Universal Keys for Writers

Preliminary Contents Writing: Communicating and Presenting Ideas I. Writing an Essay 1. Thinking, Reading, and Writing a. Thinking critically, reading critically b. Writing critically c. Standard English in context 2. Defining the Task a. Determining purpose b. Understanding requirements c. Writing for audience d. Choosing right tone e. Planning steps in process 3. Generating, Shaping, Focusing Ideas a. Keeping a journal b. Freewriting c. Brainstorming, listing, mapping d. Joining email conversations e. Using journalists' questions, prompts f . Finding, refining a topic g. Formulating a thesis h. Providing evidence, support i. Preparing proposal and outline 4. Drafting, Revising, Editing an Essay a. Tips for writing drafts b. Managing drafts, files c. Analyzing, revising d. Using feedback, peer review e. Writing, revising collaboratively f. Working on title g. Overcoming writer's block h. Using computer tools i. Editing, proofreading j. A student's drafts 5. Developing and Structuring Paragraphs a. Paragraph basics b. Topic sentence c. Unified paragraphs d. Developing paragraphs and essays e. Coherence: links, parallel structures, transitions f. Introductions, conclusions II. Writing in All Your Courses 6. Writing an Argument a. Evaluating an argument b. Selecting a topic c. Claim (thesis) d. Reasons, evidence e. Appeals, common ground f. Opposing views g. Toulmin's questions h. Logic i. Argument structures j. Visual arguments k. Sample arguments 7. Writing about Literature a. Reading literature b. Types of assignments c. Tips: writing about literature d. Conventions e. Ten approaches to analysis f. Figurative language g. Writing about prose fiction h. Writing about poetry i. Writing about drama j. Students' essays on literature 8. Writing across the Curriculum a. Different styles, different disciplines b. Humanities and the arts c. Sciences, medicine, mathematics d. Social sciences e. Interdisciplinary courses f. Community service learning g. Oral reports h. Portfolios 9. Writing under Pressure a. Essay exams b. Terms used in assignments c. Short-answer tests d. Assignment deadlines III. Writing with Technology and Writing for Work 10. Designing Documents/Using Word a. Word processing programs, software, Web sites b. Tools for revising, collaborating c. Microsoft Word d. Typefaces, color, headings, lists, columns e. Tables, graphs, charts, illustrations f. Design principles: brochures, newsletters, flyers g. Formats for college papers (hard copy) 11. Communicating Online a. Writing for online readers b. E-mail netiquette c. E-mail discussion lists, newsgroups, Web forums, bulletin boards d. Chat rooms, MOOs, MUDs e. Virtual classrooms 12. Writing Online for Academic Purposes a. The nature of hypertext b. HTML c. Posting academic writing online 13. Designing a Personal Web Site a. Planning, organizing b. Tips for design c. Useful resources d. Sample student Web sites 14. Writing for Employment a. Resume length, format b. Resume content c. Electronic resumes d. Job application letters e. Writing after interview 15. Writing in the Work World a. Business letters b. Memos c. PowerPoint and other tools B. Working on Sentences: Accuracy and Style VI. Common Sentence Problems 16. How a Sentence Works a. Parts of speech b. What a sentence is, needs, and does c. Basis of sentence: subject and predicate d. Phrases e. Independent and dependent clauses f. Sentence types g. Building up sentences 17. Top Ten Sentence Problems: A Checklist 18. Sentence Fragments, Run-ons, and Comma Splices a. What is a fragment? b. Phrase fragment c. Dependent clause fragment d. Fragment with missing subject, verb e. Fragment with part of a compound predicate f. Intentional use of fragments g. Identifying run-on sentences, comma splices h. Correcting run-ons, comma splices 19. Sentence Snarls a. Mixed constructions, faulty comparisons b. Misplaced modifiers c. Dangling modifiers d. Shifts e. Faulty predication: subjects, predicates f. Faulty predication: definitions, reasons g. Adverb clause as subject h. Omitted words, apostrophes i. Restated subject j. Lack of parallelism 20. Verbs a. Verb basics b. Regular, irregular verbs c. Verbs commonly confused d. Do, have, be, modal auxiliaries e. Time and verb tenses f. Present tenses g. Past tenses h. -ed endings: past tense, past participle forms i. Tense shifts j. In indirect quotations k. Conditional l. Passive voice 21. Subject-Verb Agreement a. What is agreement? b. -s ending c. Words between subject and verb d. After linking verb e. When subject follows verb f. Tricky subjects g. Collective nouns h. Compound subjects i. Indefinite pronouns, quantity words j. Demonstrative pronouns, adjectives k. Possessive pronouns l. What clause as subject 22. Pronouns a. Personal pronouns b. Possessive forms c. Clear reference d. Agreement with antecedent e. Gender bias f. Consistent perspective g. Appropriate use of you h. Intensive, reflexive pronouns i. Who/whom, whoever/whomever 23. Adjectives and Adverbs a. Correct forms b. Proper use c. After linking verbs d. Compound adjectives e. Position of adverbs f. Order of adjectives g. Double negatives h. Comparative, superlative forms i. Faulty comparisons 24. Relative Clauses and Relative Pronouns a. Who, whom, whose, which, or that b. Agreement of verb c. After one of, the only one of d. Restrictive, nonrestrictive clauses e. With quantity words f. With prepositions g. That as relative pronoun h. Position of relative clause i. Unnecessary pronoun j. Where, when V. Punctuation, Mechanics, and Spelling 25. Periods, Question Marks, Exclamation Points a. Period b. Question mark c. Exclamation point 26. Commas a. Two checklists--Comma: Yes, Comma: No b. With coordinating conjunctions c. After introductory elements d. With extra (nonrestrictive) elements e. With transitional/explanatory expressions f. With items in a series g. Between coordinate evaluative adjectives h. With a direct quotation i. Special uses j. When not to use commas 27. Semicolons and Colons a. When to use a semicolon b. Between independent clauses c. Between series items d. When not to use a semicolon e. When to use a colon f. When not to use a colon 28. Apostrophes a. Checklists--Apostrophe: Yes, Apostrophe: No b. -'s to signal possession c. With plural nouns ending in -s d. With contractions e. In plurals in special cases f. It's versus its 29. Quotation Marks a. Guidelines b. Introducing, ending quotation c. In dialogue d. Double, single quotation marks e. With titles of short works f. When not to use 30. Other Punctuation Marks a. Dashes b. Parentheses c. Brackets d. Slashes e. Ellipsis dots 31. Italics and Underlining a. Titles of long works b. Main entries in works-cited list c. Transportation d. Letters, numerals, words as wordsRaimes, Ann is the author of 'Universal Keys for Writers' with ISBN 9780618112883 and ISBN 061811288X.