Patterns for College Writing with 2021 MLA Update

New readings are marked with an asterisk *

Introduction: How to Use This Book 
              Henry Louis Gates Jr., “What’s in a Name?” 
              Responding to an Essay 
              Responding to Other Kinds of Texts 

PART ONE: The Writing Process 
       Chapter 1: Reading to Write: Becoming a Critical Reader 
Understanding Critical Reading 
              Determining Your Purpose 
       CHECKLIST: Questions about Your Purpose
              Previewing 
              Highlighting
Brent Staples, Cutting and Pasting: A Senior Thesis by (Insert Name) 
Moisés Naím, The YouTube Effect 
              Annotating
CHECKLIST: Questions for Critical Reading 
Brent Staples, Cutting and Pasting: A Senior Thesis by (Insert Name) (with sample
annotations)
              Reading Visual Texts 
       CHECKLIST: Reading Visual Texts 

Chapter 2: Invention 
Understanding Your Assignment 
Setting Limits 
              Length 
              Purpose
              Audience 
              Occasion 
              Knowledge 
CHECKLIST: Setting Limits 
Moving from Subject to Topic 
              Questions for Probing 
CHECKLIST: Questions for Probing
              Freewriting 
A Student Writer: Freewriting 
Finding Something to Say 
              Brainstorming 
A Student Writer: Brainstorming 
              Journal Writing 
A Student Writer: Journal Writing 
Grouping Ideas 
              Clustering 
A Student Writer: Clustering
              Making an Informal Outline 
A Student Writer: Making an Informal Outline 
Understanding Thesis and Support 
Developing a Thesis 
              Defining the Thesis Statement 
              Deciding on a Thesis 
              Stating Your Thesis 
              Implying a Thesis 
       A Student Writer: Developing a Thesis 
       CHECKLIST: Stating Your Thesis 

Chapter 3: Arrangement 
             Recognizing a Pattern 
       CHECKLIST: Recognizing a Pattern 
Understanding the Parts of the Essay 
              The Introduction 
       CHECKLIST: What Not to Do in an Introduction 
              The Body Paragraphs 
       CHECKLIST: Effective Support 
              The Conclusion 
       CHECKLIST: What Not to Do in a Conclusion 
              Constructing a Formal Outline 
       CHECKLIST: Constructing a Formal Outline 
       A Student Writer: Constructing a Formal Outline 

Chapter 4: Drafting and Revising 
       Writing Your First Draft 
       CHECKLIST: Drafting 
A Student Writer: Writing a First Draft 
       Revising Your Essay  
              Revising with an Outline 
              Revising with a Checklist 
       CHECKLIST: Revising 
              Revising with Your Instructor’s Written Comments 
              Revising in a Conference 
              Revising in a Peer-Editing Group 
       CHECKLIST: Guidelines for Peer Editing 
       Strategies for Revising 
A Student Writer: Revising a First Draft 
Peer Editing Worksheet 
Points for Special Attention: First Draft 
              The Introduction 
              The Body Paragraphs 
              The Conclusion
       A Student Writer: Revising a Second Draft 
Points for Special Attention: Second Draft
             The Introduction 
              The Body Paragraphs 
              The Conclusion 
              Working with Sources 
              The Title 
       A Student Writer: Preparing a Final Draft 
SAMPLE STUDENT ESSAY: Laura Bobnak, The Price of Silence (Student Essay) 

Chapter 5: Editing and Proofreading 
Editing for Grammar
              Be Sure Subjects and Verbs Agree 
              Be Sure Verb Tenses Are Accurate and Consistent 
              Be Sure Pronoun References Are Clear 
              Be Sure Sentences Are Complete 
              Be Careful Not to Run Sentences Together without Proper Punctuation 
              Be Careful to Avoid Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers 
              Be Sure Sentence Elements Are Parallel 
       CHECKLIST: Editing for Grammar 
Editing for Punctuation
              Learn When to Use Commas — and When Not to Use Them 
              Learn When to Use Semicolons 
              Learn When to Use Apostrophes 
              Learn When to Use Quotation Marks 
              Learn When to Use Dashes and Colons 
       CHECKLIST: Editing for Punctuation 
Editing for Sentence Style and Word Choice        
              Eliminate Awkward Phrasing 
              Be Sure Your Sentences Are Concise 
              Be Sure Your Sentences Are Varied 
              Choose Your Words Carefully  
       CHECKLIST: Editing for Sentence Style and Word Choice 
Proofreading Your Essay 
              Check for Commonly Confused Words 
              Check for Misspellings and Faulty Capitalization 
              Check for Typos 
       CHECKLIST: Proofreading 
Checking Your Paper’s Format 
       CHECKLIST: Checking Your Paper’s Format 

