Includes bibliographical references and index.

"Designed to prepare ESL students for the demands of academic writing, TRANSITIONS helps students move from writing paragraphs to essays and from concrete to abstract writing topics. Thematically arranged, the text integrates reading, writing, and grammar activities into each chapter while emphasizing the writing process and peer editing.

The Second Edition updates the readings-written by a wide range of culturally diverse, international authors-and adds new supplemental reading lists to most chapters. To move students more quickly into essay writing, the Second Edition reduces the number of paragraph-writing assignments.

Although intended for academically oriented intermediate to low-advanced ESL students, TRANSITIONS is flexible, allowing instructors to adapt it to various skill levels and different types of programs. The Instructor's Manual offers advice on tailoring the text to student needs and provides additional activities and exercises." (Book Cover)

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Preface

Part I: Descriptive Paragraphs

1: Writing about a Treasured Possession
From NICHOLAS GAGE, A Place for Us
Writing Assignment: Writing about a Treasured Possession
Guidelines on Paragraph Writing
What Is a Paragraph?
Activity 1.1: Developing the Central Point
Paragraph Unity
Activity 1.2: Looking for Paragraph Unity Problems
Overview of the Writing Process
The Prewriting Stage
The Drafting Stage
The Revising and Editing Stages
Prewriting: Gathering Ideas
Descriptive Details
Activity 1.3: Using Concrete and Specific Details
Clustering
Explaining the Point of Your Paragraph
Drafting
Revising
The Importance of Peer Response
Activity 1.4: Evaluating a Student's Paragraph
Activity 1.5: Peer Response
Editing: Present Tense and Past Tense
What Is Tense?
Using Present Tense or Past Tense in Your Paragraph
Using the Present Tense
Activity 1.6: Looking for Present Tense Verbs
Formation of the Present Tense
Using the Past Tense
Activity 1.7: Discovering the Meanings of the Past Tense
Formation of the Past Tense
Problems with the Past Tense
Activity 1.8: Using Time Signals
Activity 1.9: Editing Practice for Present and Past Tenses
Activity 1.10: Editing Practice for Subject/Verb Agreement
Editing Checklist

2: Writing about a Special Place
From VED MEHTA, Sound-Shadows of the New World
Writing Assignment: Writing about a Special Place
Guidelines on Descriptive Writing
The Central Point
Descriptive Details
Conveying Your Central Point to the Reader
Activity 2.1: Using a Direct Statement of the Central Point
Activity 2.2: Letting the Details Suggest the Point
Activity 2.3: Using a Simile
Activity 2.4: Using a Metaphor
Prewriting: Gathering Ideas by Freewriting
Drafting
Revising
Activity 2.5: Peer Response
Editing: Sentence Structure
What Is a Sentence? A Problem with Sentence Structure: Fragments
Activity 2.6: Correcting Fragments
Sentence Variety
Activity 2.7: Varying Sentence Style
Varying Sentence Structure
Coordination: Forming Compound Sentences
Activity 2.8: Building Compound Sentences
Activity 2.9: Using Coordinate Conjunctions
Activity 2.10: Editing for Comma Splices, Run-Ons, and Fragments
Editing Checklist

PART II: EXPOSITORY PARAGRAPHS

3: Writing about a Favorite Activity or Hobby
From EDWARD O. WILSON, Naturalist
Writing Assignments: Writing about a Favorite Activity or Hobby
Guidelines on Expository Writing
Topic Sentence
Activity 3.1: Locating the Topic Sentence
Evidence and Analysis
Activity 3.2: Locating the Evidence
Activity 3.3: Locating the Analysis
Prewriting: Gathering Ideas by Tree Diagraming
Using a Box Diagram to Organize Your Ideas
Drafting
Revising
Activity 3.4: Evaluating Two Students' Paragraphs
Activity 3.5: Peer Response
Editing: Adverbial Clauses
What Is an Adverbial Clause?
Subordinate Conjunctions as Logical Connectors
Activity 3.6: Signaling Time Activity 3.7: Signaling Place
Activity 3.8: Signaling Contrast
Activity 3.9: Signaling Manner
Activity 3.10: Signaling Cause
Activity 3.11: Using Subordinate Conjunctions
Editing Checklist

