Writing Today

894 Pages·2008·17.508 MB·English

by  Santi Buscemi, Donald Pharr

Writing Today
● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
Contexts Options
and
the Real World
for
SECOND EDITION
DONALD PHARR
Saint Leo University
SANTI V. BUSCEMI
Middlesex County College
Writing Today
Contexts and Options for the Real World
Published by McGraw-Hill, an imprint of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 1221 Avenue of the
Americas, New York, NY 10020. Copyright © 2009, 2005 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All
rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any
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McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., including, but not limited to, in any network or other electronic
storage or transmission, or broadcast for distance learning.
This book is printed on acid-free paper.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 DOC DOC 0 9 8
ISBN: 978-0-07-353322-3
MHID: 0-07-353322-X
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Publisher: David S. Patterson
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Printer and binder:RR Donnelley & Sons, Inc.
Text credits appear on page C-1 at the end of the book and constitute an extension of the
copyright page.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Pharr, Donald.
Writing today : contexts and options for the real world / Donald Pharr, Santi Buscemi.—2nd ed.
p. cm.
Includes index.
ISBN-13: 978-0-07-353322-3
ISBN-10: 0-07-353322-X
1. English language—Rhetoric. 2. Report writing. 3. English language—
Grammar—Problems, exercises, etc. I. Buscemi, Santi V. II. Title.
PE1408.P46 2008
808'.042—dc22
2007068455
www.mhhe.com
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This book is dedicated to
Mary F. Pharr and
Elaine Buscemi
for their support, love,
and—above all—patience.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
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DONALD PHARR
Donald Pharr received his bachelor's degree from Indiana State University and his mas-
ter's and doctorate from the University of Georgia. He is the co-author (with Gerald J.
Schiffhorst) of The Short Handbook for Writers, second edition. He taught for many years
in the Florida community college system, where he specialized in applied composi-
tion: business, technical, and science writing. As well, he has spent almost two decades
consulting as a technical writer and editor. Dr. Pharr is currently associate professor of
English at Saint Leo University. He lives in Lakeland, Florida, with his wife, Mary.
SANTI V.BUSCEMI
Santi V. Buscemi teaches reading, composition, and literature at Middlesex County
College in Edison, New Jersey, where he was chair of the Department of English for
twenty-eight years. He is the author of A Reader for College Writers, sixth edition,
75 Readings, ninth edition, 75 Readings Plus,seventh edition, The Basics,fourth edition,
and the writing software AllWrite!He has lectured on freshman composition and devel-
opmental education at regional and national conferences in the United States and
South Africa. He also served as a business and technical writing consultant/trainer for
the Altria Group, Horizon Blue Cross/Blue Shield, the Port Authority of New York and
New Jersey, and Bristol-Myers Squibb. He has also translated C'era Una Volta,the fairy
tales of Luigi Capuana, from the Italian. Professor Buscemi is past president of the New
Jersey College English Association and the New Jersey Association for Developmental
Education, and he served on the NADE Adjunct Task Force.
