Bridges to Better Writing - Softcover

PART I: WRITING YOUR PAPER. 1. Let's talk about writing. Understanding That Writing Is Thinking. Using and Understanding This Book. Being Aware of Writing Realities. Attitudes and Myths about Writing. Reconsidering Your Attitude about Writing. Connecting Reading to Writing. Writing Your Paper. The Writing Process. Prewriting. Drafting. Revising. Proofreading. Reflecting. 2. Writing your descriptive paragraphs. Previewing Your Task. Writing for College. Writing in Your Profession. Writing in Everyday Life. Understanding Description. Using Sensory Details. Using Figurative Language. Deciding on the Dominant Impression. Ordering Your Descriptive Details. Connecting Reading to Writing. Preparing to read. Increasing Your Vocabulary. Reading Selection: "On Being Cripple" by Nancy Mairs. Reading Connection. Understanding the Reading. Understanding the Structure, Style, and Tone. Making a Personal Connection. Writing Your Descriptive Paragraph. Prewriting. Discovering and Limiting Your Topic. Prewriting Strategy: Listing and Freewriting. Topics to Consider. Identifying Your Audience. Establishing Your Purpose. Setting Your Tone. Stating Your Dominant Impression. Outlining Your Ideas. Drafting. Coherence: Using Transitions. Revising. Style Tip: Using a Variety of Sentence Lengths. Problem-Solution. Proofreading. Common Error #1: Sentence Fragments. Reflecting. 3. Writing Your Descriptive Narrative Essay. Previewing Your Task. Writing for College. Writing in Your Profession. Writing in Everyday Life. Understanding Narrative. Using the Elements of Plot. The Beginning. The Middle. The End. Supporting Your Narrative. Using Descriptive Language. Using Words to Describe Emotions. Using Verbs Effectively. Using Dialogue. Connecting Reading to Writing. Preparing to read. Increasing Your Vocabulary. Reading Selection: "The Struggle to be an All-American Girl" by Elizabeth Wong. Reading Connection. Understanding the Reading. Understanding the Structure, Style, and Tone. Making a Personal Connection. Writing Your Descriptive Narrative. Prewriting. Discovering and Limiting Your Topic. Prewriting Strategy: Listing, Freewriting, and Questioning. Topics to Consider. Identifying Your Audience. Establishing Your Purpose. Setting Your Tone. Formulating Your Thesis. Outlining Your Ideas. Drafting. Paragraphing. Writing Your Beginning. Writing Your Middle. Writing Your End. Coherence: Using Transitions. Revising. Style Tip: Varying Sentence Structure. Problem-Solution. Proofreading. Common Error #2: Editing for Shifts in Verb Tense. Applying Previous Knowledge. Reflecting. 4. Writing Your Expository Paragraphs. Previewing Your Task. Writing for College. Writing in Your Profession. Writing in Everyday Life. Understanding the Expository Paragraph. Expository Paragraph Structure. The Topic Sentence. The Topic and the Controlling Idea. Limiting Your Topic. Placement of the Topic Sentence. The Support: Major and Minor. Levels of Generality. Developing Your Paragraph with Facts and Details. Unity. The Conclusion. Connecting Reading to Writing. Preparing to read. Increasing Your Vocabulary. Reading Selection: "The Fine Art of Letting Go" by Barbara Kantrowitz. Reading Connection. Understanding the Reading. Understanding the Structure, Style, and Tone. Making a Personal Connection. Writing Your Expository Paragraph. Prewriting. Discovering and Limiting Your Topic. Prewriting Strategy: Freewriting and Questioning. Topics to Consider. Identifying Your Audience and Establishing Your Purpose. Setting Your Tone. Formulating Your Topic Sentence. Outlining Your Ideas. Drafting. Writing Your Major and Minor Supports. Coherence: Using Transitions. Writing Your Conclusion. Revising. Style Tip: Subordinating Ideas. Problem-Solution. Proofreading. Common Error #3: Fused Sentences. Common Error #4: Comma Splices. Applying Previous Knowledge. Reflecting. 