Brief New Century Handbook with Exercises, The (with MyCompLab NEW with Pearson eText Student Access Code Card)

The Brief New Century Handbook with Exercises, Fourth Edition, provides the answers today’s students need as writers and researchers in an electronic age.  While offering clear, comprehensive coverage of handbook basics—writing, grammar and usage, research, and documentation—this handbook also shows students how to use new technologies to make appropriate rhetorical choices and to become more successful college writers in all of their courses.  This new version offers exercises at the end of the book - added value for students!   Authors Christine Hult and Tom Huckin bring their expertise in research, computers and writing, grammar, and linguistics and their extensive experience in teaching first-year composition to this remarkable handbook—a handbook that is accessible, flexible, comprehensive, and current, and that speaks to students in today’s language.  More than any other handbook, The Brief New Century addresses the primary concerns of composition students: how to understand and avoid plagiarism, how to write for courses beyond English, how to make correct grammatical and stylistic choices, and how to use technology to help them become better writers.

Table of Contents:
PART 1. WRITING 1. Thinking, Reading, and Viewing Critically a. Think critically b. Read actively and critically c. View actively and critically   2. Preparing a. Experiment and explore b. Invent and prewrite. c. Gather information while avoiding plagiarism d. Plan and organize   3. Composing a. Review your electronic journal b. Draft on a computer c. Collaborate d. Be flexible about your writing process   4. Rewriting a. Shift from writer to reader b. Revise c. Edit d. Proofread e. Give and receive feedback electronically f. STUDENT SAMPLE: Final paper.   5. Structuring Paragraphs a. Unified paragraphs b. Organizational patterns c. Sentence-linking techniques d. Verb tense, person, and number e. Parallelism and coherence f. Appropriate paragraph length g. Link paragraphs with key words h. Effective introductions and conclusions   6. Constructing and Evaluating Arguments a. Arguable thesis b. Supporting evidence STUDENT SAMPLE: Annotated argument paper c. Understand alternative views. d. Test your main points e. Build a compelling case f. Structure your argument g. Avoid fallacies h. Electronic argument i. Visual argument PART 2. RESEARCH 7. The Research Project a. Become a researcher b. Make a Schedule c. Research notebook d. Working bibliography e. Background information f. Focused research             8. Using the Internet for Research a. Use Internet sources b. Know the Internet and Web c. Search the Internet and Web d. STUDENT SAMPLE:  Database searches e. STUDENT SAMPLE:  Internet searches               9. Evaluating Electronic and Print Sources a. Legitimate sources b. STUDENT SAMPLE: Web links evaluation   10. Using Sources and Avoiding Plagiarism. a. Use sources responsibly. b. Avoid plagiarism in using sources STUDENT SAMPLE: Inadvertent plagiarism c.  Paraphrase accurately. d.  Avoid plagiarism in paraphrasing STUDENT SAMPLE: Intentional plagiarism e.  Summarize briefly f.  Avoid plagiarism in summarizing g.  Quote sparingly h.  Avoid plagiarism in quoting   11. Writing the Research Paper a. Rhetorical stance and thesis b. Plan your structure c. Write a draft d. Review and revise your draft e. Follow formatting conventions   PART 3. MLA DOCUMENTATION   12. MLA Documentation A DIRECTORY TO MLA STYLE a. Integrate sources and avoid plagiarism b. In-text citations c. Bibliographic footnotes and endnotes d. Works Cited Page e. STUDENT SAMPLE: Annotated research paper in MLA format   PART 4. APA, CMS, AND CSE DOCUMENTATION   13. APA, CMS, and CSE Documentation APA System a. Integrate sources and avoid plagiarism b. In-text citations c. Content notes d. References Page e. STUDENT SAMPLE: Annotated research report in APA format CMS System f. Integrate sources and avoid plagiarism g. In-text citations h. Notes i. Bibliography entries CSE System j. Integrate sources and avoid plagiarism k. In-text citations l. References list PART 5. DESIGN IN PRINT AND ON THE WEB 14. Design Principles and Graphics a. Three design principles b. Formatting tools c. Graphics d. Review your document   15. Designing Web Documents a. Basic design b. Planning c. Writing PART 6. WRITING FOR DIFFERENT PURPOSES 16. Electronic