Reasoning & Writing Well: A Rhetoric, Research Guide, Reader, and Handbook

This modes-based reader/rhetoric/handbook offers students a comprehensive and student friendly approach to the writing process that emphasizes critical thinking as the key to successful college writing.

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Contents

A Note to Instructors

Rhetoric and Research Writing Guide

PART 1, The Context of Writing

CHAPTER 1, The Rhetorical Situation and the Writing Process

Why Learn to Reason and Write Well?

Writing Sharpens Thinking Skills

Writing Opens Opportunities to Learn

Writing Nurtures Personal Development

Writing Helps to Establish Relationships

Writing Fosters Success in College and the Workplace

What Is the Rhetorical Situation?

Occasion for Writing

Purpose for Writing

The General Purpose

The Specific Purpose

Writing a Purpose Statement

Topic

Audience

Voice of the Writer

The Writing Process

Writing and Ethics

Thinking about What You Have Learned

For Your Reference: Reading, Summarizing, and Other Study Skills

Practice

CHAPTER 2, Thinking Rhetorically

Thinking about the Writer’s Voice

Workplace Case Study: A Series of Collection Letters

How Should a Writer¹s Voice Sound?

Word Choice Influences Voice

Considering How Casual Conversation Differs from Focused Writing

Thinking about Usage: Standard and Nonstandard

Standard Usage

Nonstandard Usage

Dialect and Regionalism

Where are Usage Labels and Abbreviations Found?

What If Dictionaries Disagree?

Three Vocabularies: Speaking, Writing, and Reading

Thinking about Levels of Formality

Informal Standard English

Watch the Pronouns

Mixing Levels of Formality

Professional English

Formal English

Considering Four Common Concerns

Slang and Abbreviations

Misused Colloquialisms

Switching Pronouns in Mid-Sentence

Using Prescriptive Tone Appropriately

Diplomatic Strategies

Thinking about What You Have Learned

Test Yourself

Practice

Test Yourself Answers

CHAPTER 3, Beginning to Think Critically: Accuracy and Ethics

Why are Accuracy and Truth Important?

Employers Expect the Truth

An Audience Expects the Truth

Truth Is the Cornerstone of Trust

Evaluating: Searching for Truth

What is an "Established" Fact?

Evidence Accepted as Fact in Court

Inferences are Unproven

Value Judgments and Point of View

Evaluating the Writer¹s Voice

Four Ways Misinformation Arises

Expert Opinion Sometimes Changes

A Small Survey Is Inadequate Proof

Facts Are Misstated and Overstated

Stereotyping Shuts Out Fact

Ethical Considerations: Writing Responsibly

Limiting Unsound Generalizations

Using Absolute Terms Accurately

Identifying Inferences and Other Opinions

Revising for Accuracy

Thinking about What You Have Learned

Test Yourself

Practice

Test Yourself Answers

CHAPTER 4, Prewriting and Drafting: Discovering and Developing Ideas

I. Prewriting Strategies

Freewriting

Brainstorming

Clustering

Questioning

Keeping a Journal

II. Strategies for Drafting

Fleshing Out Prewriting Notes

Turn Off Your Internal Censor

When Ideas Disappear

Focusing on Exploratory Draft

Narrowing a Topic

Case Study: Nita Narrows Her Topic

Identifying the Audience and Writing a Purpose Statement

Drafting a Basic Thesis Statement

Where Should the Thesis Go?

Omitting a Thesis Statement

Starting a Scratch Outline

Selecting a Title

Drafting an Introduction

Begin with an Anecdote that Sets the Scene

Overuse of the Pronoun I

Guideline for using the Pronoun I

Begin with a Description

Begin by Stating a Problem

Begin with a Surprising Statistic or Striking Bit of History

Begin by Disputing a Common Belief or Defying a Stereotype

Seven Basic Ways to Organize a Draft

Chronological Order

Spatial Order

Order of Importance

Order of Generality

Order of Formation

Order of Complexity

Order of Materiality

Writing an Effective Conclusion

End by Referring Back to the Thesis

End with a Personal Response

End on a Note of Optimism

End with a Reference to a Benefit

End with an Unexpected Twist

Drafting on a Computer

Thinking about What You Have Learned

Practice

PART 2, REVISION WORKSHOP: RETHINKING THE DRAFT

Overview: How Does the Rhetorical Situation Affect Information Design?

