LaunchPad for the Bedford Guide for College Writers with Reader, Research Manual, and Handbook by X. J. Kennedy; Dorothy M. Kennedy; Marcia F. Muth - Eleventh Edition, 2017 from Macmillan Student Store
VALUE

LaunchPad for the Bedford Guide for College Writers with Reader, Research Manual, and Handbook

Eleventh Edition ©2017 X. J. Kennedy; Dorothy M. Kennedy; Marcia F. Muth

Both reliable and innovative, The Bedford Guide for College Writers plunges students into active learning right from the beginning, whether their writing class meets on campus or online. This new edition expands active learning into reflection, helping students engage with their own writing p...
Read more
Students - Buy or Rent

ISBN:9781319046781

LaunchPad for the Bedford Guide for College Writers with Reader, Research Manual, and Handbook by X. J. Kennedy; Dorothy M. Kennedy; Marcia F. Muth - Eleventh Edition, 2017 from Macmillan Student Store

Students learn best by doing. The Bedford Guide shows them how.

Both reliable and innovative, The Bedford Guide for College Writers plunges students into active learning right from the beginning, whether their writing class meets on campus or online. This new edition expands active learning into reflection, helping students engage with their own writing process to gain a deeper understanding that will serve them throughout their writing lives.  The Guide contains a process-oriented rhetoric, a thematic reader, a research manual, and a handbook, giving students everything they need for success in writing, all in one affordable book. Students are provided frequent opportunities to experiment and apply the skills presented, including Learning by Doing activities, Responding to an Image practices, and engaging assignments that all help students make important writing skills their own. The Bedford Guide helps students to be the confident, resourceful, and independent writers they will need to be. With an expanded Launchpad full of activities built to enhance the book’s content online, reading comprehension quizzes, diagnostic quizzes and much more, the eleventh edition extends active learning online, offering students more opportunities to build deeper awareness of their own writing processes.

Features

Four books in one offer comprehensiveness, flexibility, and a real value. The book's writing guide, reader, research manual, and handbook have each been carefully and individually developed to offer excellent coverage—at a great value.

A Writer's Guide: A process-oriented rhetoric that links good writing with active reading and critical thinking. Nine assignment chapters guide students step by step through a full range of common first-year writing assignments. Each main assignment chapter includes two model readings: the first by a professional writer, the second by a student. In LaunchPad, these chapters also include multimodal readings, including video essays and audio interviews. Additional chapters present practical strategies for mastering every stage of the writing process and for responding to literature, using and understanding visuals, writing online, writing for assessment, and writing in the workplace.

A Writer's Reader: A thematic reader that provides engaging opportunities for critical reading and writing. The 24 readings (half of them new) appear in five thematically arranged chapters: Families, Gender, Popular Culture, Language, and The Good Life. Within each chapter, two of the essays are paired to show how different writers address similar issues.

A Writer's Research Manual: A guide that gives students the help they need to complete all types of research assignments, including proposals, source evaluations, annotated bibliographies, and full-length papers. These chapters guide students through locating and evaluating sources as well as developing a strong thesis and planning, drafting, and revising their papers. The manual gives special attention to synthesis, with an innovative "Take Action" chart focusing on how to integrate and synthesize sources. Chapters on MLA and APA provide the latest documentation guidelines and full sample student papers. The research manual has been updated to reflect current best practices, gathered through an in-depth survey of academic librarians. All versions of the book also include a "Quick Research Guide" in the appendix.

A Writer's Handbook: The most complete handbook of its kind –with plenty of exercises. This handy reference includes clear explanations of grammar, style, and usage, extensive coverage for multilingual students, as well as approximately 50 exercise sets in the book, with more available online. A "Quick Editing Guide" – located in the appendix of all versions of the book—gives special attention to the most troublesome grammar and editing problems.

New to This Edition

New emphasis on reflection The eleventh edition offers a framework to help students reflect on their progress as writers and to develop a deeper awareness of their processes that they can carry with them as they move into future courses and the workplace. This framework includes:

  • A new section in Chapter 3 called "Thinking Critically about Your Own Writing:  Self-Reflection" introduces the concept and includes a sample student reflection with questions for analysis, as well a series of reflection prompts students to which students can return as they complete assignments in the book.
  • Reviewing & Reflecting activities in Parts Two and Three of Book One. This feature begins in the book and is continued online in the LaunchPad, with reflection prompts specific to the chapter assignment and an autoscored chapter comprehension assessment.
  • An increased number of reflection-focused Learning by Doing activities appear throughout the book, including one built around an error log in the handbook.

