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Table of Contents

Preface
Thematic Guide to the Contents
Introduction: How to Use This Book
     Henry Louis Gates Jr., “What’s in a Name?”
     Responding to an Essay
     Responding to Other Kinds of Texts

PART ONE: The Writing Process
1. Reading to Write: Becoming a Critical Reader
     Understanding Critical Reading
     Assessing Your Prior Knowledge
     CHECKLIST: Questions for Assessing Your Prior Knowledge
     Determining Your Purpose
     CHECKLIST: Questions about Your Purpose
     Previewing
     Highlighting
     Brent Staples, Cutting and Pasting: A Senior Thesis by (Insert Name)
     Moisés Naím, The YouTube Effect
     Annotating
     CHECKLIST: Questions for Critical Reading
     Brent Staples, Cutting and Pasting: A Senior Thesis by (Insert Name) (with sample annotations)
     Reading Visual Texts
           Previewing a Visual
     CHECKLIST: Questions for Previewing
           Highlighting and Annotating a Visual
2. Invention
     Understanding Your Assignment
     Setting Limits
     Length
     Purpose
     Audience
     Occasion
     Knowledge
     CHECKLIST: Setting Limits
     Moving from Subject to Topic
     Questions for Probing
     CHECKLIST: Questions for Probing
     Freewriting
     A Student Writer: Freewriting
     Finding Something to Say
     Brainstorming
     A Student Writer: Brainstorming
     Journal Writing
     A Student Writer: Journal Writing
     Grouping Ideas
     Clustering
     A Student Writer: Clustering
     Making an Informal Outline
     A Student Writer: Making an Informal Outline
     Developing a Thesis
     Defining the Thesis Statement
     Deciding on a Thesis
     Stating Your Thesis
     Implying a Thesis
     A Student Writer: Developing a Thesis
     CHECKLIST: Stating Your Thesis
3. Arrangement
     Recognizing a Pattern
     CHECKLIST: Recognizing a Pattern
     Understanding the Parts of the Essay
     The Introduction
     CHECKLIST: What Not to Do in an Introduction
     The Body Paragraphs
     CHECKLIST: Effective Support
     The Conclusion
     CHECKLIST: What Not to Do in a Conclusion
     Constructing a Formal Outline
     CHECKLIST: Constructing a Formal Outline
     A Student Writer: Constructing a Formal Outline
4. Drafting and Revising
     Writing Your First Draft
     CHECKLIST: Drafting
     A Student Writer: Writing a First Draft
     Revising Your Essay
     Revising with an Outline
     Revising with a Checklist
     CHECKLIST: Revising
     Revising with Your Instructor’s Written Comments
     Revising in a Conference
     Revising in a Peer-Editing Group
     CHECKLIST: Guidelines for Peer Editing
     Strategies for Revising
     A Student Writer: Revising a First Draft
     PEER-EDITING WORKSHEET
     Points for Special Attention: First Draft
     The Introduction
     The Body Paragraphs
     The Conclusion
     A Student Writer: Revising a Second Draft
     Points for Special Attention: Second Draft
     The Introduction
     The Body Paragraphs
     The Conclusion
     Working with Sources
     The Title
     A Student Writer: Preparing a Final Draft
     Laura Bobnak, The Price of Silence (Student Essay)
5. Editing and Proofreading
     Editing for Grammar
     Be Sure Subjects and Verbs Agree
     Be Sure Verb Tenses Are Accurate and Consistent
     Be Sure Pronoun References Are Clear
     Be Sure Sentences Are Complete
     Be Careful Not to Run Sentences Together without Proper Punctuation
     Be Careful to Avoid Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers
     Be Sure Sentence Elements Are Parallel
     CHECKLIST: Editing for Grammar
     Editing for Punctuation
     Learn When to Use Commas — and When Not to Use Them
     Learn When to Use Semicolons
     Learn When to Use Apostrophes
     Learn When to Use Quotation Marks
     Learn When to Use Dashes
     Learn When to Use Colons
     CHECKLIST: Editing for Punctuation
     Editing for Sentence Style and Word Choice
     Eliminate Awkward Phrasing
     Be Sure Your Sentences Are Concise
     Be Sure Your Sentences Are Varied
     Use Transitional Words and Phrases to Clarify Connections between Ideas
     Choose Your Words Carefully
     CHECKLIST: Editing for Sentence Style and Word Choice
     Proofreading Your Essay
     Check for Commonly Confused Words
     Check for Misspellings and Faulty Capitalization
     Check for Typos
     CHECKLIST: Proofreading
     Checking Your Paper’s Format
     CHECKLIST: Checking Your Paper’s Format