CHAPTER 5, Considering REVISING, EDITING, AND PROOFREADING

How Do You Become Your Own Editor?

Revision: Stage 3 of the Writing Process

Five Major Steps of Revision

1. Acknowledge the Need

2. Read and Question

3. Reread and Mark the Draft

4. Revise and Refine

5. Let Cool, Then Check the Focus

Refocusing a Draft

Focusing the title

Creating an Intriguing Title

Outlining

Finding a Fresh Perspective

Clarifying the Draft

Revising Sluggish Openings

Revising the Body

Revising the Conclusion

Case Study: A Series of Student Outlines and Drafts

Editing and Proofreading: Stage 4 of the Writing Process

Major Tasks in Editing and Proofreading

Marking the Revised Draft

Making Sentences Clear and Concise

Finding, Fresh Language

Create a Simile or Metaphor

Experiment with Alliteration and Rhyme

Proofreading Effectively

Peer Review: Helping to Improve Each Others’ Writing

Thinking about What You Have Learned

Practice

CHAPTER 6, Revising Paragraphs

Qualities of Effective Paragraphs

Interest

Unity

Completeness

Coherence

Clarity

Elements of an Effective Paragraph

The Topic Sentence

Support Sentences

A Concluding Sentence

Prewriting and Drafting Paragraphs

Narrowing a Topic Sentence

Positioning the Topic Sentence

The Topic Sentence at the Beginning

The Topic Sentence in the Middle

The Topic Sentence at the End

Unifying a Paragraph without a Topic Sentence

Adjusting Paragraph Length

Strategies to Organize and Develop Paragraphs

Narrative Paragraphs

Descriptive Paragraphs

Process Analysis Paragraphs

Illustration Paragraphs

Comparison or Contrast Paragraphs

Paragraphs of Definition

Transitional Paragraphs

Thinking about What You Have Learned

Practice

CHAPTER 7, Restyling Sentences

Strategies for Effective Sentences

Choosing an Effective Voice for Verbs

Favoring the Active Voice

Using Understood You

Replacing Forms of Be

Crafting Sentences and Punctuating

The Simple Sentence

The Compound Sentence

Coordinating Conjunctions

Avoiding Comma Splices and Fused Sentences

The Complex Sentence

The Compound Complex Sentence

The Periodic Sentence

Sentence Length

Positioning Elements within the Sentence

Moving Elements in Independent Clauses

Moving Modifiers and Adding Commas

Using Expletives

Creating Parallel Structures

Parallel Items in a Series

Parallel Items in Pairs

Parallel Comparisons

Parallel Correlative Conjunctions

Chopping out Deadwood

Unnecessary References to Self

Unnecessary Prepositional Phrases

Condensing Adjective Clauses

Thinking about What You Have Learned

Test Yourself

Practice

Test Yourself Answers

CHAPTER 8, Selecting Effective Words

Advantages of Reading

Improving Word Choice

Making the Message Clear

Using Abstract Words

Choosing Concrete Words

Moving from General to Specific

Scholarly or Simple Words?

Considering Technical Jargon

Making the Message Appropriate

Weeding Out Trite Language and Clichés

Distinguishing Denotation from Connotation

Considering Euphemisms

Thinking about Positive and Negative Words

Focusing on the Positive

Using Negative Prefixes

Using Courtesy Words

Using Inclusive Language in the Workplace

Replacing Sexist Terms with Gender-free Terms

Avoiding Generational Conflict

Replacing Other Offensive Terms with Respectful Terms

How When, and Where Will You Deliver the Message?

Thinking about What You Have Learned

Test Yourself

Practice

Test Yourself Answer

Part 3: WRITING STRATEGIES