Writing Reading Critically Think Critically Read Critically Preparing Experiment and Explore Invent and Prewrite Gather Information Plan and Organize

Writing Reading Critically Think Critically Read Critically Preparing Experiment and Explore Invent and Prewrite Gather Information Plan and Organize Composing Review Draft Collaborate Try Composing with a Computer Rewriting Shift from Writer to Reader Revise Edit Proofread Give and Receive Feedback Review A Model Student Paper Structuring Paragraphs Write Unified Paragraphs Use Clear Organizational Patterns Use Sentence-Linking Techniques Be Consistent with Verb Tense, Person, and Number Use Parallelism to Make Paragraphs Coherent Decide on Appropriate Paragraph Length Link Paragraphs with Key Words Construct Effective Introductory and Concluding Paragraphs Formulating Arguments Formulate an Arguable Thesis Generate Good Supporting Evidence Take Note of Evidence for Alternative Views Develop and Test the Main Points Build a Compelling Case Structure the Argument Avoid Logical and Emotional Fallacies Research The Research Project Become a Researcher

Schedule a Time Frame Create a Research Notebook Create a Working Bibliography Gather Background Information Conduct Focused Research Using the Internet for Research Use Internet Sources throughout the Research Process Get to Know the Internet and the Web Search the Internet and the Web Follow a Student Internet Search Evaluating Electronic and Print Sources Choose Legitimate Sources Follow a Student's Evaluation of Web Links Using Sources Use Sources Responsibly Quote Sources Sparingly Paraphrase Sources Accurately Summarize Sources Briefly Writing the Research Paper Review the Rhetorical Stance and Thesis Plan a Structure Write a Draft Review and Revise Your Draft Follow Formatting Conventions MLA Documentation MLA Documentation APA, CMS, AND CBE Documentation APA, CMS, and CBE Documentation Document by Using the APA System Document by Using the Chicago Manual of Style (CMS) System Document by Using the CBE System Document Design Design Principles and Graphics Follow the Three Basic Design Principles Use Formatting Tools Use Graphics Review Your Document Designing for the Web Generate a Basic Design for the Web Planning Your Web Document Writing for the Web

Construct the Individual Web Pages Using HTML to Embed Codes Refining Your Website Transfer Your Site to an Internet Server Special Purpose Writing Using Electronic Mail Locate E-mail Addresses Practice Good E-mail Etiquette Use File Attachments Writing about Literature Write Interpretively or Analytically about Literature Business Writing Write Concise and Professional Business Letters Write Specifically Tailored Letters of Application Write Appropriately Packed Résumés Write Focused Memos Essay Exams Prepare for an Essay Exam Attend to the Writing Process Correct Sentences Sentence Structure Learn to Identify Parts of Speech Learn to Identify Basic Sentence Patterns Learn to Expand Sentences Learn How to Classify Sentences Pronoun Problems Make Pronouns Agree in Number and Gender with Their Antecedents Refer to a Specific Noun Antecedent Avoid Vague Use of This, That, Which, and It Be Consistent with Use of That and Which Use the Subjective Case When a Pronoun Functions as a Sentence Subject, Clause Subject, or Subject Complement Use the Objective Case When a Pronoun Functions as an Object Test for Pronoun Case in Compound Constructions by Using the Pronoun Alone Choose the Form for an Interrogative or Relative Pronoun Based on How It Functions in Its Clause Use Possessive Pronouns to Show Ownership Choose the Case for a Pronoun in a Comparison Based on How It Would Function in Its Own Clause Verbs Learn the Regular Verb Forms Learn Common Irregular Verb Forms

Know How to Use Auxiliary Verbs Learn the Verb Tenses Observe Sequence of Tenses Use Transitive and Intransitive Verbs Correctly Favor Active over Passive Voice Make Sure Verbs Are in the Proper Mood Adjectives and Adverbs Use Adjectives to Modify Nouns Avoid Overuse of Nouns as Modifiers Use Adverbs to Modify Verbs, Adjectives, Other Adverbs, and Clauses Be Aware of Some Commonly Confused Adjectives Use Comparative and Superlative Forms of Adjectives and Adverbs Correctly Avoid Double Negatives Common Grammar Problems Sentence Fragments Make Sentences Grammatically Complete Connect Dependent Clauses Connect Sentences Use Sentence Fragments Only for Special Effect Commas Splices and Run-On Sentences Turn One Clause into a Subordinate Clause Separate Clauses with a Comma and a Coordinating Conjunction Separate Independent Clauses with a Semicolon Separate Independent Clauses with a Period Subject-Verb Agreement Plural Subjects Require Plural Verbs Singular Subjects Require Singular Verbs Compound Subjects Usually Require Plural Verbs With a Disjunctive Subject, the Verb Should Agree in Number with the Part of the Subject Closest to It Indefinite Pronouns with a Singular Sense Take Singular Verbs Those with a Plural Sense Take Plural Verbs Collective Nouns Typically Take Singular Verbs Nouns That Are Plural in Form but Singular in Sense Require Singular Verbs A Linking Verb Always Agrees with Its Subject In a Sentence Beginning with the Expletive Here or There and Some Form of the Verb Be, the Verb Should Agree with Its True Subject Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers Position Modifiers Close to the Words They Modify Avoid Ambiguity Try to Put Lengthy Modifiers at the Beginning or End Avoid Disruptive Modifiers