vi
CONTENTS
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Preface xvii
Prewriting Strategies 29
Considering Your Purpose and
PART 1 Audience 29
Considering Your Learning Style 29
N APPROACHES
Focusing Strategies 35
O
TI ACHIEVING STUDENT Establishing Your Working Thesis 35
C SUCCESS xxix Focusing Your Thesis 37
U
The Successful Student xxix Organizational Strategies 40
D
O A Serious Approach to College Structuring Your Prewriting 40
R Life xxix Drafting Strategies 43
T
N Information Access xxx Drafting In-Class Essays 43
I Preparation and Organization xxxi Drafting Out-of-Class Essays 45
Classroom Decorum xxxi Drafting with a Computer 45
Study Habits xxxii Establishing Your Voice 46
Time Management xxxiii STUDENTESSAY: Verlinda’s First Draft of
A Very Secret Santa 47
1 THE ESSAY: Determining
R Purpose, Audience,
TE and Approach 3 R3 DPAEVREALGORPAINPGH SS:T RONG
AP Characteristics of the Essay 5 E Exploring Your Options 52
T
H Rhetorical Context 5 P Paragraphs in Context 53
C A
Rhetorical Structures 12
H Introductory Paragraphs 53
Reading with a Writer’s Eye 14 C Body Paragraphs 56
Consider the Writer’s Rhetorical Context Concluding Paragraphs 63
and Rhetorical Structures 14
Writing Effective Topic
Consider Your Purposes as a Reader 14
Sentences 66
Suzanne Britt, Neat People vs. Sloppy
Topic Sentence at the Paragraph’s
People 15
Beginning 66
Essay Analysis 16
Ending with the Topic Sentence 67
Writing with a Reader’s Eye 19
Topic Sentence Within the
STUDENTESSAYA Very Secret Santa 19 Paragraph 68
The Writing Process 21 Topic Sentence Used for Two
2
Paragraphs 69
R
SHAPING YOUR ESSAY: The Implied Topic Sentence 69
E
T Prewriting, Focusing, Organizing, Achieving Unity 70
P and Drafting 24
A Achieving Coherence 72
H Choosing Your Topic 26
Using Effective Transitions to Improve
C
Establishing Your Rhetorical Context 27 Coherence 73
vii
viii CONTENTS
Achieving Coherence Through Using Periodic and Climactic Sentence
Careful Choice of Nouns and Structure to Create Emphasis 112
Pronouns 75 Choosing Words Carefully 113
Using Parallelism to Improve
Striving for Parallelism 113
Coherence 76
Including All Necessary Words 114
Achieving Specificity Through the
Avoiding Awkward Repetition 115
Use of Concrete Details 76
Avoiding Faulty Comparisons 115
Using Only Words That Matter 116
RESHAPING YOUR ESSAY:
Avoiding Redundancy 118
Revising, Editing, and
4 Proofreading 80 Avoiding Euphemisms 120
R Using Figurative Language
E Peer Response and Review 81
Appropriately 121
T
P BOX: Peer Review Checklist 82 Avoiding Clichés 122
A
Responding to Suggestions for Learning to Use Denotation and
H
Revision 83 Connotation 123
C
STUDENTESSAY: Peer-Reviewed Draft of A Using Idiomatic English 125
Very Secret Santa 83
Using Active, Specific
Using a Computer to Revise 86 Language 126
Revising Your Essays 87
PART 2
Checking for Unity 87
Improving Coherence 88 STRUCTURES
Using the Appropriate Language
Level 88 DESCRIPTION 134
5
Making Your Language More Concrete R How Does Description Work? 136
and Specific 91 E
Reading the Descriptive Essay with
T
Finding the Right Tone 93
P a Writer’s Eye 138
Checking Your Introductory Paragraphs A
Thomas McGuane, Roanie 139
and Thesis 93 H
C Maxine Hong Kingston, Photographs of
Checking Your Topic Sentences and Body
My Parents 144
Paragraphs 94
Hildegard Knef, from The Gift
Checking Your Conclusion 96
Horse 147
Writing an Effective Title 97
Writing the Descriptive Essay with
BOX: Completing Your Essay on a
a Reader’s Eye 152
Computer 97
Issues to Keep in Mind 152
Editing and Proofreading Your
Choosing a Topic 156
Essays 98
Prewriting 157
Combining Sentences 99
Organizing 158
Merging and Submerging Related
Ideas 99 Drafting 158
Coordinating and Subordinating Related Revising Your Draft 161
Ideas 103 BOX: Questions for Reviewing a
Using Hybrid Sentence Patterns 111 Descriptive Essay 161
