This classic rhetoric/ reader/ research guide/ handbook offers students a complete course in writing in the rhetorical modes in one comprehensive volume.
For over 30 years, Student's Book of College English has earned a reputation for clarity, accessibility, and comprehensiveness. This Twelfth Edition continues the tradition with sound instruction in the rhetorical strategies, strong professional and student readings, thorough coverage of argumentation and research, and a reference handbook with self-test exercises. This edition also features a new full color design, close attention to visual elements, updated discussions of Internet research and documentation, and a new chapter on critical reading.
Table of Contents:
PART 1 Getting Started: The Principles of Good Reading and Writing
Ch 1 Critical Reading
Why Read?
Reading for Best Results
Tips for Reading Critically
Critical Reading in Action
· Lawrence Downes, “The Shy, Egg-Stealing Neighbor You Didn’t Know You Had” [Annotated professional essay]
Reading as Inquiry
Strategy Checklist: Reading Critically
· George Orwell, “A Hanging”
Reading Visual Images
Reading a Photograph
Tips for Reading Photographs
Reading Advertisements
Tips for Reading Advertisements
Reading Graphs, Tables, and Charts
Tips for Reading Graphs, Tables, and Charts
Reading Cartoons
Tips for Reading Cartoons
Reading Web Sites
Tips for Reading and Evaluating Web Sites
Strategy Checklist: Reading and Evaluating Web Sites
Models of Writing
· Christopher Caldwell, “Intimate Shopping: Should Everyone Know What You Bought Today?”
Strategy Checklist: Reading and Interpreting Visuals
Ch 2 Active Writing
Choosing a Good Topic
Setting Limits on a Topic
Narrowing a Topic in Stages
Determining Your Purpose and Audience
Prewriting
Strategy Checklist: Prewriting
Organizing Ideas
Writing Drafts
Tips for Writing a Rough Draft
One Student Writing: First Draft
· First Draft: John Fousek, “My Roommate” [Student Essay]
Strategy Checklist: Getting Started with Writing
Collaborative Learning
Ch 3 Finding and Supporting a Thesis
Understanding the Thesis
Elements of a Good Thesis
Tips for Evaluating a Thesis
Stating Your Thesis
Tips for Developing a Thesis
Thesis Statements: Strong or Weak?
Supporting Your Thesis: Details
Using Sensory Details
Using Data: Statistics, Cases, and Expert Testimony
Student Writing: Thesis and Details
· Thomas Healey, “You Must Be Crazy!” [Student essay]
· Joseph Anderson, “Getting Juiced” [Student essay]
Models of Writing
· Nicholas D. Kristof, “Love and Race”
· Langston Hughes, “Salvation” [Story]
Strategy Checklist: Stating and Supporting a Thesis
Ch 4 Planning a Paper: Outlining
Why Outline?
