A Writer’s Reference, 8e
Videos (with writing prompts)
What is a handbook?
How to use the menus and tabs
How to use the index
How to use the charts and checklists
How to find and read documentation directories
Reasons to hang on to your handbook after the course
Tutorials
TUTORIAL 1: Using the menus
TUTORIAL 2: Using the index
TUTORIAL 3: Using the menus or the index
TUTORIAL 4: Using the glossary of usage
TUTORIAL 5: Using the directory to MLA works cited models
C: Composing and Revising
C1: Planning
As you write (writing activities)
Thinking like a college writer
Exploring a subject
Revising a thesis
Exercises
EXERCISE C1–3 Purpose and audience
EXERCISE C1–5 Thesis statements
EXERCISE C1–6 Thesis statements
EXERCISE C1–7 Introductions
C2: Drafting
As you write (writing activities)
Revising an introduction
Revising a conclusion
Managing your files
C3: Reviewing, revising, and editing
As you write (writing activities)
Using reviewers’ comments
Being a peer reviewer
Proofreading your work
Learning from other writers
Exercises
EXERCISE C3–1 Conducting a peer review
EXERCISE C3–2 Choosing an appropriate point of view
Sample student writing
Nguyen, Rough Draft (literacy narrative; peer-reviewed)
Nguyen, “A Place to Begin” (literacy narrative)
C4: Preparing a portfolio; reflecting on your writing
Sample student writing
Bonilla, Reflective Letter for a Portfolio (reflective writing)
C5: Writing paragraphs
As you write (writing activities)
Creating unity
Using transitions
Exercises
EXERCISE C5–2 Topic sentences
EXERCISE C5–3 Transitions
A: Academic Reading, Writing, and Speaking
A1: Reading and writing critically
As you write (writing activities)
Reading actively
Drafting and revising an analytical thesis
Analyzing a text
Developing an analysis
Sample student writing
Sanchez, “Rethinking Big-Box Stores” (analysis of an article)
A2: Reading and writing about images and multimodal texts
As you write (writing activities)
Reading visual texts actively
Analyzing an image or a multimodal text
Drafting and revising an analytical thesis (for an image or a multimodal text)
Learning from other writers
Sample student writing
Yoshida, “Sometimes a Cup of Coffee Is Just a Cup of Coffee” (analysis of an advertisement)
Sample multimodal projects
D'Amato, “Loose Leaf Teas” (Web site), and Williamson, “To the Children of America” (video essay)
A3: Reading arguments
As you write (writing activities)
Evaluating ads for logic and fairness
Identifying appeals
Evaluating an argument
Exercise
EXERCISE A3–2 Evaluating arguments
A4: Writing arguments
As you write (writing activities)
Joining a conversation
Appealing to your readers
Drafting your central claim and supporting claims
Practicing counterargument
Sample student writing
Jacobs, “From Lecture to Conversation: Redefining What’s ‘Fit to Print’” (argument)
A5: Speaking confidently
As you write (writing activities)
Preparing a presentation
Focusing on your delivery
Learning from another speaker
Remixing an essay for an oral presentation
A6: Writing in the disciplines
As you write (writing activities)
Examining the writing in a particular field
Examining a writing assignment from one of your courses
Sample student writing
Charat, “Always Out of Their Seats (and Fighting): Why Are Boys Diagnosed With ADHD More Often Than Girls?” (literature review)
Johnson/Arnold, “Distribution Pattern of Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) on an Abandoned Golf Course” (lab report)
Riss, “Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia and Hypertension in One Client” (nursing practice paper)
S: Sentence Style
S1: Parallelism
Exercises