Guidance on Writing across the Disciplines Chapter 24 has been revamped to provided advice on writing successfully in a variety of disciplines, including the sciences, nursing, the arts, business, education, history, and psychology.  A new student paper from a psychology student offers a real example of how to transfer writing skills into a major.

A New Chapter on Language in A Writer's Reader Half of the readings in the Bedford Guide are new, including three new student essays. In the reader, a new thematic chapter on language mixes favorites by Amy Tan and Richard Rodriguez with new selections on current topics, such as trigger warnings.

A More Flexible Research Manual The research manual now offers more models and sample assignments, as well as advice for the wider range of research assignments that students commonly complete, such as annotated bibliographies, source evaluations, and research proposals, in addition to full-length research paper. The manual also includes updated instruction on citing sources according to MLA's updated 2016 guidelines.

Basic Grammar Coverage in A Writer's Handbook Featuring a useful new design, the handbook also opens with a new chapter covering parts of speech; subjects; verbs, objects, and complements; clauses and phrases; and sentence structures.

Expanded Assessment Options and new Activities in LaunchPad In addition to the Reviewing & Reflecting activities mentioned above, LaunchPad for The Bedford Guide also includes customizable, autoscored reading quizzes for every reading selection in A Writer's Guide and A Writer's Reader; diagnostic quizzes; an expanded set of LearningCurve adaptive quizzing activities on grammar, argument, source documentation, and other topics; and Exercise Central, a bank of searchable and customizable grammar, punctuation, style, writing, and research exercises.

"… a textbook that students can continue to use throughout their education." – Jacob Lampell, Community College of Baltimore County-Catonsville

“The LaunchPad for The Bedford Guide supports students working at any level, all in one book.” — Jill Dahlman, Chaminade University of Honolulu

Digital Options

LAUNCHPAD_FULL icon

LaunchPad

Get the e-book, do assignments, take quizzes, prepare for exams and more, to help you achieve success in class.

Learn About LaunchPad Schedule LaunchPad Demo Go to LaunchPad

Table of Contents

Preface: To the Instructor
Rhetorical Contents
Selected Visual Contents
Features of The Bedford Guide Correlated to the Writing Program Administrators (WPA) Outcomes
    Statement
Pairing The Bedford Guide with LaunchPad Solo for Readers and Writers
How to use The Bedford Guide for College Writers


Book 1: A WRITER’S GUIDE

Introduction: Writing in College

Part One: A College Writer’s Processes

1. Writing Processes
Writing, Reading, and Critical Thinking
A Process of Writing
     Getting Started
     Generating Ideas
     Learning by Doing Reflecting on Ideas
     Panning, Drafting, and Developing
     Learning by Doing Reflecting on Drafts
     Revising and Editing
     Learning by Doing Reflecting on Finishing
Purpose and Audience
    Writing for a Reason
     Learning by Doing Considering Purpose
     Writing for Your Audience
     Learning by Doing Considering Audience
     Targeting a College Audience
     Learning by Doing Writing for Different Audiences
Additional Writing Activities

2. Reading Processes
A Process of Critical Reading
     Getting Started
     Learning by Doing Reflecting on Your Reading Strategies
     Preparing to Read
     Learning by Doing Reflecting on Reading Preparation
     Responding to Reading
     Learning by Doing Annotating a Passage
     Learning by Doing Reflecting on a Reading Journal
Learning from Another Writer: Reading Summary and Response
           Student Summary and Response: Olof Eriksson, The Problems with Masculinity
Reading on Literal and Analytical Levels
     Learning by Doing Reading Analytically
     Generating Ideas from Reading
Learning from Another Writer: Critical Reading and Response
          Student Critical Reading Response: Alley Julseth, Analyzing “The New Literacy”
     Learning by Doing Reading Critically
          Michael Shermer, The Science of Righteousness
Reading Online and Multimodal Texts
     Learning by Doing Reading a Web Site
Additional Writing Activities

