Editing Skills: Contents

Preface

Chapter 1     ACTIVE READING

            Learning to Be an Active Reader

            Keeping a Journal

            Previewing the Reading

                    Title

                    Author and Other Publication Facts

                    Visual Features and Supplements

                    Responses and Predictions

            A First Reading

            Staying Aware of Conventions

                    Subject  

                    Main Idea or Thesis

                    Supporting Material

                    Patterns of Organization

                    Paragraphs

                    Transitions

            A Sample Essay: Bob Greene, “Handled with Care”

            Marking the Text

            Clarifying Meaning

                    Using the Dictionary

                    Reading Aloud

                    Discussing

                    Rereading

            Making Inferences and Associations

                    Reading between the Lines

                    Developing Inference Skills

                    Responding to Tone

            Writing to Understand and Respond

                    Writing a Summary

                    Other Ways to Respond in Writing

Chapter 2     THE READING-WRITING CONNECTION

            Writing in Response to Reading

            Building an Essay

                    Finding Ideas

                    Devising a Working Thesis

                    Making a Plan

                    Composing a Draft

                    Improving the Draft

                    Targeting the Readers

                    Getting Feedback

                    Polishing the Final Draft

            Sample Student Essay

                    Tara Coburn, “Someone to Help”

            Resources for Writers on the Internet

            Responding to a Reading

                    Russell Baker, “Learning to Write”

                    Suggestions for Writing

Chapter 3     STRATEGIES FOR CONVEYING IDEAS: NARRATION AND DESCRIPTION

            Images and Ideas

                    For Discussion and Writing

            The Point of Narration and Description

                    Using Narratives

                    Using Description

            The Principles of Narration and Description

                    Organizing the Events

                    Including Specific Details

                    Selecting Descriptive Words

            The Pitfalls of Narration and Description

            What to Look For in Narration and Description

            Evan Thomas, “Rain of Fire”

                    Writing Step by Step: Describing a Catastrophe

                    Editing Skills: Sentence Combining

            Mike Royko, “Jackie’s Debut: A Unique Day”

                    Writing Step by Step: An Eye-Opening Childhood Experience

                    Editing Skills: Punctuating Conversation

            Ben McGrath, “Walking Away”   (Combining Strategies)

                    Writing Step by Step: Quitting a Job

                    Editing Skills: Quotation Marks inside Quotations

            Jack Lewis, “Road Work”

                    Writing Step by Step: Being Helpful

                    Editing Skills: Choosing There, Their, or They’re

            Kelly Berlin (student), “Domestic Abuse”

Chapter 4     STRATEGIES FOR MAKING A POINT: EXAMPLE AND ILLUSTRATION

            Images and Ideas

                    For Discussion and Writing

            The Point of Example and Illustration

                    Using Examples to Explain and Clarify

                    Using Examples and Illustrations to Convince

            The Principles of Example and Illustration

                    Select Appropriate Examples

                    Give Plenty of Examples

                    Include Specific Information

            The Pitfalls of Example and Illustration

            What to Look For in Example and Illustration

            Elizabeth Berg, “My Heroes”

                    Writing Step by Step: Everyday Heroes

                    Editing Skills: Semicolons between Sentences

             Brent Staples, “‘Just Walk On By’: A Black Man Ponders His Power to Alter Public Space”

                    Writing Step by Step: Mistaken Stereotypes

                    Editing Skills: Commas around Interrupters

            Daniel R. Meier, “One Man’s Kids”

                    Writing Step by Step: Qualities for Success

                    Editing Skills: Using Subordination

            Tim Jones, “The Working Poor”    (Combining Strategies)

                    Writing Step by Step: Financial Troubles

                    Editing Skills: Using Commas in Series

            Nick Boyer (student), “ Look Around First”

Chapter 5     STRATEGIES FOR CLARIFYING MEANING: DEFINITION AND EXPLANATION

            Images and Ideas

                    For Discussion and Writing

            The Point of Definition and Explanation

            The Principles of Definition and Explanation

                    Descriptive Details

                    Examples

                    Narration

                    Comparison

                    Contrast

            The Pitfalls of Definition and Explanation

                    Missing Your Audience

                    Going in Circles

                    Abstraction

                    Leaving Information Out

            What to Look For in Definitions and Explanations

            Gloria Naylor, “‘Mommy, What Does “Nigger” Mean?’”