Creating a Rough Outline
Making a Formal Outline
Establishing Main Divisions
Adding Supporting Details
Formatting a Formal Outline
Writing a Topic Outline
Correcting a Formal Outline
One Student Writing: From Prewriting to Essay
· Percy Bysshe Shelley, “Ozymandias” [Poem]
· Prewriting, Rough Outline, Formal Outline, Essay: Alan Benjamin, “Enough Despair to Go Around” [Student essay]
Preparing Your Formal Outline
Tips for Writing a Formal Outline
Strategy Checklist: Preparing a Formal Outline
Ch 5 Writing Your Paper: An Overview
Writing a Strong Introduction
Stating the Thesis
Forecasting the Paper
Using Different Introductory Strategies
Tips for Writing a Strong Introduction
Writing the Body Paragraphs
Writing Topic Sentences
One Student Writing: Topic Sentences
· Hugh Nicholes, “The Mechanics of Backyard Mechanics” [Student essay]
Writing Transitions
Developing Paragraphs: Unity and Coherence
Tips for Achieving Paragraph Unity
Tips for Achieving Paragraph Coherence
Writing a Strong Conclusion
Tips for Writing a Strong Conclusion
Ch 6 Revising, Editing, and Proofreading Your Paper
Revising Your Paper
Revising to Improve Your Thesis
Revising for Appropriate Supporting Detail
Revising for Better Organization
Revising for Purpose and Audience
Revising for Suitable Structure: Introduction, Body Paragraphs, Conclusion
Peer Review: Learning from Other Students
One Student Writing: Revising and Editing
· Intermediate Draft: John Fousek, “My Roommate” [Student Essay]
Tips for Editing Your Paper
Learning from Your Instructor’s Comments
· Intermediate Draft with Instructor Comments: John Fousek, “My Roommate” [Student Essay]
Proofreading
Tips for Careful Proofreading
Putting It All Together
Strategy Checklist: Revising and Editing Your Drafts
One Student Writing: Final Draft
· Final Draft: John Fousek, “My Roommate, Jim” [Student Essay]
A Brief Note on Style
PART 2 Methods of Development
Ch 7 Description
Writing Your Descriptive Paper
Tips for Writing a Descriptive Essay
Assignment: Description
Student Writing: Description
· Nick Fiscina, “Dad’s Disappointment” [Student essay]
· Thomas Albanese, “High School Practice” [Student essay]
Description in the World Around You
Readings for Writing
· Esmeralda Santiago, “A Blanco Navidad for New Yorikans” [Annotated Professional Essay]
· Roger Angell, “On the Ball”
· Joan Didion, “Marrying Absurd”
· Maxine Hong Kingston, "My Mother Has Cooked for Us"
Reading and Writing About Poetry
· Mark Strand, “Black Sea” [Poem]
Strategy Checklist: Writing and Revising Your Descriptive Paper
Crosscurrents
Collaborative Learning
Ch 8 Narration
Writing Your Narrative Paper
Tips for Writing a Narrative Essay
Assignment: Narration
Student Writing: Narration
· Alycia Hatten, “The Death of Santa Claus” [Student essay]
· Jarrett David Lee Jackson, “My Father’s House” [Student essay]
Narration in the World Around You
Readings for Writing
· Carol K. Littlebrandt, “Death Is a Personal Matter”
· Tanya Barrientos, “Se Habla Espanõl”
· Greg Sarris, “`You Don’t Look Indian’”
· Kate Chopin, “The Story of an Hour” [Story]
Reading and Writing About Poetry
· Countee Cullen, “Incident” [Poem]
Strategy Checklist: Writing and Revising Your Narrative Paper
Crosscurrents
Collaborative Learning
Ch 9 Example
Writing Your Example Paper
Tips for Writing an Example Essay
Seeing an Example Paper Plan
Assignment: Example
Student Writing: Example
· Monica Branch, “Keep It Simple” [Student essay]
Researched Student Writing: Example
· Laura Merkner, “Children of Television” [MLA-style essay]
Example in the World Around You
Critical Reading: Example
· Verlyn Klinkenborg, “Inside the Mind’s Eye, a Network of Highways” [Annotated professional essay]
Readings for Writing
· John Updike, “Childhood Transgressions”
· Barbara Ehrenreich, “What I’ve Learned from Men”
· John Grisham, “Boxers, Briefs and Books”
· Judy Brady, “I Want a Wife”
Reading and Writing About Poetry
· Edna St. Vincent Millay, “Lament” [Poem]
Strategy Checklist: Writing and Revising Your Example Paper