CONTENTS ix
STUDENTESSAY:Jennifer Janisz, Help! Drafting 229
Anyone! 162 Revising Your Draft 232
STUDENTESSAY: Jennifer Janisz, Three
Families 232
6 NARRATION 172
BOX: Questions for Reviewing an
R How Does Narration Work? 174 Exemplification Essay 232
E
T Reading the Narrative Essay with
P
a Writer’s Eye 176
A 8 PROCESS ANALYSIS 240
H Lynda Barry, The Sanctuary of
C School 176 R How Does Process Analysis
E
Work? 242
Sandra Cisneros, Only Daughter 179 T
Annie Dillard, The Chase 183 P Reading the Process Analysis Essay
A
with a Writer’s Eye 243
Writing the Personal Narrative H
with a Reader’s Eye 186 C Jerry Jesness, Why Johnny Can’t
Fail 243
Issues to Keep in Mind 186
Malcolm X, My First Conk 248
Choosing a Topic 191
Umberto Eco, How Not to Use the
Prewriting 192
Fax Machine and the Cellular
Organizing 192 Phone 252
Drafting 193 Writing the Process Analysis Essay
Revising Your Draft 195 with a Reader’s Eye 256
STUDENTESSAY: Claire Reid, After the Issues to Keep in Mind 256
Fray 196
Choosing a Topic 257
BOX: Questions for Reviewing a
Prewriting 258
Narrative Essay 196
Organizing 258
Drafting 259
7 EXEMPLIFICATION 206 Revising Your Draft 262
R How Does Exemplification BOX: Questions for Reviewing a Process
E
Work? 208 Analysis Essay 262
T
P Reading the Exemplification Essay STUDENTESSAY: Manny Meregildo, Get
A the Right Job 263
with a Writer’s Eye 210
H
C Brent Staples, Just Walk on By 210
Lars Eighner, On Dumpster 9 CAUSAL ANALYSIS 272
Diving 214
R How Does Causal Analysis
Harry F. Waters,Life According to E Work? 274
T
TV 219
P Reading the Causal Analysis Essay
Writing the Exemplification Essay A
with a Writer’s Eye 277
with a Reader’s Eye 226 H
C Barbara Ehrenreich, The Cult of
Issues to Keep in Mind 226
Busyness 277
Choosing a Topic 228
Gore Vidal, Drugs 281
Prewriting 229
Richard Rhodes, Hollow Claims About
Organizing 229 Fantasy Violence 284
x CONTENTS
Writing the Causal Analysis Essay Fran Lebowitz, The Sound of Music:
with a Reader’s Eye 287 Enough Already 345
Issues to Keep in Mind 287 Martin Luther King, Jr., Three Types of
Resistance to Oppression 348
Choosing a Topic 291
Paul Fussell, Notes on Class 351
Prewriting 292
Writing the Classification Essay
Organizing 292
with a Reader’s Eye 357
Drafting 292
Issues to Keep in Mind 357
Revising Your Draft 298
Choosing a Topic 360
STUDENTESSAY: Noelani Jones, Worlds
Prewriting 361
Apart 298
BOX: Questions for Reviewing a Causal Organizing 361
Analysis Essay 298 Drafting 361
Revising Your Draft 363
0 DEFINITION 308 STUDENTESSAY: Sam Leininger, Fraud
Alert 364
1
How Does Definition Work? 310
R BOX: Questions for Reviewing a
E Reading the Definition Essay with Classification Essay 364
T a Writer’s Eye 311
P
A Judy Brady, Why I Want a Wife 312
2 COMPARISON AND
H
William Raspberry, The Handicap of 1 CONTRAST 374
C
Definition 314 R
Annie Dillard, So This Was E How Does Comparison/Contrast
T Work? 376
Adolescence 317
P
Writing the Definition Essay with A Reading the Comparison/Contrast
H Essay with a Writer’s Eye 379
a Reader’s Eye 320
C
Bharati Mukherjee, Two Ways to
Issues to Keep in Mind 321
Belong in America 379
Choosing a Topic 326
David Sedaris, Family
Prewriting 326
Engineering 383
Organizing 327
Barbara Mellix, From Outside,
Drafting 327 In 387
The Body 328 Writing the Comparison/Contrast
Revising Your Draft 329 Essay with a Reader’s Eye 391
STUDENTESSAY: Curtis Ray Mosley, My Issues to Keep in Mind 392
“Moment of Truth” 330
Choosing a Topic 394
BOX: Questions for Reviewing an
Prewriting 396
Extended Definition 330
1 Organizing 397
1
Drafting 398
R CLASSIFICATION 340
E Revising Your Draft 402
T How Does Classification BOX: Questions for Reviewing a
P Work? 342
A Comparison/Contrast Essay 402
H Reading the Classification Essay STUDENTESSAY: Sam Leininger, The Two
C with a Writer’s Eye 344 Sides of the Aisle 403
