Connect Composition (SEALWORKS) Generic Online Access for The McGraw-Hill Handbook

*new to this edition

Part One: Writing and Designing Papers

Chapter 1: Learning Across the Curriculum

1a. Use Writing to Learn as You Learn to Write

1b. Explore Ways of Learning in a multimedia world

1c. Use strategies for learning in a multilingual world.

Chapter 2: Understanding Assignments

2a. Recognize that writing is a process.

2b. Find an appropriate topic.

2c. Be clear about the purpose of your assignment.

2d. Use the appropriate genre.

2e. Ask questions about your audience.

2f. Determine the appropriate tone.

2g. Meet early to discuss coauthored projects.

2h. Gather the tools you need to get started.

Chapter 3: Planning and Shaping the Whole Essay

3a. Explore your ideas.

3b. Decide on a thesis.

3c. Plan a structure that suits your assignment.

3d. Consider using visuals.

Chapter 4: Drafting Paragraphs and Thinking about Visuals

4a. Use online tools for drafting.

4b. Write focused paragraphs.

4c. Write paragraphs that have a clear organization.

4d. Develop ideas and use visuals strategically.

4e. Integrate visuals effectively.

4f. Craft an introduction that establishes your purpose.

4g. Conclude by answering "so what?"

Chapter 5: Revising and Editing

5a. Get comments from readers.

5b. Use resources available on your campus, on the Internet, and in your community.

5c. Use online tools for revising.

5d. Focus on the purpose of your writing.

5e. Make sure you have a strong thesis.

5f. Review the structure of your paper as a whole.

5g. Revise your essay for paragraph development, paragraph unity, and coherence.

5h. Revise visuals.

5i. Edit sentences.

5j. Proofread carefully before you turn in your paper.

5k. Learn from one student’s revisions.

Chapter 6: Designing Academic Papers and Preparing Portfolios

6a. Consider audience and purpose when making design decisions.

6b. Use the toolbars available in your word-processing program.

6c. Think intentionally about design.

6d. Compile a print or electronic portfolio that presents your work to your advantage.

Part Two: Common Assignments Across the Curriculum

Chapter 7: Reading, Thinking, Writing: the Critical Connection

7a. Recognize that critical reading is a process.

7b. Preview the text or visual.

7c. Read and record your initial impressions.

7d. Reread using annotation and summary to analyze and interpret.

7e. Synthesize your observations in a critical response paper.

Chapter 8:Informative Reports

8a. Understand the assignment.

8b. Approach writing an informative report as a process.

8c. Know how to write an informative report in the social sciences.

8d. Know how to write reviews of the literature.

8e. Know how to write informative papers in the sciences.

8f. Know how to write lab reports.

8g. Informative reports in the humanities.

Chapter 9: Interpretive Analyses and Writing about Literature

9a. Understand the assignment.

9b. Approach writing an interpretive analysis as a process.

9c. Learn to write interpretive papers in the humanities.

9d. Write a literary interpretation of a poem.

9e. Write a literary interpretation of a work of fiction.

9f. Write a literary interpretation of a play.

9g. Learn to write interpretive papers in the social sciences.

9h. Know how to write case studies

9i. Learn to write interpretive papers in the sciences.

Chapter 10: Arguments

10a. Understand the assignment.

10b. Learn how to evaluate an argument.

10c. Approach writing your own argument as a process.

10d. Arguments in the social sciences.

10e. Arguments in the humanities.

10f. Arguments in the sciences.

Chapter 11: Personal essays, Lab Reports, and Case Studies

11a. Understand the assignment.

11b. Approach writing a personal essay as a process.

Chapter 12: Essay Exams

12a. Prepare to take an essay exam.

12b. Learn strategies for answering essay exams.

Chapter 13: Oral Reports and Presentations

13a. Plan and shape your oral presentation.

13b. Draft your presentation with the rhetorical situation in mind.

13c. Prepare for your presentation.

Chapter 14: Multimedia Writing

14a. Learn about the tools for creating multimedia texts.

14b. Combine text and image with a word processing program to analyze images.

14c. Use a word processing program to create a hypertext essay.

14d. Use presentation software to create multimedia presentations.

14e. Create a web site.

14f. Create and interact with blogs.