4: Writing about a Custom
From BOYD GIBBONS, The South Koreans
From MARK SALZMAN, Iron and Silk
Writing Assignment: Writing about a Custom
Guidelines on Descriptive and Analysis Writing
Description
Activity 4.1: Identifying Descriptive Words
Analysis
Activity 4.2: Identifying Evidence and Analysis
Activity 4.3: Evaluating a Paragraph about a Custom
Prewriting: Generating Ideas
Drafting
Revising
Activity 4.4: Evaluating Two Students' Paragraphs
Activity 4.5: Peer Response
Editing: More on Verb Tense and Sentence Structure
1. Editing for Verb Tenses and Studying the Present Perfect Tense
Activity 4.6: Identifying Tenses Used in the "World of the Present"
2. Editing for Sentence Structure Problems: Fragments, Run-On Sentences, and Comma Splices
Activity 4.7: Identifying Problems in Sentence Structure
3. Editing for Sentence Variety
Activity 4.8: Evaluating a Student's Paragraph
Activity 4.9: Adding Variety to Your Sentences
Editing Checklist

5: Writing about Choosing a Field of Study
From MELISSA BIGNER, Einsteins in the Making
Writing Assignment: Writing about Choosing a Field of Study
Guidelines on Cause-and-Effect Writing
Using Cause-and-Effect Logic
Using Cause-and-Effect Analysis
Activity 5.1: Evaluating Two Students' Paragraphs
Prewriting: Generating Ideas
Focusing and Organizing Your Ideas
Planning
Drafting
Revising
Activity 5.2: Evaluating a Student's Paragraph
Activity 5.3: Peer Response
Editing: The Past Perfect Tense
Activity 5.4: Identifying Tenses Used in the "World of the Past"
The Cosmic Explainer
From Frederic Golden
Formation of the Past Perfect
Using Logical Connectors and Adverbs with the Past Perfect
Activity 5.5: Practicing the Past Perfect Tense
Activity 5.6: Editing Verb Tenses
Editing Checklist

6: Writing about a Family or Cultural Value
From DAVID BLUM, A Process Larger Than Oneself
Writing Assignment: Writing about a Family or Cultural Value
Guidelines on Writing about Abstract Concepts
What Is a Value?
Activity 6.1: Brainstorming Values
Evidence
Analysis
East Africa
From the Editors of Time-Life Books
Prewriting: Generating Ideas
Drafting
Revising
Activity 6.2: Evaluating Two Students' Paragraphs
Activity 6.3: Peer Response
Editing: Coherence
What Is Coherence?
Providing Coherence
Activity 6.4: Identifying "Something Old" and "Something New"
Activity 6.5: Identifying Surface Signals
Pronouns as Surface Signals
Activity 6.6: Looking for Pronoun Reference/Agreement Problems
Activity 6.7: Identifying Pronoun Reference/Agreement Problems
Editing Checklist

PART III: WRITING ESSAYS

7: Writing about a Decision
From GOLDA MEIR, My Life
Writing Assignment: Writing about a Decision
Guidelines on Essay Writing
What Is an Essay?
Essays and the Writing Process
Prewriting: Generating Ideas and Development Subpoint, Thesis Statements, and Outline
Generating Ideas

