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LaunchPad Solo for Real Essays with Readings

Fifth  Edition©2015  Susan Anker

About

Real Essays puts essay writing in a real-world context, showing students that critical writing, reading, and thinking skills are both attainable and essential to student success.

Real Essays helps students to connect the writing class with their real lives and with the expectations of the larger world. This new edition has expanded rhetorical situation coverage, emphasizing the rhetorical triangle (audience, purpose, and author), and helping students think and read more critically. In addition, even more situational writing from the workplace showcases how students will use writing beyond the classroom. Profiles of Success from former students, over forty professional and student readings (50% new), and proven step-by-step grammar and writing instruction, energize and encourage students while giving them the support they need. With a simplified design, this updated version of Real Essays helps students realize their goals and gives instructors the support and tools they need to help them reach those goals.

This edition can be packaged with LaunchPad Solo for Real Essays, which includes LearningCurve, the adaptive online quizzing program with immediate feedback that 95% of students surveyed recommend to their peers. Additional online multiple-choice grammar exercises offer even more practice on the grammar concepts students find most challenging.
 

Table of Contents

A Note to Students

Thematic Table of Contents

Preface

Chapter 1: Getting Started
Understanding Instructors’ Expectations

Making Connections

Setting Goals

Part 1: Critical Thinking, Reading, and Writing

Chapter 2: Critical Thinking and Critical Reading

Critical Thinking

Question Assumptions and Biases

Apply the Critical Thinking Process

Critical Reading

Step 1: Read the Headnote and Consider the Format

Step 2: Read the Text

Step 3: Pause to Think and Interpret the Text

Step 4: Review and Respond

Reading Visual Texts Critically

 

Chapter 3: Effective Writing: An Overview

Note: LaunchPad Solo activities available for this chapter

The Elements of Effective Writing

Context

Audience

Purpose

Tone and Format

Avoiding Miscommunication

Main Idea and Support

Organization, Unity, and Coherence

Conventions: Grammar and Structure

Paragraph Structure

Essay Structure

An Overview of the Writing Process

 

Chapter 4: Responding to Texts

Ways of Responding to Texts

Reader-Response

Summary

Analysis

Synthesis

Evaluation

Documenting Sources

Reviewing What You’ve Learned

　

Part 2: Writing as a Process

Chapter 5: Finding and Exploring a Topic

How to Find and Explore a Topic

Decode the Assignment

Find a Good Topic

Narrow Your Topic

Explore Your Topic

Write Your Own Topic

Checklist: Finding a Good Topic

 

Chapter 6: Developing a Thesis Statement

How to Develop a Good Thesis Statement

Consider Your Audience and Purpose

Focus on a Single Main Idea

Make Sure Your Thesis is Neither Too Broad Nor Too Narrow

Make Sure You Can Show, Express, or Prove Your Thesis

Express Your Thesis Forcefully and Confidently

Place Your Thesis Appropriately

One Student’s Process

Write Your Own Thesis Statement

Checklist: Writing a Thesis Statement

 

Chapter 7: Supporting a Thesis

How to Support a Thesis

Consider Your Audience and Purpose

Prewrite to Find Support

Drop Unrelated Ideas

Select the Best Support Points

Add Supporting Details

Review Your Support

Write Topic Sentences for Your Support Points

One Student’s Process

Write Your Own Support

Checklist: Supporting Your Thesis

 

Chapter 8: Planning and Drafting a Paper

How to Plan and Draft a Paper

Arrange Your Ideas

Create an Outline

Practice Writing a Draft

Draft the Body of the Essay

Write an Introduction

Write a Conclusion

Title Your Essay

One Student’s Process

Write Your Own Draft

Checklist: Writing a Draft Essay

 

Chapter 9: Revising a Draft

How to Revise a Draft

Understand Large-scale and Smaller-Scale Revision

Revise Using Peer Review

Revise for Unity

Revise for Support and Detail

Revise for Coherence

One Student’s Process

Revise Your Own Draft

Checklist: Revising Your Essay

 