Crosscurrents
Collaborative Learning
Ch 10 Process
Writing Your Process Paper
Tips for Writing a Process Essay
Assignment: Process
Student Writing: Process
· Michael Wollan, “Coffee Time” [Student essay]
Researched Student Writing: Process
· Omprakash K. Pansara, “Preparing for he First Day of Classes” [MLA-Style essay]
Process in the World Around You
Readings for Writing
· Mark A. Shiffrin and Avi Silberschatz
· Mildred Armstrong Kalish, “Wash Day”
· Nikki Giovanni, “Campus Racism 101”
· Susan Douglas, “Remote Control: How to Raise a Media Skeptic”
Reading and Writing About Poetry
· Robert Frost, “Fire and Ice” [Poem]
Strategy Checklist: Writing and Revising Your Process Paper
Crosscurrents
Collaborative Learning
Ch 11 Comparison and Contrast
Writing Your Comparison–Contrast Paper
Tips for Writing a Comparison–Contrast Essay
Assignment: Comparison and Contrast
Student Writing: Comparison –Contrast
Subject-by-Subject Pattern
· Carey Byer, “In the Swim” [Student outline and essay]
Point-by-Point Pattern
· Benjamin Simonovich, “Two Jobs” [Student outline and essay]
Comparison and Contrast in the World Around You
Readings for Writing
· Mark Twain (Samuel L. Clemens), “The Professional”
· William Zinsser, “Speaking of Writing”
· Suzanne Britt, “That Lean and Hungry Look”
· David Brooks, “The Medium is the Medium”
· Shirley Jackson, “Charles” [Story]
· Saki (H.H. Munro), “The Open Window” [Story]
Legalizing Drugs: Two Web Sites for Comparison and Contrast
· Office of National Drug Control Policy [Home page]
· Marijuana Policy Project [Home page]
Love, Sweet Love: Two Poems for Comparison and Contrast
· William Shakespeare, Sonnet 29, “When, in disgrace with Fortune and men’s eyes” [Poem]
· William Shakespeare, Sonnet 130, “My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun” [Poem]
· Julie Olivera, “Two Kinds of Love” [Student essay]
Strategy Checklist: Writing and Revising Your Comparison and Contrast Paper
Crosscurrents
Collaborative Learning
Ch 12 Classification and Division
Classification and Division in Action
Using Division (or Analysis)
Using Classification
How Are Division and Classification Different?
Reviewing Division Strategies
Writing Your Classification Paper
Tips for Writing a Classification Essay
Assignment: Classification
Student Writing: Classification
· Yvonne C. Younger, “Tomorrow, Tomorrow” [Student essay]
Classification in the World Around You
Readings for Writing
· Jared Sandberg, “A Brief, Handy Guide to Those Odd Birds in the Upper Branches”
· John Holt, “Three Kinds of Disciplines”
· Amartya Sen, “A World Not Neatly Divided”
· Cass R. Sunstein, “How Polarizing Is the Internet?”
Reading and Writing About Poetry
· Robert Frost, “The Rose Family” [Poem]
Strategy Checklist: Writing and Revising Your Classification Paper
Crosscurrents
Collaborative Learning
Ch 13 Cause and Effect
Writing Your Cause and Effect Paper
Tips for Writing a Cause and Effect Essay
Assignment: Cause and Effect
Student Writing: Cause and Effect
· Richard S. Smith, “Cause for Failure” [Student essay]
Researched Student Writing: Cause and Effect
· Richard Yee, “Banning Same-Sex Marriage: An Attack on an American Institution” [MLA-style essay]
Cause and Effect in the World Around You
Readings for Writing
· Bob Herbert, “Tweet Less, Kiss More”
· Carll Tucker, “On Splitting”
· Mohan Sivanand, “Why I Write Wrong”
· Brent Staples, “What Adolescents Miss When We Let Them Grow Up in Cyberspace”
· Mike Twohy, “Reassigned Pending an Investigation” [Cartoon]
Reading and Writing About Poetry
· A. E. Housman, “Is my team ploughing…” [Poem]
Strategy Checklist: Writing and Revising Your Cause and Effect Paper
Crosscurrents
Ch 14 Definition
Writing Your Definition Paper
Beginning a Formal Definition
Tips for Writing One-Sentence Definitions
Drafting Your Formal Definition Paper
Writing an Informal Definition Paper
Assignment: Definition
Student Writing: Formal Definition
· Frederick Spense, “Everyone Is Equal in the Grave” [Student essay]
Student Writing: Informal Definition
