Allyn & Bacon Guide to Writing, The, Concise Edition

Grounded in current theory and research, yet practical and teachable.

Widely praised for its groundbreaking integration of composition research and a rhetorical perspective, The Allyn & Bacon Guide to Writing with MyWritingLab has set the standard for first-year composition courses in writing, reading, critical thinking, and inquiry.

Teachers and students value its clear and coherent explanations, engaging classroom activities, and flexible sequence of aims-based writing assignments that help writers produce effective, idea-rich essays in academic and civic genres. Numerous examples of student and professional writing accompany this thorough guide to the concepts and skills needed for writing, researching, and editing in college and beyond.

Part 1 A Rhetoric For Writers

Why Take a Writing Course?

Concept 1.1 Subject matter problems are the heart of college writing.

  Shared Problems Unite Writers and Readers

  Where Do Problems Come From?

Concept 1.2 Writers’ decisions are shaped by purpose, audience, and genre.

  What Is Rhetoric?

  How Writers Think about Purpose

  How Writers Think about Audience

  How Writers Think about Genre

Concept 1.3 The rules for “good writing” vary depending on rhetorical context.

  A Thought Exercise: Two Pieces of Good Writing That Follow Different “Rules”

  David Rockwood, A Letter to the Editor

  Thomas Merton, A Festival of Rain

    Distinctions between Closed and Open Forms of Writing

    Flexibility of “Rules” along the Continuum

    Where to Place Your Writing along the Continuum

      Chapter Summary

BRIEF WRITING PROJECT TWO MESSAGES FOR DIFFERENT PURPOSES, AUDIENCES, AND GENRES

Concept 2.1 To determine their thesis, writers must often “wallow in complexity.”

  Learning to Wallow in Complexity

  Seeing Each Academic Discipline as a Field of Inquiry and Argument

  Using Exploratory Writing to Help You Wallow in Complexity

 Believing and Doubting Paul Theroux’s Negative View of Sports

Concept 2.2 A strong thesis statement surprises readers with something new or challenging.

  Trying to Change Your Reader’s View of Your Subject

  Giving Your Thesis Tension through “Surprising Reversal”

Concept 2.3 In closed-form prose, a typical introduction starts with the problem, not the thesis.

  A Typical Introduction

  Features of an Effective Introduction

  Chapter Summary

BRIEF WRITING PROJECT PLAYING THE BELIEVING AND DOUBTING GAME 

Concept 3.1 Messages persuade through their angle of vision.

  Recognizing the Angle of Vision in a Text

  Analyzing Angle of Vision

Concept 3.2 Messages persuade through appeals to logos, ethos, and pathos.

Concept 3.3 Messages persuade through writers’ choices about style and document design.

  Understanding Factors that Affect Style

  Making Purposeful Choices about Document Design

Concept 3.4 Nonverbal messages persuade through visual strategies that can be analyzed rhetorically.

  Visual Rhetoric

  The Rhetoric of Clothing and Other Consumer Items

    Chapter Summary

BRIEF WRITING PROJECT TWO CONTRASTING DESCRIPTIONS OF THE SAME SCENE

4 Multimodal and Online Communication

Concept 4.1 Composers of multimodal texts use words, images, and sounds rhetorically to move an audience.

  Hooking Audiences with Images and “Nutshell” Text

  Holding Readers through Strong Content

  Designing Video Narratives that Move Viewers

Concept 4.2 Online environments are rhetorically interactive with shifting audiences, purposes, genres, and authorial roles.

  Shifting and Evolving Rhetorical Contexts Online

  Online Variations in Purposes, Genres, and Authorial Roles

  Maintaining Appropriate Online Privacy

Concept 4.3 Responsible participation in online discourse requires understanding intellectual property rights and an ethical persona.

  Understanding Issues of Copyright, Fair Use, and Creative Commons Licenses

  Using Images and Sound Ethically in Your Multimodal Projects

  Creating an Ethical Online Persona

    Chapter Summary

BRIEF WRITING PROJECT 1 DESCRIPTION AND REFLECTION ON YOUR ONLINE COMMUNICATIONS

BRIEF WRITING PROJECT 2 DESCRIPTION AND REFLECTION ON YOUR CREATION OF A MULTIMODAL COMPOSITION

Part 2 Writing Projects

Engaging Rhetorical Reading

Understanding Rhetorical Reading

  What Makes College-Level Reading Difficult?

  Using the Reading Strategies of Experts

  Reading with the Grain and Against the Grain

Understanding Summary Writing

  Usefulness of Summaries

  The Demands that Summary Writing Makes on Writers

Summary of “Why Bother?”