Part 3: Different Types of Writing

Chapter 10: Narration: Writing That Tells Stories

Note: LaunchPad Solo activities available for this chapter

Understand What Narration Is

Four Basics of Good Narration

Contexts for Narration

Main Idea in Narration

Support in Narration

Organization in Narration

Profile of Success: Monique Rizer

Read and Analyze Narration

Workplace Narration: Officer J. Pyland, Reese Witherspoon Police Report

A College Narration Essay: Jordan Brown, A Return to Education

Write a Narration Essay

Writing Guide: Narration

 

Chapter 11: Illustration: Writing That Shows Examples

Note: LaunchPad Solo activities available for this chapter

Understand What Illustration Is

Four Basics of Good Illustration

Contexts for Illustration

Main Idea in Illustration

Support in Illustration

Organization in Illustration

Profile of Success: Juan Gonzalez

Read and Analyze Illustration

Workplace Illustration: Juan Gonzalez

A College Illustration Essay: Tam Nguyen, Reflection

Write an Illustration Essay

Writing Guide: Illustration

　

Chapter 12: Description: Writing That Creates Pictures in Words

Note: LaunchPad Solo activities available for this chapter

Understand What Description Is

Four Basics of Good Description

Contexts for Description

Main Idea in Description

Support in Description

Organization in Description

Profile of Success: Alex Espinoza

Read and Analyze Description

Workplace Description: Kimberly Lake, "Sample Observation of a Developmentally Disabled Child"

A College Description Essay: Kimberly Kirwan, Volunteering for a Fallen Soldier

Write a Description Essay

Writing Guide: Description

 

Chapter 13: Process Analysis: Writing That Explains How Things Happen

Note: LaunchPad Solo activities available for this chapter

Understand What Process Analysis Is

Four Basics of Good Process Analysis

Contexts for Process Analysis

Main Idea in Process Analysis

Support in Process Analysis

Organization in Process Analysis

Profile of Success: Melissa Erb

Read and Analyze Process Analysis

Workplace Process Analysis: Melissa Erb, Progress Notes

A College Process Analysis Essay: Daniel Flanagan, The Choice to Do It Over Again

Write a Process Analysis Essay

Writing Guide: Process Analysis

 

Chapter 14: Classification: Writing That Puts Things Into Groups

Note: LaunchPad Solo activities available for this chapter

Understand What Classification Is

Four Basics of Good Classification

Contexts for Classification

Main Idea in Classification

Support in Classification

Organization in Classification

Profile of Success: Rebeka Mazzone

Read and Analyze Classification

Workplace Description: Rebeka Mazzone, Curriculum Vitae (CV)

Student Resume: Brittany Philpott

A College Classification Essay: Josef Ameur, Videogame Genres

Write a Classification Essay

Writing Guide: Classification

 

Chapter 15: Definition: Writing That Tells What Something Means

Note: LaunchPad Solo activities available for this chapter

Understand What Definition Is

Four Basics of Good Definition

Contexts for Definition

Main Idea in Definition

Support in Definition

Organization in Definition

Profile of Success: Angell Davis

Read and Analyze Definition

Workplace Definition: TRiO Program Web site

A College Definition Essay: Anna Puiia, What Is Hip?

Write a Definition Essay

Writing Guide: Definition

 

Chapter 16: Comparison and Contrast: Writing That Shows Similarities and Differences Note: LaunchPad Solo activities available for this chapter

Understand What Comparison and Contrast Are

Four Basics of Good Comparison and Contrast

Contexts for Comparison and Contrast

Main Idea in Comparison and Contrast

Support in Comparison and Contrast

Organization in Comparison and Contrast

Profile of Success: Garth Vaz

Read and Analyze Comparison and Contrast

Workplace Comparison and Contrast: Garth Vaz

A College Comparison and Contrast Essay: Rui Dai, A Whiff of Memory

Write a Comparison and Contrast Essay

Writing Guide: Comparison and Contrast

 

Chapter 17: Cause and Effect: Writing That Explains Reasons or Results

Note: LaunchPad Solo activities available for this chapter

Understand What Cause and Effect Are

Four Basics of Good Cause and Effect

Contexts for Cause and Effect

Main Idea in Cause and Effect

Support in Cause and Effect

Organization in Cause and Effect

Profile of Success: Jolanda Jones

Read and Analyze Cause and Effect

Workplace Cause-and-Effect Writing: Jolanda Jones

A College Cause-and-Effect Essay: Laura Huber, Keep Moving: Why Exercise

Benefits Parkinson’s Disease Patients

Write a Cause and Effect Essay

Writing Guide: Cause and Effect

 