EXERCISE S1–2 Parallelism
EXERCISE S1–3 Identifying parallel structure
EXERCISE S1–4 Parallelism
EXERCISE S1–5 Parallelism
EXERCISE S1–6 Correcting faulty parallelism
S2: Needed words
Exercises
EXERCISE S2–2 Needed words
EXERCISE S2–3 Needed words
EXERCISE S2–4 Needed words
EXERCISE S2–5 Needed words
S3: Problems with modifiers
Exercises
EXERCISE S3–2 Awkward and misplaced modifiers
EXERCISE S3–3 Misplaced modifiers
EXERCISE S3–4 Misplaced modifiers
EXERCISE S3–5 Misplaced modifiers
EXERCISE S3–7 Dangling modifiers
EXERCISE S3–8 Dangling modifiers
EXERCISE S3–9 Dangling modifiers
EXERCISE S3–10 Dangling modifiers
S4: Shifts
Exercises
EXERCISE S4–2 Shifts: person and number
EXERCISE S4–4 Shifts: tense
EXERCISE S4–7 Shifts: mood and voice, questions and quotations
EXERCISE S4–8 Shifts: mood and voice, questions and quotations
EXERCISE S4–9 All shifts
EXERCISE S4–10 Editing for shifts
EXERCISE S4–11 All shifts
S5: Mixed constructions
Exercises
EXERCISE S5–2 Mixed constructions
EXERCISE S5–3 Mixed constructions
EXERCISE S5–4 Mixed constructions
EXERCISE S5–5 Mixed constructions
S6: Sentence emphasis
Exercises
EXERCISE S6–3 Using coordination and subordination
EXERCISE S6–4 Using coordination and subordination
EXERCISE S6–5 Identifying sentence emphasis
EXERCISE S6–6 Combining choppy sentences
EXERCISE S6–7 Using coordination and subordination
EXERCISE S6–9 Using Subordination
EXERCISE S6–11 Using coordination and subordination
EXERCISE S6–12 Using coordination and subordination
S7: Sentence variety
Exercise
EXERCISE S7–3 Sentence variety
W: Word Choice
W2: Wordy sentences
Exercises
EXERCISE W2–3 Wordy sentences
EXERCISE W2–4 Wordy sentences
EXERCISE W2–5 Wordy sentences
EXERCISE W2–6 Wordy sentences
EXERCISE W2–7 Wordy sentences
W3: Active verbs
Exercises
EXERCISE W3–2 Active and passive voice
EXERCISE W3–3 Identifying active and passive voice
EXERCISE W3–4 Active vs. passive voice
EXERCISE W3–5 Active vs. be verbs
EXERCISE W3–6 Active verbs
W4: Appropriate language
Exercises
EXERCISE W4–2 Jargon
EXERCISE W4–3 Jargon
EXERCISE W4–7 Sexist language
EXERCISE W4–8 Sexist language
EXERCISE W4–9 Sexist language
W5: Exact language
Exercises
EXERCISE W5–3 Misused words
EXERCISE W5–4 Misused words
EXERCISE W5–6 Standard idioms
EXERCISE W5–7 Standard idioms
EXERCISE W5–9 Clichés and figures of speech
EXERCISE W5–10 Clichés and figures of speech
G: Grammatical Sentences
G1: Subject-verb agreement
Exercises
EXERCISE G1–3 Subject-verb agreement
EXERCISE G1–4 Subject-verb agreement
EXERCISE G1–5 Subject-verb agreement
EXERCISE G1–6 Subject-verb agreement
G2: Verb forms, tenses, and moods
Exercises
EXERCISE G2–2 Irregular verbs
EXERCISE G2–3 Irregular verbs
EXERCISE G2–4 Irregular verbs
EXERCISE G2–6 Standard English verb forms
EXERCISE G2–7 Standard English verb forms
EXERCISE G2–8 Standard English verb forms
EXERCISE G2–10 Verb tense and mood
EXERCISE G2–11 Verb tense and mood
EXERCISE G2–12 Verb tense and mood
G3: Pronouns
Exercises
EXERCISE G3–3 Pronoun-antecedent agreement
EXERCISE G3–4 Pronoun-antecedent agreement
EXERCISE G3–5 Pronoun-antecedent agreement
EXERCISE G3–6 Pronoun-antecedent agreement
EXERCISE G3–9 Pronoun reference
EXERCISE G3–10 Pronoun reference
EXERCISE G3–11 Pronoun reference
EXERCISE G3–12 Pronoun reference
EXERCISE G3–15 Pronoun case (such as I vs. me)
EXERCISE G3–16 Pronoun case (such as I vs. me)
EXERCISE G3–17 Pronoun case (such as I vs. me)
EXERCISE G3–19 Pronoun case (who vs. whom)
EXERCISE G3–20 Pronoun case (who vs. whom)
EXERCISE G3–21 Pronoun case: review
EXERCISE G3–22 Pronoun case: review
G4: Adjectives and adverbs
Exercises
EXERCISE G4–3 Adjectives and adverbs