3. Critical Thinking Processes
A Process of Critical Thinking
     Getting Started
     Learning by Doing Thinking Critically to Explore an Issue
     Applying Critical Thinking to Academic Problems
Thinking Critically about Your Own Writing: Self-Reflection
     Details on Self-Reflection
     Contexts for Self-Reflection
Learning from Another Writer: Self-Reflection
           Student Self-Reflection: Khalia Nadam, What I Learned from My Research Project
Additional Writing Activities

Part Two: A Writer’s Situations

4. Recalling an Experience
Learning from Other Writers
          Russell Baker, The Art of Eating Spaghetti
          Student Essay: Robert G. Schreiner, What Is a Hunter?
Learning by Writing
    The Assignment: Recalling a Personal Experience
    Generating Ideas
    Learning by Doing Reflecting on Your Writing Space
    Planning, Drafting, and Developing
    Learning by Doing Stating the Importance of Your Experience
    Learning by Doing Selecting and Arranging Events
    Revising and Editing
    Learning by Doing Appealing to the Senses
Reviewing and Reflecting
Additional Writing Assignments

5. Observing a Scene
Learning from Other Writers
          Ashley Smith, Special Report: Smokejumper Training
          Student Essay: Alea Eyre, Stockholm
Learning by Writing
     The Assignment: Observing a Scene
     Generating Ideas
     Learning by Doing Reflecting on Sensory Details
     Planning, Drafting, and Developing
     Learning by Doing Experimenting with Organization
     Revising and Editing
     Learning by Doing Strengthening Your Main Impression
Reviewing and Reflecting
Additional Writing Assignments


6. Interviewing a Subject
Learning from Other Writers
          Jon Ronson, How One Stupid Tweet Blew Up Justine Sacco’s Life
          Student Essay: Lorena A. Ryan-Hines, Looking Backwards, Moving Forward
Learning by Writing
     The Assignment: Interviewing
     Generating Ideas
     Learning by Doing Analyzing Interview Questions
     Learning by Doing Interviewing a Classmate
     Planning, Drafting, and Developing
     Learning by Doing Stating a Dominant Impression
     Revising and Editing
     Learning by Doing Detailing with Color
Reviewing and Reflecting
Additional Writing Assignments

7. Comparing and Contrasting
Learning from Other Writers
          César Vargas, How First- and Second-Generation Hispanics Can Help Each Other
          National Geographic Editors, Hurricane Katrina Pictures: Then & Now, Ruin & Rebirth
          Student Essay: Jacob Griffin, Karate Kid vs. Kung Fu Panda: A Race to the Olympics
Learning by Writing
     The Assignment: Comparing and Contrasting
     Generating Ideas
     Learning by Doing Making a Comparison-and-Contrast Table
     Planning, Drafting, and Developing
     Learning by Doing Reflecting on Comparison and Contrast
     Learning by Doing Building Cohesion with Transitions
     Revising and Editing
Reviewing and Reflecting
Additional Writing Assignments

8. Explaining Causes and Effects
Learning from Other Writers
          Emily Badger, It’s Time to Stop Blaming Poverty for the Decline in Marriage
          Student Essay: Yun Yung Choi, Invisible Women
Learning by Writing
     The Assignment: Explaining Causes and Effects
     Generating Ideas
     Learning by Doing Determining Causes and Effects
     Learning by Doing Making a Cause-and-Effect Table
     Planning, Drafting, and Developing
     Learning by Doing Focusing Your Introduction
     Revising and Editing
Reviewing and Reflecting
Additional Writing Assignments

9. Taking a Stand
Learning from Other Writers
           Suzan Shown Harjo, Last Rites for Indian Dead
           Student Essay: Marjorie Lee Garretson, More Pros Than Cons in a Meat-Free Life
Learning by Writing
     The Assignment: Taking a Stand
     Generating Ideas
     Learning by Doing Finding a Workable Topic
     Learning by Doing Reflecting on Evidence for Your Argument
     Learning by Doing Supporting a Claim
     Learning by Doing Examining Your Evidence
     Learning by Doing Addressing Counter-Arguments
     Planning, Drafting, and Developing
     Learning by Doing Reflecting on Your Thesis
     Learning by Doing Identifying Types of Appeals
     Revising and Editing
     Learning by Doing Reflecting on Your Draft
     TAKE ACTION: Strengthening Support for a Stand
     Recognizing Logical Fallacies
Reviewing and Reflecting
Additional Writing Assignments

