How to Use This Handbook

Preface and Acknowledgments

PART I. PROCESSES AND PRODUCTS

1. The Writing Process

Prewriting / Planning / Drafting / Revising / Finishing

2. Research Writing

Analyze the Assignment / Plan a Research Strategy / Do Your Research / Take Good Notes and Keep Good Records / Choose a Preliminary Thesis and Outline / Write the First Draft / Use Your Sources Effectively / Revisit Your Research as Necessary / Revise and Edit Systematically / Document Your Sources Correctly / Sample Research Paper (MLA Style)

3. Argumentation

Choose a Thesis and Plan Key Assertions / Employ the Rhetoric of Argument / Acknowledge Opposing Views (Refutation) / Read Your Own and Other Arguments Critically / Sample Argument Paper (APA Style)

4. MLA Documentation Style

Citations in the Text / List of Works Cited / Typing or Word Processing Instructions for MLA

5. APA Documentation Style

Citations in the Text / Reference List / Typing or Word Processing Instructions for APA

6. Document Design

Short Papers / Longer Research Papers and Reports / Web Pages

7. Special Writing Situation

Writing about Literature / Essay Exams / Professional Communication / Oral Presentations

PART II. COMMON WRITING PROBLEMS

8. Sentence Fragments

Quick View / Testing for Fragments¿In Detail / Revising Fragments / Practice

9. Comma Splices

Quick View / Revising Comma Splices / Practice

10. Run-On Sentences

Quick View / Revising Run-On Sentences / Practice

11. Verb Errors

Quick View / Subject-Verb Agreement Errors / Form Errors / Inappropriate Shifts in Tense / Inappropriate Shifts in Mood / Practice

12. Using Commas

Quick View / Correct Uses of Commas / Incorrect Uses of Commas / Practice

13. Pronoun Errors

Quick View / Vague or Ambiguous Pronoun Reference / Lack of Agreement between Pronoun and Antecedent / Inappropriate Shifts in Person / Biased Uses of Pronouns / Practice

14. Using Apostrophes

Quick View / Apostrophes in the Possessive Case / Apostrophes in Contractions / Apostrophes to Form Plurals of Letters and Numerals / Its versus It’s and Other Pronoun Homonyms / Practice

15. Problems with Modifiers

Quick View / Misplaced Modifiers / Dangling Modifiers / Squinting Modifiers / Overstacked Modifiers / Improper Adverb or Adjective Forms / Practice

16. Faulty Parallelism

Quick View / Items in Lists / Items Joined by Coordinating Conjunctions / Parts of a Sentence Joined by Correlative Conjunctions / Comparisons or Contrasts / Practice

17. Mixed Constructions

Quick View / Mismatched Subject and Predicate / Mismatched Clauses / Mismatches with Is When, Is Where, or The Reason … Is Because / Practice

18. For Multilingual/ESL Writers

Quick View / Articles and Nouns / Adjectives / Adverbs / Prepositions / Verbs / Sentence Structure / Practice

PART III. THE BASICS FROM A TO Z

GLOSSARY OF USAGE

INDEX

Credits

Quick Views

A Checklist for Finishing Your Paper

Revision and Correction Symbols (inside back flap)

Frequently Asked Questions (outside back flap)