Foundations First with Readings

Unit One
Strategies for College Success 

An Introduction to College Writing 
1  Reading for Academic Success 
  A Becoming an Active Reader 
  B Reading Written Texts 
  C Reading in College, in the Community, and in the Workplace 
Review Checklist: Reading for Academic Success 

UNIT TWO
Writing Effective Paragraphs 

 2 Writing a Paragraph 
Note: LaunchPad Solo activities available for this chapter
  A Understanding Paragraph Structure 
  B Focusing on Your Assignment, Purpose, and Audience 
  C Finding Ideas to Write About 
  D Identifying Your Main Idea and Writing a Topic Sentence xx 
  E Choosing Supporting Points 
  F Arranging Your Supporting Points 
  G Drafting Your Paragraph 
  H TESTing Your Paragraph 
  I Revising Your Paragraph 
Self-Assessment Checklist: Revising Your Paragraph 
Review Checklist: Writing a Paragraph 

3 TESTing Your Paragraph 
  A TESTing for a Topic Sentence 
  B TESTing for Evidence 
  C TESTing for a Summary Statement 
  D TESTing for Transitions 
Chapter Review 
Review Checklist: TESTing Your Paragraphs 

4 Exemplification 
Note: LaunchPad Solo activities available for this chapter
  A What Is Exemplification? 
  B Reading an Exemplification Paragraph 
  C Writing an Exemplification Paragraph 
TESTing an Exemplification Paragraph
Chapter Review 

 5 Narration  
Note: LaunchPad Solo activities available for this chapter
  A What Is Narration?
  B Reading a Narrative Paragraph 
  C Writing a Narrative Paragraph 
TESTing a Narrative Paragraph 
Chapter Review 

6 Description 
Note: LaunchPad Solo activities available for this chapter
  A What Is Description? 
  B Reading a Descriptive Paragraph 
  C Writing a Descriptive Paragraph
TESTing a Descriptive Paragraph 
Chapter Review 

7 Process 
Note: LaunchPad Solo activities available for this chapter
  A What Is Process? 
  B Reading a Process Paragraph 
  C Writing a Process Paragraph
TESTing a Process Paragraph 
Chapter Review 

8 Cause and Effect 
Note: LaunchPad Solo activities available for this chapter
  A What Is Cause and Effect? 
  B Reading a Cause-and-Effect Paragraph 
TESTing a Cause-and-Effect Paragraph 
Chapter Review 

9 Comparison and Contrast 
Note: LaunchPad Solo activities available for this chapter
  A What Is Comparison and Contrast? 
  B Reading a Comparison-and-Contrast Paragraph 
  C Writing a Comparison-and-Contrast Paragraph 
TESTing a Comparison-and-Contrast Paragraph 
Chapter Review 

10 Classification 
Note: LaunchPad Solo activities available for this chapter
  A What Is Classification?
  B Reading a Classification Paragraph 
  C Writing a Classification Paragraph 
TESTing a Classification Paragraph 
Chapter Review 

11 Definition 
Note: LaunchPad Solo activities available for this chapter
  A What Is Definition? 
  B Reading a Definition Paragraph 
  C Writing a Definition Paragraph 
TESTing a Definition Paragraph 
Chapter Review 

12 Argument 
Note: LaunchPad Solo activities available for this chapter
  A What Is Argument? 
  B Reading an Argument Paragraph 
  C Writing an Argument Paragraph 
TESTing an Argument Paragraph 
Chapter Review 

13 Writing an Essay 
  A Understanding Essay Structure 
  B Focusing on Your Assignment, Purpose, and Audience 
  C Finding Ideas to Write About 
  D Identifying Your Main Idea and Stating Your Thesis 
  E Choosing and Arranging Your Supporting Points 
  F Drafting Your Essay 
  G TESTing Your Essay
  H Revising and Editing Your Essay 
Self-Assessment Checklist: Editing Your Essay 
Self-Assessment Checklist: Revising Your Essay 
Chapter Review 
Review Checklist: Writing an Essay 