10. Proposing a Solution
Learning from Other Writers
          Wilbert Rideau, Why Prisons Don’t Work
           Student Essay: Lacey Taylor, It’s Not Just a Bike
Learning by Writing
     The Assignment: Proposing a Solution
     Generating Ideas
     Learning by Doing Describing Your Audience
     Planning, Drafting, and Developing
     Learning by Doing Reflecting on a Problem
     Learning by Doing Reflecting on Interested Parties
     Revising and Editing
     Learning by Doing Revising for Clear Organization
Reviewing and Reflecting
Additional Writing Assignments

11. Evaluating and Reviewing
Learning from Other Writers
           Scott Tobias, The Hunger Games
           Student Essay: Elizabeth Erion, Internship Program Falls Short
Learning by Writing
     The Assignment: Writing an Evaluation
     Generating Ideas
     Learning by Doing Developing Criteria
     Planning, Drafting, and Developing
     Learning by Doing Stating Your Overall Judgment
     Learning by Doing Reflecting on Product Reviews
      Revising and Editing
Reviewing and Reflecting
Additional Writing Assignments

12. Supporting a Position with Sources
Learning from Other Writers
          Charles M. Blow, Black Dads Are Doing Best of All
          Student Essay: Abigail Marchand, The Family Dynamic
Learning by Writing
     The Assignment: Supporting a Position with Sources
     Generating Ideas
     Learning by Doing Identifying Suspect Web Information
     Planning, Drafting, and Developing
     Learning by Doing Questioning Your Thesis to Aid Your Search for Evidence
     Learning by Doing Reflecting on Plagiarism
     The Academic Exchange
     Revising and Editing
     Learning by Doing Launching Your Sources
     Learning by Doing Checking Your Presentation of Sources
     TAKE ACTION: Integrating Source Information Effectively
Reviewing and Reflecting
Additional Writing Assignments

Part Three: Other Writing Situations

13. Responding to Literature 
Using Strategies for Literary Analysis 
Learning from Other Writers 
          Shirley Jackson, The Lottery 
Preparing to Write a Literary Analysis 
          Student Literary Analysis: Jonathan Burns, The Hidden Truth: An Analysis of Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” 
          A Glossary of Terms for Literary Analysis 
Learning by Writing: Literary Analysis 
    The Assignment: Analyzing a Literary Work 
    Learning by Doing Recommending Fiction to a Friend 
    Generating Ideas 
    Learning by Doing Examining Fiction Genres 
    Planning, Drafting, and Developing 
    Learning by Doing Developing Your Thesis 
    TAKE ACTION: Strengthening Literary Analysis 
     Revising and Editing 
Learning from Another Writer: Synopsis 
          Student Synopsis: Jonathan Burns, A Synopsis of “The Lottery”
Learning by Writing: Synopsis 
The Assignment: Writing a Synopsis of a Story by Kate Chopin 
          Kate Chopin, The Story of an Hour 
Learning from Another Writer: Paraphrase 
          Student Paraphrase: Jonathan Burns, A Paraphrase from “The Lottery” 
          Learning by Doing Collaborating on a Paraphrase
Learning by Writing: Paraphrase 
          The Assignment: Writing a Paraphrase of a Poem 
Reviewing and Reflecting
Additional Writing Assignments 

14. Responding to Visual Representations 
Using Strategies for Visual Analysis 
    Learning by Doing Analyzing the Web Site for Your Campus 
Level One: Seeing the Big Picture 
    Source, Purpose, and Audience 
    Prominent Element 
    Focal Point 
    Learning by Doing Seeing the Big Picture 
Level Two: Observing the Characteristics of an Image 
    Cast of Characters 
    Story of the Image 
    Design and Arrangement 
    Artistic Choices 
    Learning by Doing Observing Characteristics 
Level Three: Interpreting the Meaning of an Image 
    General Feeling or Mood 
    Sociological, Political, Economic, or Cultural Attitudes 
    Language 
    Signs and Symbols 
    Themes 
    Learning by Doing Reflecting on Images 
Learning from Another Writer: Visual Analysis 
           Student Analysis of an Advertisement: Logan Sikora, “The Attention Test” 
Learning by Writing 
    The Assignment: Analyzing a Visual Representation 
    Generating Ideas 
    Planning, Drafting, and Developing 
    Revising and Editing 
Learning from Another Writer: Visual Essay 
          Student Visual Essay: Shannon Kintner, Charlie Living with Autism
Reviewing and Reflecting
Additional Writing Assignments 