· Helen Fleming, “The Grinnies” [Student essay]
Definition in the World Around You
Readings for Writing
· David Owen, “The Perfect Job”
· Lev Grossman, "Meet Joe Blog"
· Lorenzo Albacete, “The Struggle with Celibacy”
· Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., “Harrison Bergeron” [Story]
Reading and Writing About Poetry
· Langston Hughes, “Dreams” [Poem]
Strategy Checklist: Writing and Revising Your Definition Paper
Crosscurrents
Collaborative Learning
Ch 15 Argumentation
Using Logic
Induction
Deduction
Using Induction and Deduction
Avoiding Logical Fallacies
Making Appeals
Writing Your Argumentation Paper
Writing a Formal Argument
Tips for Writing a Formal Argument
Developing a Debatable Position
Assignment: Argumentation
Student Writing: Argumentation
· Sandra Travis-Edwards, “The Right Not to Vote” [Student essay]
Argumentation: Perspectives on Immigrants in America
· US Immigration Support, “Illegal Immigration”
· “Report an Illegal Alien”
· J. B. Handlesman, “Undocumented Aliens” [Cartoon]
· “The Utah Compact”
· Nick Milano, “Citizenship for Christmas” [Student essay]
· Quynh Nguyen, “Being a Recent American” [Student essay]
Argumentation: Perspectives on the Death Penalty
· Lauren Heist, “Capital Punishment: An Example for Criminals” [Student essay]
· Alex Shalom, “Abolish the Death Penalty” [Student essay]
· Mark Essig, “Continuing the Search for Kinder Executions”
· Robert Mankoff, “Good News” [Cartoon]
Argumentation in the World Around You
Readings for Writing
· Stephanie Coontz, “Till Children Do Us Part”
· James Q. Wilson, “Just Take Away Their Guns”
· Meg Greenfield, “In Defense of the Animals”
Reading and Writing About Poetry
· Thomas Hardy, “The Man He Killed” [Poem]
Strategy Checklist: Writing and Revising Your Argument Paper
Crosscurrents
Collaborative Learning
Ch 16 Mixing Methods of Development
Developing Your Paper through Mixed Modes
Tips for Developing a Mixed Modes Essay
Mixing Methods: Looking at Possibilities
Assignment: Mixed Methods of Development
Student Writing: Mixing Methods in Developing Your Essay
· Brian Jarvis, “Against the Great Divide” [Student essay]
Critical Reading: Mixed Methods of Development
· Timothy K. Beal, “Bibles du Jour” [Annotated professional essay]
Readings for Writing
· Herbert J. Gans, “Fitting the Poor Into the Economy”
· Reshma Memon Yaqub, “You People Did This”
Strategy Checklist: Writing and Revising Your Mixed Modes Paper
Crosscurrents
Collaborative Learning
PART 3 Special Writing
Ch 17 Literary Analysis
Writing Your Analysis of Literature
Reading Literature for Analysis
Tips for Reading Literature for Analysis
Interpreting Symbols
Tips for Avoiding Traps Involving Symbols
Watching for Metaphors and Similes
Avoiding Common Pitfalls in Literary Analysis
Tips for Avoiding Common Pitfalls in Literary Analysis
Student Writing: Literary Analysis
· Harriett McKay, “The Beginning of the End” [Student essay]
Readings for Writing
· Jamaica Kincaid, “Girl” [Story]
· Ann Petry, “Doby’s Gone” [Story]
· Edgar Allan Poe, “TheTell-Tale Heart” [Story]
Strategy Checklist: Writing and Revising Your Literary Analysis Paper
Ch 18 Writing Essay Exams
Preparing for the Exam
Evaluating the Question
Planning and Writing Your Essay
Tips for Planning and Writing Your Essay
Strategy Checklist: Taking an Essay Exam
Ch 19 Business Writing: An Overview
Writing Inquiry and Complaint Letters
Letter of Inquiry
Letter of Complaint
Letter Format
Tips for Writing and Formatting a Letter
Online Job Search
Tips for Online Job Hunters
Writing a Letter to Apply for a Job
Writing Your Résumé
Tips for Preparing a Resume
Electronic (Digital) Résumés
Writing Memorandums and E-mail
PART 4 Research
Ch 20 Doing Research
Choosing Your Subject
Doing Preliminary Reading
Searching the World Wide Web
“Googling” Your Subject
Evaluating On-line Sources
Tips for Evaluating Web Sties Used in Your Research
Using General Encyclopedias
Using Specialized Reference Works
Preparing Your Preliminary Outline
Why Libraries?