CONTENTS xi
3 ARGUMENT 412 STUDENTESSAY: Kevin Hunkovic, Three
1
Years Without Liberty 470
How Does Argument Work? 414
R
E
Reading the Argument Essay with
T PART 3
P a Writer’s Eye 416
A Walter S. Minot, Students Who Push APPLICATIONS
H
Burgers 416
C
Caryl Rivers, What Should Be Done
5 WRITING PROPOSALS
About Rock Lyrics? 419
1 From Problem to Solution 480
Michael Levin, The Case for R
Torture 423 E Purpose: Understand the Problem
T and Propose a Solution 481
Writing the Argument Essay with
P
a Reader’s Eye 426 A Scope: Decide How Far to Go and
H Consider Alternatives 482
Issues to Keep in Mind 426
C
Audience: See the Problem from
Choosing a Topic 434
the Reader’s Perspective 482
Prewriting 434
Preparing to Write: Issues to Keep in
Organizing 435
Mind 483
Drafting 435
Choosing a Topic: Determining Purpose
Revising Your Draft 438
and Scope 486
BOX: Questions for Reviewing an
Writing and Research 486
Argument Essay 438
Organizing 487
STUDENTESSAY: Sam Leininger, My
Other Aspects to Consider When
Simple and Modest Plan 439
Writing Proposals 490
Sample Internal Proposal 490
4 THE BLENDED ESSAY 448
1 Revising Your Draft 492
How Does the Blended Essay
R
Work? 450
E
T Reading the Blended Essay with 6 WRITING CRITIQUES
P 1 Reviewing, Evaluating, and
A a Writer’s Eye 451 R Persuading 494
H Scott Russell Sanders, The Men We E
C Carry in Our Minds 452 T What Is the Purpose of a
P Critique? 495
Anthony Bourdain, Don’t Eat Before A
Reading This 456 H What a Critique Is Not 495
Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, On the Fear of C Deciding on Criteria for
Death 461 Evaluation 496
Writing the Blended Essay with a
Planning the Critique 497
Reader’s Eye 468
Focus on a Topic 497
Prewriting 468
Decide on a Preliminary List of
Organizing 468 Criteria 497
Drafting 469 Gather Information and Formulate a
Revising Your Draft 469 Thesis 497
BOX: Questions for Reviewing a Blended Develop Your Critique by Using
Essay 469 Appropriate Methods 498
xii CONTENTS
BOX: A Guide to Critiquing Written Developing the Final Script 539
Texts 499 Using Visual Aids 541
Reading Critiques 501 The Group Oral Presentation 543
Manohla Dargis, A Ghastly
Conflagration, A Tormented
Aftermath 502 9 ESSAY
1 EXAMINATIONS 544
Brooks Atkinson, First Night at the
R
Theater: A Review of Tennessee E Study for the Exam 545
Williams’ A Streetcar Named T
Read the Directions 545
Desire 505 P
A Short Answers 546
Is Fox News “Fair and Balanced”?
H
Paragraphs 546
Two Critiques of the Popular News C
Network 507 Essays 547
Brian C. Anderson, Fox News: Enraging Allocate Your Time 547
Liberals for 10 Years 507 Interpret Key Words 547
Steve Rendall and Julie Hollar, Prewriting Essay Responses 549
Still Failing the “Fair & Balanced”
Drafting Essay Responses 549
Test 509
Sample Essay Exam Response 550
7 BUSINESS FORMATS 514
1 0 THE RESEARCH
E-mail, Memos, and Business
R 2 PROCESS 552
E Letters 515
T R Narrowing Your Topic and Framing
E-mail 515 E
P
T a Research Question 553
A Memos 516
P
H Beginning with Tools from the
Business Letters 522 A
C H Reference Room 555
Résumés and Letters of
C Using Primary and Secondary
Application 529
Sources 555
Elements of a Résumé 529
Creating a Working
Submit Your Résumé Online 530
Bibliography 556
Elements of an Application Letter 530
Locating Books and Articles on
Your Topic 557
8 GROUP PROJECTS Online Book Catalogues 558
1 AND ORAL
The Traditional Card Catalogue 559
R PRESENTATIONS 534
E Periodical Indexes 560
T Working in Groups 535
Electronic Databases 563
P
A Define Your Group’s Purpose 536 Searching the Internet 564
H Assign Tasks 536
Internet Search Tools: URLs, Directories,
C
Help Keep Your Group on Track 536 and Search Engines 566
Developing Effective Oral Evaluating Sources 570
Presentations 537
Tips on Evaluating Sources for Your
Creating a Script 537 Research Paper 570