Focusing and Ordering Subpoints
Planning
Developing a Thesis Statement and Outline
Drafting the First Body Paragraph
Analyzing Causes or Effects in the Body Paragraphs
Revising the First Body Paragraph
Analyzing Causes or Effects in the Body Paragraphs
Revising the First Body Paragraph
Activity 7.1: Evaluating Thesis Statements and Body Paragraphs
Activity 7.2: Peer Response
Drafting the Other Body Paragraphs
Revising the Other Body Paragraphs
Activity 7.3: Evaluating Two Students' Body Paragraphs
Activity 7.4: More Peer Response
Editing: More on Coherence
More Surface Signals-Logical Connectors
Transitions as Logical Connectors
What Transitions Can Convey
Activity 7.5: Using Transitions to Signal Addition
Activity 7.6: Using Transitions to Signal Contrast
Activity 7.7: Using Transitions to Signal Similarity
Activity 7.8: Using Transitions to Signal Result
Activity 7.9: Using Transitions to Signal Reinforcement or Emphasis
Activity 7.10: Using Transitions to Signal Time
Activity 7.11: Using Transitions to Signal Exemplification
Activity 7.12: Using Transitions Correctly
Editing Checklist

8: Writing about the Value of an Ethnic Studies Course
From "CHINUA ACHEBE" in Bill Moyers, A World of Ideas
From THE EDITORS OF TIME-LIFE BOOKS, The Arabian Peninsula
Writing Assignment: Writing about the Value of an Ethnic Studies Course
Guidelines on Choosing Verb Forms for Your Essay about an Ethnic Studies Class
Prewriting: Generating Ideas for Your Essay
Further Optional Prewriting: Interviewing
Focusing, Ordering, and Planning
Drafting the Opening and First Body Paragraphs
The Opening Paragraph
Tying Together the Three Parts of the Opening Paragraph
Activity 8.1: "Building Bridges" in the Opening Paragraph
The First Body Paragraph
Revising the Opening and First Body Paragraphs
Activity 8.2: Evaluating Students' Paragraphs
Activity 8.3: Peer Response
Drafting the Other Body Paragraphs and Conclusion
Revising the Other Body Paragraphs and Conclusion
Activity 8.4: Evaluating Two Students' Body Paragraphs
Activity 8.5: More Peer Response
Editing: Adjective Clauses
The Function of Adjective Clauses
The Form and Use of Adjective Clauses
Restrictive and Nonrestrictive Adjective Clauses
Punctuation of Adjective Clauses
Types of Restrictive Adjective Clauses
Activity 8.6: Working with Relative Pronouns as Subjects-Who, Which, and That
Activity 8.7: Working with Relative Pronouns as Objects-Whom, Which, and That
Activity 8.8: Working with Relative Pronouns as Objects of Prepositions-Whom, Which, and That
Activity 8.9: Working with Relative Pronouns as Possessives-Whose
Activity 8.10: More Practice with Adjective Clauses
Activity 8.11: Editing for Sentence Variety
Activity 8.12: Editing to Eliminate Choppy Sentences
Editing Checklist

9: Writing about Overcoming the Odds
From C. GERALD FRASER, A Writer Who Seeks to Reconcile Two Worlds
From LAWRENCE D. MALONEY, Destined to Fly
Writing Assignment: Writing about Overcoming the Odds
Guidelines on Focusing Your Topic and Analyzing
East Africa
From the Editors of Time-Life Books
Use Analysis, Not Narrative
Prewriting: Generating Ideas
Developing Your Thesis and Plan
Activity 9.1: Evaluating Students' Theses and Plans
Activity 9.2: Peer Response
Drafting the Opening and First Body Paragraphs
Revising the Opening and First Body Paragraphs
Activity 9.3: Evaluating Students' Opening and First Body Paragraphs
Activity 9.4: More Peer Response
Drafting the Other Body Paragraphs and Conclusion
The Conclusion
Revising the Other Body Paragraphs and Conclusion
Activity 9.5: Evaluating a Student's Body Paragraph and Concluding Paragraph
Activity 9.6: More Peer Response
Editing: More on Logical Connectors
Structuring and Punctuating Sentences with Logical Connectors
Activity 9.7: Working with Logical Connectors of Addition
Activity 9.8: Working with Logical Connectors of Reinforcement or Emphasis
Activity 9.9: Working with Logical Connectors or Choice
Activity 9.10: Working with Logical Connectors of Exemplification
Activity 9.11: Working with Logical Connectors of Similarity
Activity 9.12: Working with Logical Connectors of Contrast
Activity 9.13: Working with Logical Connectors of Cause
Activity 9.14: Working with Logical Connectors of Result or Effect
Activity 9.15: Working with Logical Connectors of Time
Activity 9.16: Working with Logical Connectors of Place
Activity 9.17: Working with Logical Connectors of Manner
Editing Checklist