15. Writing Online 
Getting Started 
    Learning by Doing Reflecting on an Online Writing Course
    Class Courtesy 
    Online Ethics 
    Learning by Doing Making Personal Rules 
Common Online Writing Situations 
        Messages to Your Instructor 
        Learning by Doing Finding a College Voice 
    Learning from Other Writers: Messages to Your Instructor
        Learning by Doing Contacting Your Instructor 
    Online Profile 
        Learning by Doing Reflecting on Your Social-Media Presence 
        Learning by Doing Reflecting on Your College Career 
    Online Threaded Discussions or Responses 
    Learning from Other Writers: Threaded Discussion 
        Learning by Doing Joining a Threaded Discussion 
File Management 
       Learning by Doing Preparing a Template 
       Learning by Doing Organizing Your Files 
Reviewing and Reflecting
Additional Writing Assignments 

16. Writing and Presenting Under Pressure 
Essay Examinations 
          Preparing for the Exam 
Learning from Another Writer: Essay Exam 
          Student Essay Answer: David Ian Cohn, Response to Psychology Question 
    Generating Ideas 
    Planning for Typical Exam Questions 
        Learning by Doing Asking Questions 
    Drafting: The Only Version 
    Revising: Rereading and Proofing 
Short-Answer Examinations 
Timed Writings 
        Learning by Doing Thinking Fast 
Online Assessment 
Oral Presentations 
        Learning by Doing Reflecting on Oral Presentations 
Learning from Other Writers: Visuals for Oral Presentations 
          Face-to-Face Class Presentation: Andrew Dillon Bustin, Traditional Urban Design 
Reviewing and Reflecting
Additional Writing Assignments 

17. Writing in the Workplace 
Guidelines for Writing in the Workplace 
    Know Your Purpose 
    Keep Your Audience in Mind 
    Use an Appropriate Tone 
    Present Information Carefully 
E-mail 
    Format for E-mail 
Résumés and Application Letters 
    Résumés 
    Learning by Doing Reflecting on Your Working Life and Goals
    Application Letters 
    Learning by Doing Planning a Job Application 
    Learning by Doing Planning for Your Future Career
Business Letters 
    Format for Business Letters 
Memoranda 
    Format for Memoranda 
Brochures and Presentation Visuals 
    Format for Brochures 
    Format for Presentation Visuals 
Reviewing and Reflecting
Additional Writing Assignments 

Part Four: A Writer’s Strategies 

18. Strategies: A Case Study
Generating Ideas 
Planning, Drafting, and Developing 
    Rough Draft with Peer and Instructor Responses 
    Learning by Doing Responding as a Peer 
Revising and Editing 
    Revised and Edited Draft 
          Final Draft for Submission: Erin Schmitt, Mr. Hertli 
Reflecting as a Writer 
    Learning by Doing Writing a Reflective Letter 
    Reflective Portfolio Letter 

19. Strategies for Generating Ideas 
    Finding Ideas 
    Building from Your Assignment 
    Learning by Doing Building from Your Assignment 
    Brainstorming 
    Learning by Doing Brainstorming 
    Freewriting 
    Learning by Doing Freewriting 
    Doodling or Sketching 
    Learning by Doing Doodling or Sketching 
    Mapping 
    Learning by Doing Mapping 
    Imagining 
    Learning by Doing Imagining 
    Asking a Reporter’s Questions 
    Learning by Doing Asking a Reporter’s Questions 
    Seeking Motives 
    Learning by Doing Seeking Motives 
    Keeping a Journal 
    Learning by Doing Keeping a Journal 
Getting Ready 
    Setting Up Circumstances 
    Preparing Your Mind 
    Learning by Doing Reflecting on Generating Ideas 

20. Strategies for Stating a Thesis and Planning 
Shaping Your Topic for Your Purpose and Your Audience 
    Learning by Doing Considering Purpose and Audience 
Stating and Using a Thesis 
    Learning by Doing Identifying Theses 
    How to Discover a Working Thesis 
    Learning by Doing Discovering a Thesis 
    How to State a Thesis 
    Learning by Doing Examining Thesis Statements 
    How to Improve a Thesis 
    TAKE ACTION: Building a Stronger Thesis 
    How to Use a Thesis to Organize 
    Learning by Doing Using a Thesis to Preview 
Organizing Your Ideas 
Grouping Your Ideas 
    Outlining 
     Learning by Doing Moving from Outline to Thesis 
     Learning by Doing Outlining 
     Learning by Doing Reflecting on Planning 