Part Three: Researching

Chapter 15: Understanding Research

15a. Understand the purpose of primary and secondary research.

15b. Recognize the connection between research and college writing.

15c. Understanding the research assignment.

15d. Choose and interesting research question for critical inquiry.

15e. Create a research plan.

Chapter 16: Finding and Managing Print and Online Sources

16a. Use the library in person and online.

16b. Consult various kinds of sources.

16c. Understand keywords and keyword searches.

16d. Use print and online reference works for general information.

16e. Use print indexes and online databases to find journal articles and other periodicals.

16f. Use search engines and subject directories to find sources on the internet.

16g. Use your library’s online catalog or card catalog to find books.

16h. Take advantage of printed and online government documents.

16i. Explore online communication.

Chapter 17: Finding and Designing Effective Visuals

17a. Find quantitative data and display it visually.

17b. Search for appropriate images in online collections, with an internet search engine, or in books and journals and other print sources.

Chapter 18: Evaluating Sources

18a. Question print sources.

18b. Question Internet sources.

18c. Evaluate a source’s arguments.

Chapter 19: Doing Research in the Archive, Field, and Lab

19a. Adhere to ethical principles when doing primary research.

19b. Prepare yourself before undertaking archival research.

19c. Plan your field research carefully.

19d. Keep a notebook when doing lab research.

Chapter 20: Plagiarism, Copyright, and Intellectual Property

20a. Learn how plagiarism relates to copyright and intellectual property.

20b. Avoid plagiarism.

20c. Use copyrighted materials fairly.

Chapter 21: Working with Sources and Avoiding Plagiarism

21a. Maintain a working bibliography.

*21b. Create an annotated bibliography

21c. Take notes on your sources.

21d. Integrating quotations, paraphrases, and summaries properly and effectively.

21e. Synthesis: Take stock of what you have learned.

Chapter 22: Writing the Paper

22a. Plan and draft your paper.

22b. Revise your draft.

22c. Document your sources.

22d. Present and publish your work.

Part Four: Documenting Across the Curriculum

Chapter 23: MLA Documentation Style

*(Foldout) Resources for Writers: MLA Documentation

23a. The elements of MLA documentation style

23b. MLA style: In-text citations

23c. MLA Style: List of works Cited

23d. MLA style: Explanatory notes and acknowledgments

23e. MLA style: Paper Format

23f. Student paper in MLA style

Chapter 24: APA Documentation Style

*(Foldout) Resources for Writers: APA Documentation

24a. The elements of APA documentation style

24b. APA style: In-text citations

24c. APA style: References

24d. APA style: Paper format

24e Student paper in APA style

Chapter 25: Chicago Documentation Style

25a. Chicago style: In-text citations and notes

25b. Chicago style: Bibliography

25c. Sample Chicago-style notes and bibliography entries

25d. Sample from a student paper in Chicago style

Chapter 26: CSE Documentation Styles

26a. In-text citations

26b. List of References

26c. Sample references list: CSE name-year style

26d. Sample references list: CSE citation-name style

Part Five: Writing Beyond College

Chapter 27: Service Learning and Community-Service Writing

27a. Address the community on behalf of your organization.

27b. Design brochures, newsletters, and posters with an eye to purpose and audience.

Chapter 28: Letters to Raise Awareness and Share Concern

28a. Write about a Public Issue.

28b. Write as a Consumer.

Chapter 29: Writing to Get and Keep a Job

29a. Explore internship possibilities, and keep a portfolio of career-related writing.

29b. Keep your résumé up-to-date and available on a computer disk.

29c. Write an application letter that highlights the information on your résumé and demonstrates that your skills match the job you are seeking.

29d. Prepare in advance for the job interview.

29e. Apply what you learn in college to your on-the-job writing.

Part Six: Grammar Basics

*(Foldout)Resources for Writers: Identifying and Editing Common Problems/Resources for Multilingual Writers

Chapter 30: The Parts of Speech

30a. Verbs

30b. Nouns

30c. Pronouns

30d. Adjectives

30e. Adverbs

30f. Prepositions

30g. Conjunctions

30h. Interjections

Chapter 31: Sentence Basics

31a. Sentence purpose

31b. Subjects

31c. Predicates: Verbs and their objects or complements

31d. What are phrases and clauses?

