Allyn & Bacon Guide to Writing, Concise Edition, The, MLA Update Edition

Solidly grounded in current theory and research, yet eminently practical and teachable, The Allyn & Bacon Guide to Writing has set the standard for first-year composition courses in writing, reading, critical thinking, and inquiry.

Table of Contents:
Writing Projects Thematic Contents Preface   I: A RHETORIC FOR WRITERS   1.  Thinking Rhetorically About Good Writing     Concept 1: Good Writing Can Vary from Closed to Open Forms.             David Rockwood, “A Letter to the Editor”             Thomas Merton, “A Festival of Rain”             Distinctions between Closed and Open Forms of Writing             Where to Place Your Writing Along the Continuum Concept 2: Good Writers Pose Questions about Their Subject Matter.             Shared Problems Unite Writers and Readers             Posing Your Own Subject-Matter Questions             Brittany Tinker, “Can the World Sustain an American Standard of Living?” Concept 3: Good Writers Write for a Purpose to an Audience within a Genre.                 How Writers Think about Purpose                         Purpose as Rhetorical Aim                         Purpose as a Response to a Motivating Occasion                         Purpose as a Desire to Change Your Reader’s View             How Writers Think about Audience             How Writers Think about Genre Chapter Summary     Brief Writing Project 1: Posing a Good Subject-Matter Problem Brief Writing Project 2: Understanding Rhetorical Context     2.  Thinking Rhetorically about Your Subject Matter     Concept 4: Professors Value “Wallowing in Complexity.”                 Learning to Wallow in Complexity             Seeing Each Academic Discipline as a Field of Inquiry and Argument Concept 5: Good Writers Use Exploratory Strategies to Think Critically about Subject Matter Problems.                 Freewriting             Focused Freewriting             Idea Mapping             Dialectic Talk             Playing the Believing and Doubting Game             “Believing and Doubting Paul Theroux’s Negative View of Sports” Concept 6: A Strong Thesis Surprises Readers with Something New or Challenging.                 Trying to Change Your Reader’s View of Your Subject             Giving Your Thesis Tension through “Surprising Reversal” Concept 7: Thesis Statements in Closed-Form Prose Are Supported Hierarchically with Points and Particulars.                 How Points Convert Information to Meaning             How Removing Particulars Creates a Summary Chapter Summary     Brief Writing Project: Playing the Believing and Doubting Game   3.  Thinking Rhetorically about How Messages Persuade     Concept 8: Messages Persuade through Their Angle of Vision.                 Recognizing the Angle of Vision in a Text             Analyzing Angle of Vision Concept 9: Messages Persuade through Appeals to Logos, Ethos, and Pathos.     Concept 10: Nonverbal Messages Persuade Through Visual Strategies That Can Be Analyzed Rhetorically.                 Visual Rhetoric             The Rhetoric of Clothing and Other Consumer Items Chapter Summary     Brief Writing Project: Analyzing Angle of Vision in Two Passages about Nuclear Energy   4.  Thinking Rhetorically about Style and Document Design     Concept 11: Good Writers Make Purposeful Stylistic Choices.             Factors That Affect Style         Abstract Versus Concrete Words: Moving Up or Down the Scale of Abstraction         Wordy Versus Streamlined Sentences: Cutting Deadwood to Highlight Your Ideas         Coordination Versus Subordination: Using Sentence Structure to Control Emphasis         Inflated Voice Versus a Natural Speaking Voice: Creating a Persona Concept 12: Good Writers Make Purposeful Document Design Choices.                 Using Type             Using Space and Laying Out Documents             Using Color             Using Graphics and Images Chapter Summary     Brief Writing Project: Converting a Passage from Scientific to Popular Style   II: WRITING PROJECTS   Writing to Learn   5.  Seeing Rhetorically: The Writer as Observer      Exploring Rhetorical Observation      Understanding Observational Writing                  Why “Seeing” Isn’t a Simple Matter               How to Analyze a Text Rhetorically   Writing Project: Two Descriptions of the Same Place and a Self-Reflection                  Exploring Rationales and Details for Your Two Descriptions               Generating Details               Shaping and Drafting Your Two Descriptions               Using Show Words Rather than Tell Words               Revising Your Two Descriptions               Generating and Exploring Ideas for Your Self-Reflection               Questions for Peer Review   Readings      Clash on the Congo: Two Eyewitness Accounts   Tamlyn Rogers (student), “Two Descriptions of the Same Classroom and a Self-Reflection”       6.  Reading Rhetorically: The Writer as Strong Reader      Exploring Rhetorical Reading      Andrés Martin, “On Teenagers and Tattoos”     Understanding Rhetorical Reading                 What Makes College Level Reading Difficult?             