21. Strategies for Drafting 
Making a Start Enjoyable 
Restarting 
Paragraphing 
    Learning by Doing Identifying Topic Sentences 
    Learning by Doing Identifying Transitions 
Using Topic Sentences 
Writing an Opening 
    Learning by Doing Trying Different Methods of Writing an Opening
Writing a Conclusion 
    Learning by Doing Trying Different Methods of Writing a Conclusion
    Learning by Doing Evaluating Openings and Conclusions 
Adding Cues and Connections 
    Learning by Doing Reflecting on Transitions 
    Learning by Doing Reflecting on Drafting 

22. Strategies for Developing 
Giving Examples 
    Learning by Doing Giving Examples 
Providing Details 
    Learning by Doing Providing Details 
Defining 
    Learning by Doing Developing an Extended Definition 
Reasoning Inductively and Deductively 
    Learning by Doing Reasoning Inductively and Deductively 
Analyzing a Subject 
    Learning by Doing Analyzing a Subject 
Analyzing a Process 
    Learning by Doing Analyzing a Process 
Dividing and Classifying 
    Learning by Doing Dividing and Classifying 
Comparing and Contrasting 
    Learning by Doing Comparing and Contrasting 
Identifying Causes and Effects 
    Learning by Doing Identifying Causes and Effects 
    Learning by Doing Reflecting on Developing 

23. Strategies for Revising and Editing 
Re-viewing and Revising 
    Revising for Purpose and Thesis 
    Revising for Audience 
    Learning by Doing Reflecting on Your Audience
    Revising for Structure and Support 
    Learning by Doing Tackling Macro Revision 
    Working with a Peer Editor 
    Questions for a Peer Editor 
    Meeting with Your Instructor 
    Decoding Your Instructor’s Comments 
Revising for Emphasis, Conciseness, and Clarity 
    Stressing What Counts 
    Cutting and Whittling 
    Keeping It Clear 
Editing and Proofreading 
    Editing 
Proofreading 
   Learning by Doing Reflecting on Revising and Editing 
   Learning by Doing Reflecting on Past Grades and Comments

24. Strategies for Writing in Future Courses 
Transferring Knowledge
    Learning by Doing Reflecting on Your Preparation for Writing in Various Disciplines
    Learning by Doing Reflecting on How to Transfer Knowledge
What Do They Want? 
    Analyzing Expectations
    Connecting Expectations and Assessments
What Is It?
     Uncovering Assumptions
     Learning by Doing Reflecting on the Goals of Other Disciplines
How Do I Write It?
     Learning by Doing Reflecting on New Assignments
Writing in the Disciplines
     Writing in the Sciences
     Writing in Nursing
     Writing in the Arts (Art, Drama, Music)
     Writing in Business
     Writing in Education
     Writing in History
     Writing in Psychology
      Learning by Doing Examining an Article from a Scholarly Journal
Learning from Another Writer: A Developmental Psychology Assignment
          Weekly Critical Thinking Assignment
          Response to Critical Thinking Assignment: Samantha Christopher, Adolescents Are Not Yet Adults
Keeping a Portfolio
     Understanding Portfolio Assessment
     Tips for Keeping a Portfolio
     Learning by Doing Reflecting on This Class


Book 2: A WRITER’S READER

Introduction: Reading to Write

25. Family
Judith Ortiz Cofer, More Room
Chris Bentley, Beyond the Nuclear Family
Michael Cobb, The Supreme Court’s Lonely Hearts Club
Aziz Ansari, Searching for Your Soulmate

26. Gender
Brent Staples, Black Men and Public Space 
Judy Brady, I Want a Wife
Cindi May, The Problem with Female Superheroes
Robert Jensen, The High Cost of Manliness
Julie Zeilinger, Guys Suffer from Oppressive Gender Roles Too

27. Popular Culture
Kate Dailey and Abby Ellin, America’s War on the Overweight 
Adam Sternberg, Smile, You’re Speaking Emoji: The Rapid Evolution of a Wordless Tongue
Stephen King, Why We Crave Horror Movies
Elizabeth Stone, Grief in the Age of Facebook
Libby Copeland, Is Facebook Making Us Sad?