Communications a. The rhetoric of etools b. Email c. Online networks d. Instant communication (IMs, TMs) e. Web course tools        17. Writing in the Disciplines a. Disciplinary research b. Disciplinary discourse   18. Writing about Literature a. Read literature critically b. Purpose, persona, and audience c. Claim and thesis d. Appropriate person and tense e. Write your literature paper STUDENT SAMPLE (MLA): Literary interpretation   19. Writing in the Natural and Social Sciences a. Types of writing b. Purpose and audience c. STUDENT SAMPLES (APA and CSE): Research reports 20. Business Writing   a. Business letters STUDENT SAMPLE: Business letter b. Letters of application STUDENT SAMPLE: Letters of application c. Résumés STUDENT SAMPLE: Résumé d. Memos STUDENT SAMPLE: Memo   21. Oral Presentations   a. Preparing b. Select visual aids c. Practice, practice, practice d. Speak with enthusiasm and focus e. Design overhead transparencies c. Use PowerPointTM   22. Essay Exams and Portfolios a. Preparing b. The essay writing process c. STUDENT SAMPLES: Essay exam responses d. Prepare a writing portfolio PART 7. CORRECT SENTENCES 23. Sentence Structure a. Parts of speech b. Basic sentence patterns c. Expanding sentences d. Classifying sentences             24. Pronoun Problems a. Number and gender agreement b. Noun antecedents c. This, that, which, andit d. That and which e. Subjective case f. Objective case g. Compound constructions h. Interrogative pronouns & relative pronouns i. Possessive pronouns j. Comparisons   25. Verbs a. Regular verb forms b. Common irregular verb forms c. Auxiliary verbs d. Tenses e. Sequence of tenses f. Transitive and intransitive verbs g. Active and passive voice h. Mood   26. Subject-Verb Agreement a. Plural and singular subjects and verbs b. Compound subjects c. Disjunctive subjects d. Indefinite pronouns e. Collective nouns f. Plural form but singular meaning g. Linking verbs h. With there or here     27. Adjectives and Adverbs a. Adjectives b. Overuse of nouns as modifiers. c. Adverbs . d. Commonly confused adjectives and adverbs e. Comparative and superlative forms PART 8.  COMMON GRAMMAR PROBLEMS 28. Sentence Fragments a. Grammatically complete sentences b. Connect dependent clauses c. Connect phrases d. Sentence fragments for special effect   29. Comma Splices and Run-On Sentences a. Creating a subordinate clause b. Separating clauses (comma, conjunction) c. Separating clauses (semicolon) d. Separating clauses (period)   30. Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers a. Positioning modifiers b. Avoid ambiguity c. Lengthy modifiers d. Disruptive modifiers e. Dangling modifiers   31. Faulty Shifts a. Focus b. Verb tense and mood c. Tone d. Mixed constructions e. Subjects and predicates f. Direct and indirect discourse PART 9. EFFECTIVE SENTENCES AND WORDS 32. Clarity and Conciseness a. Length b. Repetition and redundancy c. Expletives d. Passive voice e. Wordiness f. Noun-heavy style g. Express meaning precisely h. That to clarify sentence structure i. Comparisons   33. Coordination and Subordination a. Combine closely related sentences b. Coordinate related sentences c. Subordinate less important ideas   34. Parallelism a. Parallel content in parallel form b. Lists and series c. With correlative conjunctions d. Comparisons or contrasts e. Complete, clear parallel constructions   35. Variety a. Length. b. Structure c. Repetition   36. Choosing the Right Words a. Denotation b. Connotation c. Level of formality d. Jargon, slang, or dialect e. Pretentiousness f. Figurative language   37. Language and Power a. "Correctness" b. Language and identity c. Gender d. Race and ethnicity e. Age and other differences   38. Using a Thesaurus and Dictionary   PART 10. PUNCTUATION   39. End Punctuation THE PERIOD THE QUESTION MARK THE EXCLAMATION POINT   40. The Comma   41. The Semicolon   42. The Colon   43. The Apostrophe   44. Quotation Marks   45. Other Punctuation Marks PARENTHESES DASHES BRACKETS ELLIPSES SLASHES PART 11. MECHANICS AND SPELLING 46. Capital Letters and Italics CAPITAL LETTERS ITALICS   47. Abbreviations and Numbers. ABBREVIATIONS NUMBERS   48. The Hyphen   49. Spelling PART 12. ESL ISSUES 50. Tips on Nouns and Articles   51. Tips on Verbs PHRASAL VERBS VERB COMPLEMENTS VERBS OF STATE MODAL AUXILIARY VERBS CONDITIONAL SENTENCES   52. Tips on Word Order   53. Tips on Vocabulary   Glossary of Usage Cross-Curricular Resource Atlas  Index