Patterns for College Writing, Brief Edition: A Rhetorical Reader and Guide

640 Pages·2015·0.27 MB·English

by  Laurie G. Kirszner

Grammar in Context Boxes These helpful checklists will guide you through
the process of writing an essay.
Each rhetorical chapter introduction contains a Grammar in Context box
that offers advice about a common grammar, punctuation, or mechanics
Questions about Your Purpose 14
issue—one often associated with the pattern discussed in the chapter. Refer
Questions for Critical Reading 23
to the list below to find Grammar in Context boxes throughout Patterns for
College Writing, Brief Edition. Reading Visual Texts 27
Setting Limits 32
Avoiding Run-Ons 102
Questions for Probing 34
Avoiding Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers 144
Stating Your Thesis 47
Using Commas in a Series 179
Recognizing a Pattern 52
Avoiding Unnecessary Shifts 216 What Not to Do in an Introduction 55
Effective Support 58
Avoiding “The reason is because”; Using
Affect and Effect Correctly 259 What Not to Do in a Conclusion 62
Constructing a Formal Outline 62
Using Parallelism 292
Drafting 65
Using a Colon to Introduce Your Categories 335
Revising 68
Avoiding is when and is where 377 Guidelines for Peer Critiques 69
Using Coordinating and Subordinating Editing for Grammar 85
Conjunctions 419 Editing for Punctuation 88
Agreement with Indefinite Pronouns 489 Editing for Sentence Style
and Word Choice 91
Proofreading 92
Checking Your Paper’s Format 93
mech_KirsznerMandell-BRIEF-Patterns-102714
Patterns for
College Writing
A RhetoRicAl ReAdeR And Guide
this page left intentionally blank
BRief edition
Patterns for
College Writing
A RhetoRicAl ReAdeR And Guide
Laurie G. Kirszner
University of the Sciences, Emeritus
Stephen R. Mandell
Drexel University
BedfoRd/St. MARtin’S
Boston • New York
For Peter Phelps (1936–1990), with thanks
For Bedford/St. Martin’s
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Cover Design: Donna Lee Dennison
Cover Art: Janet Fish, Butterfly Wings. © www.StewartStewart.com 1991.
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Printing and Binding: RR Donnelley and Sons
Copyright © 2015 by Bedford/St. Martin’s
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
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(617-399-4000)
ISBN 978-1-4576-8378-7 (Student Edition)
ISBN 978-1-4576-9951-1 (Instructor’s Edition)
Acknowledgments
Text acknowledgments and copyrights appear at the back of the book on pages 579–81, which
constitute an extension of the copyright page. Art acknowledgments and copyrights appear on
the same page as the art selections they cover. It is a violation of the law to reproduce these
selections by any means whatsoever without the written permission of the copyright holder.
pRefAce
Since it was first published, Patterns for College Writing has been used by
millions of students at colleges and universities across the United States.
We have been delighted by the overwhelmingly positive response to the
first twelve editions of Patterns, and we continue to be gratified by positive
feedback from the many instructors who find Patterns to be the most ac-
cessible and the most pedagogically sound rhetoric-reader they have ever
used. In preparing this brief version of the thirteenth edition, we have
worked hard to fine-tune the features that have made Patterns the most pop-
ular composition reader available today and to retain features that enhance
the book’s usefulness for both instructors and students.
What Instructors and Students Like about
Patterns for College Writing, Brief Edition
An emphasis on critical Reading
The Introduction, “How to Use This Book,” and Chapter 1, “Reading
to Write: Becoming a Critical Reader,” prepare students to become ana-
lytical readers and writers by showing them how to apply critical reading
strategies to a typical selection and by providing sample responses to the
various kinds of writing prompts in the book. Not only does this mate-
rial introduce students to the book’s features, but it also prepares them to
tackle reading and writing assignments in their other courses.
extensive coverage of the Writing process
The remaining chapters in Part One, “The Writing Process” (Chapters 2
through 5), comprise a “mini-rhetoric,” offering advice on drafting, writ-
ing, revising, and editing as they introduce students to activities such as
freewriting, brainstorming, clustering, and journal writing. These chapters
also include numerous writing exercises to give students opportunities for
immediate practice.
detailed coverage of the patterns of development
In Part Two, “Readings for Writers,” Chapters 6 through 14 explain
and illustrate the patterns of development that students typically use in
their college writing assignments: narration, description, exemplification,
v
vi Preface
process, cause and effect, comparison and contrast, classification and di-
vision, definition, and argumentation. Each chapter begins with a com-
prehensive introduction that presents a definition and a paragraph-length
example of the pattern to be discussed and then explains the particular
writing strategies and applications associated with it. Next, each chapter
analyzes one or two annotated student essays to show how the pattern can
be used in particular college writing situations. Chapter 15, “Combining
the Patterns,” illustrates how the various patterns of development dis-
cussed in Chapters 6 through 14 can work together in an essay.
A diverse and popular Selection of Readings
Varied in subject, style, and cultural perspective, the thirty-seven profes-
sional selections engage students while providing them with outstanding
models for writing. We have tried to achieve a balance between classic au-
thors (George Orwell, Jessica Mitford, E. B. White, Martin Luther King Jr.)
and newer voices (Bich Minh Nguyen, Farhad Manjoo, Max Brooks) so
that instructors have a broad range of readings to choose from.
More Student essays than Any comparable text