31e. Noun phrases and verb phrases

31f. Verbals and verbal phrases

31g. Appositive phrases

31h. Absolute phrases

31i. Dependent clauses

31j. Sentence structures

Part Seven: Editing for Grammar Conventions

Chapter 32: Sentence Fragments

32a. Learn to identify sentence fragments.

32b. Learn how to edit sentence fragments.

32c. Connect a phrase fragment to another sentence, or add the missing elements.

32d. Connect a dependent-clause fragment to another sentence, or make it into a sentence by eliminating or changing the subordinating word.

Chapter 33: Comma Splices and Run-on Sentences

33a. Learn how to identify comma splices and run-on sentences.

33b. Learn five ways to edit comma splices and run-on sentences.

33c. Join the two clauses with a comma and a coordinating conjunction such as and, but, or, nor, for, so, or yet.

33d. Join the two clauses with a semicolon.

33e. Separate the clauses into two sentences.

33f. Turn one of the independent clauses into a dependent clause.

33g. Transform the two clauses into one independent clause.

Chapter 34: Subject-Verb Agreement

34a. Learn how to identify problems with subject-verb agreement.

34b. Learn to edit errors in subject-verb agreement.

34c. Do not lose sight of the subject when other words separate it from the verb.

34d. Learn to distinguish plural from singular compound subjects.

34e. Treat most collective nouns—nouns like audience, family, and committee—as singular subjects.

34f. Treat most indefinite subjects—subjects like everybody, no one, each, all, and none—as singular.

34g. Make sure that the subject and verb agree when the subject comes after the verb.

34h. Make sure that the verb agrees with its subject, not the subject complement.

34i. Who, which, and that (relative pronouns) take verbs that agree with the subject they replace.

34j. Gerund phrases (phrases beginning with an –ing verb treated as a noun) take the singular form of the verb when they are subjects.

Chapter 35: Problems with Verbs

35a. Learn the principal forms of regular and irregular verbs.

35b. Learn to identify and edit problems with common irregular verbs.

35c. Distinguish between lay and lie, sit and set, and rise and raise.

35d. Do not forget to add an –s or –es ending to the verb when it is necessary.

35e. Do not forget to add a –d or –ed ending to the verb when it is necessary.

35f. Make sure your verbs are complete.

35g. Use verb tenses accurately.

35h. Use the past perfect tense to indicate an action completed at a specific time or before another event.

35i. Use the present tense for literary events, scientific facts, and introductions to quotations.

35j. Make sure infinitives and participles fit with the tense of the main verb.

35k. Use the subjunctive mood for wishes, requests, and conjecture.

35l. Choose the active voice unless a special situation calls for the passive.

Chapter 36: Problems with Pronouns

36a. Learn to identify problems with pronoun case.

36b. Learn to edit for pronoun case.

36c. Use the correct pronouns in compound structures.

36d. Use the correct pronoun in subject complements.

36e. Use the correct pronoun in appositives.

36f. Use either we or us before a noun, depending on the noun’s function.

36g. Use the correct pronoun in comparisons with than or as.

36h. Use the correct form when the pronoun is the subject or the object of an infinitive.

36i. Use the possessive case in front of a gerund.

36j. Distinguish between who and whom.

36k. Learn to identify and edit problems with pronoun-antecedent agreement.

36l. Choose the right pronoun to agree with an indefinite pronoun antecedent.

36m. Avoid gender bias with indefinite pronoun and generic noun antecedents.

36n. Treat most collective nouns as singular.

36o. Choose the right pronoun for a compound antecedent.

36p. Learn to identify and edit problems with pronoun reference.

36q. Avoid ambiguous pronoun references.

36r. Watch out for implied pronoun references.

36s. Keep track of pronoun reference in paragraphs.

36t. Use who, whom, and whose, not that or which, to refer to people.

Chapter 37: Problems with Adjectives and Adverbs

37a. Learn to identify and edit problems with adjectives and adverbs.

37b. Use adjectives to modify nouns or pronouns.

37c. Use nouns as adjectives sparingly.

37d. Use adverbs to modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs.

37e. Do not use an adjective when an adverb is needed.

37f. Use adjectives after linking verbs to describe the subject.

37g. Use positive, comparative, and superlative adjectives and adverbs correctly.