                    Writing Step by Step: Multiple Meanings

                    Editing Skills: Hyphens

            Isaac Asimov, “What Is Intelligence, Anyway?”            (Combining Strategies)

                    Writing Step by Step: Defining an Abstraction

                    Editing Skills: Using the Right Tense

            Dennis Baron, “The Noun Game: A Simple Grammar Lesson Leads to a Clash of Civilizations”

                    Writing Step by Step: Explaining a Cultural Practice

                    Editing Skills: Using Noun Clauses

            Lilly Gonzalez, “Viva Spanglish!”

                    Writing Step by Step: Subgroup Identity

                    Editing Skills: Using Coordination

            Kerri Mauger (student), “Nothing to Be Scared Of ”

Chapter 6     STRATEGIES FOR SORTING IDEAS: CLASSIFICATION AND DIVISION

            Images and Ideas

                    For Discussion and Writing

            The Point of Classification and Division

            The Principles of Classification and Division

                    Give a Purpose to Your Classification

                    Establish a Clear Basis for Your Classification

                    Make Your Groups Parallel and Equal

            The Pitfalls of Classification and Division

            What to Look For in a Classification

            Judith Viorst, “Friends, Good Friends–and Such Good Friends”  (Combining Strategies)

                    Writing Step by Step: Romantic Relationships

                    Editing Skills: Using Pronouns Consistently

            Franklin Zimring, “Confessions of an Ex-Smoker”

                  Writing Step by Step: More Than One Way to Solve a Problem

                  Editing Skills: Avoiding Sexist Language

            David Elkind, “Types of Stress for Young People”

                    Writing Step by Step: Types of Social Pressure

                    Editing Skills: Transitions

            Juleyka Lantigua, “The Latino Show”

                    Writing Step by Step: TV Portrayals

                    Editing Skills: Using Apostrophes

            Ben Hardy (student),  “Three Ways to Use a Recipe”

Chapter 7     STRATEGIES FOR EXAMINING TWO SUBJECTS: COMPARISON AND CONTRAST

            Images and Ideas

                    For Discussion and Writing

            The Point of Comparison and Contrast

                    Using Comparisons to Explain

                    Using Comparisons to Persuade

                    Using Contrast to Decide

            The Principles of Comparison and Contrast

                    Using the Block-by-Block Plan

                    Similarities and Differences

                    Using the Point-by-Point Plan

            The Pitfalls of Comparison and Contrast

                    Avoid Using Too Many Transitional Words

                    Avoid Repetition in Concluding

            What to Look For in Comparison and Contrast

            Nancy Masterson Sakamoto, “Conversational Ballgames”

                    Writing Step by Step: Extended Comparisons

                    Editing Skills: Commas after Dependent Elements

            Suzanne Britt, “Neat People vs. Sloppy People”          (Combining Strategies)

                    Writing Step by Step: Contrasting Types of People

                    Editing Skills: Using Apostrophes

            Brendan O’Shaughnessy, “A Whole New Ballgame”

                    Writing Step by Step: Then and Now

                    Editing Skills: Choosing Its or It’s

            Kathy Seal, “The Trouble with Talent: Are We Born Smart or Do We Get Smart?”

                    Writing Step by Step: Two Points of View

                    Editing Skills: Using Dashes

            Lynn Cooper (student), “Watching from All Sides”

                    Alternate Arrangement

Chapter 8     STRATEGIES FOR EXPLAINING HOW THINGS WORK: PROCESS AND DIRECTIONS

            Images and Ideas

                    For Discussion and Writing

            The Point of Writing about Process and Directions

            The Principles of Process and Directions

            The Pitfalls of Process and Directions

                    Reviewing Your Process

                    Addressing Your Audience

            What to Look For in Process and Directions

            Carol Fleischman, “Shopping Can Be a Challenge”       (Combining Strategies)

                    Writing Step by Step: A Personal Approach to Shopping

                    Editing Skills: Using Parentheses

            Michael Leddy, “How To E-mail a Professor”

                    Writing Step by Step: Message Mistakes

                    Editing Skills: Using Colons before Lists

            Emily Nelson, “Making Fake Flakes”