EXERCISE G4–4 Adjectives and adverbs
EXERCISE G4–5 Adjectives and adverbs
G5: Sentence fragments
Exercises
EXERCISE G5–3 Sentence fragments
EXERCISE G5–4 Sentence fragments
EXERCISE G5–5 Sentence fragments
EXERCISE G5–6 Repairing sentence fragments
EXERCISE G5–7 Repairing sentence fragments
G6: Run-on sentences
Exercises
EXERCISE G6–4 Run-on sentences
EXERCISE G6–5 Run-on sentences
EXERCISE G6–6 Run-on sentences
EXERCISE G6–7 Run-on sentences
EXERCISE G6–8 Revising run-on sentences
EXERCISE G6–9 Revising run-on sentences
M: Multilingual Writers and ESL Challenges
M1: Verbs
Exercises
EXERCISE M1–2 Verb forms and tenses
EXERCISE M1–3 Verb forms and tenses
EXERCISE M1–5 Verb forms with modals
EXERCISE M1–6 Verb forms with modals
EXERCISE M1–8 Verbs in negative and conditional sentences
EXERCISE M1–9 Verbs in conditional sentences
EXERCISE M1–11 Verbs followed by gerunds or infinitives
EXERCISE M1–12 Verbs followed by gerunds or infinitives
EXERCISE M1–13 Using verbs: review
M2: Articles
Exercises
EXERCISE M2–3 Using articles
EXERCISE M2–4 Using articles
EXERCISE M2–5 Using articles
EXERCISE M2–6 Using articles
M3: Sentence structure
Exercises
EXERCISE M3–2 Omissions and repetitions
EXERCISE M3–3 Omissions and repetitions
EXERCISE M3–5 Sentence structure
EXERCISE M3–6 Sentence structure
M4: Using adjectives
Exercises
EXERCISE M4–2 Present vs. past participles
EXERCISE M4–3 Present vs. past participles
EXERCISE M4–5 Using cumulative adjectives
EXERCISE M4–6 Using cumulative adjectives
M5: Prepositions and idiomatic expressions
Exercises
EXERCISE M5–2 Prepositions showing time and place
EXERCISE M5–3 Prepositions showing time and place
P: Punctuation and Mechanics
P1: The comma
Exercises
EXERCISE P1–3 Commas with independent clauses and introductory elements
EXERCISE P1–4 Commas with independent clauses and introductory elements
EXERCISE P1–7 Commas with series and with adjectives
EXERCISE P1–8 Commas with series and with adjectives
EXERCISE P1–10 Commas with nonrestrictive elements
EXERCISE P1–13 Major uses of the comma
EXERCISE P1–14 Major uses of the comma
EXERCISE P1–15 Major uses of the comma
EXERCISE P1–16 Major uses of the comma
EXERCISE P1–17 All uses of the comma
P2: Unnecessary commas
Exercises
EXERCISE P2–3 Unnecessary commas
EXERCISE P2–4 Misuses of the comma
EXERCISE P2–5 Misuses of the comma
P3: The semicolon and the colon
Exercises
EXERCISE P3–3 The semicolon and the comma
EXERCISE P3–4 The semicolon and the comma
EXERCISE P3–5 The semicolon and the comma
EXERCISE P3–6 The semicolon and the comma
EXERCISE P3–8 The colon, the semicolon, and the comma
EXERCISE P3–9 The colon, the semicolon, and the comma
P4: The apostrophe
Exercises
EXERCISE P4–3 The apostrophe
EXERCISE P4–4 The apostrophe
EXERCISE P4–5 The apostrophe
P5: Quotation marks
Exercises
EXERCISE P5–3 Quotation marks
EXERCISE P5–4 Quotation marks
EXERCISE P5–5 Quotation marks
P6: Other punctuation marks
Exercises
EXERCISE P6–2 End punctuation
EXERCISE P6–4 Other punctuation marks
EXERCISE P6–5 Other punctuation marks
P7: Spelling and hyphenation
Exercises
EXERCISE P7–2 Spelling
EXERCISE P7–4 The hyphen
EXERCISE P7–5 The hyphen
P8: Capitalization
Exercises
EXERCISE P8–2 Capitalization
EXERCISE P8–3 Capitalization
P9: Abbreviations and numbers
Exercises
EXERCISE P9–2 Abbreviations
EXERCISE P9–3 Abbreviations
EXERCISE P9–5 Numbers
EXERCISE P9–6 Numbers
P10: Italics
Exercises
EXERCISE P10–2 Italics
EXERCISE P10–3 Italics
B: Basic Grammar
B1: Parts of speech
Exercises
EXERCISE B1–2 Identifying nouns
EXERCISE B1–3 Parts of speech: nouns
EXERCISE B1–4 Parts of speech: nouns
EXERCISE B1–6 Identifying pronouns