Chapter 18: Argument: Writing that Persuades

Note: LaunchPad Solo activities available for this chapter

Understand What Argument Is

Four Basics of Good Argument

Contexts for Argument

Main Idea in Argument

Support in Argument

Organization in Argument

Profile of Success: Shawn Brown

Read and Analyze Argument

Workplace Argument: Shawn Brown

A College Argument Essay: Kathryn Arnett, Media and Advertisement: The New Peer Pressure?

Civic Argument: John Around Him

Write an Argument Essay

Writing Guide: Argument

　

Part 4: Researched Writing

Chapter 19: Doing Research: Preparing To Write a Research Essay

Find Sources

Evaluate Sources

 

Chapter 20: Writing the Research Essay: Using Outside Sources

Make a Schedule

Choose a Topic

Avoid Plagiarism

Write a Thesis Statement

Make an Outline

Write Your Essay

Cite and Document Your Sources

Revise and Edit Your Essay

Sample Student Research Essay

　

Part 5: The Four Most Serious Errors

Chapter 21: The Basic Sentence: An Overview

Note: LaunchPad Solo activities available for this chapter

The Four Most Serious Errors

The Parts of Speech

The Basic Sentence

Six Basic Sentence Patterns

Editing Practice

 

Chapter 22: Fragments: Incomplete Sentences

Note: LaunchPad Solo activities available for this chapter

Understand What Fragments Are

Find and Correct Fragments

Editing Practice

 

Chapter 23: Run-Ons: Two Sentences Joined Incorrectly

Note: LaunchPad Solo activities available for this chapter

Understand What Run-Ons Are

Find and Correct Run-Ons

Editing Practice

 

Chapter 24: Problems with Subject-Verb Agreement: When Subjects and Verbs Do Not Match

Note: LaunchPad Solo activities available for this chapter

Understand What Subject-Verb Agreement Is

Find and Correct Errors in Subject-Verb Agreement

Editing Practice

 

Chapter 25. Verb Problems: Avoiding Mistakes in Verb Tense

Note: LaunchPad Solo activities available for this chapter

Understand What Verb Tense Is

Use Correct Verbs

Editing Practice

Verb Tense Reference Charts

 

Part 6: Other Grammar Concerns

Chapter 26: Pronouns: Using Substitutes for Nouns

Note: LaunchPad Solo activities available for this chapter

Understand What Pronouns Are

Editing Practice

 

Chapter 27: Adjectives and Adverbs: Describing Which One? or How?

Note: LaunchPad Solo activities available for this chapter

Understand What Adjectives and Adverbs Are

Editing Practice

　

Chapter 28: Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers: Avoiding Confusing Descriptions

Note: LaunchPad Solo activities available for this chapter

Understand What Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers Are

Editing Practice

 

Chapter 29: Coordination and Subordination: Joining Ideas

Note: LaunchPad Solo activities available for this chapter

Understand Coordination and Subordination

Practice Using Coordination and Subordination

Editing Practice

 

Chapter 30: Parallelism: Balancing Ideas

Note: LaunchPad Solo activities available for this chapter

Understand What Parallelism Is

Practice Writing Parallel Sentences

Editing Practice

 

Chapter 31: Sentence Variety: Putting Rhythm in Your Writing

Understand What Sentence Variety Is

Practice Creating Sentence Variety

Editing Practice

 

Chapter 32: Formal English and ESL: Grammar Trouble Spots for Multilingual Students

Note: LaunchPad Solo activities available for this chapter

Basic Sentence Patterns

Pronouns

Verbs

Articles

Prepositions

 

Part 7: Word Use

Chapter 33: Word Choice: Avoiding Language Pitfalls

Note: LaunchPad Solo activities available for this chapter

Understanding the Importance of Choosing Words Carefully
Practice Avoiding Four Common Word-Choice Problems
Edit Paragraphs and Your Own Writing