37h. Avoid double negatives.

Checklist: Writing Grammatically

Part Eight: Editing for Clarity

Chapter 38: Wordy Sentences

38a. Learn to identify and edit wordiness.

38b. Eliminate wordy phrase and empty words.

38c. Eliminate unnecessary repetition.

38d. Make your sentences straightforward.

38e. Reduce clauses and phrases.

38f. Combine sentences.

Chapter 39: Missing Words

39a. Recognizing and editing problems with missing words.

39b. Add words needed to make compound structures complete and clear.

39c. Include that when it is needed for clarity.

39d. Make comparisons clear.

39e. Add articles (a, an, the) where necessary.

Chapter 40: Mixed Constructions

40a. Identifying and editing mixed constructions.

40b. Make sure predicated fit their subjects.

Chapter 41: Confusing Shifts

41a. Learn how to identify and edit confusing shifts.

41b. Make your point of view consistent in person and number.

41c. Keep your verb tenses consistent.

41d. Avoid unnecessary shifts in mood and voice.

41e. Be alert to awkward shifts between direct and indirect quotations and questions.

Chapter 42: Faulty Parallelism

42a. Learn to identify and edit faulty parallelism.

42b. Make items in a series parallel.

42c. Make paired ideas parallel.

42d. Repeat function words as needed to keep parallels clear.

42e. Make the items in outlines, headings, and lists.

Chapter 43: Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers

43a. Learn to identify and edit misplaced modifiers.

43b. Put modifiers close to the words they modify.

43c. Clarify ambiguous modifiers.

43d. Move disruptive modifiers.

43e. Avoid splitting infinitives.

43f. Learn to identify and edit dangling modifiers.

Chapter 44: Coordination and Subordination

44a. Learn to identify coordination and subordination and use them effectively.

44b. Use coordination to combine ideas of equal importance.

44c. Avoid faulty or excessive coordination.

44d. Use subordination for ideas of unequal importance.

44e. Avoid faulty or excessive subordination.

44f. Use coordination and subordination to combine short, choppy sentences.

Chapter 45: Sentence Variety

45a. Vary your sentence openings.

45b. Vary the length and structure of your sentences.

45c. Include a few cumulative and periodic sentences.

45d. Try an occasional inversion, rhetorical question, or exclamation.

45e. Repeat key words for emphasis.

Chapter 46: Active Verbs

46a. Consider alternatives to some be verbs.

46b. Prefer the active voice.

Checklist: Writing Clearly

Part Nine: Editing for Word Choice

Chapter 47: Dictionaries and Vocabulary

47a. Make using the dictionary a habit.

47b. Consult a thesaurus for words that have similar meanings.

47c. Read for pleasure.

47d. Learn the meanings of new words by their context.

47e. Learn new words by analyzing their parts.

Chapter 48: Appropriate Language

48a. In college writing, avoid slang, regional expressions, and nonstandard English.

48b. Use an appropriate level of formality.

48c. Avoid jargon.

48d. Avoid most euphemisms and all doublespeak.

48e. Do not use biased or sexist language.

Chapter 49: Exact Language

49a. Avoid misusing words.

49b. Choose words with suitable connotations.

49c. Include specific and concrete words.

49d. Use standard idioms.

49e. Create suitable figures of speech.

49f. Avoid clichés

Chapter 50: Glossary of Usage

Checklist: Writing with Appropriate and Exact Language

Part Ten: Sentence Punctuation

Chapter 51: Commas

51a. Place a comma before a coordinating conjunction that joins two independent clauses.

51b. Use commas between items in a series.

51c. Use commas between coordinate adjectives.

51d. Use a comma after an introductory word group that is not the subject of the sentence.

51e. Use a comma or commas to set off nonessential (nonrestrictive) elements.

51f. Use a comma or commas with transitional expressions, parenthetical expressions, contrasting comments, and absolute phrases.

51g. Use a comma or commas to set off words of direct address, yes and no, mild interjections, and tag sentences.

51h. Use a comma or commas to separate a direct quotation from the phrase that signals it.

51i. Use commas with parts of dates and addresses, with people’s titles, in numbers, and in parts of correspondence.

51j. Use a comma to take the place of an omitted word or phrase or to prevent misreading.

51k. Do not use commas to separate major elements in an independent clause.

