Rules for Writers with 2016 MLA Update

708 Pages·2016·13.2 MB·English

by  Diana Hacker

You’re a writer.
Rules for Writers is here for you. Eighth Edition
No one learns everything about writing in a single course or
even two; we all need to consult the rules or seek out advice
sometimes. Having a reliable support system is key. Your 2016
peers, your instructor, and your writing center are part of your
MLA
support system — and so is your Rules for Writers. Whatever the
assignment, whatever your purpose for writing, Rules for Writers
Update
has answers and advice you need for papers and projects in
every course. The more you rely on your handbook and learn
from its advice, the more successful you’ll be as a college writer.
Rules for
According to a recent survey of 700
students at 50 colleges, 79% of students
feel that their handbook makes them
more effective academic writers.
WRITERS
More support for you online
If your instructor has assigned this book with LaunchPad Solo
for Rules for Writers, use the activation code to access even
more support. Visit macmillanhighered.com/rules8e to check
out 192 grammar and research exercises, 39 sample student
papers, and 30 LearningCurve adaptive quizzes.
Diana Hacker
macmillanhighered.com
Nancy Sommers
mech_HackerSommers-Rules8-SE-031816
Brief Menu
f with infinitives b transitional Grammar Basics 361
g with gerunds expressions
46 Parts of speech
The Writing Process 1 25 Cwahsoem o cf awsheo 2a2n7d cd smerisieusses basic 362
12 ERxepvliosriningg, , epdlaitninngin, ga,n adn rde fldercatfitningg 330 26 Aaddvjeecrtbisv easd ja/anddv 230 35 aTh ew citohlo lins t:s , 317 47 Sbaesnitce n3c7e5 patterns
a adjectives appositives, 48 Subordinate word
3 Building effective paragraphs 49 b adverbs quotations groups basic 383
b conventional uses
c good, well, bad, 49 Sentence types
Academic Reading, Writing, and Speaking 65 badly c misuses ^ basic 392
4 Reading and writing critically 66 d comparatives and 36 The apostrophe ’
5 Reading and writing about multimodal texts 80 e sduopuebrllea tniveegsatives 3a 19possessive nouns Research 395
6 Reading and writing arguments 91 27 Verb forms, tenses, b indefinite 50 Conducting research
7 Speaking confidently 119 am oiordresg vubla r2 v3e7rbs cd pcporluonrntarolasuc ontifso ns 51 rMeas n3a9gi6ng
Clarity 125 bc l-ise ( aonr d- elsa)y endings netucm. bers, letters, innoftoersm raetsio n4;0 t8aking
8 Active verbs 126 d -ed endings e misuses 52 Evaluating sources
9 Parallel ideas 129 e omitted verbs 37 Quotation marks res 416
f tense
10 Needed words 133 g mood “ ” 323
a direct quotations MLA Papers 431
11 Mixed constructions 137 Multilingual/ESL 255 b quotation within a 53 Thesis MLA 435
12 Misplaced and dangling modifiers 140 quotation
28 Verbs ESL 256 c titles of short 54 Avoiding plagiarism
13 Shifts 147 29 Articles; types of works MLA 441
14 Emphasis 152 nouns ESL 270 d words as words 55 Integrating sources
15 Variety 163 30 Structure ESL 279 e wpuitnhc otuthateiro n MLA 445
16 Wordy sentences 166 31 Prepositions and marks 56 Documenting
17 Appropriate language 170 idioms ESL 288 f misuses sources MLA 458
38 End 57 Manuscript format
18 Exact words 180 Punctuation 293 punctuation 330 MLA 513
Grammar 187 32 The comma ^, 294 ab pquereisotdio .n mark ? Sample paper 517
19 Sentence fragments 188 a with and, but, etc. c exclamation APA Papers 527
b introductory point !
20 Run-on sentences 195 elements 39 Other punctuation 58 Thesis APA 530
21 Subject-verb agreement (is or are etc.) 202 c series marks 332 59 Avoiding plagiarism
d coordinate
22 Pronoun-antecedent agreement (singular or plural) 213 adjectives a dash — APA 534
2234 PPrroonnoouunn rceafseere (nI caen d(c mlaeri tey)t c.)2 18222 ef netrloaenmnrseeitnsitotrsnicstive bcde pbesllraalairspcehskn i/etsht mse [sa e]rsk ( .) . . 6601 IADnPotAecug rm5a3te7inntgi nsgo urces
25 who and whom 227 g direct address, yes sources APA 546
and no, etc.