 

Chapter 34: Commonly Confused Words: Avoiding Mistakes with Sound-Alikes

Note: LaunchPad Solo activities available for this chapter

Understand Why Certain Words Are Commonly Confused
Practice Using Commonly Confused Words Correctly 
Edit Paragraphs and Your Own Writing

　

Part 8: Punctuation and Capitalization

Chapter 35: Commas 

Note: LaunchPad Solo activities available for this chapter

Understand What Commas Do
Practice Using Commas Correctly
Edit Paragraphs and Your Own Writing

Chapter 36: Apostrophes 

Note: LaunchPad Solo activities available for this chapter

Understand What Apostrophes Do
Practice Using Apostrophes Correctly
Edit Paragraphs and Your Own Writing

Chapter 37: Quotation Marks

Note: LaunchPad Solo activities available for this chapter

Understand What Quotation Marks Do
Practice Using Quotation Marks Correctly
Edit Paragraphs and Your Own Writing

Chapter 38: Other Punctuation

Understand What Punctuation Does
Practice Using Punctuation Correctly
Edit Paragraphs and Your Own Writing

Chapter 39: Capitalization: Using Capital Letters

Note: LaunchPad Solo activities available for this chapter

Understand Capitalization
Practice Capitalization 
Edit Paragraphs and Your Own Writing

Editing Review Tests [1-10]

 

Part 9: Readings for Writers

Chapter 40: Narration

Bill Bryson, "Coming Home"

Monique Rizer, "When Students Are Parents"

Langston Hughes, "Salvation"

 

Chapter 41: Illustration

Liza Long, "I Am Adam Lanza’s Mother"

Kathryn Vail, "Words that Wound"

 

Chapter 42: Description

Alex Espinoza, "Easy Like Sunday Morning"

Peter Van Buren, "The Day after a Day at the Embassy"

 

Chapter 43: Process Analysis

Malcolm X, "Learning to Read" 
Felix Tarcomincu, "How the Hiring Process has Changed Over the Years"

 

Chapter 44: Classification

James Hamblin, "How Much Caffeine before I End up in the ER?"

Amy Tan, "Mother Tongue" 
Martin Luther King, "The Ways of Meeting Oppression"

 

Chapter 45: Definition

Nancy Mairs, "On Being a Cripple"
Russel Honore, "Work is a Blessing" 


Chapter 46: Comparison and Contrast

Mary Elizabeth Williams, "Our Family’s Week on a Food Stamp Budget" 
Dave Barry, "The Ugly Truth about Beauty"

Katy Hall and Chris Spurlock, "Paid Parental Leave: U.S. vs. The World" 


Chapter 47: Cause and Effect

Amy L. Beck, "Struggling for Perfection"

Brent Staples, "Just Walk on By: Black Men and Public Space" 
Caitlin Seida, "My Embarrassing Picture Went Viral"

Chapter 48: Argument Casebook: Social Media

Sherry Turkle, "Introduction" from Alone Together

Wency Leung, "Does Social Media Bring Us Closer – or Make Us Loners?"

Kate Harding, "Social Networking is Not Killing Friendship"

Stephen Marche, "Is Facebook Making Us Lonely?"

 

Appendix: Problem Solving in Writing

Index

Useful Editing and Proofreading Marks

Useful Lists, Checklists, and Charts

　

Susan Anker

Susan Anker (BA, MEd, Boston University) brings a unique perspective to the teaching of the developmental writing course. She taught English and developmental writing before entering college publishing, where she worked for eighteen years: as a sales representative and English/ESL editor at Macmillan Publishing Company; as developmental English/ESL editor, executive editor, and editor in chief at St. Martin’s Press; and as vice president and editor in chief for humanities at Houghton Mifflin Company. In each of these positions, she worked with developmental writing instructors and students, maintaining her early interest in the field.  Since the publication of the first edition of Real Writing in 1998, Anker has traveled extensively to campuses across the country, continuing her conversations with instructors and students and giving workshops and presentations. She believes that the writing course is, for many students, their first, best opportunity to learn the skills they will need to succeed in college and achieve their goals.