Understanding Strong Response Writing

  Strong Response as Rhetorical Critique

  Strong Response as Ideas Critique

  Strong Response as Reflection

  Strong Response as a Blend

  Kyle Madsen (student), Can a Green Thumb Save the Planet? A Response to Michael Pollan

WRITING PROJECT A SUMMARY

  Generating Ideas: Reading for Structure and Content

  Drafting and Revising

  Questions for Peer Review

WRITING PROJECT A SUMMARY/STRONG RESPONSE ESSAY

  Exploring Ideas for Your Strong Response

  Writing a Thesis for a Strong Response Essay

  Shaping and Drafting

  Revising

  Questions for Peer Review

  WRITING PROJECT MULTIMODAL OR ONLINE OPTION: BOOK REVIEW

Reading

      Michael Pollan, Why Bother?

Engaging Exploratory Writing

Understanding Exploratory Writing

WRITING PROJECT AN EXPLORATORY ESSAY

  Generating and Exploring Ideas

  Taking “Double-Entry” Research Notes

  Shaping and Drafting

  Revising

  Questions for Peer Review

WRITING PROJECT AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY

  What Is an Annotated Bibliography?

  Features of Annotated Bibliography Entries

  Examples of Annotation Entries

  Writing a Critical Preface for Your Annotated Bibliography

  Shaping, Drafting, and Revising

  Questions for Peer Review

WRITING PROJECT MULTIMODAL OR ONLINE OPTION: SPEECH WITH VISUAL AIDS

Readings

      Kent Ansen (student), Should the United States Establish Mandatory Public Service for Young Adults?

      Kent Ansen (student), Should the United States Establish Mandatory Public Service for Young Adults? An Annotated Bibliography

Engaging Image Analysis

Understanding Image Analysis: Documentary and News Photographs

  Angle of Vision and Credibility of Photographs

  How to Analyze a Documentary Photograph

  Sample Analysis of a Documentary Photograph

Understanding Image Analysis: Paintings

  How to Analyze a Painting

  Sample Analysis of a Painting

Understanding Image Analysis: Advertisements

  How Advertisers Think about Advertising

  Mirrors and Windows: The Strategy of an Effective Advertisement

  How to Analyze an Advertisement

  Sample Analysis of an Advertisement

WRITING PROJECT ANALYSIS OF TWO VISUAL TEXTS

  Exploring and Generating Ideas for Your Analysis

  Shaping and Drafting Your Analysis

  Revising

  Questions for Peer Review

WRITING PROJECT MULTIMODAL OR ONLINE OPTIONS: PODCAST AND LECTURE SLIDES

      Lydia Wheeler (student), Two Photographs Capture Women’s Economic Misery

Engaging Analysis and Synthesis

  John Miley, Ground Rules for Boomerang Kids

  Publishers Weekly, Review of The Accordion Family: Boomerang Kids, Anxious Parents, and the Private Toll of Global Competition

Understanding Analysis and Synthesis

  Posing a Significant Synthesis Question

  Synthesis Writing as an Extension of Summary/Strong Response Writing

WRITING PROJECT A SYNTHESIS ESSAY

    Summarizing Your Texts to Explore Their Ideas

  Rosie Evans (student), Summary of Robin Marantz Henig’s Article

  Rosie Evans (student), Summary of Scammed Hard!’s Blog Post

    Analyzing Your Texts

  Rosie Evans (student), Rhetorical Analysis of Henig’s Article

  Rosie Evans (student), Rhetorical Analysis of Scammed Hard!’s Blog Post

   Analyzing the Main Themes and Similarities and Differences in Your Texts’ Ideas

    Synthesizing Ideas from Your Texts

  Rosie Evans (student) Exploration of Her Personal Connections to Her Texts and the Synthesis Question

    Taking Your Position in the Conversation: Your Synthesis

    Shaping and Drafting

    Writing a Thesis for a Synthesis Essay

    Organizing a Synthesis Essay

    Revising

    Questions for Peer Review

WRITING PROJECT MULTIMODAL OR ONLINE OPTION: DISCUSSION POST

      Rosie Evans (student), Boomerang Kids: What Are the Causes of Generation Y’s Growing Pains?

Engaging Classical Argument

Understanding Classical Argument

  What Is Argument?

  Stages of Development: Your Growth as an Arguer

  Creating an Argument Frame: A Claim with Reasons

  Articulating Reasons

  Articulating Underlying Assumptions

  Using Evidence Effectively

  Evaluating Evidence: The STAR Criteria

  Addressing Objections and Counterarguments

  Responding to Objections, Counterarguments, and Alternative Views

  Seeking Audience-Based Reasons

  Appealing to Ethos and Pathos

  A Brief Primer on Informal Fallacies

WRITING PROJECT A CLASSICAL ARGUMENT

  Generating and Exploring Ideas

  Shaping and Drafting

  Questions for Peer Review

WriWRITING PROJECT MULTIMODAL OR ONLINE OPTIONS: VIDEO, ADVOCACY AD, AND BUMPER STICKER

      Ross Taylor (student), Paintball

      Claire Giordano (student), Virtual Promise: Why Online Courses Will Not Adequately Prepare Us for the Future (APA format research paper)