Using the Reading Strategies of Experts             Reading with the Grain and Against the Grain Understanding Summary Writing     Sean Barry (student), “Summary of Martin’s Article”     Understanding Strong Response Writing                Strong Response as Rhetorical Critique             Strong Response as Ideas Critique             Strong Response as Reflection             Strong Response as a Blend Sean Barry (student), “Why Do Teenagers Get Tattoos? A Response to Andrés Martin”                 Writing a Summary/Strong Response of a Visual-Verbal Text Writing Project: A Summary      Generating Ideas: Reading for Structure and Content Drafting and Revising             Questions for Peer Review Writing Project: A Summary/Strong Response Essay                  Exploring Ideas for Your Strong Response             Writing a Thesis for a Strong Response Essay             Shaping and Drafting             Revising             Questions for Peer Review  Readings     Thomas L. Friedman, “3  Little Turtles”     Stephanie Malinowski (student), “Questioning Thomas L. Friedman’s Optimism in ’3  Little Turtles’” Mike Lane, “Labor Day Blues” (editorial cartoon)   Writing to Explore   7.  Writing an Exploratory Essay or Annotated Bibliography       Exploring Exploratory Writing      Understanding Exploratory Writing      Writing Project: An Exploratory Essay      Generating and Exploring Ideas             Taking “Double Entry” Research Notes             Shaping and Drafting             Revising             Questions for Peer Review Writing Project: An Annotated Bibliography                    What Is an Annotated Bibliography?             Features of Annotated Bibliography Entries             Examples of Annotation Entries             Writing a Critical Preface for Your Annotated Bibliography              Shaping, Drafting, and Revising             Questions for Peer Review  Readings     James Gardiner (student), “How Do On-Line Social Networks Affect Communication?”   James Gardiner (student), “The Effect of On-Line Social Networks on Communication Skills? An Annotated Bibliography”   Writing to Inform   8.  Writing an Informative Essay or Report     Exploring Informative (and Surprising) Writing     EnchantedLearning.com, “Tarantulas”     Rod Crawford, “Myths about `Dangerous’ Spiders”     Understanding Informative (and Surprising) Writing                 Need-to-Know Informative Prose             Informative Reports             Informative Magazine Articles Writing Project: A Set of Instructions                   Generating and Exploring Ideas             Shaping and Drafting             Revising             Questions for Peer Review Writing Project: Informative Workplace Report                   Generating and Exploring Ideas             Shaping and Drafting             Revising             Questions for Peer Review Writing Project: Informative (and Surprising) Magazine Article                 Generating and Exploring Ideas             Shaping, Drafting, and Revising             Questions for Peer Review Readings     Kerry Norton, “Winery Yeast Preparation Instructions” PewResearch Center, “Muslim Americans: Middle Class and Mostly Mainstream” Kerri Ann Matsumoto (student), “How Much Does It Cost to Go Organic?” Shannon King (student), “How Clean and Green are Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Cars?” (APA-Style Research Paper)   Writing to Analyze   9.  Analyzing Images      Exploring Image Analysis       Understanding Image Analysis    How Images Create a Rhetorical Effect             How to Analyze an Advertisement             How Advertisers Target Specific Audiences Sample Analysis of an Advertisement             Cultural Perspectives on Advertisements Writing Project: Analysis of Two Visual Texts                    Exploring and Generating Ideas for Your Analysis Shaping and Drafting Your Analysis             Revising             Questions for Peer Review  Readings     Stephen Bean (student), How Cigarette Advertisers Address the Stigma Against Smoking   Writing to Persuade   10.  Writing a Classical Argument     Exploring Classical Argument      Understanding Classical Argument                 Stages of Development: Your Growth as an Arguer             Creating an Argument Frame: A Claim with Reasons             Articulating Reasons             Articulating Unstated Assumptions             Using Evidence Effectively             Evaluating Evidence: The STAR Criteria             Addressing Objections and Counterarguments Responding to Objections, Counterarguments, and Alternative Views             Appealing to Ethos and Pathos A Brief Primer on Informal Fallacies Writing Project: A Classical Argument                 Generating and Exploring Ideas             Shaping and Drafting Revising             Questions for Peer Review Readings     Ross Taylor (student), “Paintball: Promoter of Violence or Healthy Fun?” William Sweet, “Why Uranium Is the New Green” Los AngelesTimes, “No Nukes”   III: A GUIDE TO COMPOSING AND REVISING   11.  