5. Developing Your Essay Through Illustration. Previewing Your Task. Writing for College. Writing in Your Profession. Writing in Everyday Life. Understanding Illustration. Using Examples for support. Connecting Reading to Writing. Preparing to read. Increasing Your Vocabulary. Reading Selection: "When Reality TV Gets Too Real" by Jeremy W. Peters. Reading Connection. Understanding the Reading. Understanding the Structure, Style, and Tone. Making a Personal Connection. Writing Your Illustration Essay. Prewriting. Discovering and Limiting Your Topic. Prewriting Strategy: Clustering. Topics to Consider. Identifying Your Audience. Establishing Your Purpose. Setting Your Tone. Formulating Your Thesis. Characteristics of an Effective Thesis. Using an Essay Map with Your Thesis. Outlining Your Ideas. Drafting. Writing Your Introduction. Writing Your Body Paragraphs. Coherence: Using Transitions. Writing Your Conclusion. Revising. Style Tip: Using Coordination to Combine Sentences. Problem-Solution. Proofreading. Common Error #5: Punctuating Introductory Elements. Applying Previous Knowledge. Reflecting. 6. Developing Your Essay Through Process Analysis. Previewing Your Task. Writing for College. Writing in Your Profession. Writing in Everyday Life. Understanding Process Analysis. The Directional Process. Components of a Directional Process. The Informational Process. Connecting Reading to Writing. Preparing to read. Increasing Your Vocabulary. Reading Selection: "The Crummy First Draft" by Anne Lamott. Reading Connection. Understanding the Reading. Understanding the Structure, Style, and Tone. Making a Personal Connection. Writing Your Process Analysis Essay. Prewriting. Discovering and Limiting Your Topic. Prewriting Strategy: Looping. Topics to Consider. Identifying Your Audience and Establishing Your Purpose. Audience and Purpose for a Directional Process. Audience and Purpose for an Informational Process. Setting Your Tone. Jargon. Slang. Formulating Your Thesis. Outlining Your Ideas. Drafting. Writing Your Introduction. Writing Your Body Paragraphs. Coherence: Using Transitions. Writing Your Conclusion. Revising. Style Tip: Choosing the Active Voice. Problem-Solution. Proofreading. Common Error #6: Shifts in Person. Applying Previous Knowledge. Reflecting. 7. Developing Your Essay Through Cause/Effect Analysis. Previewing Your Task. Writing for College. Writing in Your Profession. Writing in Everyday Life. Understanding Cause/Effect Analysis. Cause Analysis. Main and Contributory Causes. Immediate and Distant Causes. Chain of Causes. Effect Analysis. Problems of Avoid in Cause/Effects Analysis. Connecting Reading to Writing. Preparing to read. Increasing Your Vocabulary. Reading Selection: "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell. Reading Connection. Understanding the Reading. Understanding the Structure, Style, and Tone. Making a Personal Connection. Writing Your Cause/Effect Essay. Prewriting. Discovering and Limiting Your Topic. Prewriting Strategy: Flowcharting. Topics to Consider. Identifying Your Audience and Establishing Your Purpose. Setting Your Tone. Formulating Your Thesis. Outlining Your Ideas. Drafting. Writing Your Introduction. Writing Your Body Paragraphs. Coherence: Using Transitions. Writing Your Conclusion. Revising. Style Tip: Modifying Phrases and Clauses. Problem-Solution. Proofreading. Common Error #7: Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement. Applying Previous Knowledge. Reflecting. 8. Developing Your Essay Through Comparison or Contrast. Previewing Your Task. Writing for College. Writing in Your Profession. Writing in Everyday Life. Understanding Comparison and Contrast. Two Topics to Be Compared or Contrasted. Clear Bases of Comparison or Contrast. Evidence to Describe Similarities or Differences. Organization of a Comparison or Contrast Analysis. The Block Method. The Point-by-Point Method. Connecting Reading to Writing. Preparing to read. Increasing Your Vocabulary. Reading Selection: "The Joy of Reading and Writing: Superman and Me" by Sherman Alexie. Reading Connection. Understanding the Reading. Understanding the Structure, Style, and Tone. Making a Personal Connection. Writing Your Comparison or Contrast Essay. Prewriting. Discovering and Limiting Your Topic. Prewriting Strategy: Venn Diagram. Topics to Consider. Identifying Your Audience. Establishing Your Purpose. Setting Your Tone. Formulating Your Thesis. Outlining Your Ideas. Drafting. Writing Your Introduction. Writing Your Body Paragraphs. Coherence: Using Transitions in the Block Method. Coherence: Using Transitions in the Point-by-Point Method. Writing Your Conclusion. Revising. Style Tip: Avoid Offensive Language. Problem-Solution. Proofreading. Common Error #8: Pronoun Reference. Common Error #9: Pronoun Case. Applying Previous Knowledge. Reflecting. 