Engaging Proposal Writing

Understanding Proposal Writing

  Special Challenges of Proposal Arguments

  Developing an Effective Justification Section

Multimodal Proposal Arguments

WRITING PROJECT A PROPOSAL ARGUMENT

  Generating and Exploring Ideas

  Shaping and Drafting

  Revising

  Questions for Peer Review

WRITING PROJECT MULTIMODAL OR ONLINE OPTIONS: ADVOCACY AD OR POSTER AND SPEECH WITH VISUAL AIDS

Readings

      Lucy Morsen (student), A Proposal to Improve the Campus Learning Environment by Banning Laptops and Cell Phones from Class

      Sam Rothchild (student), Reward Work Not Wealth (oral presentation with visual aids)

      Kent Ansen (student), Engaging Young Adults to Meet America’s Challenges: A Proposal for Mandatory National Service (MLA format research paper)

Part 3 A Guide To Composing and Revising

SKILL 11.1 F ollow the experts’ practice of using multiple drafts.

  Why Expert Writers Revise So Extensively

  An Expert’s Writing Processes Are Recursive

SKILL 11.2 R evise globally as well as locally.

SKILL 11.3 D evelop ten expert habits to improve your writing processes.

SKILL 11.4 Use peer reviews to help you think like an expert.

  Becoming a Helpful Reader of Classmates’ Drafts

  Using a Generic Peer Review Guide

  Participating in Peer Review Workshops

  Responding to Peer Reviews

SKILL 12.1 Satisfy reader expectations by linking new material to old material.

  The Principle of Old before New

  How the Principle of Old Before New Creates Unified and Coherent Paragraphs

  The Explanatory Power of the Principle of Old before New

SKILL 12.2 N utshell your argument and visualize its structure.

  Make a List of “Chunks” and a Scratch Outline Early in the Writing Process

  To Achieve Focus, “Nutshell” Your Argument and Create a Working Thesis Statement

  Visualizing Your Structure

SKILL 12.3 Start and end with the “big picture” through effective titles, introductions, and conclusions.

  What Not to Do: “Topic Title” and the “Funnel Introduction”

  Creating Effective Titles

  Writing Good Closed-Form Introductions

  Writing Effective Conclusions

SKILL 12.4 Create effective topic sentences for paragraphs.

  Placing Topic Sentences at the Beginning of Paragraphs

  Revising Paragraphs for Unity

  Adding Particulars to Support Points

SKILL 12.5 G uide your reader with transitions and other signposts.

  Using Common Transition Words to Signal Relationships

  Writing Major Transitions between Parts

  Signaling Major Transitions with Headings

SKILL 12.6 Bind sentences together by placing old information before new information.

  The Old/New Contract in Sentences

  How to Make Links to the “Old”

  Avoiding Ambiguous Use of “This” to Fulfill the Old/New Contract

SKILL 12.7 Use effective tables, graphs, and charts to present numeric data.

  How Tables Tell Many Stories

  Using a Graphic to Tell a Story

  Incorporating a Graphic into Your Essay

SKILL 13.1 Consider a range of multimodal options for accomplishing your purpose.

SKILL 13.2 D esign multimodal texts so that each mode contributes its own strengths to the message.

  This Design Principle at Work In Successful Multimodal Texts

  Using This Design Principle to Revise a Jumbled Multimodal Text

SKILL 13.3 D esign multimodal genres including posters, speeches with visual aids, podcasts, and videos.

  Informational or Advocacy Posters, Brochures, Flyers, and Ads

  Speeches with Visual Aids (PowerPoint, Prezi, Pechakucha)

  Scripted Speech (Podcasts, Video Voiceovers)

  Videos

Part 4 A Rhetorical Guide To Research

SKILL 14.1 E valuate sources for reliability, credibility, angle of vision, and degree of advocacy.

  Reliability

  Credibility

  Angle of Vision and Political Stance

  Degree of Advocacy

  Criteria for Evaluating a Web Source

SKILL 14.2 Know when and how to use summary, paraphrase, and quotation.

  Summarizing

  Paraphrasing

  Quoting

SKILL 14.3 Use attributive tags to distinguish your ideas from a source’s.

  Attributive Tags Mark Where Source Material Starts and Ends

  Attributive Tags Avoid Ambiguities that Can Arise with Parenthetical Citations

  Attributive Tags Frame the Source Material Rhetorically

SKILL 14.4 Avoid plagiarism by following academic conventions for ethical use of sources.

  Why Some Kinds of Plagiarism May Occur Unwittingly

  Strategies for Avoiding Plagiarism

SKILL 15.1 Cite and document sources using MLA style.

  In-Text Citations in MLA Style

  Works Cited List in MLA Style

  MLA Citation Models

  MLA Format Research Paper

SKILL 15.2 Cite and document sources using APA style.

  In-Text Citations in APA Style

  References List in APA Style

  APA Citation Models

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