To provide students with realistic models for improving their own writ-
ing, we include eighteen sample student essays (two new to this edition).
helpful coverage of Grammar issues
Grammar in Context boxes in chapter introductions offer specific ad-
vice on how to identify and correct the grammar, mechanics, and punctua-
tion problems that students are likely to encounter when they work with
particular patterns of development.
Apparatus designed to help Students learn
Each professional essay in the text is followed by three types of questions.
These questions are designed to help students assess their understanding
of the essay’s content and of the writer’s purpose and audience; to recog-
nize the stylistic and structural techniques used to shape the essay; and to
become sensitive to the nuances of language. Each essay is also accompa-
nied by a Journal Entry prompt, Writing Workshop topics (suggestions for
full-length writing assignments), and Thematic Connections that identify
related readings in the text. Also following each essay is a Combining the
Patterns feature that focuses on different patterns of development used
in the essay and possible alternatives to these patterns. Each chapter ends
with a list of Writing Assignments and a Collaborative Activity. Many of
these assignments and activities have been updated to reflect the most cur-
rent topics as well as the most up-to-date trends and sites available on the
Web.
00_KIR_8378_FM_i_xxxiv.indd vii Achorn International 11/18/2014 01:45PM
Preface vii
extensive cultural and historical Background for All Readings
In addition to a biographical headnote, each reading is preceded by a
headnote containing essential background information to help students
make connections between the reading and the historical, social, and eco-
nomic forces that shaped it.
An introduction to Visual texts
Every rhetorical chapter includes a visual text — such as a photograph,
a piece of fine art, or panels from a graphic novel — that provides an acces-
sible introduction to each rhetorical pattern. Apparatus that helps stu-
dents discuss the pattern in its visual form follows each image.
thorough coverage of Working with Sources
Part Three, “Working with Sources,” takes students through the pro-
cess of writing a research paper and includes a model student paper in MLA
style.
What’s New in This Edition
engaging new Readings
The twelve new professional essays treat topics of current interest.
Junot Díaz tells a coming-of-age story in “The Money.” Bich Minh Nguyen
explores the cultural implications of a popular snack cake in “Goodbye
to My Twinkie Days.” Anna Quindlen meditates on a perennial issue in
“Homeless.” In all cases, readings have been carefully selected for their
high-interest subject matter as well as for their effectiveness as teachable
models for student writing.
Argumentation chapter updated
The argument chapter includes a new debate (“Is the Student Loan
Crisis a Myth?”) and a new casebook (“Is Football Too Dangerous?”) as well
as a new sample student essay, “Just Say No.”
now with launchpad Solo
Ten interactive and assignable multimodal readings are now included
in LaunchPad Solo for Patterns for College Writing, Brief Edition. Multi-
modal selections such as videos and infographics illustrate each of the
rhetorical patterns and are accompanied by questions and writing assign-
ments. Selections include an infographic, “What Are the Hardest Lan-
guages to Learn?” and “Dear Motorist: Pledge to Share the Road,” a video
00_KIR_8378_FM_i_xxxiv.indd vi Achorn International 11/18/2014 01:45PM
viii Preface
arguing for drivers to watch out for bicyclists. In addition, tutorials on crit-
ical reading and analysis and LearningCurve adaptive quizzing focus stu-
dents on the writing and common grammar topics they need the most
help with. To package LaunchPad Solo free with Patterns for College Writing,
Brief Edition, use ISBN 978-1-319-01313-4.
Get the Most out of Your Course with
Patterns for College Writing, Brief Edition
Bedford/St. Martin’s offers resources and format choices that help you
and your students get even more out of your book and course. To learn more
about or to order any of the following products, contact your Bedford/St. Mar-
tin’s sales representative, e-mail sales support ([email protected]),
or visit the website at macmillanhighered.com/briefpatterns/catalog.
launchpad Solo for Patterns for College Writing, Brief edition:
Where Students learn
LaunchPad Solo provides engaging content and new ways to get the
most out of your course. Get unique, book-specific materials in a fully
customizable course space; then assign and mix our resources with yours.
• Curated content — including readings, videos, tutorials, and
more — is easy to adapt and assign by adding your own materials
and mixing them with our high-quality multimedia content and
ready-made assessment options, such as LearningCurve adaptive
quizzing.
• A streamlined interface helps students focus on what’s due, and
social commenting tools let them engage, make connections, and
learn from each other. Use LaunchPad Solo on its own or integrate
it with your school’s learning management system so that your
class is always on the same page.
To get the most out of your course, order LaunchPad Solo for Patterns
for College Writing, Brief Edition, packaged with the print book at no ad-
ditional charge. (LaunchPad Solo for Patterns for College Writing, Brief Edi-
tion, can also be purchased on its own.) An activation code is required. To
order LaunchPad Solo for Patterns for College Writing, Brief Edition, with the
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choose from Alternative formats of Patterns for College Writing,
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Bedford/St. Martin’s offers a range of affordable formats, allowing
students to choose the one that works best for them. For more details, visit
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00_KIR_8378_FM_i_xxxiv.indd ix Achorn International 11/18/2014 01:45PM