28.  Language
Clive Thompson, The New Literacy
Ann Friedman, Can We Just, Like, Get Over the Way Women Talk?
Jennie Jarvie, Trigger Happy 
Richard Rodriguez, Public and Private Language
Amy Tan, Mother Tongue

29.  The Good Life
William Zinsser, The Right to Fail
William Deresiewicz, What is College For?
Sarah Adams, Be Cool to the Pizza Dude
David Brooks, The Humility Code 
Miya Tokumitsu, In the Name of Love

Book 3: A WRITER’S RESEARCH MANUAL

Introduction: The Nature of Research

30. Defining Your Research Project
Research Assignments: Working from Sources
    The Research Proposal
    The Source Evaluation
    The Annotated Bibliography
    The Outline
    The Research Paper
Creating a Schedule
    Learning by Doing Planning Your Personal Schedule
Choosing and Narrowing a Topic
Turning a Topic into a Question
    Take Action: Focusing a Research Question
    Learning by Doing Polling Your Peers
Moving from Research Question to Working Thesis
    Using Your Working Thesis to Guide Your Research
    Surveying Your Resources
Sample Assignment: Creating a Research Proposal

31. Finding Sources
Searching the Internet
    Finding Recommended Internet Resources
    Smart Online Searching
    Learning by Doing Comparing Web Searches
Searching the Library
    Getting to Know the Library
    Learning by Doing Reflecting on Your Library Orientation Session
    Using the Library Catalog 
    Learning by Doing Brainstorming for Search Terms
    Searching Library Databases
    Learning by Doing Comparing Databases
    Using Specialized Library Resources
Finding Sources in the Field
    Interviewing
    Learning by Doing Interviewing an Instructor
    Observing
    Using Questionnaires
    Corresponding
    Attending Public and Online Events
    Reconsidering Your Field Sources

32. Evaluating Sources
Take Action: Evaluating Sources
Assessing the Reliability of Sources
    Learning by Doing Evaluating Your Sources
    Who Is Responsible for the Source?
    What Type of Source Is It?
    Is the Source Scholarly or Popular?
    What Is the Source's Purpose and Bias?
    When Was the Source Produced or Published?
Using Special Care with Internet Sources
Assessing Relevance
    Considering Your Purpose
    Learning by Doing Reflecting on Sources in a Dialogic Notebook
    Reviewing Your Sources
Sample Assignment: Preparing a Source Evaluation

33. Working with Sources
Navigating Sources
Managing Your Project
    Starting a Working Bibliography
    Keeping Track of Sources
Capturing Information in Your Notes
    Reading Actively
    Quoting
    Paraphrasing
    Summarizing
    Learning by Doing Capturing Information from Sources
Sample Assignment: Developing an Annotated Bibliography
    Learning by Doing Writing an Annotation

34. Integrating Sources
Using Sources Ethically
    Take Action: Avoiding Plagiarism
Capturing Evidence without Plagiarizing
    Quoting and Paraphrasing Accurately
    Summarizing Concisely
    Avoiding Plagiarism
Launching and Citing Source Material
    Launching Evidence from Sources
    Learning by Doing Talking to the Sources
    Citing Each Source Clearly
    Learning by Doing Launching and Citing Your Sources
Synthesizing Ideas and Sources
    Take Action: Integrating and Synthesizing Sources
     Learning by Doing Synthesizing Your Sources

35. Writing a Research Paper
Planning with a Thesis Statement
Drafting
    Launching and Citing Your Sources as You Draft
    Beginning and Ending
    Learning by Doing Focusing with a Reverse Outline
Revising and Editing
    Learning by Doing Meeting Expectations
Documenting Sources
    Learning by Doing Presenting Your Findings

36. MLA Style for Documenting Sources
Citing Sources in MLA Style
    Take Action: Citing and Listing Sources
Listing Sources in MLA Style
A Sample MLA Research Paper

37. APA Style for Documenting Sources
Citing Sources in APA Style
Listing Sources in APA Style
A Sample APA Research Paper