10: Writing about the Way Males and Females Are Raised
Readings about Japan
From DEBORAH FALLOWS, Japanese Women
From SUMIKO IWAO, The Japanese Women
From SHERYL WUDUNN, Many Japanese Women Are Resisting Servility
Readings about Saudi Arabia
From GERALDINE BROOKS, Nine Parts of Desire: The Hidden World of Islamic Women
From NORA BOUSTANY, Saudi Women Try New Ways to Overcome Bars to Advancement
Writing Assignment: Writing about the Way Males and Females Are Raised
Guidelines on Writing Your Compare/Contrast Essay
Prewriting: Generating, Focusing, Ordering, and Planning
Controlling Question
Generating Ideas: Brainstorming with a T-Square
Focusing Your Terms of Comparison
Ordering and Planning
Activity 10.1: Evaluating Evidence and Analysis in a Compare/Contrast Body Paragraph
Revising the Thesis and Plan
Activity 10.2: Evaluating Thesis Statements
Activity 10.3: Peer Response
Drafting and Revising the First Body Paragraph
Revising the First Body Paragraph
Activity 10.4: Evaluating Two Students' Body Paragraphs
Activity 10.5: More Peer Response
Drafting and Revising the Rest of the Essay
Activity 10.6: Evaluating a Student's Body Paragraph
Activity 10.7: More Peer Response
Editing: Noun Clauses
What Is a Noun Clause?
The Form and Use of Noun Clauses
Activity 10.8: Working with Noun Clauses as Subjects
Activity 10.9: Working with Noun Clauses as Objects
Activity 10.10: Working with Verb Tenses in Noun Clauses
Activity 10.11: Working with Noun Clauses as Subject Complements
Activity 10.12: Working with Noun Clauses as Adjective and Noun Complements
Activity 10.13: Working with Noun Clauses as Objects of Prepositions
Activity 10.14: Working with Noun Clauses
Editing Checklist

11: Writing about Arranged Marriages
From VED MEHTA, The Ledge between the Streams
Writing Assignment: Writing about Arranged Marriages
Guidelines on Argumentative Writing
What Is Argumentation?
Stating the Proposition
Activity 11.1: Identifying the Writer's Proposition
Prewriting: Generating Ideas
Brainstorming with a T-Square
Focusing and Planning
Drafting the Thesis and Body Paragraphs
Revising the Thesis and Body Paragraphs
Activity 11.2: Evaluating Students' Theses and Body Paragraphs
Activity 11.3: Peer Response
Drafting and Revising Your Opening and Conclusion Paragraphs
Activity 11.4: More Peer Response
Editing: Using Multiple Verb Tense Centering Points in a Paragraph
Centering a Paragraph around One Centering Point
Using Multiple Centering Points in a Paragraph
Activity 11.5: Identifying Multiple Centering Points in a Paragraph
Activity 11.6: Marking Multiple Centering Points in a Paragraph Problems with Using Multiple Centering Points in a Paragraph
Activity 11.7: Correcting Verb Tense Errors in Each "World"
Activity 11.8: Correcting Verb Tenses That "Drift"
Activity 11.9: Signaling Shifts from One "World" to Another
Editing Checklist

APPENDIXES
A: Logical Connectors
B: Principal Parts of Irregular Verbs
C: Present and Past Progressive Tenses
D: Overview of Verb Tenses
E: Avoiding Comma Splices and Run-On Sentences

Glossary of Vocabulary Words

Peer Response Sheets

Index