Chapter One Basic Writing Techniques 1
1.1 Diction 1
1.1.1 Formal and Informal Words 2
1.1.2 General and Specific Words 5
1.2 Grammar 7
1.2.1 Subject-Verb Agreement 7
1.2.2 Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement 10
1.2.3 Pronoun Reference 12
1.3 Mechanics 14
1.3.1 Capitalization 14
1.3.2 Punctuation 16
1.3.3 Manuscript 21
Chapter Two Sentence Style 24
2.1 Basic Sentence Patterns 24
2.1.1 Clauses 25
2.1.2 Kinds of Sentences 26
2.2 Sentence Unity 34
2.2.1 Preservation of Sentence Unity 34
2.2.2 Precautions Against No Unity 35
2.3 Sentence Coherence 37
2.4 Sentence Expansion 41
2.5 Sentence Variety 42
2.5.1 Varying Sentence Length and Emphasis 43
2.5.2 Varying Sentence Beginnings 45
2.5.3 Inverting the Normal Word Order 47
2.5.4 Varying Simple Sentences 47
2.5.5 Simple,Compound and Complex Sentences Combined 49
Chapter Three Sentence Improvement 52
3.1 Parallelism 52
3.2 Faulty Modification 56
3.2.1 Stacked Modifiers 56
3.2.2 Misplaced Modifiers 57
3.2.3 Dangling Modifiers 58
3.3 Sentence Fragments 61
3.3.1 Revising Dependent Clause Fragments 62
3.3.2 Revising Phrase Fragments 63
3.3.3 Revising Appositive Fragments 64
3.3.4 Using Fragments Intentionally 64
3.4 Choppy Sentences 67
3.5 Run-ons 68
3.6 Stringy Sentences 72
Chapter Four Paragraph Writing 76
4.1 Paragraph Structure 76
4.1.1 Topic Sentence 77
4.1.2 Supporting Sentences 83
4.1.3 Concluding Sentence 86
4.2 Paragraph Unity 88
4.3 Paragraph Coherence 91
4.3.1 Repetition of Key Nouns 91
4.3.2 Use of Consistent Pronouns 92
4.3.3 Transition Signals 93
4.4 Paragraph Outlining 98
4.4.1 The"Parallel Form"Rule 99
4.4.2 The"Equivalent Value"Rule 100
4.5 Paragraph Development 101
4.5.1 Chronological Order 102
4.5.2 Logical Division of Ideas/Order of Importance 105
4.5.3 Comparison and Contrast 107
4.5.4 Cause and Effect 110
4.5.5 Exemplification 114
4.5.6 Quotations 116
4.5.7 Paraphrases and Summaries 122
Chapter Five Essay Writing 129
5.1 Characteristics of an Effective Essay 129
5.2 Structure of an Essay 131
5.2.1 The Introductory Paragraph 132
5.2.2 The Essay Body 136
5.2.3 The Concluding Paragraph 138
5.2.4 Transition Signals Between Paragraphs 142
5.3 The Writing Process 145
5.3.1 Prewriting 145
5.3.2 Planning/Outlining 149
5.3.3 Writing and Revising Drafts 149
5.4 Types of Essays 150
5.4.1 Narration 150
5.4.2 Description 152
5.4.3 Exposition 156
5.4.4 Argumentation 158
Chapter Six Making a Research 163
6.1 What Is a Research Paper 163
6.1.1 Characteristics of Research Papers 164
6.1.2 Kinds of Research Papers 165
6.1.3 Components of a Research Paper 166
6.2 Steps Involved in Writing a Research Paper 170
6.3 Ways in Choosing a Topic 171
6.3.1 Identifying a General Subject Area 172
6.3.2 Defining the Topic 172
6.3.3 Formulating a Thesis Statement 176
6.4 Assembly of a Working Bibliography 178
6.4.1 Gathering Sources 178
6.4.2 Evaluating Sources 179
6.4.3 Taking Notes 181
6.5 Avoiding Plagiarism 183
Chapter Seven Writing the Thesis 186
7.1 Introduction and Literature Review 186
7.1.1 Writing an Introduction 186
7.1.2 Writing a Literature Review 190
7.2 The Body of the Thesis 194
7.2.1 Research Methods 194
7.2.2 Results 197
7.2.3 Discussion 200
7.2.4 Conclusion 204
7.3 Completing the Thesis 206
7.3.1 Title 206
7.3.2 Abstract 208
7.3.3 Acknowledgement 212
7.3.4 Documentation and Bibliography 214
Chapter Eight Writing for Special Purposes 219
8.1 Letters 219
8.1.1 Personal Letters 221
8.1.2 Application Letters 225
8.1.3 Resume 227
8.1.4 Letters of Recommendation/Reference Letters 229
8.1.5 E-mails 231
8.2 Speeches 233
8.2.1 Welcoming Speeches 234
8.2.2 Farewell Speeches 235
8.2.3 Party Speeches 236
8.3 Notes and Reports 238
8.3.1 Notes,Notices,and Posters 238
8.3.2 Diary 239
8.3.3 Reports 240
8.3.4 Instructions 242
8.3.5 Certificates/Notary 243
8.4 Writing in Examinations 244
8.4.1 Writing in CET4 and CET6 246
8.4.2 Writing in the Entrance Examination to Graduate Schools 248
8.4.3 Writing in TOEFL 249
8.4.4 Writing in IELTS 251
8.4.5 Writing in GRE 254
Keys to Exercises 258
Bibliography 292