26 Adjectives and adverbs 230 h he said etc. Mechanics 337 62 Manuscript format
27 Standard English verb forms, tenses, and moods 237 i dates, addresses, 40 Abbreviations APA 580
titles, numbers abbr 338 Sample paper 585
Multilingual Writers and ESL Challenges 255 j to prevent 41 Numbers num 341 Appendixes 597
confusion
28 Verbs 256 42 Italics ital 343 Document design 597
33 Unnecessary
29 Articles 270 commas no , 308 43 Spelling sp 345 Glossary of usage 608
30 Sentence structure 279 34 The semicolon ; 44 The hyphen
313 hyph 353 Answers to lettered
31 Prepositions and idiomatic expressions 288 a independent 45 Capitalization exercises 622
clauses cap 356 Index 636
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Punctuation 293
32 The comma 294
33 Unnecessary commas 308
34 The semicolon 313
35 The colon 317
36 The apostrophe 319
37 Quotation marks 323
38 End punctuation 330
39 Other punctuation 332
Mechanics 337
40 Abbreviations 338
41 Numbers 341
42 Italics 343
43 Spelling 345
44 The hyphen 353
45 Capitalization 356
Grammar Basics 361
46 Parts of speech 362
47 Sentence patterns 375
48 Subordinate word groups 383
49 Sentence types 392
Research 395
50 Thinking like a researcher; gathering sources 396
51 Managing information; taking notes responsibly 408
52 Evaluating sources 416
Writing Papers in MLA Style 431
53 Supporting a thesis 435
54 Citing sources; avoiding plagiarism 441
55 Integrating sources 445
56 MLA documentation style 458
57 MLA manuscript format; sample research paper 513
Writing Papers in APA Style 527
58 Supporting a thesis 530
59 Citing sources; avoiding plagiarism 534
60 Integrating sources 537
61 Documenting sources in APA style 546
62 APA manuscript format; sample paper 580
Appendixes 597
A document design gallery 597
Glossary of usage 608
Answers to lettered exercises 622
Index 636
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Eighth Edition
Rules for
WRIteRS
Diana Hacker
Nancy Sommers
Harvard University
Contributing ESL Specialist
Kimberli Huster
Robert Morris University
Bedford /St. Martin’s
A Macmillan Education Imprint
Boston  •  New York
01_HAC_01131_SE_FM_i_xxviii.indd 3 7/31/15 10:20 AM
For Bedford/St. Martin’s
Vice President, Editorial, Macmillan Higher Education Humanities: Edwin Hill
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Printing and Binding: RR Donnelley and Sons
Copyright © 2016, 2012, 2008, 2004 by Bedford/St. Martin’s
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording, or otherwise, except as may be expressly permitted by
the applicable copyright statutes or in writing by the Publisher.
1 0 9 8 7 6
f e d c b a
For information, write: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 75 Arlington Street,
Boston, MA 02116 (617-399-4000)
ISBN 978-1-319-08349-6 (Student Edition) Printed in China
ISBN 978-1-319-01134-5 (Instructor’s Edition) Manufactured in U.S.
ISBN 978-1-319-08351-9 (Student Edition with Writing about Literature)
Printed in China
Acknowledgments
Acknowledgments and copyrights appear on the same page as the text and art
selections they cover; these acknowledgments and copyrights constitute an extension
of the copyright page. It is a violation of the law to reproduce these selections by any
means whatsoever without the written permission of the copyright holder.
01_HAC_01131_SE_FM_i_xxviii.indd 4 25/03/16 10:10 PM
Photo by Mara Weible
A letter from the author
Dear Students:
Welcome to Rules for Writers — your college writing hand-
book. One of the pleasures of college writing is exploring ideas
and discovering what you think about a subject. You may find
that the writing process leads you in unexpected directions — the
more you read about a topic, the more questions arise for you to
consider; new questions may lead you to challenge your initial
assumptions. It is in the process of writing — of thinking in depth
about ideas — that you learn what’s interesting in a subject and
why you care about it. And it is through this process that you
figure out not just what you think, but why you think it. Rules for
Writers will be your companion throughout the writing process,
helping you to develop your authority as a thoughtful and effec-
tive writer.
College offers many opportunities to write and to learn from
the process of writing and revising. In a criminal justice course,
for example, you may be asked to write a policy memo or a legal
brief; in a nursing course, you may be asked to write a case study
or a nursing practice paper. To write in these courses is to learn
how to think like a criminologist or a nurse and to contribute
your ideas to the discipline’s important conversations and de-
bates. As you write college papers, you’ll have questions about
how to engage with other writers who have written about your
topic, how to support your ideas with well-documented evi-
dence, and how to communicate your points effectively. Rules for
Writers provides the guidance you’ll need to write successful col-
lege papers in all your courses.
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As you flip through Rules for Writers, you’ll see that it’s easy
to use and convenient to keep with you as you draft and revise.