PART TWO: Readings for Writers 

Chapter 6: Narration 
       What Is Narration? 
       Using Narration 
       Planning a Narrative Essay 
              Developing a Thesis Statement 
              Including Enough Detail 
              Varying Sentence Structure 
              Maintaining Clear Narrative Order
Structuring a Narrative Essay 
Revising a Narrative Essay 
       REVISION CHECKLIST: Narration 
Editing a Narrative Essay 
GRAMMAR IN CONTEXT: Avoiding Run-Ons 
       EDITING CHECKLIST: Narration
A Student Writer: Literacy Narrative
              Erica Sarno, Becoming a Writer (Student Essay) 
              Points for Special Attention 
              Focus on Revision 
A Student Writer: Narration
              Tiffany Forte, My Field of Dreams (Student Essay) 
       Points for Special Attention 
       Focus on Revision 
PEER EDITING WORKSHEET: Narration 
Visual Text: Marjane Satrapi, from Persepolis II (Graphic Fiction) 
Junot Díaz, The Money 
*Hanif Abdurraqib, My First Police Stop
Bonnie Smith-Yackel, My Mother Never Worked 
Martin Gansberg, Thirty-Eight Who Saw Murder Didn’t Call the Police 
George Orwell, Shooting an Elephant 
*Alberto Alvaro Rios, The Secret Lion (Fiction)
*Joy Harjo, An American Sunrise (Poetry)
Writing Assignments for Narration 
Collaborative Activity for Narration 

Chapter 7: Description 
What Is Description?
Using Description 
              Understanding Objective Description 
       CHECKLIST: Using Visuals Effectively 
              Understanding Subjective Description 
              Using Objective and Subjective Language 
              Selecting Details 
Planning a Descriptive Essay
              Developing a Thesis Statement 
              Organizing Details 
              Using Transitions 
Structuring a Descriptive Essay 
Revising a Descriptive Essay 
       REVISION CHECKLIST: Description 
Editing a Descriptive Essay 
GRAMMAR IN CONTEXT: Avoiding Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers 
       EDITING CHECKLIST: Description 
A Student Writer: Objective Description 
              Mallory Cogan, My Grandfather’s Globe (Student Essay)
              Points for Special Attention 
       Focus on Revision 
A Student Writer: Subjective Description
              Mary Lim, The Valley of Windmills (Student Essay)
              Points for Special Attention
              Focus on Revision 
Peer-Editing Worksheet: Description 
Visual Text: Ansel Adams, Jackson Lake (Photo) 
Bich Minh Nguyen, Goodbye to My Twinkie Days 
*Trevor Noah, Soweto 
Marina Keegan, Stability in Motion 
Heather Rogers, The Hidden Life of Garbage 
*Jonathan Ababiy, How the Other Half Lived
Kate Chopin, The Storm (Fiction) 

Chapter 8: Exemplification 
What Is Exemplification? 
Using Exemplification
              Using Examples to Explain and Clarify 
              Using Examples to Add Interest 
              Using Examples to Persuade 
Planning an Exemplification Essay 
              Developing a Thesis Statement 
              Providing Enough Examples 
              Choosing a Fair Range of Examples 
              Using Transitions 
Structuring an Exemplification Essay 
Revising an Exemplification Essay 
       REVISION CHECKLIST: Exemplification 
Editing an Exemplification Essay 
GRAMMAR IN CONTEXT: Using Commas in a Series 
       EDITING CHECKLIST: Exemplification 
A Student Writer: Exemplification 
Kristy Bredin, Job Application Letter (Student Essay)
              Points for Special Attention 
              Focus on Revision 
A Student Writer: Exemplification 
*Zoe Goldfarb, Food Insecurity on Campus (Student Essay)
              Points for Special Attention 
              Focus on Revision 
Peer-Editing Worksheet: Exemplification 
*Visual Texts: Four Inventions 
*Olivia Goldhill, Should Driverless Cars Kill Their Own Passengers to Save a Pedestrian?
Judith Ortiz Cofer, The Myth of the Latin Woman: I Just Met a Girl Named Maria 
Brent Staples, Just Walk On By: A Black Man Ponders His Power to Alter Public Space 
*Farhad Manjoo, Call Me “They”
Maia Szalavitz, Ten Ways We Get the Odds Wrong 
Jamaica Kincaid, “Girl” (Fiction) 
Writing Assignments for Exemplification 
Collaborative Activity for Exemplification 

