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Exploring Writing : Paragraphs and Essays

ISBN: 9780073533339 | 0073533335

Edition: 3rd
Format: Paperback
Publisher: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages
Pub. Date: 10/4/2012

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Summary Table of Contents

Exploring Writing: Paragraphs and Essays serves as a guidebook for every step of the writing process. Emphasizing both process and practice, with a focus on revision, the new third edition helps to apply and advance writing skills using John Langan�s proven techniques. Mastering essential sentence skills, learning to write effective paragraphs and essays, and becoming a critical reader are turning points for every writer, and they will prepare the students for writing situations in college and beyond.

EXPLORING WRITING: PARAGRAPHS AND ESSAYS, 3/e

By John Langan

PREFACE xxv

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Exploring Writing : Paragraphs and Essays

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EXPLORING WRITING: PARAGRAPHS AND ESSAYS, 3/e

By John Langan

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PREFACE xxv

PART ONE: WRITING: SKILLS AND PROCESS 2

1. An Introduction to Writing 4

Point and Support 5

An Important Difference between Writing and Talking 5

Point and Support in a Paragraph 6

Knowing Your Purpose and Audience 8

Benefits of Paragraph Writing 9

Writing as a Skill 9

Writing as a Process of Discovery 11

Keeping a Journal 12

Tips on Using a Computer 14

2. The Writing Process 19

Prewriting 20

Technique 1: Freewriting 20

Technique 2: Questioning 23

Technique 3: Making a List 24

Technique 4: Clustering 26

Technique 5: Preparing a Scratch Outline 27

Writing a First Draft 28

Writing a First Draft: A Student Model 29

Revising 30

Revising Content 31

Revising Sentences 31

Editing 31

An Illustration of the Revising and Editing Processes 32

Using Peer Review 34

Identification 35

Scratch Outline 35

Comments 35

Review Activities 36

Taking a Writing Inventory 36

Prewriting 38

Outlining 40

Revising 46

PART TWO: BASIC PRINCIPLES OF EFFECTIVE WRITING 52

3. The First and Second Steps in Writing 54

Step 1: Begin with a Point 55

Identifying Common Errors in Topic Sentences 57

Understanding the Two Parts of a Topic Sentence 59

Selecting a Topic Sentence 61

Writing a Topic Sentence I 62

Writing a Topic Sentence II 64

Step 2: Support the Point with Specific Evidence 65

The Point as an “Umbrella” Idea 66

Reinforcing Point and Support 68

The Importance of Specific Details 71

Recognizing Specific Details I 71

Recognizing Specific Details II 74

Providing Supporting Evidence 74

The Importance of Adequate Details 75

Identifying Adequate Supporting Evidence 77

Adding Details to Complete a Paragraph 80

Writing a Paragraph 81

4. The Third and Fourth Steps in Writing 84

Step 3: Organize and Connect the Specific Evidence 85

Common Methods of Organization: Time Order and Emphatic Order 85

Transitions 89

Other Connecting Words 95

Step 4: Write Clear, Error-Free Sentences 98

Revising Sentences 98

Editing Sentences 116

5. Four Bases for Revising Writing 119

Base 1: Unity 120

Understanding Unity 120

Checking for Unity 122

Base 2: Support 126

Understanding Support 126

Checking for Support 127

Base 3: Coherence 129

Understanding Coherence 129

Checking for Coherence 131

Base 4: Sentence Skills 135