Avoid Dangling Modifiers Faulty Shifts Avoid Unnecessary Shifts in Point of View Avoid Unnecessary Shifts in Verb Tense, Mood, and Subject Avoid Shifts in Tone Avoid Mixed Constructions Create Consistency between Subjects and Predicates Avoid Unmarked Shifts between Direct and Indirect Discourse Effective Sentences And Words Clarity and Conciseness Avoid Excessively Long Sentences Avoid Unnecessary Repetition and Redundancy Use Passive Voice Only Where Appropriate Eliminate Wordy Phrases Avoid a Noun-Heavy Style Choose Words That Express Your Meaning Precisely Use That When Necessary to Clarify Sentence Structure Make Comparisons Complete and Clear Avoid Multiple Negation Coordination and Subordination Look for a Way to Combine Closely Related Sentences Coordinate Related Sentences of Equal Value Subordinate Less Important Ideas Parallelism Put Parallel Content in Parallel Form Make All Items in a List or Series Parallel Use Parallelism with Correlative Conjunctions Use Parallelism for Comparisons or Contrasts Make Parallel Constructions Complete and Clear Variety Vary Sentence Length Vary Sentence Structure Avoid Excessive Repetition Word-Processing Tools and Online Resources for Improving Sentences Use a Style/Grammar Checker Only with Caution Use Style Templates Use Other Applications for Sentence Revision Consult Internet Resources for Writing Help Choosing the Right Words Choose the Right Denotation

Choose the Right Connotation Find the Right Level of Formality Avoid Jargon, Slang, or Dialect Avoid Pretentiousness Use Figurative Language Avoiding Biased Language Avoid Biased Gender References Avoid Biased Language about Race and Ethnicity Avoid Biased Language about Age Avoid Biased Language about Other Differences Using a Thesaurus and Dictionary Use a Thesaurus to Find Exact Word Use a Dictionary to Learn about Words Punctuation End Punctuation The Period Use a Period to Mark the End of a Statement Use Periods to Punctuate Initials and Many Abbreviations Use Periods to Mark Basic Divisions in Units and Computer Names Avoid Common Misuses of Periods The Question Mark Use a Question Mark after a Direct Request Do Not Use a Question Mark after an Indirect Question The Exclamation Point Use an Exclamation Point to Signal a Strong Statement The Comma Use a Comma to Set Off an Introductory Phrase or Clause Use a Comma before a Coordinating Conjunction to Separate Independent Clauses Use Commas between Items in a Series Use Commas to Separate Coordinate Adjectives Use Commas to Set off Nonessential Phrases or Clauses Use Commas to Set off Conjunctive Adverbs Use Commas with Dates, Place Names and Addresses, Titles and Degrees, and Numbers Use Commas with Speaker Tags Use Commas with Markers of Direct Address Avoid Misuse of Commas The Semicolon Use a Semicolon to Separate Independent Clauses Not Linked by a Coordinating Conjunction Use a Semicolon to Separate Independent Clauses Linked by a Conjunctive Adverb Use Semicolons in a Series with Internal Punctuation