Writing as a Problem-Solving Process     Skill 1: Understand Why Expert Writers Use Multiple Drafts                 Why Expert Writers Revise So Extensively             An Expert’s Writing Processes Are Recursive Skill 2: Revise Globally as Well as Locally     Skill 3: Develop Ten Expert Habits to Improve Your Writing Processes     Skill 4: Use Peer Reviews to Help You Think Like an Expert                 Become a Helpful Reader of Classmates’ Drafts             Use a Generic Peer Review Guide             Participate in Peer Review Workshops                         Responsibilities of Peer Reviewers and Writers                         Read Drafts Aloud                         Response-Centered Workshops                         Advice-Centered Workshops             Respond to Peer Reviews   12.  Composing and Revising Closed-Form Prose     Skill 5: Understand Reader Expectations                Unity and Coherence             Old before New             Forecasting and Fulfillment Skill 6: Convert Loose Structures into Thesis/Support Structures                 And Then Writing, or Chronological Structure             All About Writing, or Encyclopedic Structure             Engfish Writing, or Structure without Surprise Skill 7: Plan and Visualize Your Structure                 Use Scratch Outlines Early in the Writing Process             Before Making a Detailed Outline, “Nutshell” Your Argument             Articulate a Working Thesis and Main Points             Sketch Your Structure Using an Outline, Tree Diagram, or Flowchart                         Outlines                         Tree Diagrams                         Flowcharts             Let the Structure Evolve Skill 8: Create Effective Titles    Skill 9: Create Effective Introductions                 What Not to Do: the “Funnel” Introduction             From Old to New: The General Principle of Closed-Form Introductions             Typical Elements of a Closed-Form Introduction             Forecast the Whole with a Thesis Statement, Purpose Statement, or Blueprint Statement Skill 10: Create Effective Topic Sentences for Paragraphs                Place Topic Sentences at the Beginning of Paragraphs             Revise Paragraphs for Unity             Add Particulars to Support Points Skill 11: Guide Your Reader with Transitions and Other Signposts                 Use Common Transition Words to Signal Relationships             Write Major Transitions between Parts             Signal Transitions with Headings and Subheadings Skill 12: Bind Sentences Together by Placing Old Information Before New Information                 The Old/New Contract in Sentences             How to Make Links to the “Old”             Avoid Ambiguous Use of “This” to Fulfill the Old/New Contract             How the Old/New Contract Modifies the Rule “Avoid Weak Repetition”             How the Old/New Contract Modifies the Rule “Prefer Active over Passive Voice” Skill 13: Use Four Expert Moves for Organizing and Developing Ideas                 The For Example Move             The Summary/However Move             The Division-into-Parallel Parts Move             The Comparison/Contrast Move        Skill 14: Write Effective Conclusions                  The Simple Summary Conclusion             The Larger Significance Conclusion             The Proposal Conclusion             The Scenic or Anecdotal Conclusion             The Hook and Return Conclusion             The Delayed-Thesis Conclusion   IV: A RHETORICAL GUIDE TO RESEARCH   13.  Evaluating Sources      Skill 15: Evaluate Sources for Reliability, Credibility, Angle of Vision, and Degree of Advocacy                 Reliability             Credibility             Angle of Vision and Political Stance             Degree of Advocacy Skill 16: Use Your Rhetorical Knowledge to Evaluate Web Sources                 The Web as a Unique Rhetorical Environment             Criteria for Evaluating a Web Source             Analyzing Your Own Purposes for Using a Web Source   14.  Citing and Documenting Sources      Skill 17: Cite and Document Sources Using MLA Style                 Cite from an Indirect Source              Cite Page Numbers for Downloaded Material              Document Sources in a “Works Cited” List                           Two or More Listings for One Author              MLA Quick Reference Guide for the Most Common Citations James Gardiner (student), “Why Facebook Might Not Be Good For You” (MLA-Style Research Paper) Skill 18: Cite and Document Sources Using APA Style                 APA Formatting for In-Text Citations              Cite from an Indirect Source              Document Sources in a “References” List                          Two or More Listings for One Author              APA Quick Reference Guide for the Most Common Citations              Student Example of an APA-Style Paper    Appendix: A Guide to Avoiding Plagiarism Acknowledgments Index