Unit Three
Writing Effective Sentences 

14 Writing Simple Sentences 
Note: LaunchPad Solo activities available for this chapter
  A Identifying Subjects 
  B Recognizing Singular and Plural Subjects 
  C Identifying Prepositional Phrases  
  D Identifying Action Verbs  
  E Identifying Linking Verbs  
  F Identifying Helping Verbs 
Chapter Review 
Review Checklist: Writing Simple Sentences 

15 Writing Compound Sentences 
Note: LaunchPad Solo activities available for this chapter
  A Using Coordinating Conjunctions  
  B Using Semicolons 
  C Using Transitional Words and Phrases  
  Chapter Review 
Review Checklist: Writing Compound Sentences 

16 Writing Complex Sentences 
Note: LaunchPad Solo activities available for this chapter
  A Using Subordinating Conjunctions 
  B Punctuating with Subordinating Conjunctions  
  C Using Relative Pronouns 
Chapter Review
Review Checklist: Writing Complex Sentences 

17 Fine-Tuning Your Sentences 
Note: LaunchPad Solo activities available for this chapter
  A Varying Sentence Openings 
  B Combining Sentences 
  C Choosing Exact Words 
  D Using Concise Language  
  E Avoiding Clichés  
Chapter Review 
Review Checklist: Fine-Tuning Your Sentences 

18 Using Parallelism 
Note: LaunchPad Solo activities available for this chapter
  A Recognizing Parallel Structure 
  B Using Parallel Structure  
Chapter Review 
Review Checklist: Using Parallelism 
UNIT REVIEW 
UNIT FOUR
Solving Common Sentence Problems 

19 Run-Ons 
Note: LaunchPad Solo activities available for this chapter
  A Recognizing Run-Ons 
  B Correcting Run-Ons 
Chapter Review 
Review Checklist: Run-Ons

20  Fragments 
Note: LaunchPad Solo activities available for this chapter
  A Recognizing Fragments  
  B Missing-Subject Fragments 
  C Phrase Fragments 
  D Incomplete-Verb Fragments 
  E Infinitive Fragments 
  F Dependent Clause Fragments 
Chapter Review 
Review Checklist: Fragments 

21 Subject-Verb Agreement
Note: LaunchPad Solo activities available for this chapter
  A Understanding Subject-Verb Agreement  
  B Be, Have, and Do  
  C Compound Subjects  
  D Phrases between Subject and Verb 
  E Indefinite Pronoun Subjects  
  F Verbs before Subjects 
Chapter Review 
Review Checklist: Subject-Verb Agreement 

22 Illogical Shifts 
Note: LaunchPad Solo activities available for this chapter
  A Shifts in Tense  
  B Shifts in Person  
  C Shifts in Voice  
Chapter Review 
Review Checklist: Illogical Shifts 

23 Dangling and Misplaced Modifiers 
Note: LaunchPad Solo activities available for this chapter
  A Correcting Dangling Modifiers 
  B Correcting Misplaced Modifiers 
Chapter Review 
Review Checklist: Dangling and Misplaced Modifiers 
UNIT REVIEW 

UNIT FIVE
Understanding Basic Grammar 

24 Verbs: Past Tense
Note: LaunchPad Solo activities available for this chapter
  A Regular Verbs 
  B Irregular Verbs 
  C Problem Verbs: Be 
  D Problem Verbs: Can/Could and Will/Would 
Chapter Review 
Review Checklist: Verbs: Past Tense 

25 Verbs: Past Participles 
Note: LaunchPad Solo activities available for this chapter
  A Regular Past Participles 
  B Irregular Past Participles 
  C The Present Perfect Tense 
  D The Past Perfect Tense 
  E Past Participles as Adjectives 
Chapter Review
Review Checklist: Verbs: Past Participles 