PART TWO: Readings for Writers
6. Narration
     What Is Narration?
     Using Narration
     Planning a Narrative Essay
     Developing a Thesis Statement
     Including Enough Detail
     Varying Sentence Structure
     Maintaining Clear Narrative Order
     Structuring a Narrative Essay
     Revising a Narrative Essay
     REVISION CHECKLIST: Narration
     Editing a Narrative Essay
     GRAMMAR IN CONTEXT: Correcting Run-Ons
     EDITING CHECKLIST: Narration
     A Student Writer: Literacy Narrative
     Erica Sarno, Becoming a Writer (Student Essay)
     Points for Special Attention
     Focus on Revision
     A Student Writer: Narration
     Tiffany Forte, My Field of Dreams (Student Essay)
     Points for Special Attention
     Focus on Revision
     PEER-EDITING WORKSHEET: NARRATION
     Visual Text: Marjane Satrapi, from Persepolis II (Graphic Fiction)
     Junot Díaz, The Money
     Bonnie Smith-Yackel, My Mother Never Worked
     Martin Gansberg, Thirty-Eight Who Saw Murder Didn’t Call the Police
     Tara Westover, I Am Not Proof of the American Dream
     George Orwell, Shooting an Elephant
     Joy Harjo, An American Sunrise (Poetry)
     Writing Assignments for Narration
     Collaborative Activity for Narration
7. Description
     What Is Description?
     Using Description
     Understanding Objective Description
     CHECKLIST: Using Visuals Effectively
     Understanding Subjective Description
     Using Objective and Subjective Language
     Selecting Details
     Planning a Descriptive Essay
     Developing a Thesis Statement
     Organizing Details
     Using Transitions
     Structuring a Descriptive Essay
     Revising a Descriptive Essay
     REVISION CHECKLIST: Description
     Editing a Descriptive Essay
     GRAMMAR IN CONTEXT: Avoiding Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers
     EDITING CHECKLIST: Description
     A Student Writer: Objective Description
     Mallory Cogan, My Grandfather’s Globe (Student Essay)
     Points for Special Attention
     Focus on Revision
     A Student Writer: Subjective Description
     Mary Lim, The Valley of Windmills (Student Essay)
     Points for Special Attention
     Focus on Revision
     PEER-EDITING WORKSHEET: DESCRIPTION
     Visual Text: Ansel Adams, Jackson Lake (Photograph)
     Bich Minh Nguyen, Goodbye to My Twinkie Days
     Trevor Noah, Trevor, Pray
     Marina Keegan, Stability in Motion
     Heather Rogers, The Hidden Life of Garbage
     Brian Doyle, Joyas Voladoras
     Kate Chopin, The Storm (Fiction)
     Writing Assignments for Description
     Collaborative Activity for Description
8 Exemplification
     What Is Exemplification?
     Using Exemplification
     Using Examples to Explain and Clarify
     Using Examples to Add Interest
     Using Examples to Persuade
     Planning an Exemplification Essay
     Developing a Thesis Statement
     Providing Enough Examples
     Choosing a Fair Range of Examples
     Using Transitions
     Structuring an Exemplification Essay
     Revising an Exemplification Essay
     REVISION CHECKLIST: Exemplification
     Editing an Exemplification Essay
     GRAMMAR IN CONTEXT: Using Commas in a Series
     EDITING CHECKLIST: Exemplification
     A Student Writer: Exemplification
     Kristy Bredin, Job Application Letter (Student Essay)
     Points for Special Attention
     Focus on Revision
     A Student Writer: Exemplification
     Zoe Goldfarb, Food Insecurity on Campus (Student Essay)
     Points for Special Attention
     Focus on Revision
     PEER-EDITING WORKSHEET: EXEMPLIFICATION
     Visual Texts: Four Inventions (Photographs)
     Henry Kissinger, Eric Schmidt, and Daniel P. Huttenlocher, The Challenge of Being Human in the Age of AI
     Deb Haaland, My Grandparents Were Stolen from Their Families as Children
     Judith Ortiz Cofer, The Myth of the Latin Woman: I Just Met a Girl Named Maria
     Brent Staples, Just Walk On By: A Black Man Ponders His Power to Alter Public Space
     Farhad Manjoo, “It's Time for 'They'”
     Maia Szalavitz, Ten Ways We Get the Odds Wrong
     Jamaica Kincaid, “Girl” (Fiction)
     Writing Assignments for Exemplification
     Collaborative Activity for Exemplification
9 Process
     What Is Process?
     Understanding Instructions
     Understanding Process Explanations
     Using Process
     Planning a Process Essay
     Accommodating Your Audience
     Developing a Thesis Statement
     Using Transitions
     Structuring a Process Essay
     Revising a Process Essay
     REVISION CHECKLIST: Process
     Editing a Process Essay
     GRAMMAR IN CONTEXT: Avoiding Unnecessary Shifts
     EDITING CHECKLIST: Process
     A Student Writer: Instructions
     Mya Nunnally, Steps to the Dream (Student Essay)
     Points for Special Attention
     Focus on Revision
     A Student Writer: Process Explanation
     Melany Hunt, Medium Ash Brown (Student Essay)
     Points for Special Attention
     Focus on Revision
     PEER-EDITING WORKSHEET: PROCESS
     Visual Text: Leaves Degrading (Photographs)
     Curtis Sittenfeld, Finally Write That Short Story
     Naomi Rosenberg, How to Tell a Mother Her Child Is Dead
     Brad Plumer and Ruairi Arrieta-Kenna, How Do Hurricanes Form? A Step-by-Step Guide
     Eugene Kiely and Lori Robertson, How to Spot Fake News
     Jessica Mitford, The Embalming of Mr. Jones
     Shirley Jackson, The Lottery (Fiction)
     Writing Assignments for Process
     Collaborative Activity for Process
10. Cause and Effect
     What Is Cause and Effect?
     Using Cause and Effect
     Understanding Main and Contributory Causes
     Understanding Immediate and Remote Causes
     Understanding Causal Chains
     Avoiding Post Hoc Reasoning
     Planning a Cause-and-Effect Essay
     Developing a Thesis Statement
     Arranging Causes and Effects
     Using Transitions
     Structuring a Cause-and-Effect Essay
     Finding Causes
     Describing or Predicting Effects
     Revising a Cause-and-Effect Essay
     REVISION CHECKLIST: Cause and Effect
     Editing a Cause-and-Effect Essay
     GRAMMAR IN CONTEXT: Avoiding “The reason is because”; Using Affect and Effect Correctly
     EDITING CHECKLIST: Cause and Effect
     A Student Writer: Cause and Effect
     Evelyn Pellicane, The Irish Famine, 1845–1849 (Student Essay)
     Points for Special Attention
