Decisions:writer's Handbook

How to Use This Book. Preface. I. READING, THINKING AND WRITING. 1. Critical Thinking, Reading, and Writing. Active, Critical Habits of Mind. Searching for and Questioning, Similarities and Differences. Challenging and Being Challenged By Sources. Setting Issues in a Broader Context. Forming and Supporting Opinions. Components of a Close, Critical Reading. Reading to Understand/Writing a Summary. Reading to Evaluate/Writing an Evaluation. Reading to Synthesize/Writing a Synthesis. 2. Planning, Writing, and Revising a Draft. Discovering Your Topic, Purpose, and Audience. Generating Ideas and Information. Writing a Thesis and Devising a Sketch. Writing a Draft. Revising a Draft. Adapting Your Writing Strategy for Essay Exams. 3. Developing the Paragraph and the Paper. Relating Single Paragraphs to the Whole Paper. Writing and Revising to Achieve Paragraph Unity. Writing and Revising to Achieve Paragraph Coherence. Writing and Revising to Achieve Well-Developed Paragraphs. Writing and Revising Paragraphs of Introduction and Conclusion. Determining Paragraph Length. II. WRITING THE RESEARCH PAPER. 4. Researching Print and Electronic Sources. Making Your Research Worthwhile. Evaluating Your Research Question. Focusing Your Ideas. Doing Preliminary Research. Devising a Working Thesis. Doing Focused Research: Print Sources. Doing Focused Research: CD-ROM and Online Sources. Bringing Your Research to an End. 5. Understanding the Research Process and Using Sources. Creating a Working Bibliography. Taking Notes: Summarizing and Paraphrasing. Quoting Sources. Avoiding Plagiarism. 6. Writing the Research Paper. Writing a Draft. Revising and Editing. A Sample Research Paper: "What Do We Want at the Mall?" 7. Documenting the Research Paper. Using the MLA System of Documentation. Using the APA System of Documentation. Using the CMS Style of Documentation. Using the CBE Systems of Documentation. 8. Writing and Arguing in the Disciplines. Understanding the Elements of Argument. Making a Claim (An Argumentative Thesis). Supporting the Claim. Reasoning: Connecting Support to the Claim. Making Rebuttals. Presenting Your Argument. Making Arguments in the Humanities. Making Arguments in the Social Sciences. Making Arguments in the Sciences. III. SENTENCE DECISIONS. 9. Constructing Sentences. Understanding Sentence Parts. Understanding Basic Sentence Patterns. Modifying and Expanding Sentences with Phrases. Modifying and Expanding Sentences with Dependent Clauses. Classifying Sentences. 10. Using Nouns and Pronouns. Using Pronouns as Subjects. Using Pronouns as Objects. Using Nouns and Pronouns to Show Possession. Compound Construction: Using Pronouns in the Objective or Subjective Form According to Their Function. Pronouns Paired with a Noun Take the Same Case as the Noun. Choose the Appropriate Form of the Pronouns Whose, Who, Whom, Whoever, and Whomever Depending on the Pronoun''s Function. Choose the Case of a Pronoun in the Second Part of a Comparison Depending on the Meaning Intended. 11. Using Verbs. Using the Principal Parts of Regular Verbs Consistently. Learning the Forms of Irregular Verbs. Using Auxiliary Verbs. Using Transitive and Intransitive Verbs. Understanding the Uses of Verb Tenses. Sequencing Verb Tenses. Using the Active and Passive Voices. Understanding the Use of Mood. 12. Using Adjectives and Adverbs. Distinguishing Between Adjectives and Adverbs. Use an Adverb (Not an Adjective) to Modify Verbs as Well as Verbals. Use an Adverb (Not an Adjective) to Modify Another Adverb or an Adjective. Use an Adjective (Not an Adverb) After a Linking Verb to Describe a Subject. Using Comparative and Superlative Forms of Adjectives and Adverbs. Avoid Double Comparisons, Double Superlatives, and Double Negatives. Avoid Overusing Nouns as Modifiers. 13. Correcting Sentence Fragments, Comma Splices, and Fused Sentences. Sentence Fragments. Eliminate Fragments: Revise Dependent Clauses Set Off as Sentences. Eliminate Fragments: Revise Phrases Set Off as Sentences. Eliminate Fragments: Revise Repeating Structures or Compound Predicates Set Off as Sentences. Use Fragments Intentionally on Rare Occasions. Comma Splices and Fused Sentences. Identify Fused Sentences and Comma Splices. Correct Fused Sentences and Comma Splices in One of Five Ways. 14. Correcting Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers. Misplaced Modifiers. Position Modifiers So That They Refer Clearly to the Words They Should Modify. Position Limiting Modifiers with Care. Reposition Modifiers That Describe Two Elements Simultaneously. Reposition a Lengthy Modifier That Splits a Subject and Its Verb. Reposition a Modifier That Splits a Verb and Its Object or a Verb and Its Complement. Reposition a Modifier That Splits the Parts of an Infinitive. Reposition a Lengthy Modifier That Splits a Verb Phrase. Dangling Modifiers. Identify and Revise Dangling Modifiers. 15. Correcting Common Errors in Agreement and Reference. Subject-Verb Agreement. Make a Third-Person Subject Agree in Number with Its Verb. Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement. Pronouns and Their Antecedents Should Agree in Number. Pronoun Reference. Maintain Clear Pronoun Reference. 16. Correcting Errors in Consistency. Shifts. Revise Shifts in Person and Number. Revise Shifts in Tense, Mood, and Voice. Revise for Shifts in Tone. Maintain Consistent Use of Direct or Indirect Discourse. Mixed Constructions. Establish Clear, Grammatical Relations Between Sentence Parts. Establish Consistent Relations Between Subjects and Predicates. Incomplete Sentences Edit Elliptical Constructions to Avoid Confusion. Make Comparisons Consistent, Complete, and Clear. 17. Correcting Faulty Parallelism. Use Parallel Words, Phrases, and Clauses with Coordinating Conjunctions: and, but, for, or, nor, so, yet. Use Parallelism with Correlative Conjunctions: Either/Or, Neither/Nor, Both/and, Not Only/But Also. Use Parallelism in Sentences with Compared and Contrasted Elements. Use Parallelism Among Sentences to Enhance Paragraph Coherence. Use Parallel Entries When Writing Lists or Outlines. IV. STYLE DECISIONS. 18. Being Clear, Concise, and Direct. Revise to Eliminate Wordiness. Use Strong Verbs. 19. Building Emphasis with Coordination and Subordination. Use Coordinate Structures to Emphasize Equal and Related Ideas. Use Subordinate Clauses to Create Emphasis. Using Coordination and Subordination for Sentence Variety 20. Choosing the Right Word. Understanding Dictionary Entries. Using the Dictionary for Building Your Vocabulary. Beyond the Dictionary: Understanding the Impact of Word Choices. V. PUNCTUATION DECISIONS. 21. Using End Punctuation. Using the Period. Using the Question Mark. Using the Exclamation Point. 22. Using Commas and Semicolons.Rosen, Leonard J. is the author of 'Decisions:writer's Handbook' with ISBN 9780205305643 and ISBN 0205305644.