Chapter 9: Process 
What Is Process?
              Understanding Instructions 
              Understanding Process Explanations 
Using Process 
Planning a Process Essay 
              Accommodating Your Audience 
              Developing a Thesis Statement 
              Using Transitions 
Structuring a Process Essay 
Revising a Process Essay 
       REVISION CHECKLIST: Process 
Editing a Process Essay 
GRAMMAR IN CONTEXT: Avoiding Unnecessary Shifts 
       EDITING CHECKLIST: Process 
A Student Writer: Instructions 
*Mya Nunnally, Steps to the Dream (Student Essay) 
              Points for Special Attention 
              Focus on Revision 
A Student Writer: Process Explanation 
Melany Hunt, Medium Ash Brown (Student Essay) 
              Points for Special Attention 
              Focus on Revision 
Peer Editing Worksheet: Process 
Visual Text: National Geographic, Yellowstone Fires, Past and Future (Illustrations) 
Naomi Rosenberg, How to Tell a Mother Her Child Is Dead  
*Roger Spranz, How to Make a Waste Pie Chart
*Brad Plumer and Ruairi Arrieta-Kenna, How Do Hurricanes Form? A Step-by-Step Guide
*Eugene Kiely and Lori Robertson, How to Spot Fake News
Jessica Mitford, The Embalming of Mr. Jones 
Shirley Jackson, The Lottery (Fiction) 

Chapter 10: Cause and Effect
What Is Cause and Effect? 
Using Cause and Effect 
              Understanding Main and Contributory Causes 
              Understanding Immediate and Remote Causes 
              Understanding Causal Chains 
              Avoiding Post Hoc Reasoning 
Planning a Cause-and-Effect Essay 
              Developing a Thesis Statement 
              Arranging Causes and Effects 
              Using Transitions 
Structuring a Cause-and-Effect Essay 
              Finding Causes 
              Describing or Predicting Effects 
Revising a Cause-and-Effect Essay 
       REVISION CHECKLIST: Cause and Effect 
Editing a Cause-and-Effect Essay 
GRAMMAR IN CONTEXT: Avoiding “The reason is because”; Using Affect and Effect
Correctly 
       EDITING CHECKLIST: Cause and Effect 
A Student Writer: Cause and Effect 
Evelyn Pellicane, The Irish Famine (Student Essay) 
              Points for Special Attention 
              Focus on Revision 
Peer-Editing Worksheet: Cause and Effect 
Visual Text: Jeffrey Coolidge, Rube Goldberg Machine (Photo) 
*Ray Fisman and Michael Luca, Did Free Pens Cause the Opioid Crisis?
Maggie Koerth-Baker, Why Rational People Buy into Conspiracy Theories 
*Arthur W. Lambert, What Causes Cancer? It’s Complicated
Linda M. Hasselstrom, A Peaceful Woman Explains Why She Carries a Gun 
Karen Miller Pensiero, Photos That Change History 
*Martin Espada, Why I Went to College (Poetry) 