EXERCISE B1–7 Parts of speech: pronouns
EXERCISE B1–8 Parts of speech: pronouns
EXERCISE B1–10 Identifying verbs
EXERCISE B1–11 Parts of speech: verbs
EXERCISE B1–12 Parts of speech: verbs
EXERCISE B1–14 Identifying adjectives and adverbs
EXERCISE B1–15 Parts of speech: adjectives
EXERCISE B1–16 Parts of speech: adjectives
EXERCISE B1–17 Parts of speech: adverbs
EXERCISE B1–18 Parts of speech: adverbs
EXERCISE B1–19 All parts of speech
EXERCISE B1–20 All parts of speech
B2: Sentence patterns
Exercises
EXERCISE B2–2 Identifying complete subjects
EXERCISE B2–3 Subjects
EXERCISE B2–4 Subjects
EXERCISE B2–7 Subject complements and direct objects
EXERCISE B2–8 Subject complements and direct objects
EXERCISE B2–9 Indirect objects and object complements
EXERCISE B2–10 Indirect objects and object complements
EXERCISE B2–11 All objects and complements
EXERCISE B2–12 Linking, transitive, and intransitive verbs
B3: Subordinate word groups
Exercises
EXERCISE B3–2 Prepositional phrases
EXERCISE B3–3 Prepositional phrases
EXERCISE B3–4 Prepositional phrases
EXERCISE B3–5 Objects of prepositions
EXERCISE B3–7 Verbal phrases
EXERCISE B3–8 Verbal phrases
EXERCISE B3–9 Verbal phrases
EXERCISE B3–11 Subordinate clauses
EXERCISE B3–12 Subordinate clauses
EXERCISE B3–13 Subordinate clauses
EXERCISE B3–14 Subjects of subordinate clauses
EXERCISE B3–15 Phrases and clauses
B4: Sentence types
Exercises
EXERCISE B4–2 Sentence types
EXERCISE B4–3 Sentence types
R: Researching
R1: Thinking like a researcher; gathering sources
As you write (writing activities)
Managing the project
Posing questions worth exploring
Writing a research proposal
Finding research help
Locating sources using online tools and databases
Exercise
EXERCISE R1–1 Research questions
R2: Managing information; taking notes responsibly
As you write (writing activities)
Taking notes to avoid plagiarism
Finding research help
Choosing a documentation style
R3: Evaluating sources
As you write (writing activities)
Planning with sources
Evaluating sources you find on the Web
Developing an annotated bibliography
Sample student writing
Orlov, “Online Monitoring: A Threat to Employee Privacy in the Wired Workplace: An Annotated Bibliography” (annotated bibliography; MLA)
Niemeyer, “Keynesian Policy: Implications for the Current U.S. Economic Crisis” (annotated bibliography; APA)
MLA: MLA Papers
MLA-1: Supporting a thesis
Exercises
EXERCISE MLA 1–1 Thesis statements in MLA papers
EXERCISE MLA 1–2 Thesis statements in MLA papers
MLA-2: Citing sources; avoiding plagiarism
Exercises
EXERCISE MLA 2–1 Avoiding plagiarism in MLA papers
EXERCISE MLA 2–2 Avoiding plagiarism in MLA papers
EXERCISE MLA 2–3 Avoiding plagiarism in MLA papers
EXERCISE MLA 2–4 Avoiding plagiarism in MLA papers
EXERCISE MLA 2–5 Avoiding plagiarism in MLA papers
EXERCISE MLA 2–6 Recognizing common knowledge in MLA papers
MLA-3: Integrating sources
Exercises
EXERCISE MLA 3–1 Integrating sources in MLA papers
EXERCISE MLA 3–2 Integrating sources in MLA papers
EXERCISE MLA 3–3 Integrating sources in MLA papers
EXERCISE MLA 3–4 Integrating sources in MLA papers
EXERCISE MLA 3–5 Integrating sources in MLA papers
MLA-4: Documenting sources
Exercises
EXERCISE MLA 4–1 MLA documentation: in-text citations
EXERCISE MLA 4–2 MLA documentation: in-text citations
EXERCISE MLA 4–3 MLA documentation: in-text citations
EXERCISE MLA 4–4 MLA documentation: identifying elements of sources
EXERCISE MLA 4–5 MLA documentation: works cited
EXERCISE MLA 4–6 MLA documentation: works cited
EXERCISE MLA 4–7 MLA documentation: works cited
EXERCISE MLA 4–8 MLA documentation
MLA-5: Manuscript format; sample research paper
