A Canadian Writer's Reference with 2016 MLA Update

An essential tool for stregthening habits and skills to support you through college, Canadian Writer's Reference with 2016 MLA Update provides relevant context and advice for Canadian writers.

Table of Contents:
Writing Correctly G  Grammatical Sentences G1 Subject-verb agreement G2 Verb forms, tenses, and moods G3 Pronouns G4 Adjectives and adverbs G5 Sentence fragments G6 Run-on sentences M  Multilingual Writers and ESL Challenges M1 Verbs M2 Articles M3 Sentence structure M4 Using adjectives M5 Prepositions and idiomatic expressions M6 Paraphrasing sources effectively P  Punctuation and Mechanics P1 The comma P2 Unnecessary commas P3 The semicolon and the colon P4 The apostrophe P5 Quotation marks P6 Other punctuation marks P7 Spelling and hyphenation P8 Capitalization P9 Abbreviations and numbers P10 Italics B  Basic Grammar B1 Parts of speech B2 Sentence patterns B3 Subordinate word groups B4 Sentence types Writing with Sources R  Researching R1 Thinking like a researcher; gathering sources R2 Managing information; taking notes responsibly R3 Evaluating sources MLA  Papers MLA-1 Supporting a thesis MLA-2 Citing sources; avoiding plagiarism MLA-3 Integrating sources MLA-4 Documenting sources MLA-5 Manuscript format; sample research paper APA and CMS Papers (Coverage parallels MLA’s) APA-1 APA-2 APA-3 APA-4 APA-5 CMS-1 CMS-2 CMS-3 CMS-4 CMS-5 L  Writing about Literature L1 Forming an interpretation L2 Planning the paper L3 Writing the paper L4 Observing conventions L5 Integrating quotations L6 Using secondary sources I  Index Multilingual menu Revision symbols Detailed menu   C COMPOSING AND REVISING C1 Planning a Assessing the writing situation b Exploring your subject c Drafting and revising a working thesis statement How to solve five common problems with thesis statements d Drafting a plan C2 Drafting a Drafting an introduction b Drafting the body c Drafting a conclusion d Managing your files C3 Reviewing, revising, and editing a Seeing revision as a social process b Using peer review: Revise with comments c Using peer review:  Give constructive comments How to write helpful peer review comments d Highlights of one student’s review process e Approaching global revision in cycles f Revising and editing sentences How to improve your writing with an editing log g Proofreading the final manuscript h Sample student revision: Literacy narrative Writing guide:  How to write a literacy narrative i Formatting the final manuscript C4 Preparing a portfolio; reflecting on your writing a Understanding the benefits of reflection b Student writing: Reflective letter for a portfolio Writing guide: How to write a reflective letter C5 Writing paragraphs a Focusing on a main point b Developing the main point c Choosing a suitable pattern of organization d Making paragraphs coherent e Adjusting paragraph length A   ACADEMIC READING, WRITING, AND SPEAKING A1 Reading and writing critically a. Read actively How to read like a writer b. Outline a text to identify main ideas c. Summarize to deepen your understanding d. Analyze to demonstrate your critical thinking How to draft an analytical thesis statement e. Sample student writing: Analysis of an article Writing guide: How to write an analytical essay A2 Reading and writing about multimodal texts a. Read actively b. Outline to identify main ideas c. Summarize to deepen your understanding d. Analyze to demonstrate your critical reading e. Sample student writing:  Analysis of an advertisement A3 Reading arguments a. Distinguish between reasonable and fallacious argumentative tactics b. Distinguish between legitimate and unfair emotional appeals c. Judge how fairly a writer handles opposing views A4 Writing arguments a. Identify your purpose and context b. View your audience as a panel of jurors c. In your introduction, establish credibility and state your position How to draft a thesis statement for an argument d. Back up your thesis with persuasive lines of argument e. Support your claims with specific evidence f. Anticipate objections; counter opposing arguments g. Build common ground h. Sample student writing: Researched argument Writing guide:  How to write an argument A5 Speaking confidently a. Identify your purpose, audience, and context b. Prepare a presentation How to deliver a speech c. Boost your confidence d. Remix an essay for presentation A6 Writing in the disciplines a. Find commonalities across disciplines b. Recognize the questions writers in a discipline ask c. Understand the kinds of evidence writers in a discipline use d. Become familiar with a discipline’s language conventions e. Use a discipline’s preferred citation style S SENTENCE STYLE S1 Parallelism a With items in a series b With paired ideas c Repeated words S2 Needed words a In compound structures b that c In comparisons d a, an, and the S3 Problems with modifiers a Limiting modifiers such as only, even b Misplaced phrases and clauses c Awkwardly placed modifiers d Split infinitives e Dangling modifiers S4 Shifts a Point of view b Verb tense c Verb mood and voice d Indirect to direct questions or quotations S5 Mixed constructions a Mixed grammar b Illogical connections c is when, is where, reason . . . is because S6 Sentence emphasis a Coordination and subordination b Choppy sentences c Ineffective coordination d Ineffective subordination e Excessive subordination f