Limiting Your Research Topic
Determining a Research Question
Finding Sources and Developing a Working Reference List
Finding Articles
Finding Books: The Online Catalog
Keeping Records for Your Reference List
Taking Notes
Note-taking Options: Pencils or Keyboards?
Evaluating Sources
Tips for Evaluating Your Sources
Recording Quotations
Summarizing and Paraphrasing in Your Notes
Disagreements: Distinguishing Between Facts and Opinions
Developing Your Thesis
Preparing Your Formal Outline
Making a Slug Outline
Writing a Formal Outline
Strategy Checklist: Doing Research
Ch 21 Writing Your Research Paper
Writing Your Research Paper: An Overview
The First Draft
Subsequent Drafts
Using Explanatory Notes
Toward the Final Copy
Quoting and Paraphrasing Your Sources
Quoting an Original Source
Paraphrasing an Original Source
Direct Quotations: How Many?
Avoiding Plagiarism
Documenting Sources in the Humanities: MLA Style
Parenthetical Citations
A List of Works Cited
Preparing the Works Cited List
Tips for Preparing the Works Cited List
Documenting Sources in the Social Sciences: APA Style
Parenthetical Citations
A List of APA References
Preparing Your References List
Tips for Preparing an APA References List
Preparing Your Manuscript
Tips for Preparing the Final Copy
Strategy Checklist: Writing Your Research Paper
Frequently Asked Questions about Writing Research Papers
Sample MLA-Style Research Paper
· Elizabeth Kessler, “The Banning of the Polygraph” [MLA-style essay]
PART 5 Style
Ch 22 Proper Words in Proper Places
Denotation and Connotation
The Importance of Connotation
Word Sensitivity
Abstract Writing and Concrete Writing
Using Specific Details
Using Specific Words and Phrases
Using Comparisons
Ch 23 Effective Sentences
Wordiness and Economy
Cutting Deadwood
Avoiding Pointless Repetition of Meaning
Cutting Unnecessary Clauses
Avoiding Delay of Subject
Passive and Active Verbs
Faulty Parallelism
What Is Parallelism?
Avoiding Faulty Parallelism
Faulty Subordination and Sentence Combining
Sentence Monotony and Variety
Varying Sentence Length
Varying Sentence Structure
Ch 24 Additional Style Problems and Solutions
Triteness
Euphemisms
Repetition, Good and Bad
Repetition for Clarity
Repetition for Impact
Undesirable Repetition of Meaning
Undesirable Repetition of the Same Word
Undesirable Repetition of Sounds
Slang
Fancy Writing
Sexist Language
Tips for Avoiding Sexist Language
Miscellaneous Do’s and Don’ts
Tips for Writing in an Academic Style
PART 6 Handbook, Glossary, and ESL Pointers
Handbook
Glossary of Problem Words
ESL Pointers:Tips for Non-Native Writers
Verbs and Helping Verbs, Including Modals
Summary Checklist: Principal Parts and Auxiliaries for Three Sample Verbs
Using Helping Verbs and Modals with Principal Parts of Verbs
Phrasal Verbs
Tips and Pointers for Phrasal Verbs
Nouns:Countable and Uncountable
Examples of Nouns You Cannot Count
The articles a, and, and the
Prepositions
Using in, at, and on
