pronouns with Indefinite Pronoun and Generic Noun Antecedents......Page 661 Writing Responsibly Using a Plural Pronoun with a Singular Antecedent......Page 663 n. Matching Pronouns with Compound Antecedents......Page 664 a. Understanding the Basic Forms of Verbs......Page 666 b. Using Regular and Irregular Verb Forms Correctly......Page 668 c. Combining Main Verbs with Helping Verbs to Form Complete Verbs......Page 669 d. Including -s or -es, -d or -ed Endings When Required......Page 672 e. Distinguishing Rise from Raise, Sit from Set, Lie from Lay......Page 673 f. Understanding Which Verb Tense to Use......Page 674 g. Following Conventions for the Use of the Present Tense......Page 677 h. Using Tense Sequence to Clarify Time Relationships......Page 678 j. Using the Subjunctive Mood Correctly......Page 680 Writing Responsibly Using the Subjunctive in Formal Writing......Page 681 k. Understanding Voice......Page 682 l. Choosing between the Active and Passive Voice......Page 683 Pronoun Case......Page 686 b. She and I or Her and Me? Keeping Track of Case in Compounds......Page 688 d. Deciding between We and Us before Nouns......Page 690 f. Deciding on Pronoun Case with the -ing Form of a Verb......Page 691 g. Clarifying Pronoun Case in Comparisons with Than or As......Page 692 Writing Responsibly Case and Tone......Page 693 Clear Pronoun Reference......Page 694 j. Avoiding Confusingly Broad Reference with It, This, That, and Which......Page 695 m. Avoiding the Indefinite Use of They and It......Page 696 n. Designating People with Who, Whom, and Whose, not That and Which......Page 697 a. Differentiating Adjectives and Adverbs......Page 699 b. Using Adjectives, Not Adverbs, as Subject Complements after Linking Verbs......Page 700 c. Choosing Bad or Badly, Good or Well......Page 701 e. Avoiding Long Strings of Nouns Used as Adjectives......Page 703 f. Using Comparative and Superlative Adjectives and Adverbs......Page 704 a. Avoiding Awkward Shifts in Tense......Page 708 b. Avoiding Awkward Shifts in Mood and Voice......Page 709 c. Avoiding Awkward Shifts in Person and Number......Page 711 d. Avoiding Awkward Shifts in Direct and Indirect Quotations and Questions......Page 713 Misplaced Modifiers......Page 716 a. Avoiding Confusing or Ambiguous Placement......Page 717 b. Avoiding Disruptive Placement......Page 719 Writing Responsibly Misplaced Modifiers in the Real World......Page 720 Dangling Modifiers......Page 721 c. Identifying Dangling Modifiers......Page 722 d. Correcting Dangling Modifiers......Page 723 a. Recognizing and Correcting Grammatically Mixed Constructions......Page 725 b. Recognizing and Correcting Mismatched Subjects and Predicates......Page 727 Incomplete Constructions......Page 729 c. Adding Essential Words to Compound and Other Constructions......Page 730 d. Avoiding Incomplete or Ambiguous Comparisons......Page 731 Part Nine Language Matters Issues for Multilingual Writers (by Ted E. Johnston and M. E. Sokolik)......Page 733 b. Including a Stated Subject......Page 734 c. Managing There and It Constructions......Page 735 d. Eliminating Redundant Subject and Object Pronouns......Page 736 e. Structuring Sentences with Direct Objects, Indirect Objects, and Object Complements......Page 737 f. Observing Word-Order Patterns in Questions......Page 739 g. Observing Inverted Word Order When Certain Conjunctions or Adverbs Begin a Clause......Page 740 a. Understanding Different Types of Nouns......Page 743 b. Using Nouns with Articles (a, an, the) and Other Determiners......Page 744 a. Using Phrasal Verbs......Page 752 b. Using Gerunds and Infinitives after Verbs and Prepositions......Page 755 c. Using Participles as Adjectives......Page 757 d. Using Helping Verbs for Verb Formation......Page 758 a. Placing Adjectives in the Proper Order......Page 762 b. Choosing the Correct Prepositions with Adjectives......Page 763 c. Placing Adverbs Correctly......Page 