Special techniques S7 Sentence variety a Sentence openings b Sentence structures c Inverted order d Question or quotation WORD CHOICE W1 Glossary of usage W2 Wordy sentences a Redundancies b Unnecessary repetition c Empty or inflated phrases d Simplified structure e Reducing clauses to phrases, phrases to single words W3 Active verbs a Active versus passive verbs b Active versus be verbs c Actor named in the subject W4 Appropriate language a Jargon b Pretentious language, euphemisms, “doublespeak” c Obsolete or invented words d Slang, regionalisms, nonstandard English e Levels of formality f Sexist language g Offensive language W5 Exact language a Connotations b Concrete nouns c Misused words d Standard idioms e Clichés f Figures of speech GRAMMATICAL SENTENCES G1 Subject-verb agreement love or loves? have or has? do or does? is or are? a Standard subject-verb combinations b Words between subject and verb c Subjects with and d Subjects with or, nor e Indefinite pronouns such as someone, each f Collective nouns such as jury, class g Subject after verb h Subject complement i who, which, that j Plural form, singular meaning k Titles, company names, words as words, gerund phrases G2 Verb forms, tenses, and moods a Irregular verbs b lie and lay c -s endings d -ed endings e Omitted verbs f Tense g Subjunctive mood G3 Pronouns a Pronoun-antecedent agreement b Pronoun reference c Pronoun case (I vs. me etc.) d who and whom G4 Adjectives and adverbs a Adjectives b Adverbs c good and well; bad and badly d Comparatives and superlatives e Double negatives G5 Sentence fragments a Subordinate clauses b Phrases c Other word groups d Acceptable fragments G6 Run-on sentences a Revision with coordinating conjunction b Revision with semicolon c Revision by separating sentences d Revision by restructuring MULTILINGUAL WRITERS AND ESL TOPICS M1 Verbs a Appropriate form and tense b Passive voice c Base form after a modal d Negative verb forms e Verbs in conditional sentences f Verbs followed by gerunds or infinitives M2 Articles a Articles and other noun markers b When to use the c When to use a or an d When not to use a or an e No articles with general nouns f Articles with proper nouns M3 Sentence structure a Linking verb between a subject and its complement b A subject in every sentence c Repeated nouns or pronouns with the same grammatical function d Repeated subjects, objects, adverbs in adjective clauses e Mixed constructions with although or because f Placement of adverbs M4 Using adjectives a Present participles and past participles b Order of cumulative adjectives M5 Prepositions and idiomatic expressions a Prepositions showing time and place b Noun (including -ing form) after a preposition c Common adjective + preposition combinations d Common verb + preposition combinations M6 Paraphrasing sources effectively a Avoiding replacing a source’s words with synonyms b Determining the meaning of the original source c Presenting the author’s meaning in your own words PUNCTUATION AND MECHANICS P1 The comma a Clauses with and, but, etc. b Introductory elements c Items in a series d Coordinate adjectives e Nonrestrictive elements f Transitions, parenthetical expressions, etc. g Direct address, yes/no, interrogative tags, interjections h He said etc. i Dates, addresses, titles, numbers P2 Unnecessary commas a Compound elements b Between verb and subject or object c Before or after a series d Cumulative adjectives e Restrictive elements f Concluding clauses g Inverted sentence h Other misuses P3 The semicolon and the colon a Semicolon with independent clauses b Semicolon with series c Misuses of the semicolon d Colon with list, appositive, quotation, summary e Conventional uses of the colon f Misuses of the colon P4 The apostrophe a Possessive nouns, indefinite pronouns b Contractions c Plurals of numbers, letters, etc. d Misuses P5 Quotation marks a Direct quotations b Quotation within quotation c Titles d Words as words e With other punctuation f Misuses P6 Other punctuation marks a End punctuation b Dash, parentheses, brackets c Ellipsis mark d Slash P7 Spelling and hyphenation a Spelling rules b Words that sound alike c Common misspellings d Compound words e Hyphenated adjectives f Fractions and numbers g Prefixes and suffixes h To avoid ambiguity i Word division P8 Capitalization a Proper versus common nouns b Titles with names c Titles of works d First word of sentence e First word of a quoted sentence f After colon P9 Abbreviations and numbers a Titles with names b Familiar abbreviations c Conventional abbreviations d Units of measurement e Latin abbreviations f Plural of abbreviations g Inappropriate abbreviations h Spelling out numbers i Using numerals P10 Italics a Titles of works b Other terms BASIC GRAMMAR B1 Parts of speech a Nouns b Pronouns c Verbs d Adjectives e Adverbs f Prepositions g Conjunctions h Interjections B2 Sentence patterns a Subjects b Verbs, objects, and complements B3 Subordinate word groups a Prepositional phrases b Verbal phrases c Appositive phrases d Absolute phrases e Subordinate clauses B4 Sentence types a Sentence structures b Sentence purposes R RESEARCHING R1 Thinking like a researcher; gathering sources a  Managing the project b  Posing questions worth exploring How to enter a research conversation c  Mapping out a search strategy d  Searching efficiently; mastering a few shortcuts to finding good sources How to go