     Focus on Revision
     PEER-EDITING WORKSHEET: CAUSE AND EFFECT
     Visual Text: Jeffrey Coolidge, Rube Goldberg Machine (Photograph)
     Ray Fisman and Michael Luca, Did Free Pens Cause the Opioid Crisis?
     Sophie Caldecott, The Internet: How Words Can Unite or Divide Us
     Maggie Koerth, Why Rational People Buy into Conspiracy Theories
     Linda M. Hasselstrom, A Peaceful Woman Explains Why She Carries a Gun
     Karen Miller Pensiero, Photos That Change History
     Wilfred Owen, Dulce et Decorum Est (Poetry)
     Writing Assignments for Cause and Effect
     Collaborative Activity for Cause and Effect
11. Comparison and Contrast
     What Is Comparison and Contrast?
     Using Comparison and Contrast
     Planning a Comparison-and-Contrast Essay
     Recognizing Comparison-and-Contrast Assignments
     Establishing a Basis for Comparison
     Selecting Points for Discussion
     Developing a Thesis Statement
     Structuring a Comparison-and-Contrast Essay
     Using Subject-by-Subject Comparison
     Using Point-by-Point Comparison
     Using Transitions
     Revising a Comparison-and-Contrast Essay
     REVISION CHECKLIST: Comparison and Contrast
     Editing a Comparison-and-Contrast Essay
     GRAMMAR IN CONTEXT: Using Parallelism
     EDITING CHECKLIST: Comparison and Contrast
     A Student Writer: Subject-by-Subject Comparison
     Mark Cotharn, Brains versus Brawn (Student Essay)
     Points for Special Attention
     Focus on Revision
     A Student Writer: Point-by-Point Comparison
     Maria Tecson, A Comparison of Two Websites on Attention Deficit Disorder (Student Essay)
     Points for Special Attention
     Focus on Revision
     PEER-EDITING WORKSHEET: COMPARISON AND CONTRAST
     Visual Texts: Auguste Rodin, The Kiss, and Irakli Tsuladze, First Love (Sculptures)
     John McWhorter, If You Have Something to Say, Then Say It
     Anahad O’Connor, Fake Meat vs. Real Meat
     Ellen Laird, I’m Your Teacher, Not Your Internet-Service Provider
     Deborah Tannen, Sex, Lies, and Conversation
     Isabel Wilkerson, Emmett Till and Tamir Rice, Sons of the Great Migration
     Susan Glaspell, Trifles (Play)
     Writing Assignments for Comparison and Contrast
     Collaborative Activity for Comparison and Contrast
12. Classification and Division
     What Is Classification and Division?
     Understanding Classification
     Understanding Division
     Using Classification and Division
     Planning a Classification-and-Division Essay
     Selecting and Arranging Categories
     Developing a Thesis Statement
     CHECKLIST: Establishing Categories
     Using Transitions
     Structuring a Classification-and-Division Essay
     Revising a Classification-and-Division Essay
     REVISION CHECKLIST: Classification and Division
     Editing a Classification-and-Division Essay
     GRAMMAR IN CONTEXT: Using a Colon to Introduce Your Categories
     EDITING CHECKLIST: Classification and Division
     A Student Writer: Classification and Division
     Josie Martinez, What I Learned (and Didn’t Learn) in College (Student Essay)
     Points for Special Attention
     Focus on Revision
     PEER-EDITING WORKSHEET: CLASSIFICATION AND DIVISION
     Visual Text: Tom Fishburne, 5 Types of Social Media Strategies (Cartoon)
     Mindy Kaling, Flick Chicks: A Guide to Women in the Movies
     Carolyn Foster Segal, The Dog Ate My Tablet, and Other Tales of Woe
     Amy Tan, Mother Tongue
     Stephanie Ericsson, The Ways We Lie
     Ursula Le Guin, The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas (Fiction)
     Writing Assignments for Classification and Division
     Collaborative Activity for Classification and Division
13. Definition
     What Is Definition?
     Understanding Formal Definitions
     Understanding Extended Definitions
     Using Definition
     Planning a Definition Essay
     Developing a Thesis Statement
     Deciding on a Pattern of Development
     Structuring a Definition Essay
     Revising a Definition Essay
     REVISION CHECKLIST: Definition
     Editing a Definition Essay
     GRAMMAR IN CONTEXT: Avoiding is when and is where
     EDITING CHECKLIST: Definition
     A Student Writer: Definition
     Ajoy Mahtab, The Untouchable (Student Essay)
     Points for Special Attention
     Focus on Revision
     PEER-EDITING WORKSHEET: DEFINITION
     Visual Text: Alison Bechdel, The Rule (Comic Strip)
     Solene Rauturier, What Is Fast Fashion and Why Is It So Bad?
     Judy Brady, I Want a Wife
     Virginia Foxx, Stop Calling It “Vocational Training”
     Toni Morrison, Goodness: Altruism and the Literary Imagination
     Emily Dickinson, “Hope” is the thing with feathers (Poetry)
     Writing Assignments for Definition
     Collaborative Activity for Definition
14. Argumentation
     What Is Argumentation?
     Understanding Argumentation and Persuasion
     Planning an Argumentative Essay
     Choosing a Topic
     Developing a Thesis
     Analyzing Your Audience
     Gathering and Documenting Evidence
     Dealing with the Opposition
     Strategies for Refuting Opposing Arguments
     Understanding Rogerian Argument
     CHECKLIST: Guidelines for Using Rogerian Argument
     Using Deductive and Inductive Arguments
     Structuring an Argumentative Essay
     Revising an Argumentative Essay
     REVISION CHECKLIST: Argumentation
     Editing an Argumentative Essay
     GRAMMAR IN CONTEXT: Using Coordinating and Subordinating Conjunctions
     EDITING CHECKLIST: Argumentation
     A Student Writer: Argumentation
     Marta Ramos, Just Say No (Student Essay)
     PEER-EDITING WORKSHEET: ARGUMENTATION
     Visual Text: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Ad Council, You Don’t Want Them Responding to Your Text (Ad)
     Thomas Jefferson, The Declaration of Independence
     Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions
     Martin Luther King Jr., Letter from Birmingham Jail
     DEBATE: Should Teachers Be Armed?
     Kathleen Parker, Yes, It Has Come to This. It’s Time to Arm Teachers.
     Tracy Walder, Teachers Should Not Carry Guns, Despite Alarming School Shootings
     DEBATE: Should the Rich Do More to Help the Poor?
     Winnie Byanyima, Making the Rich Pay More to Care for the Poor Is Common Sense
     Rainer Zitelmann, No, the Rich Don’t Get Rich at the Expense of the Poor

