Read To Write: An Interactive Course for Non-Native Speakers of English

An important goal of Read to Write is to make students aware that reading and writing are interconnected and that by developing their skills in one area, they will also develop their skills in the other. Read to Write offers a wide variety of academic and student-generated readings along with a generous list of writing suggestions in every chapter. In addition, each chapter of Read to Write focuses on one of the rhetorical modes and ends with a check list to help students evaluate their work. Additional Highlights Chapter One serves as a basic introduction to reading and writing. In addition to containing a number of introductory readings, Chapter One also reviews basic paragraph writing and introduces essay writing. Chapters Two-Eight are organized around the core rhetorical modes: biography, description, narration, exposition, comparison and contrast, cause and effect, and persuasion. Each chapter presents a patient three-part organization, which allows students to develop their writing skills in a highly systematic way, with ample opportunities for revisions. Within each chapter part, the reading skills of skimming, scanning, inferring, guessing meaning from context, and understanding the main idea are presented in conjunction with the writing skills related to the various rhetorical forms. A generous number of readings are found in each chapter, exposing students to several different essays for each rhetorical form and thus, better preparing them to write in each form. A wide variety of subject matter and different writing styles are presented in each chapter, including authentic material by professional writers and essays written by teachers and international students. These writing styles are often used as models to help students perfect their own writing skills.

PREFACE

CHAPTER ONE: Introduction to Reading and Writing

Part One: The Paragraph

Audience

Purpose

Topic

Narrowing the Topic

Topic Sentence

Controlling Idea

Support

Units

Revising Your Paragraph

Punctuation and Paragraph

Part Two: The Essay

Introduction

Thesis Statement

Supporting Paragraphs

Units

Conclusion

Part Three: Basic Reading Skills

Skimming

Scanning

Vocabulary

Going Further: Idea Generator

CHAPTER TWO: Biography

Part One: Reading and Writing Biography

Activity: Sharing Stories

Biography in the Real World

The Main Idea

Getting Started: Brainstorming with a Time Line

Essay Writing: First Draft

Part Two: Developing Biographies

Organizational Style in Biographical Writing

Inferring Information (1)

Now Revise: Second Draft

Part Three: Refining and Reviewing

Cohesive Devices: Chronological Connectors (1)

Finding Meaning from Context

Final Draft

Going Further: Idea Generator

CHAPTER THREE: Description

Part One: Reading and Writing Description

Activity: Describing and Object

Description in the Real World

Identifying Descriptive Details

Getting Started: Brainstorming Sensory Details

Essay Writing: First Draft

Part Two: Developing Descriptions

Organizational Style in Descriptive Writing

Topic Sentence

Supporting Details

Now Revise: Second Draft

Part Three: Refining and Reviewing

Review of Supporting Details

Descriptive Details

Final Draft

Going Further: Idea Generator

CHAPTER FOUR: Narration

Part One: Reading and Writing Narrative

Activity: Storytelling

Narrative in the Real World

Identifying Audience and Purpose

Getting Started: Don't Take Your Pen Off the Papers

Essay Writing: First Draft

Part Two: Developing Narrations

Organizational Style in Narrative Writing

Adding Detail to Narrative Writing

Quoted and Reported Speech

Now Revise: Second Draft

Part Three: Refining and Reviewing

Cohesive Devices: Chronological Connectors (2)

Inferring Information (2)

Final Draft

Going Further: Idea Generator

CHAPTER FIVE: Exposition

Part One: Reading and Writing Exposition

Activity: Exposing Ideas

Expository Writing in the Real World

Identifying the Purpose of Expository Writing

Getting Started: Brainstorming by Mapping

Essay Writing: First Draft

Part Two: Developing Exposition

Organizational Style in Expository Writing

Introductions

The Funnel Approach

Conclusions

Now Revise: Second Draft

Part Three: Refining and Reviewing

Cohesive Devices: Identifying Important Points

Recognizing Use of Italics, Boldface, and Underlining

Reading Carefully

Final Draft

Going Further: Idea Generator

CHAPTER SIX: Comparison and Contrast

Part One: Reading and Writing Comparison and Contrast

Activity: Identifying Similaritties and Differences

Comparison and Contrast in the Real World

Identifying Similarities and Differences

Getting Started: Brainstorming a Topic

Essay Writing: First Draft

Part Two: Developing Comparison and Contrast

Organizational Style in Comparison and Contrast Writing

Outlining

How Examples Are Used to Support the Thesis Statement

Now Revise: Second Draft

Part Three: Refining and Reviewing

Cohesive Devices: Comparison and Contrast Constructions

Unity within a Paragraph

Final Draft

Going Further: Idea Generator

CHAPTER SEVEN: Cause and Effect

Part One: Reading and Writing Cause and Effect

Activity: Identifying Causes and Effects

Cause and Effect in the Real World

Identifying Causes and Effects

Getting Started: Brainstorming Causes and Effects

Essay Writing: First Draft

Part Two: Developing Cause and Effect

Organizational Style in Cause and Effect Writing

Analyzing Organizational Styles

Making Your Introduction Inviting

The Surprise Introduction

The Dramatic Introduction

Making the Connections between Ideas

Now Revise: Second Draft

Part Three: Refining and Reviewing

Cohesive Devices: Logical Connectors

Thesis Statement

Final Draft

Going Further: Idea Generator

CHAPTER EIGHT: Persuasion

Part One: Reading and Writing Persuasion

Activity: Debating Both Sides of an Issue

Persuasion in the Real World

Identifying Persuasive Support

Examples

Personal Opinion

Citing Authorities

Getting Started: Brainstorming Types of Support

Essay Writing: First Draft

Part Two: Developing Persuasions

Organizational Style in Persuasion Writing

Arguing a Case

Reviewing Rhetorical Forms

Making Your Position Clear: Thesis Statements

Coherence

Now Revise: Second Draft

Part Three: Refining and Reviewing

Review of Cohesive Devices

Review of Transitions between Paragraphs

Using Transitions to Find the Central Points

Final Draft