Includes index.

"Fit to Print practices what it preaches. In clear, concise, and elegant prose, this book guides you through the writing process, from drafting an outline to final revisions. With its humorous and unpretentious tone, this text turns the writing process into a fun endeavour.

Offering practical, well-organized advice, Fit to Print is the perfect resource for all students who write essays. Ideal for composition classes at colleges and universities, the book's clear structure facilitates self-directed learning, making it an excellent reference tool for any course." (Book Cover)

CONTENTS

Introduction - Defining the Essay

Part One DEVELOPING THE ESSAY

1. Devising a Thesis
Discovering a Topic
Shopping for a Thesis Statement
A Working Thesis versus a Polished Thesis Statement
What to Look for in a Thesis Statement

2. Setting Tone
Tones to Avoid
Tones to Emulate

3. Choosing Words: Avoiding Jargon, Slang, and Stereotypes
Diction: Fit, Form, and Function

Part Two DESIGNING THE ESSAY

4. Designing an Outline
Make a Table of Contents
Tailor the Outline

5. Choosing a Pattern of Argument
Definition / Description
Example
Classification
Process
Comparison / Contrast
Cause and Effect
Narration
Tips on Choosing the Right Pattern

Part Three DRAFTING THE ESSAY

6. Shaping the Essay
The First Draft
Assembling Evidence
The Conventional Shape of the Essay
Maintaining Unity in the Essay

7. Making an Introduction
Strike Up a Conversation
Write with Control
Write with Conviction
Be Conversant with Your Subject
Communicate with Your Reader
Ice-Breaking: Tactics for Opening the Essay

8. Drawing a Conclusion

9. Writing Paragraphs

10. Paraphrasing Sources and Integrating Quotations
Borrow Only What You Need
Begging, Borrowing, and Stealing
The Fit, Function, and Form of Quotations

Part Four WRITING THE ESSAY

11. Finding Your Voice: Modes of Essay Writing
The Expository Essay
The Persuasive Essay

12. Keeping Your Head: Kinds of Essay Writing
The Essay Examination
The Précis or Summary
The Informal Essay
The Literary Essay
Sample Literary Essay - MLA Style
The Book Review
The Research Essay
Sample Research Essay - APA Style

Part Five DOCUMENTING AND DELIVERING YOUR PAPER

13. Planning Your Paper's Layout
The Layout of a Paper in MLA Style
The Layout of a Paper in APA Style
The Layout of a Paper in University of Chicago Style

14. Documenting - MLA, APA, and University of Chicago Guidelines
Gathering Publication Information from a Book
Sample Bibliographical Entries in MLA Style
Sample Bibliographical Entries in APA Style
Sample Bibliographical Entries in University of Chicago Style

Part Six FIT, FORM, AND FUNCTION

15. The Sentence Simplified
Parts of Speech

16. Common Sentence Problems
Sentence Structure: Fragments, Run-ons, Comma Splices
Modifiers
Pronoun Reference and Agreement
Subject and Verb Agreement
End Punctuation
The Colon
The Semicolon
The Comma
The Dash
Parentheses
The Apostrophe

17. Elements of Style: Structuring the Sentences
Sentence Variation
Parallelism
Active and Passive Voice

18. Reducing Wordiness
A Perfect Fit
Wordiness Analyzed

Part Seven REVIEWING THE RESULTS

19. Perfecting the Essay
Tips on Revising

20. Mending the Essay
Deciphering Comments
Learning from Experience

Appendix A Glossary of Usage

Appendix B Answer Key

Index