     CASEBOOK: Is Free Speech on Campus in Peril?
     Geoffrey R. Stone, Free Expression in Peril
     Laura Beth Nielsen, The Case for Restricting Hate Speech
     Sophie Downes, Trigger Warnings, Safe Spaces, and Free Speech, Too
     Shannon Palus, The Latest Study on Trigger Warnings Finally Convinced Me They’re Not Worth It
     Visual Argument: Ben Heine, Censorship (Illustration)
     CASEBOOK: Should “Offensive” Books Be Banned?
     Kelly Jensen, Weed the Racist Books, Libraries
     Charles Randklev, How Can Sexually Explicit Books Remain in Public Schools?
     Maia Kobabe, Schools Are Banning My Books, But Queer Kids Need Queer Stories
     Viet Thanh Nguyen, My Young Mind Was Disturbed by a Book. It Changed My Life.
     Visual Argument: Grant Snider, Ban This Book (Cartoon)
     Writing Assignments for Argumentation
     Collaborative Activity for Argumentation
15. Combining the Patterns
     Structuring an Essay by Combining the Patterns
     Combining the Patterns: Revising and Editing
     GRAMMAR IN CONTEXT: Agreement with Indefinite Pronouns
     A Student Writer: Combining the Patterns
     Michael Huu Truong, The Park (Student Essay)
     PEER-EDITING WORKSHEET: COMBINING THE PATTERNS
     Lars Eighner, On Dumpster Diving
     Olivia Judson, Long Live the Albatross
     Michael Pollan, The Naturalist in the Supermarket
     Jonathan Swift, A Modest Proposal
     Writing Assignments for Combining the Patterns
     Collaborative Activity for Combining the Patterns

