College Writing Skills with Readings

John Langan

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About the book

John Langan's College Writing Skills with Readings, Seventh Edition, focuses on the essay using Langan's renowned clear writing style, as well as his wide range of writing assignments and activities that reinforce the four bases of effective writing: unity, support, coherence, and sentence skills. For the new seventh edition, John Langan has added a variety of fresh elements to his proven approach.

Key features

NEW visual part and chapter openers: Each part and chapter of the book opens with color photographs and accompanying writing prompts that relate to the learning material that follows ' immediately engaging students in the writing and critical thinking process.

NEW visual learning: Because today's students respond so readily to visual images, and must learn to evaluate such images critically, we have integrated over seventy photos and images throughout the text'each supported by an accompanying caption to prompt writing or critical thinking.

NEW contemporary exercises and activities engage students interest in current, relevant issues and help students apply concepts to contemporary culture and everyday life.

NEW expanded examples of student writing: The seventh edition features drafts of student writing through every step of the writing process, including pre-writing, early "longhand" drafts, final paragraphs, and final essays, clearly illustrating the progression students will make in their own writing.

NEW collaborative learning icon highlights all student activities that can be assigned as collaborative activities, either in or outside of class.

NEW readings chosen for their appeal and relevance to today's students, covering topics such as relationships, sleep deprivation, and sexuality.

NEW integrated Online Learning Center (OLC): Throughout the text, an OLC icon prompts students to visit the free Web site for additional online help. The updated OLC appeals to all learning styles, and provides interactive media for more effective learning.

Table of contents

PART ONE: ESSAY WRITING
CHAPTER 1: An Introduction to Writing
Point and Support
Structure of the Traditional Essay
Benefits of Writing the Traditional Essay
Writing as a Skill
Writing as a Process of Discovery
Writing as a Way to Communicate with Others
Keeping a Journal
Using a Computer
Review Activities
Using This Text
CHAPTER 2: The Writing Process
Prewriting
Writing a First Draft
Revision
Editing
Review Activities
CHAPTER 3: The First and Second Steps in Essay Writing
Step 1: Begin with a Point, or Thesis
Step 2: Support the Thesis with Specific Evidence
Practice in Advancing and Supporting a Thesis
CHAPTER 4: The Third Step in Essay Writing
Step3: Organize and Connect the Specific Evidence
Introductions, Conclusions, and Titles
Practice in Organizing and Connecting Specific Evidence
CHAPTER 5: The Fourth Step in Essay Writing
Revising Sentences
Editing Sentences
Practice in Revising Sentences
CHAPTER 6: Four Bases for Revising Essays
Base 1: Unity
Base 2: Support
Base 3: Coherence
Base 4: Sentence Skills
Practice in Using the Four Bases
PART TWO: PATTERNS OF ESSAY DEVELOPMENT
CHAPTER 7: Introduction To Essay Development
CHAPTER 8: Description
Reading: Lou's Place, Beth Johnson
CHAPTER 9: Narration
Reading: The Yellow Ribbon, Pete Hamill
CHAPTER 10: Examples
Reading: Dad, Andrew H. Malcolm
CHAPTER 11: Process
Reading: How to Do Well On A Job Interview, Glenda Davis
CHAPTER 12: Cause and Effect
*Reading: Taming the Anger Monster, Anne Davidson
CHAPTER 13: Comparison and Contrast
*Reading: Born to Be Different' Camille Lewis
CHAPTER 14: Definition
Reading: Television Addiction, Marie Winn
CHAPTER 15: Division and Classification
Reading: Wait Divisions, Tom Bodett
CHAPTER 16: Argument
Reading: Ban The Things. Ban Them All., Molly Ivins
PART THREE: SPECIAL SKILLS
CHAPTER 17: Taking Essay Exams
CHAPTER 18: Writing a Summary
CHAPTER 19: Writing a Report
CHAPTER 20: Writing a Resume and Cover Letter
CHAPTER 21: Using the Library and the Internet
CHAPTER 22: Writing a Research Paper
PART FOUR: HANDBOOK OF SENTENCE SKILLS
GRAMMAR
CHAPTER 23: Subjects and Verbs
CHAPTER 24: Fragments
CHAPTER 25: Run-ons
CHAPTER 26: Regular and Irregular Verbs
CHAPTER 27: Subject-Verb Agreement
CHAPTER 28: Additional Information about Verbs
CHAPTER 29: Pronoun Agreement and Reference
CHAPTER 30: Pronoun Types
CHAPTER 31: Adjectives and Adverbs
CHAPTER 32: Misplaced Modifiers
CHPATER 33: Dangling Modifiers
MECHANICS
CHAPTER 34: Manuscript Form
CHAPTER 35: Capital Letters
CHAPTER 36: Numbers and Abbreviations
PUNCTUATION
CHAPTER 37: Apostrophe
CHAPTER 38: Quotation Marks
CHAPTER 39: Comma
CHAPTER 40: Other Punctuation Marks
WORD USE
CHAPTER 41: Spelling Improvement
CHAPTER 42: Commonly Confused Words
CHAPTER 43: Effective Word Choice
CHAPTER 44: Editing Tests
CHAPTER 45: ESL Pointers
PART FIVE: READINGS FOR WRITERS
Introduction to The Readings
Looking Inward
*Three Passions, Bertrand Russell
Thank You, Alex Haley
Shame, Dick Gregory
I Became Her Target, Roger Wilkins
Smash Thy Neighbor, John McMurtry
A Hanging, George Orwell
Observing Others
*A Legendary Moment, Haven Kimmel
*The Professor Is a Dropout, Beth Johnson
The Monster, Deems Taylor
Why Are Students Turned Off', Casey Banas
Propaganda Techniques in Today's Advertising, Ann McClintock
Confronting Problems
Bombs Bursting in Air, Beth Johnson
Here's To Your Health, Joan Dunayer
How to Make It In College, Now That You're Here, Brian O'Keeney
College Lectures: Is Anybody Listening', David Daniels
Seven Ways to Keep The Peace at Home, Daniel A. Sugarman
In Praise of the F Word, Mary Sherry
A Scary Time to Raise a Daughter, Steve Lopez
READING COMPREHENSION CHART