                    Writing Step by Step: Behind the Scenes of a Process

                    Editing Skills: Punctuating Quotations

            Steve Daly, “Change Agent: How Baker Pulled Off the ‘Werewolf’ Metamorphosis”

                    For Discussion and Writing

            Ann Moroney (student), “A Graceful Stride”

Chapter 9     STRATEGIES FOR ANALYZING WHY THINGS HAPPEN: CAUSE AND EFFECT

            Ideas and Images

                    For Discussion and Writing

            The Point of Cause-and-Effect Writing

            The Principles of Cause-and-Effect Writing

                    Types of Cause and Effects

                    Patterns of Cause and Effect

            The Pitfalls of Cause-and-Effect Writing

            What to Look For in Cause-and-Effect Writing

Stephen King, “Why We Crave Horror Movies”          (Combining Strategies)

                    Writing Step by Step: Entertainment Cravings

                    Editing Skills: Checking Pronoun Reference

            Jade Snow Wong, “Fifth Chinese Daughter”

                    Writing Step by Step: Becoming Our Parents

                    Editing Skills: Using Parallel Structure

            Greg Critser, “Supersize Me”

Writing Step by Step: Getting to the Root Causes

Editing Skills: Eliminating Wordiness

                        Sue Shellenbarger, “Young Workers With Dyslexia, ADD Find Office Less Accommodating Than School”

                    Writing Step by Step: The Person-Job Fit

                    Editing Skills: Using Commas after Introductory Clauses and Phrases

            Brian L. Carter (student), “Almost a Winner”

Chapter 10   STRATEGIES FOR INFLUENCING OTHERS: ARGUMENT AND PERSUASION

            Images and Ideas

                    For Discussion and Writing

            The Point of Argument and Persuasion

            The Principles of Argument and Persuasion

            The Elements of Good Argument

                    Claims

                    Evidence

                    Refutation

            A Sample Annotated Argument:  Stephanie Pescitelli (student), “Misunderstood Medicine”

            The Pitfalls of Argument and Persuasion

                    Taking on Too Much

                    Mistaking the Audience

                    Logical Fallacies

            What to Look For in Argument and Persuasion

            Debate: Do Same-Sex Couples Make Good Parents?

            James C. Dobson, “Two Mommies Is One Too Many”

            Jeff Pearlman, “Mom’s the Word”

                    Writing Step by Step: Taking Sides on Same-Sex Parenting

                    Editing Skills: Subject-Verb Agreement

            Debate: How Real Is Reality TV?  

            Facts on File, “Reality Television: Issues and Controversies”

            Michael Hirschorn, “The Case for Reality TV: What the Snobs Don’t Understand”

            Oliver James, “Danger: Reality TV Can Rot Your Brain”

            Anne Becker, “Hot or Not: Reality TV Can Be Harmful to Women”

            Rita Dove, “Loose Ends”

                        Writing Step by Step: Pros and Cons of a Reality TV Show

                        Editing Skills: Using Questions

            Debate: Can Money Buy Happiness?

Cynthia Crossen, “Whether People Define Themselves as Happy Depends on the Era”

Ed Diener,  “Income and Happiness”

Pam Lambert and Alex Treniowski, “The High Cost of Winning”

            Writing Step by Step: Engineering One’s Own Happiness

            Editing Skills: Using Colons

Appendix: WRITING WITH SOURCES

            Using Sources in Your Writing

            Locating Sources

                    Using the Online Catalog

                    Using Indexes and Databases

                    Using the Internet

            Evaluating Sources

                    Recognizing Bias

                    Judging Online Sources

            Working with Sources

                    Taking Notes

                    Using a Research Notebook

                    Using the Printout/Photocopy Option

                    Summarizing, Paraphrasing, and Quoting

                    Devising a Working Outline

            Writing a First Draft

                    Organizing Your Notes

                    Using Quotations and Paraphrases

                    Integrating Sources

                    Using Attributions and Lead-ins

            Avoiding Plagiarism

                    Crediting Your Sources

                    Citing Sources Informally

            Formatting Your Paper

            Documenting Your Sources: MLA Style

                    In-Text Citations

                    Preparing the List of Works Cited

                    Works Cited List: Sample Entries

                        Books

                        Journals, Magazines, and Newspeprs

                        Online Publications

            Sample student essay with sources: Brian L. Carter, “People, Pigeons, and Payoffs”

Credits

Index

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