Chapter 11: Comparison and Contrast 
              What Is Comparison and Contrast? 
              Using Comparison and Contrast 
              Planning a Comparison-and-Contrast Essay 
              Recognizing Comparison-and-Contrast Assignments 
              Establishing a Basis for Comparison 
              Selecting Points for Discussion 
              Developing a Thesis Statement 
Structuring a Comparison-and-Contrast Essay 
              Using Subject-by-Subject Comparison 
              Using Point-by-Point Comparison 
              Using Transitions 
       Revising a Comparison-and-Contrast Essay 
       REVISION CHECKLIST: Comparison and Contrast 
       Editing a Comparison-and-Contrast Essay 
GRAMMAR IN CONTEXT: Using Parallelism 
EDITING CHECKLIST: Comparison and Contrast 
A Student Writer: Subject-by-Subject Comparison 
Mark Cotharn, Brains versus Brawn (Student Essay) 
       Points for Special Attention 
       Focus on Revision 
A Student Writer: Point-by-Point Comparison 
Maria Tecson, A Comparison of Two Websites on Attention Deficit Disorder (Student Essay) 
       Points for Special Attention 
       Focus on Revision 
Peer-Editing Worksheet: Comparison and Contrast 
Visual Texts: Auguste Rodin, The Kiss, and Robert Indiana, LOVE (Sculptures)
*Robert Weiss, Closer Together or Further Apart: Digital Devices and the New Generation Gap
Amy Chua, Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior 
Ellen Laird, I’m Your Teacher, Not Your Internet-Service Provider 
Deborah Tannen, Sex, Lies, and Conversation 
Isabel Wilkerson, Emmett Till and Tamir Rice, Sons of the Great Migration
*Steven Conn, The Twin Revolutions of Lincoln and Darwin  
William Shakespeare, Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? (Poetry) 
Writing Assignments for Comparison-Contrast 
Collaborative Activity for Comparison-Contrast

Chapter 12: Classification and Division 
What Is Classification and Division? 
              Understanding Classification 
              Understanding Division 
Using Classification and Division 
Planning a Classification-and-Division Essay 
              Selecting and Arranging Categories 
              Developing a Thesis Statement 
       CHECKLIST: Establishing Categories 
              Using Transitions 
Structuring a Classification-and-Division Essay 
Revising a Classification-and-Division Essay 
REVISION CHECKLIST: Classification and Division 
Editing a Classification-and-Division Essay 
GRAMMAR IN CONTEXT: Using a Colon to Introduce Your Categories 
       Editing Checklist: Classification and Division 
       A Student Writer: Classification and Division 
Josie Martinez, What I Learned (and Didn’t Learn) in College (Student Essay) 
              Points for Special Attention 
              Focus on Revision 
Peer-Editing Worksheet: Classification and Division 
*Visual Text: Matt Groening, The 9 Types of College Teachers (Cartoon) 
*Mindy Kaling, Flick Chicks 
Carolyn Foster Segal, The Dog Ate My Tablet, and Other Tales of Woe 
Amy Tan, Mother Tongue 
Stephanie Ericsson, The Ways We Lie 
Amy Lowell, Patterns (Poetry) 
Writing Assignments for Classification and Division 
Collaborative Activity for Classification and Division 

Chapter 13: Definition 
What Is Definition? 
              Understanding Formal Definitions 
              Understanding Extended Definitions 
Using Definition 
Planning a Definition Essay
              Developing a Thesis Statement 
              Deciding on a Pattern of Development 
Structuring a Definition Essay 
Revising a Definition Essay 
       REVISION CHECKLIST: Definition 
Editing a Definition Essay 
GRAMMAR IN CONTEXT: Avoiding is when and is where 
       EDITING CHECKLIST: Definition 
A Student Writer: Definition 
Ajoy Mahtab, The Untouchable (Student Essay) 
              Points for Special Attention 
              Focus on Revision 
Peer-Editing Worksheet: Definition 
*Visual Text: Allson Bechdel, The Rule (Cartoon) 
Judy Brady, I Want a Wife 
José Antonio Burciaga, Tortillas 
*Virginia Foxx, What Education Really Means
Emily Dickinson, “Hope” is the thing with feathers (Poetry)  
Writing Assignments for Definition 
Collaborative Activity for Definition 