PART THREE: Working with Sources
16. Finding and Evaluating Sources
     Finding Information in the Library
     Finding Information on the Web
     Finding Useful Information
     Evaluating Sources
17. Integrating Sources and Avoiding Plagiarism
     Paraphrasing
     Summarizing
     Quoting
     Integrating Source Material into Your Writing
     Synthesizing
     Avoiding Plagiarism
18. Documenting Sources: MLA
     Parenthetical References in the Text
     The Works-Cited List
     Model Student Research Essay in MLA Style
     Philip Lau, The Limitations of Wikipedia (Student Essay in MLA Style)
Appendix: Documenting Sources: APA
     Using Parenthetical References
     Examples of APA Citations
     Model Student Essay in APA Style
     Philip Lau, The Limitations of Wikipedia (Student Essay in APA Style)
Glossary
Acknowledgments
Index

Authors

Laurie G. Kirszner

During their long collaboration, Laurie Kirszner and Stephen Mandell have written a number of best-selling college texts for Bedford/St. Martin's, including Patterns for College Writing, Foundations First, *Writing First*, Focus on Writing, and, most recently, Practical Argument. Laurie Kirszner is a Professor of English, Emeritus at St. Joseph University. She has taught composition, literature, creative writing, and scientific writing, and she has also served as coordinator of a first-year writing program. Stephen Mandell is a Professor of English, Emeritus at Drexel University, where he founded and directed the basic writing program and has taught composition, literature, speech, and technical and business writing.

Stephen R. Mandell

During their long collaboration, Laurie Kirszner and Stephen Mandell have written a number of best-selling college texts for Bedford/St. Martin's, including Patterns for College Writing, Foundations First, *Writing First*, Focus on Writing, and, most recently, Practical Argument. Laurie Kirszner is a Professor of English, Emeritus at St. Joseph University. She has taught composition, literature, creative writing, and scientific writing, and she has also served as coordinator of a first-year writing program. Stephen Mandell is a Professor of English, Emeritus at Drexel University, where he founded and directed the basic writing program and has taught composition, literature, speech, and technical and business writing.

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