Sample student writing
Orlov, “Online Monitoring: A Threat to Employee Privacy in the Wired Workplace” (research; MLA)
APA: APA Papers
APA-1: Supporting a thesis
Exercises
EXERCISE APA 1–1 Thesis statements in APA papers
EXERCISE APA 1–2 Thesis statements in APA papers
APA-2: Citing sources; avoiding plagiarism
Exercises
EXERCISE APA 2–1 Avoiding plagiarism in APA papers
EXERCISE APA 2–2 Avoiding plagiarism in APA papers
EXERCISE APA 2–3 Avoiding plagiarism in APA papers
EXERCISE APA 2–4 Avoiding plagiarism in APA papers
EXERCISE APA 2–5 Recognizing common knowledge in APA papers
EXERCISE APA 2–6 Avoiding plagiarism in APA papers
EXERCISE APA 2–7 Avoiding plagiarism in APA papers
APA-3: Integrating sources
Exercises
EXERCISE APA 3–1 Integrating sources in APA papers
EXERCISE APA 3–2 Integrating sources in APA papers
EXERCISE APA 3–3 Integrating sources in APA papers
EXERCISE APA 3–4 Integrating sources in APA papers
EXERCISE APA 3–5 Integrating sources in APA papers
EXERCISE APA 3–6 Integrating sources in APA papers
EXERCISE APA 3–7 Integrating sources in APA papers
APA-4: Documenting sources
Exercises
EXERCISE APA 4–1 APA documentation: in-text citations
EXERCISE APA 4–2 APA documentation: in-text citations
EXERCISE APA 4–3 APA documentation: in-text citations
EXERCISE APA 4–4 APA documentation: identifying elements of sources
EXERCISE APA 4–5 APA documentation: reference list
EXERCISE APA 4–6 APA documentation: reference list
EXERCISE APA 4–7 APA documentation: reference list
EXERCISE APA 4–8 APA documentation
EXERCISE APA 4–9 APA documentation: in-text citations
EXERCISE APA 4–10 APA documentation: in-text citations
EXERCISE APA 4–11 APA documentation: in-text citations
EXERCISE APA 4–12 APA documentation: reference list
APA-5: Manuscript format; sample research paper
Sample student writing
Mirano, “Can Medication Cure Obesity in Children? A Review of the Literature” (literature review; APA)
CMS: CMS (Chicago) Papers
CMS-1: Supporting a thesis
Exercises
EXERCISE CMS 1–1 Thesis statements in Chicago (CMS) papers
EXERCISE CMS 1–2 Thesis statements in Chicago (CMS) papers
CMS-2: Citing sources; avoiding plagiarism
Exercises
EXERCISE CMS 2–1 Avoiding plagiarism in Chicago (CMS) papers
EXERCISE CMS 2–2 Avoiding plagiarism in Chicago (CMS) papers
EXERCISE CMS 2–3 Avoiding plagiarism in Chicago papers
EXERCISE CMS 2–4 Avoiding plagiarism in Chicago papers
EXERCISE CMS 2–5 Avoiding plagiarism in Chicago papers
EXERCISE CMS 2–6 Recognizing common knowledge in Chicago papers
EXERCISE CMS 2–7 Avoiding plagiarism in Chicago papers
CMS-3: Integrating sources
Exercises
EXERCISE CMS 3–1 Integrating sources in Chicago (CMS) papers
EXERCISE CMS 3–2 Integrating sources in Chicago (CMS) papers
EXERCISE CMS 3–3 Integrating sources in Chicago (CMS) papers
EXERCISE CMS 3–4 Integrating sources in Chicago papers
EXERCISE CMS 3–5 Integrating sources in Chicago papers
EXERCISE CMS 3–6 Integrating sources in Chicago papers
CMS-4: Documenting sources
Exercises
EXERCISE CMS 4–1 Chicago documentation: identifying elements of sources
EXERCISE CMS 4–2 Chicago (CMS) documentation: notes
EXERCISE CMS 4–3 Chicago (CMS) documentation: notes
EXERCISE CMS 4–4 Chicago documentation: notes
EXERCISE CMS 4–5 Chicago documentation: bibliography
EXERCISE CMS 4–6 Chicago documentation: bibliography
EXERCISE CMS 4–7 Chicago documentation: bibliography
EXERCISE CMS 4–8 Chicago documentation
EXERCISE CMS 4–9 Chicago documentation: notes
CMS-5: Manuscript format; sample pages
Sample student writing
Bishop, “The Massacre at Fort Pillow: Holding Nathan Bedford Forrest Accountable” (research; Chicago)