Includes essay guides, bibliographical references and appendices.

"The underlying assumptions of this book are 1) developmental students learn best by following clear guidelines and structures; 2) they acquire skills easier by engaging in hands-on activities; and 3) they relate to their peers ' writing samples better than they relate to professional writings.

Based on these assumptions, we have presented our text in simple, clear language and in an easy-to-follow and highly visual format. We have designed exercises that engage students in hands-on activities, and we draw most of the examples from our students' writings. All of the sample essays used are our students' essays. The whole book is truly centered on our students, whose genuine voices are heard throughout the book." (Preface, p. ix)

CONTENTS

Preface

Acknowledgments

1. Introduction to the Essay
I. What Is an Essay?
II. The Structure of the Essay
III. Qualities of Good Writing

2. Introduction to the Writing Process

I. Prewriting Stage

I) Purpose

II) Audience

III) Generating Ideas
A. Brainstorming
B. Listing
C. Clustering
D. Focused Free-Writing

IV) Organizing Ideas
A. Methods of Organization
a. Spatial Order
b. Chronological Order
c. Emphatic Order/Order of Importance
B. Preparing an Outline

II. Drafting Stage

III. Revising Stage

IV. Editing Stage

V. Publishing Stage

3. Writing Strategies for Essay Components

I. Strategies for Writing a Good Introduction

I) Lead-in
A. What Is a Lead-in?
B. How to Write a Lead-in

II) Thesis Statement
A. What Is a Thesis Statement?
B. How to Write a Thesis Statement and Essay Map
C. What to Avoid When Writing a Thesis Statement
a. Avoid Using Vague Terms
b. Avoid Announcing the Topic

II. Strategies for Writing a Good Body Paragraph

I) Topic Sentence
A. What Is a Topic Sentence?
B. How to Write a Topic Sentence

II. Using Supporting Details
A. Using Specific Details
B. Using Relevant Details
C. Using Coherent Details

III) Closing Remarks

III. Strategies for Writing a Good Conclusion

I) What Is a Conclusion?

II) How to Write a Conclusion
A. Strategy for Writing a Concluding Paragraph in a Persuasive Essay
B. Strategy for Writing a Good Concluding Paragraph in Other Modes of Writing

4. Essay Modes

I. Narration Essay
I) What Is Narration?
II) How to Write a Narrative Essay

II. Description Essay
I) What Is a Description Essay?
II) How to Write a Description Essay

III. Illustration Essay
I) What Is an Illustration Essay?
II) How to Write an Illustration Essay

IV. Process Analysis Essay
I) What Is a Process Analysis Essay?
II) How to Write a Process Analysis Essay

V. Classification Essay
I) What Is a Classification Essay?
II) How to Write a Classification Essay

VI. Definition Essay
I) What Is a Definition Essay?
II) How to Write a Definition Essay

VII. Cause and Effect Essay
I) What Is a Cause and Effect Essay?
II) How to Write a Cause and Effect Essay

VIII. Comparison and Contrast Essay
I) What Is a Comparison and Contrast Essay?
II) How to Write a Comparison and Contrast Essay

IX. Persuasion Essay
I) What Is a Persuasion Essay?
II) How to Write a Persuasion Essay

5. Hints for Better Writing
I. Ways to Create Effective Language
II. Avoiding Pitfalls
III. Correcting Common Errors
IV. How to Write Reading Responses

APPENDICES

Appendix I - Writing Projects

Appendix II - Essay Planning Guides

Appendix III - Developmental English Grading Rubric

Appendix IV - Student Essays
1. Career Choices: Certificate Program Versus Four-Year Degree Program
2. Ramifications of an Associate's Degree
3. Children Exposed to Violence
4. Controversy over Stem Cell Research

Appendix V - Exercises for the Reference List in APA Style

1. Introduction to the Essay
I. What is an essay?
The structure of the essay
Qualities of good writing
2. Introduction to the writing process
I. Prewriting stage
I) Purpose
II) Audience
III) Generating ideas
A. Brainstorming
B. Listing
C. Clustering
D. Focused Free-Writing
IV) Organizing Ideas
A. Methods of Organization
a. Spatial order
b. chronological order
Emphatic order / Order of importance
B. Preparing an outline
II. Drafting stage
III. Revising stage
IV. Editing stage
V. Publishing stage
3. Writing strategies for essay components
I. Strategies for writing a good introduction
I). Lead-in
A. What is a lead-in?
B. How to write a lead-in
II). Thesis statement
A. What is a thesis statement?
B. How to write a thesis statement and essay map
C. What to avoid when writing a thesis statement
a. Avoid using vague terms
b. Avoid announcing the topic
II. Strategies for writing a good body paragraph
I). Topic sentence
A. What is a topic sentence?
B. How to write a topic sentence
II). Using supporting details
A. Using specific details
B. Using relevant details
C. Using coherent details
III). Closing remarks
III. Strategies for writing a good conclusion
I). What is a conclusion?
II). How to write a conclusion
A. Strategy for writing a concluding paragraph in a persuasive essay
B. Strategy for writing a good concluding paragraph in other modes of writing
4. Essay Modes
I. Narration Essay
I). What is Narration?
II). How to write a narrative essay
II. Description Essay
I). What is a description essay?
II). How to write a description essay?
III. Illustration Essay
I) What is an illustration essay?
II). How to write a process analysis paper
V. Classification Essay
I). What is classification?
II). How to write a classification paper
VI. Definition Essay
I). What is a Definition Essay?
II). How to write a definition essay.
VII. Cause and Effect Essay
I). What is a Cause& What is an Effect?
II). How to write a cause and effect essay.
VIII. Comparison and Contrast Essay
I). What is comparison and contrast?
II). How to write a comparison and contrast essay
IX. Persuasion Essay
I). What is a Persuasive Essay?
II). How to write a Persuasive Essay.
5. Hints for Better Writing
I. Ways to create effective language
II. Avoiding Pitfalls
III. Correcting Common Errors
IV. How to write reading responses
Appendices:
Appendix I - Writing Projects
Appendix II - Essay Planning Guides
Appendix III - Developmental English Grading Rubric
Appendix IV - Student Essays
1. Career Choices : Certificate progrtam versus four-year degree program
2. Ramifications of an Associate's Degree
3. Children Exposed to Violence
4. Controversy over stem cell research
Appendix V - Exercises for the Reference list in APA style