764 d. Dealing with Confusing Adverbs......Page 766 a. Recognizing Prepositions......Page 769 b. The Functions of Prepositions......Page 770 c. Using Prepositions Correctly......Page 774 d. Necessary and Unnecessary Prepositions......Page 775 Part Ten Detail Matters Punctuation and Mechanics......Page 777 Writing Responsibly Commas and Clarity......Page 778 a. Using Commas in Compound Sentences......Page 780 b. Using a Comma after Introductory Elements......Page 781 d. Inserting Commas to Set Off Interjections, Contrasting Information, Expressions of Direct Address, Parenthetical and Conversational Expressions, and Tag Questions......Page 783 e. Using Commas to Separate Items in a Series......Page 784 f. Using Commas to Separate Coordinate, Not Cumulative, Adjectives......Page 785 g. Using Commas to Set Off Nonessential Appositives, Phrases, and Clauses......Page 787 h. Using Commas with Quotations......Page 789 i. Using Commas with Numbers, Names and Titles, Place Names and Addresses, and Dates......Page 790 j. Using Commas to Avoid Ambiguity......Page 792 k. Avoiding Commas between Subjects and Verbs, Verbs and Objects......Page 793 Writing Responsibly Sending a Signal with Semicolons......Page 796 a. Using a Semicolon to Link Independent Clauses......Page 797 b. Using a Semicolon before a Conjunctive Adverb or Transitional Phrase Linking Two Independent Clauses......Page 798 d. Repairing a Comma Splice......Page 799 e. Avoiding Overuse......Page 800 Writing Responsibly Contractions in Formal Writing......Page 803 c. Moving Away from Using Apostrophes to Form Plurals of Abbreviations, Dates, Numbers, and Words or Letters Used as Words......Page 807 a. Setting Off Direct Quotations......Page 810 Writing Responsibly Using Quotations Fairly......Page 811 b. Indicating Titles of Short Works......Page 813 d. Misusing Quotation Marks......Page 814 e. Punctuating Quotations......Page 815 f. Altering Quotations with Ellipses and Square Brackets......Page 816 g. Introducing and Identifying Quotations......Page 817 h. Writing Responsibly Acknowledging Indirect Sources......Page 820 a. Using Periods to End Statements and Mild Commands......Page 822 Writing Responsibly Quotation Marks and Exclamation Points......Page 823 c. Using Exclamation Points with Strong Commands or to Express Excitement or Surprise......Page 824 a. Using Dashes......Page 826 Writing Responsibly Dashes, Parentheses, or Commas?......Page 828 Writing Responsibly Using [sic]......Page 830 Writing Responsibly Altering Quotations......Page 833 f. Using Slashes......Page 834 a. Capitalizing the First Word of a Sentence......Page 837 b. Capitalizing Proper Nouns and Proper Adjectives......Page 839 c. Capitalizing Titles and Subtitles......Page 840 Writing Responsibly Capitalizing in E-mail and IM......Page 841 e. Capitalizing Abbreviations and Acronyms......Page 842 a. Italicizing Titles of Longer Works......Page 844 d. Italicizing Words, Letters, or Numbers Used as Words......Page 846 f. Underlining Hyperlinks......Page 847 56 Using Abbreviations......Page 850 b. Using Familiar Abbreviations: Acronyms and Initialisms......Page 852 d. Avoiding Abbreviations of Names, Words, Courses, Parts of Books, States and Countries, Days and Months, Holidays, and Units of Measurement in Prose......Page 853 e. Replacing Latin Abbreviations with English Equivalents in Formal Prose......Page 854 Writing Responsibly Ethos and Convention......Page 856 b. Following Conventions for Dates, Times, Addresses, Specific Amounts of Money and Other Quantitative Information, and Divisions of Literary Works......Page 857 a. Using Hyphens to Form Compounds......Page 860 Writing Responsibly Hyphenating with Readers in Mind......Page 861 b. Using Hyphens to Break Words at the Ends of Lines......Page 863 Glossary of Key Terms......Page 867 Glossary of Usage......Page 880 Credits......Page 887 Index......Page 891 ESl Index......Page 933