Book 4: A WRITER’S HANDBOOK

Introduction: Grammar, or The Way Words Work 
Learning by Doing Creating an Error Log 
38. Basic Grammar
1. Parts of Speech
2. Subjects
3. Verbs, Objects, and Complements
          Learning by Doing Finding Subjects and Verbs
4. Clauses and Phrases
5. Sentence Structures

39. Grammatical Sentences 
6. Sentence Fragments
7. Comma Splices and Fused Sentences 
8.  Verb Tense
9.  Subject-Verb Agreement 
10. Pronoun Case
11. Pronoun Reference 
12. Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement
13. Adjectives and Adverbs
14. Shifts 
           Learning by Doing Considering Your Rough Draft

40. Effective Sentences 
15. Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers
16. Incomplete Sentences
17. Mixed Constructions and Faulty Predication
18. Parallel Structure
19. Coordination and Subordination
20. Sentence Variety
21. Active and Passive Voice
           Learning by Doing Considering Language
           Take Action: Improving Sentence Style 

41. Word Choice 
22. Appropriateness
23. Exact Words 
24. Bias-Free Language 
25. Wordiness
          Learning by Doing Refining Your Wording
26. Commonly Confused Words
         Take Action Improving Word Use 

42. Punctuation 
          Learning by Doing Tackling Punctuation Patterns 
27. End Punctuation
28. Commas
29. Misuses of the Comma
30. Semicolons
31. Colons
32. Apostrophes 
33.  Quotation Marks
34. Dashes
35. Parentheses, Brackets, and Ellipses 

43. Mechanics
           Learning by Doing Justifying Conventions 
36. Abbreviations 
37. Capital Letters 
38. Numbers
39. Italics 
40. Hyphens
41. Spelling 

APPENDICES AND OTHER RESOURCES

Quick Format Guide
A. Following the Format for an Academic Paper
B. Integrating and Crediting Visuals
C. Preparing a Document Template
D. Solving Common Format Problems
E. Designing Other Documents for Your Audience
F. Organizing a Resume and an Application Letter

Quick Research Guide
A. Defining Your Quest
B. Searching for Recommended Sources
C. Evaluating Possible Sources
D. Capturing, Launching, and Citing Evidence from Sources
E. Citing and Listing Sources in MLA or APA Style

Quick Editing Guide
A. Editing for Common Grammar Problems
B. Editing to Ensure Effective Sentences
C. Editing for Word Choice
D. Editing for Common Punctuation Problems
E. Editing for Common Mechanics Problems

Acknowledgements
About the Part Opening Photographs
Index
A Guide to the Handbook
Correction Symbols
Proofreading Symbols

X. J. Kennedy

X. J. Kennedy is an acclaimed poet, children’s author, college teacher, and textbook author. He has taught freshman composition at the University of Michigan; the University of North Carolina, Greensboro; and Tufts University. More than 2 million students have used his introductory literature texts and The Bedford Reader, now in its fourteenth edition.

Dorothy M. Kennedy

Dorothy M. Kennedy was a writer and editor whose articles and reviews have appeared in both professional and academic journals. She taught composition at the University of Michigan and Ohio University and, with X. J. Kennedy, was the recipient of the NCTE Teacher's Choice Award for Knock at a Star: A Child's Introduction to Poetry.

Marcia F. Muth

Marcia F. Muth teaches, writes, and edits.  She has taught first-year writing at The Ohio State University and other introductory courses at St. Peter's College (Englewood Cliffs).  Her many writing workshops have been sponsored by　Fordham University, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, and currently　the School of Education and Human Development at the University of Colorado Denver.  She is the author or coauthor of many composition textbooks and ancillaries, including The Bedford Guide for College Writers, The Concise Bedford Guide for Writers, Writing and Revising: A Portable Guide, Researching and Writing: A Portable Guide, and The St. Martin's Pocket Guide to Research and Documentation (all from Bedford/St. Martin's).  Her projects as a writer and an editor have included Harold D. Lasswell: An Annotated Bibliography as well as many grant proposals, textbooks, ancillaries, reports, and other publications.  She continues to learn how to write clearly and effectively from her students, editors, reviewers, and writing colleagues.

Instructor Resources

Need instructor resources for your course?

Unlock Your Resources

Instructor Resources

Download Resources

You need to sign in to unlock your resources.

request locked icon

Instructor's Manual for The Bedford Guide for College Writers, 11e

request locked icon

Lecture Slides