Chapter 14: Argumentation 
What Is Argumentation?
Understanding Argumentation and Persuasion 
Planning an Argumentative Essay 
              Choosing a Topic 
              Developing a Thesis 
              Analyzing Your Audience 
              Gathering and Documenting Evidence 
              Dealing with the Opposition 
              Understanding Rogerian Argument 
       CHECKLIST: Guidelines for Using Rogerian Argument 
Using Deductive and Inductive Arguments 
              Using Deductive Arguments 
              Using Inductive Arguments 
              Using Toulmin Logic 
              Recognizing Fallacies 
              Using Transitions 
Structuring an Argumentative Essay 
Revising an Argumentative Essay 
       REVISION CHECKLIST: Argumentation 
Editing an Argumentative Essay 
GRAMMAR IN CONTEXT: Using Coordinating and Subordinating Conjunctions 
       EDITING CHECKLIST: Argumentation 
A Student Writer: Argumentation 
Marta Ramos, Just Say No (Student Essay)
              Points for Special Attention 
              Focus on Revision 
Peer-Editing Worksheet: Argumentation 
Visual Text: StopTextsStopWrecks.org, You Don’t Want Them Responding to Your Text (Ad) 
Thomas Jefferson, The Declaration of Independence 
Rachel Carson, The Obligation to Endure 
Martin Luther King Jr., Letter from Birmingham Jail 
*∙ DEBATE: Should Federal Student Loans Be Forgiven? 
*Mary Clare Anselem, No, Your Student Loans Should Not Be Forgiven
*Eric Levitz, We Must Cancel Everyone’s Student Debt, for the Economy’s Sake
*∙ DEBATE: Can Individuals Actually Do Anything to Prevent Climate Change?
*Leor Hackel and Gregg Sparkman, Reducing Your Carbon Footprint Still Matters
*Natasha Geiling, The Only Individual Action that Matters is Voting for People Who Care About Climate Change
*∙ CASEBOOK: Is Free Speech on Campus in Peril? 
Geoffrey R. Stone, Free Expression in Peril? 
*Laura Beth Neilson, The Case for Restricting Hate Speech
Sophie Downes, Trigger Warnings, Safe Spaces, and Free Speech, Too 
*Shannon Paulus, The Latest Study on Trigger Warnings Finally Convinced Me That They’re Not Worth It
*VISUAL: Freedom of Speech
*∙ CASEBOOK: How Can We Stem the Tide of Gun Violence?
*German Lopez, Guns Are the Problem
*Gregory/Wilson, Six Real Ways We Can Reduce Gun Violence in America
*William V. Glastris Jr, A Real Long-Term Solution to Gun Violence
*Clifton Leaf, How Australia All But Ended Gun Violence
*VISUAL: The Ghastlygun Tinies from MAD Magazine

Chapter 15: Combining the Patterns 
Structuring an Essay by Combining the Patterns 
Combining the Patterns: Revising and Editing 
GRAMMAR IN CONTEXT: Agreement with Indefinite Pronouns 
A Student Writer: Combining the Patterns 
Michael Huu Truong, The Park (Student Essay) 
              Points for Special Attention 
              Focus on Revision 
Peer-Editing Worksheet: Combining the Patterns 
Lars Eighner, On Dumpster Diving 
*Olivia Judson, Long Live the Albatross
David Kirby, Inked Well 
Jonathan Swift, A Modest Proposal 
Writing Assignments for Combining the Patterns
Collaborative Activity for Combining the Patterns 

PART THREE: Working with Sources 
Chapter 16: Finding and Evaluating Sources 
Finding Information in the Library 
Finding Information on the Internet 
Finding Useful Information 
Evaluating Sources 

Chapter 17: Integrating Sources and Avoiding Plagiarism 
Paraphrasing 
Summarizing 
Quoting 
Integrating Source Material into Your Writing 
Synthesizing 
Avoiding Plagiarism 
              Avoiding Common Errors That Lead to Plagiarism 
              Avoiding Plagiarism with Online Sources 

Chapter 18: Documenting Sources: MLA 
Parenthetical References in the Text 
The Works-Cited List 
              Articles 
              Books 
              Internet Sources
              Other Internet Sources 
       Other Nonprint Sources 
Model Student Research Paper in MLA Style 
Philip Lau, The Limitations of Wikipedia (Student Essay in MLA Style) 

Appendix: Documenting Sources: APA 
       Using Parenthetical References 
       Examples of APA Citations 
              Periodicals 
              Books 
              Internet Sources 
       Model Student Paper in APA Style 
       Philip Lau, The Limitations of Wikipedia (Student Essay in APA Style) 
Glossary 
Index