9. Developing Your Essay Through Division and Classification. Previewing Your Task. Writing for College. Writing in Your Profession. Writing in Everyday Life. Understanding Division and Classification. Division. Classification. A Guiding Principle. Connecting Reading to Writing. Preparing to read. Increasing Your Vocabulary. Reading Selection: "The Myth of the Latin Woman: I Just Met a Girl Named Maria" by Judith Ortiz Cofer. Reading Connection. Understanding the Reading. Understanding the Structure, Style, and Tone. Making a Personal Connection. Writing Your Descriptive or Classification Essay. Prewriting. Discovering and Limiting Your Topic. Prewriting Strategy: Branching. Topics to Consider. Identifying Your Audience. Establishing Your Purpose. Setting Your Tone. Formulating Your Thesis. Outlining Your Ideas. Drafting. Writing Your Introduction. Writing Your Body Paragraphs. Coherence: Using Transitions. Writing Your Conclusion. Revising. Style Tip: Avoid Mixed Constructions. Problem-Solution. Proofreading. Common Error #10: Lack of Agreement between Subjects and Verbs. Applying Previous Knowledge. Reflecting. 10. Developing Your Essay Through Definition. Previewing Your Task. Writing for College. Writing in Your Profession. Writing in Everyday Life. Understanding Definition. Denotative and Connotative Meanings of Words. The Formal Definition. Defining through Negation. The Extended Definition. Developing and Extended Definition. The Informal Definition. Connecting Reading to Writing. Preparing to read. Increasing Your Vocabulary. Reading Selection: "What is Poverty" by Jo Goodwin Parker. Reading Connection. Understanding the Reading. Understanding the Structure, Style, and Tone. Making a Personal Connection. Writing Your Definition Essay. Prewriting. Discovering and Limiting Your Topic. Prewriting Strategy: Cubing. Topics to Consider. Identifying Your Audience and Establishing Your Purpose. Setting Your Tone. Formulating Your Thesis. Outlining Your Ideas. Drafting. Writing Your Introduction. Writing Your Body Paragraphs. Coherence: Using Transitions. Writing Your Conclusion. Revising. Style Tip: Use Parallel Constructions Correctly. Problem-Solution. Proofreading. Common Error #11: Missing or Misplaced Apostrophe. Applying Previous Knowledge. Reflecting. 11. Developing Your Essay Through Argumentation. Previewing Your Task. Writing for College. Writing in Your Profession. Writing in Everyday Life. Understanding Argument. The Elements of Argument. Types of Claims. Using Evidence to Support your position. A Logical Line of Reasoning. Eliminating Common Fallacies in Logic. Concession of Apposing Arguments. Refutation. Patterns for Organizing an Argument. Connecting Reading to Writing. Preparing to read. Increasing Your Vocabulary. Reading Selection: "Death and Justice" by Ed Koch. Reading Connection. Understanding the Reading. Understanding the Structure, Style, and Tone. Making a Personal Connection. Writing Your Argumentative Essay. Prewriting. Discovering and Limiting Your Topic. Prewriting Strategy: Combination of Strategies. Topics to Consider. Identifying Your Audience. Appeal to Character. Appeal to Emotion. Establishing Your Purpose. Setting Your Tone. Formulating Your Thesis. Outlining Your Ideas. Drafting. Writing Your Introduction. Writing Your Body Paragraphs. Coherence: Using Transitions. Writing Your Conclusion. Revising. Style Tip: Use Appropriate Levels of Formality. Problem-Solution. Proofreading. Common Error #12: Misused Commas with Restrictive or Nonrestrictive Elements. Applying Previous Knowledge. Reflecting. 