Place Semicolon Outside Quotation Marks Avoid Common Semicolon Errors The Colon Use a Colon to Introduce a List or Appositive Use a Colon to Set off a Second Independent Clauses That Explain the First Use a Colon to Introduce a Quotation Use Colons in Titles Use Colons in Business Letters and Memos Use Colons in Numbers and Addresses The Apostrophe Use Apostrophes with Nouns to Indicate Possession Use Apostrophes to Indicate Contractions and Omitted Letters Use Apostrophes to Mark Certain Plural Forms Avoid Misusing the Apostrophe Quotation Marks Use Quotation Marks for Exact Direct Quotations Use Quotation Marks to Suggest Skepticism about a Term Use Quotation Marks to Indicate Shifts of Register Use Quotation Marks When Citing Titles of Short Works Follow Standard Practice in Using Other Punctuation with Quotations Other Punctuation Marks.Parentheses Use Parentheses to Insert Parenthetical Comments Do Not Overuse Parentheses Use Parentheses around Letters or Numbers to Set off Embedded Lists Dashes Use Dashes to Highlight Extra Informational Comments Use Dashes to Set off Important or Surprising Points Confine Yourself to One Pair of Dashes Per Sentence Brackets Use Brackets to Insert Editorial Comments or Clarifications into Quotations Use Brackets with the Word Sic Use Brackets to Acknowledge Editorial Emphasis within a Quotation Use Brackets for Parenthetical Comments within Parentheses Ellipses Use an Ellipsis to Indicate a Deletion from a Quotation Use an Ellipsis to Indicate a Pause in a Sentence Slashes Use Slashes to Separate Lines of Poetry Quoted within a Sentence Use a Slash to Show Alternatives Use a Slash to Indicate a Fraction Use Slashes in Internet Addresses

Use Slashes in Writing Dates Informally Mechanics And Spelling Capital Letters and Italics Capital Letters Capitalize the First Word of All Free-Standing Sentences Capitalize All Names, Associated Titles, and Proper Adjectives Capitalize All Significant Words in Titles Follow the Owner's Preferences in Capitalizing E-mail Addresses and URLs Italics Italicize Titles of Independent Creative Works Italicize URLs and E-mail Addresses Italicize Names of Vehicles Italicize Foreign Words and Phrases Italicize Words, Letters, and Numbers Referred to as Such Italicize Words for Emphasis Abbreviations and Numbers.Abbreviations Abbreviate Titles, Ranks, and Degrees Only before Or after Full Names Use Abbreviations after Numerical Dates and Times Use Latin Abbreviations Sparingly Use Acronyms and Initials Only if Their Meaning Is Clear Avoid Most Other Abbreviations in Formal Writing Numbers Use Figures with Abbreviations and Conventionally Numerical References Write out Other Numbers That Can Be Expressed in One or Two Words Write out Numbers That Begin Sentences When One Number Modifies Another, Write One as a Figure and the Other as a Word Write Related Numbers Alike The Hyphen Consult Your Dictionary in Hyphenating Compounds Hyphenate Compounds Acting as Adjectives before Nouns Hyphenate Spelled-Out Fractions and Numbers from Twenty-One through Ninety-Nine Hyphenate to Avoid Ambiguity and Awkward Spellings Use Hyphens for End-of-Line Word Division Spelling Use a Spell-Checker Master Troublesome Homonyms Guard against Common Spelling Errors Learn General Spelling Rules and Patterns Esl Issues Tips On Nouns and Articles Use the Plural Only with Count Nouns

Use the for Specific References Use the with Most Proper Nouns Derived from Common Nouns Use a or an in Nonspecific References to Singular Count Nouns Use No Article in Nonspecific References to Plural Count Nouns or Noncount Nouns Tips On Verbs Phrasal Verbs Note Phrasal Verbs as You Listen and Read Verb Complements Learn Which Verbs Take Gerunds as Complements Learn Which Verbs Take to Infinitives as Complements Learn Which Verbs Take Both Gerunds and to Infinitives as Complements Learn Which Verbs Take Only Unmarked Infinitives as Complements Verbs of State Do Not Use the Progressive Tense with Verbs of State Modal Auxiliary Verbs Use Only a Base Verb Form Immediately after a Modal Auxiliary Do Not Use More Than One Modal at a Time Conditional Sentences In Factual Conditionals, Use the Same Verb Tense in Both Parts In Predictive Conditionals, Use a Present-Tense Verb in the if Clause and an Appropriate Modal in the Result Clause In Hypothetical Conditionals, Use a Past-Tense Verb in the if Clause and Would, Could, or Might In the Result Clause Tips On Word Order String Adjectives in the Order Preferred in English String Nouns for Easiest Recognition Use Meaning to Place Adverbs That Modify Verbs Place Adverbs Directly before Adjectives or Adverbs That They Modify Place Adverbs before Sentences or Clauses That They Modify Do Not Put an Adverb between a Verb and Its Object Tips On Vocabulary Look for Cognates, but Watch Out for False Friends Try to Get a Feel for Collocations Learn Idioms in Their Entirety Glossary of Computer Terms Glossary of Grammatical Terms Glossary of Usage Table of Contents provided by Blackwell's Book Services and R.R. Bowker. Used with permission.