You’ll find answers to all your writing questions — forming a the-
sis, developing an argument, evaluating and citing sources, and
managing information to avoid plagiarism. You’ll find documen-
tation models and formatting advice in MLA and APA. You’ll
also find answers to your questions about grammar, punctuation,
and mechanics — how to tighten wordy sentences, for example,
or how to use commas or quotation marks correctly.
The more you rely on Rules for Writers and learn from its
advice, the more successful you’ll be as a college writer. For each
assignment, flag sections that contain information you need to
write a successful paper. And when you get feedback on a draft,
flag sections to help you address your writing challenges.
Rules for Writers supports your writing in every college
course. Use it. Being a successful college writer starts here.
With all good wishes,
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Making the most of your handbook
Want to be successful with writing assignments in all your college
courses? Using Rules for Writers is a key first step. Make the most of your
handbook by turning to it whenever you’re writing, revising, conducting
research, or documenting sources. You’ll find advice you can use for
nearly every college writing assignment, starting with answers to common
questions like these:
● How can I improve my thesis? 1c
● How should I format a research essay in MLA style? 57a, 57b
● What is critical reading? Why does it matter? 4a–4e, 5a–5e
● How do I write a speech? 7a–7d
● What are multimodal texts, and how do I write
about them? 5a–5e
● I’ve gotten feedback on a draft. What do I do next? 2a–2i
● How can I make my writing flow better? 3d
● What is the right way to use an apostrophe? 36a–36e
● How do I know whether a source is reliable and
worth my time? 52a–52e
● How should I introduce a source in
my paper? 55c (MLA) and 60c (APA)
● Are there easy ways to avoid plagiarism? 54 (MLA) and 59 (APA)
● How do I cite online videos and social
media posts? 56 (MLA) and 61 (APA)
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//
Parallelism 9 129
ExErcisE 8–1 Revise unemphatic sentences by replacing passive verbs or
be verbs with active alternatives. You may need to name in the subject the
person or thing doing the action. If a sentence is emphatic, do not change it.
Possible revisions appear in the back of the book. More practice:
The ranger doused the campfire before giving us
The campfire was doused by the ranger before we were given a
^
ticket for unauthorized use of a campsite.
a. The Prussians were victorious over the Saxons in 1745.
Quick tips for finding more help
b. The entire operation is managed by Ahmed, the producer.
c. The sea kayaks were expertly paddled by the tour guides.
Whatever wdr. iti Angt tahned c rreasceka orfc hro qcukeets tainonds m yoorut ahra bvela,s fitsn,d Ii njugm hpeelpd ifnr oRmul eths e top
for Writers is ebausny.k T ahned f loalnlodweidn go nre mfeyre bnucded ayi dbse loofwfe, rw choon vweansi ecnrta,w relilniagb olen the
help for writingfl oaosrs ilgonomkienngt sfo irn hains yb coooutsrs.e.
e. There were shouting protesters on the courthouse steps.
● the brief and detailed contents inside the front and back covers
allow you to quickly spot the help you need.
9
● the index includes user-friendly terms such as “flow” to point to help
with coherence.
Balance parallel ideas.
● Color-coded MLA and APA sections give discipline-specific advice for
working with sources. Directories at the beginning of each section
list doIcfu tmweon toart imono mreo iddeelsa.s are parallel, they are easier to grasp when ex-
● the glporsessasreieds i nin pthaera Allpepl egnrdaimxems oatffiecra lu fsoerfmul .d Seifinngitlieo nwso arndds hsheolpu ld be bal-
with coanmcmedon wlyi tcho nsifnusgeled woro rmdiss,u psherda wseosr dwsi tshu cphh raass aesff,e cclta uanseds e wffietcht .clauses.
If your instructor has assigned this book with for
Rules for WriteArs ,k uissse c tahne baec tai vcaotmionm cao, dae q tuoe satciocens ms athrke, eoxre arcni seexsc,l a mation
sample student papers, and LearningCurve game-like quizzing. Visit
macmillanhighpeoreind.tc. om/rules8e to log in. — Mistinguett
● 260 writing, grammar, and research exercises help you improve
your writingTh anisd n ionvteegl rias tneo st otou rbcee sto.ssed lightly aside, but to be hurled
● 39 sample student papers provide guidance in writing and formatting
with great force. — Dorothy Parker
your work in any course.
● 30 LearningCurve adaptive quizzes offer game-like sentence-level
practice anIdn lmeta ytoteur st roafc pk ryinoucirp plero, gstraensds .like a rock; in matters of taste,
References to sawdidmit iwonitahl othneli nceu rsruepnpt.o rt appear throughout Rule—s Th omas Jefferson
for Writers.
Writers often use parallelism to create emphasis. (See 14f.)
macmillanhighered.com/rules8e
8 Active verbs
> Exercises: 8–2 to 8–6
> LearningCurve: Active and passive voice
07_HAC_01131_PT3_125_186.indd 129 5/6/15 4:06 PM
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