12. Making Choices: Developing An Integrated Essay. Previewing Your Task. Understanding the Integrated Essay. Making Choices. Reacting to Your World. Connecting Reading to Writing. Preparing to read. Increasing Your Vocabulary. Reading Selection: "Veiled Intentions: Don't Judge a Muslim Girl by Her Covering" by Maysan Haydar. Reading Connection. Understanding the Reading. Understanding the Structure, Style, and Tone. Making a Personal Connection. Writing Your Integrated Essay. Prewriting. Discovering and Limiting Your Topic. Prewriting Strategy: Responding to Visual Cues. Identifying Your Audience , Establishing Your Purpose, and Setting Your Tone. Formulating Your Thesis. Outlining Your Ideas. Drafting. Revising. Proofreading. Applying Previous Knowledge. Reflecting. PART II: WRITING WITH SOURCES. 13. Working with Sources. Understanding Sources. Reading for College. Why Use Source Material?. Types of Source Materials. Primary Source. Secondary Evidence. How Do I Use Source Material?. Quoting Source Material. Paraphrasing Source Material. Summarizing Source Material. Extracting Information from a Source. How Do I Integrate Sources?. Punctuating Quotations. Paraphrasing. Summarizing. Bringing Borrowed Material to an End. How Do I Avoid Plagiarism?. Common Types of Plagiarism. Strategies to Prevent Plagiarism. How Do I Document My Sources?. Understanding In-Text Citations. Understanding the Works Cited List. Documenting Books. Documenting Periodicals from Print and Online Sources. Documenting Internet Sources. Documenting Other Sources. 14.Writing Your Research Paper. Understanding the Value of Research. Writing Your Research Paper. Prewriting and Planning. Selecting Your Topic. Formulating a Research Question. Limiting Your Topic and Stating Your Thesis. Setting Your Schedule. Researching Your Topic. Using the Library. Using Databases. Using the Internet. Evaluating the Reliability of Your Sources. Criteria for Evaluating Your Sources. Identifying Subtopics. Managing Your Information. Maintaining a Working Bibliography. Writing Notes. Quotation Notes. Paraphrase Notes. Summary Notes. Outline Notes. Personal Notes. Combination Notes. Drafting and Revising Your Paper. Preparing Your Preliminary Outline. Writing Your First Draft. Writing Your Introduction. Writing Your Body Paragraphs. Writing Your Conclusion. Revising and Proofreading Your Draft. Problem-Solution. Formatting Your Final Draft. Formatting Your Final Outline. Formatting Your Final Draft. Formatting Your Final Bibliography. Reflecting. HANDBOOK. Part I: EDITING FOR GRAMMER. H1. Editing for Fragments. Understanding Sentence Fragments. a. Basic Parts of a Sentence. Locating the Verbs of Sentences. Locating the Subjects of Sentences. Verb Forms as Subjects. Independent and Dependent Clauses. b. Identifying Fragments. Types of Fragments. Assess Your Understanding of Fragments. H2. Editing for Run-on Sentences. Understanding Run-on Sentences. a. Fused Sentences. Editing for Fused Sentences. Revising Fused Sentences. b. Comma Splices. Editing for Comma Splices. c. Strategies for Revising Run-on Sentences. Assess Your Understanding of Run-on Sentences. H-3. Editing for Subject-Verb Agreement. Understanding Subject-Verb Agreement. a. Grammatical Person. b. Grammatical Number. An Informal Test for Number. c. Revisiting Subjects and Verbs. d. Problems with Subject Number. Words That Come between the Subject and Verb. Indefinite Pronouns as Subjects. Compound Subjects. Sentences beginning with There and Here. Words That Are Plural in Form But Singular in Meaning. Assess Your Understanding of Subject-Verb Agreement. H4. Editing for Pronouns. Understanding Pronouns. a. Problems in Pronoun-A...

BRIDGES TO BETTER WRITING, 2E, makes the writing process less daunting by guiding you through each step, giving you only what you need to know for a specific writing task. Throughout the text, the authors incorporate the writing process and grammar into their discussion of the methods of development so that you can connect the skills all at once. With writing samples from each method that illustrates how writing is relevant to your academic, personal, and professional life, BRIDGES TO BETTER WRITING motivates you to take control of the future by developing better writing skills.