26 Nouns 
Note: LaunchPad Solo activities available for this chapter
  A Nouns 
  B Recognizing Singular and Plural Nouns 
  C Forming Plural Nouns  
Chapter Review 
Review Checklist: Nouns 

27 Pronouns 
Note: LaunchPad Solo activities available for this chapter
  A Identifying Pronouns 
  B Special Problems with Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement 
  C Vague and Unnecessary Pronouns 
  D Pronoun Case  
  E Special Problems with Pronoun Case 
  F Reflexive and Intensive Pronouns  
Chapter Review 
Review Checklist: Pronouns 

28 Adjectives and Adverbs 
Note: LaunchPad Solo activities available for this chapter
  A Identifying Adjectives and Adverbs
  B Comparatives and Superlatives 
  C Demonstrative Adjectives 
Chapter Review 
Review Checklist: Adjectives and Adverbs 

29 Grammar and Usage Issues for ESL Writers 
Note: LaunchPad Solo activities available for this chapter
  A Subjects in Sentences 
  B Count and Noncount Nouns 
  C Determiners with Count and Noncount Nouns  
  D Articles  
  E Negative Statements and Questions 
  F Verb Tense 
  G Stative Verbs  
  H Gerunds  
  I Choosing Prepositions 
  J Prepositions in Phrasal Verbs  
Chapter Review 
Review Checklist: Grammar and Usage Issues for ESL Writers 
UNIT REVIEW 

UNIT SIX
Understanding Punctuation, Mechanics, and Spelling

30 Using Commas
Note: LaunchPad Solo activities available for this chapter
  A Commas in a Series 
  B Commas with Introductory and Transitional Elements 
  C Commas with Appositives 
  D Commas with Nonrestrictive Clauses  
  E Commas in Compound and Complex Sentences 
  F Commas in Dates and Addresses 
Chapter Review 
Review Checklist: Using Commas 

31 Using Apostrophes 
Note: LaunchPad Solo activities available for this chapter
  A Apostrophes in Contractions 
  B Apostrophes in Possessives 
  C Incorrect Use of Apostrophes  
Chapter Review 
Review Checklist: Using Apostrophes 

32 Using Other Punctuation Marks 
Note: LaunchPad Solo activities available for this chapter
  A Semicolons 
  B Colons 
  C Dashes and Parentheses 
Chapter Review 
Review Checklist: Using Other Punctuation Marks 

33 Understanding Mechanics 
Note: LaunchPad Solo activities available for this chapter
  A Capitalizing Proper Nouns  
  B Punctuating Quotations 
  C Setting Off Titles 
Chapter Review 
Review Checklist: Understanding Mechanics 

34 Understanding Spelling 
Note: LaunchPad Solo activities available for this chapter
  A Becoming a Better Speller 
  B ie and ei  
  C Prefixes 
  D Suffixes

35 Learning Commonly Confused Words 
Note: LaunchPad Solo activities available for this chapter

UNIT SEVEN
Learning College Reading Skills 

36 Readings for Writers 
Rebeckah Bell, It’s Possible to Graduate Debt-Free.  Here’s How 
Bobbi Buchanan, Don’t Hang Up, That’s My Mom Calling 
José Antonio Burciaga, Tortillas 
Ruel Espejo (student), Learning Tagalog 
Henry Louis Gates Jr., A Giant Step 
Roxane Gay, The Importance of Feeling Seen: Why Interracial Families on Commercials Matter  
John Hartimire, At the Heart of a Historic Moment
Karen L Hudson, Getting a Tattoo  
Tony Hawk, Do What You Love 
Suki Kim,  Forced from Home, Yet Never Free of It  
Jeremy MacClancy, Eating Chilli Peppers  
Sara Price (student), The Little Pretzel Lady 
Mario Suarez, El Hoyo 
Marc Williams (student), The Online Alternative 
Marion Winik, What Are Friends For? 
William Zinsser, The Transaction 

Appendix: Building Word Power 
Index 
Index of Rhetorical Patterns 
Parts of Speech 
Constructing a Formal Outline