beyond a Google search e  Conducting field research f  Writing a research proposal R2 Managing information; taking notes responsibly a  Maintaining a working bibliography b  Keeping track of source materials c  Taking notes carefully to avoid unintentional plagiarism How to avoid plagiarizing from the Web R3 Evaluating sources a  Thinking about how sources might contribute to your writing b  Selecting sources worth your time and attention c  Reading with an open mind and a critical eye d  Assessing Web sources with special care e  Constructing an annotated bibliography Writing guide: How to write an annotated bibliography MLA Papers MLA-1 Supporting a thesis a  Forming a working thesis b  Organizing your ideas c  Using sources to inform and support your argument MLA-2 Citing sources; avoiding plagiarism a  Understanding how the MLA system works b  Understanding what plagiarism is c  Using quotation marks around borrowed language d Putting summaries and paraphrases in your own words How to be a responsible researcher MLA-3 Integrating sources a  Summarizing and paraphrasing effectively b  Using quotations effectively c  Using signal phrases to integrate sources d Synthesizing sources MLA-4 Documenting sources a  MLA in-text citation b  MLA list of works cited c  MLA information notes MLA-5 Manuscript format; sample paper a  MLA manuscript format b  Sample MLA research paper APA Papers APA-1 Supporting a thesis a  Forming a working thesis b  Organizing your ideas c  Using sources to inform and support your argument APA-2 Citing sources; avoiding plagiarism a  Understanding how the APA system works b  Understanding what plagiarism is c  Using quotation marks around borrowed language d  Putting summaries and paraphrases in your own words APA-3 Integrating sources a  Summarizing and paraphrasing effectively b  Using quotations effectively c  Using signal phrases to integrate sources d  Synthesizing sources APA-4 Documenting sources a  APA in-text citations b  APA list of references APA-5 Manuscript format; sample research paper a  APA manuscript format b  Sample research paper CMS (Chicago) Papers CMS -1 Supporting a thesis a  Forming a working thesis b  Organizing your ideas c  Using sources to inform and support your argument CMS -2 Citing sources; avoiding plagiarism a  Using the CMS system for citing sources b  Understanding what plagiarism is c  Using quotation marks around borrowed language d  Putting summaries and paraphrases in your own words CMS -3 Integrating sources a  Using quotations appropriately b  Using signal phrases to integrate sources CMS -4 Documenting sources a  First and later notes b  Bibliography c  Model notes and bibliography entries CMS -5 Manuscript format; sample research paper a  CMS manuscript format b  Sample CMS pages L TAB: WRITING ABOUT LITERATURE L1 Reading to form an interpretation a  Get involved in the work; be an active reader. b  Form an interpretation. L2 Planning the paper a  Draft a thesis. b Sketch an outline L3 Writing the paper a Draft an introduction that announces your interpretation. b Support your interpretation with evidence from the work; avoid simple plot summary. L4 Observing the conventions of literature papers a Refer to authors, titles, and characters according to convention. b Use the present tense to describe fictional events. c Use MLA style to format passages quoted from the work. L5 Integrating quotations from the text a Do not confuse the work’s author with a narrator, speaker, or character. b Provide context for quotations. c As you integrate quotations, avoid shifts in tense. d To indicate changes in a quotation, use brackets and the ellipsis mark. e Enclose embedded quotations in single quotation marks. f Use MLA style to cite passages from the work. L6 Using secondary sources a Use MLA style to document secondary sources. b Avoid plagiarism. L7 Sample papers  

About the Author :
Diana Hacker personally class-tested her handbooks with nearly four thousand students over thirty-five years at Prince George s Community College in Maryland, where she was a member of the English faculty. Hacker handbooks, built on innovation and on a keen understanding of the challenges facing student writers, are the most widely adopted in America. Hacker handbooks, all published by Bedford/St. Martin s, include The Bedford Handbook, Ninth Edition (2014); A Writer s Reference, Eighth Edition (2015); Rules for Writers, Seventh Edition (2012); and A Pocket Style Manual, Seventh Edition (2015).Nancy Sommers, who has taught composition and directed composition programs for thirty years, now teaches writing and mentors new writing teachers at Harvard s Graduate School of Education. She led Harvard s Expository Writing Program for twenty years, directing the first-year writing program and establishing Harvard s WAC program. A two-time Braddock Award winner, Sommers is well known for her research and publications on student writing. Her articles "Revision Strategies of Student and Experienced Writers" and "Responding to Student Writing" are two of the most widely read and anthologized articles in the field of composition. Her recent work involves a longitudinal study of college writing to understand the role writing plays in undergraduate education. Sommers is the lead author on Hacker handbooks, all published by Bedford/St. Martin s, and is coauthor of Fields of Reading, Ninth Edition (2010)."