New Century Handbook

I. WRITING. 1. Reading Critically. Think Critically. Read Critically. 2. Preparing. Experiment and Explore. Invent and Prewrite. Gather Information. Plan and Organize. 3. Composing. Review. Draft. Collaborate. Try Composing with a Computer. 4. Rewriting. Shift from Writer to Reader. Revise. Edit. Proofread. Give and Receive Feedback. Review A Model Student Paper. 5. Structuring Paragraphs. Write Unified Paragraphs. Use Clear Organizational Patterns. Use Sentence-Linking Techniques. Be Consistent with Verb Tense, Person, and Number. Use Parallelism to Make Paragraphs Coherent. Decide on Appropriate Paragraph Length. Link Paragraphs with Key Words. Construct Effective Introductory and Concluding Paragraphs. 6. Formulating Arguments. Formulate an Arguable Thesis. Generate Good Supporting Evidence. Take Note of Evidence for Alternative Views. Develop and Test the Main Points. Build a Compelling Case. Structure the Argument. Avoid Logical and Emotional Fallacies. II. RESEARCH. 7. The Research Project. Become a Researcher. Schedule a Time Frame. Create a Research Notebook. Create a Working Bibliography. Gather Background Information. Conduct Focused Research. 8. Using the Internet for Research. Use Internet Sources throughout the Research Process. Get to Know the Internet and the Web. Search the Internet and the Web. Follow a Student Internet Search. 9. Evaluating Electronic and Print Sources. Choose Legitimate Sources. Follow a Student''s Evaluation of Web Links. 10. Using Sources. Use Sources Responsibly. Quote Sources Sparingly. Paraphrase Sources Accurately. Summarize Sources Briefly. 11. Writing the Research Paper. Review the Rhetorical Stance and Thesis. Plan a Structure. Write a Draft. Review and Revise Your Draft. Follow Formatting Conventions. III. MLA DOCUMENTATION. 12. MLA Documentation. IV. APA, CMS, AND CBE DOCUMENTATION. 13. APA, CMS, and CBE Documentation. Document by Using the APA System. Document by Using the Chicago Manual of Style (CMS) System. Document by Using the CBE System. V. DOCUMENT DESIGN. 14. Design Principles and Graphics. Follow the Three Basic Design Principles. Use Formatting Tools. Use Graphics. Review Your Document. 15. Designing for the Web. Generate a Basic Design for the Web. Planning Your Web Document. 16. Writing for the Web. Construct the Individual Web Pages. Using HTML to Embed Codes. Refining Your Website. Transfer Your Site to an Internet Server. VI. SPECIAL PURPOSE WRITING. 17. Using Electronic Mail. Locate E-mail Addresses. Practice Good E-mail Etiquette. Use File Attachments. 18. Writing about Literature. Write Interpretively or Analytically about Literature. 19. Business Writing. Write Concise and Professional Business Letters. Write Specifically Tailored Letters of Application. Write Appropriately Packed Resumes. Write Focused Memos. 20. Essay Exams. Prepare for an Essay Exam. Attend to the Writing Process. VII. CORRECT SENTENCES. 21. Sentence Structure. Learn to Identify Parts of Speech. Learn to Identify Basic Sentence Patterns. Learn to Expand Sentences. Learn How to Classify Sentences. 22. Pronoun Problems. Make Pronouns Agree in Number and Gender with Their Antecedents. Refer to a Specific Noun Antecedent. Avoid Vague Use of This, That, Which, and It. Be Consistent with Use of That and Which. Use the Subjective Case When a Pronoun Functions as a Sentence Subject, Clause Subject, or Subject Complement. Use the Objective Case When a Pronoun Functions as an Object. Test for Pronoun Case in Compound Constructions by Using the Pronoun Alone. Choose the Form for an Interrogative or Relative Pronoun Based on How It Functions in Its Clause. Use Possessive Pronouns to Show Ownership. Choose the Case for a Pronoun in a Comparison Based on How It Would Function in Its Own Clause. 23. Verbs. Learn the Regular Verb Forms. Learn Common Irregular Verb Forms. Know How to Use Auxiliary Verbs. Learn the Verb Tenses. Observe Sequence of Tenses. Use Transitive and Intransitive Verbs Correctly. Favor Active over Passive Voice. Make Sure Verbs Are in the Proper Mood. 24. Adjectives and Adverbs. Use Adjectives to Modify Nouns. Avoid Overuse of Nouns as Modifiers. Use Adverbs to Modify Verbs, Adjectives, Other Adverbs, and Clauses. Be Aware of Some Commonly Confused Adjectives. Use Comparative and Superlative Forms of Adjectives and Adverbs Correctly. Avoid Double Negatives. VIII. COMMON GRAMMAR PROBLEMS. 25. Sentence Fragments. Make Sentences Grammatically Complete. Connect Dependent Clauses. Connect Sentences. Use Sentence Fragments Only for Special Effect. 26. Commas Splices and Run-On Sentences. Turn One Clause into a Subordinate Clause. Separate Clauses with a Comma and a Coordinating Conjunction. Separate Independent Clauses with a Semicolon. Separate Independent Clauses with a Period. 27. Subject-Verb Agreement. Plural Subjects Require Plural Verbs; Singular Subjects Require Singular Verbs. Compound Subjects Usually Require Plural Verbs. With a Disjunctive Subject, the Verb Should Agree in Number with the Part of the Subject Closest to It. Indefinite Pronouns with a Singular Sense Take Singular Verbs; Those with a Plural Sense Take Plural Verbs. Collective Nouns Typically Take Singular Verbs. Nouns That Are Plural in Form but Singular in Sense Require Singular Verbs. A Linking Verb Always Agrees with Its Subject. In a Sentence Beginning with the Expletive Here or There and Some Form of the Verb Be, the Verb Should Agree with Its True Subject. 28. Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers. Position Modifiers Close to the Words They Modify. Avoid Ambiguity. Try to Put Lengthy Modifiers at the Beginning or End. Avoid Disruptive Modifiers. Avoid Dangling Modifiers. 29. Faulty Shifts. Avoid Unnecessary Shifts in Point of View. Avoid Unnecessary Shifts in Verb Tense, Mood, and Subject. Avoid Shifts in Tone. Avoid Mixed Constructions. Create Consistency between Subjects and Predicates. Avoid Unmarked Shifts between Direct and Indirect Discourse. IX. EFFECTIVE SENTENCES AND WORDS. 30. Clarity and Conciseness. Avoid Excessively Long Sentences. Avoid Unnecessary Repetition and Redundancy. Use Passive Voice Only Where Appropriate. Eliminate Wordy Phrases. Avoid a Noun-Heavy Style. Choose Words That Express Your Meaning Precisely. Use That When Necessary to Clarify Sentence Structure. Make Comparisons Complete and Clear. Avoid Multiple Negation. 31. Coordination and Subordination. [read more]