51l. Do not use commas to separate compound word groups unless they are independent clauses.

51m. Do not place commas after prepositions or conjunctions.

51n. Do not use commas to set off restrictive modifiers, appositives, or slightly parenthetical words or phrases.

51o. Do not use a comma after the phrase that begins an inverted sentence.

51p. Do not place a comma before the first or after the last item in a series. Do not place a comma between an adjective and a noun, even in a series of coordinate adjectives.

51q. Do not use a comma to repeat the function of other punctuation.

Chapter 52: Semicolons

52a. Use a semicolon to join independent clauses.

52b. Use semicolons with transitional expressions that connect independent clauses.

52c. Use care when placing a semicolon before a conjunction.

52d. Use a semicolon to separate items in a series when the items contain commas.

52e. Edit to correct common semicolon errors.

Chapter 53: Colons

53a. Use a colon after a complete sentence to introduce a list, an appositive, or a quotation.

53b. Use a colon when a second closely related independent clause elaborates on the first one.

53c. Use colons in business letters, to indicate ratios, to indicate times of day, for city and publisher citations in bibliographies, and to separate titles and subtitles.

53d. Edit to eliminate unnecessary colons.

Chapter 54: Quotation Marks

54a. Distinguish between direct and indirect quotations.

54b. Use quotation marks to set off brief direct quotations and lines of dialogue.

54c. Use single quotation marks, slashes, ellipses, and brackets with direct quotations as required.

54d. Set off long quotations in indented blocks rather than using quotation marks.

54e. Use single quotation marks to enclose a quotation within a quotation.

54f. Use quotation marks to enclose titles of short works such as articles, poems, and stories.

54g. Use quotation marks to indicate that a word or phrase is being used in a special way.

54h. Place punctuation marks within or outside quotation marks, as convention and your meaning require.

54i. Edit to correct common errors in using quotation marks.

Chapter 55: Dashes, Parentheses, and Other Punctuation Marks

55a. Use the dash provided by your word-processing program, or form it by typing two hyphens.

55b. Use a dash to highlight an explanation or list that begins or ends a sentence.

55c. Use a dash or two dashes to insert—and highlight—a nonessential phrase or independent clause within a sentence.

55d. Use a dash or dashes to indicate a sudden break in tone, thought, or speech.

55e. Do not overuse dashes.

55f. Use parentheses to enclose supplementary information.

55g. Use parentheses to enclose numbers or letters, according to convention.

55h. Learn the conventions for capitalization and punctuation with parentheses.

55i. When quoting, use brackets to set off material that is not part of the original quotation.

55j. Use ellipses to indicate that words have been omitted from a quotation or that a thought is incomplete.

55k. Use a slash to show line breaks in quoted poetry, to separate options or combinations, and in electronic addresses.

Chapter 56: Periods, Question Marks, and Exclamation Points

56a. Use a period after most statements, indirect questions, polite requests, and mild commands.

56b. Use a period in abbreviations according to convention.

56c. Do not use a period at the end of a sentence within a sentence.

56d. Use a question mark after a direct question.

56e. Use exclamation points sparingly to convey shock, surprise, or a forceful command.

56f. Place a question mark or exclamation point within a sentence if your meaning requires it.

56g. Do not add a comma or another end mark after a period, question mark, or exclamation point.

56h. Make sure that the end mark concludes a complete sentence.

Checklist: Editing for Punctuation

Part Eleven: Mechanics and Spelling

Chapter 57: Capitalization

57a. Capitalize proper nouns (names), words derived from them, brand names, certain abbreviations, and call letters.

57b. Capitalize a person’s title when it appears before a proper name but not when it is used alone.

57c. Capitalize names of areas and regions.

57d. Follow standard practice for capitalizing names of races, ethnic groups, and sacred things.

57e. Capitalize titles of works of literature, works of art, musical compositions, documents, and courses.

57f. Capitalize the first word of a sentence.

57g. Capitalize the first word of a quoted sentence but not the first word of an indirect quotation.

57h. Capitalizing the first word of an independent clause after a colon or in a series of short questions is optional.

57i. Capitalize the first word of each item in a formal outline.

57j. Capitalizing the first word of each item in a list is optional, unless the item is a sentence.

57k. Capitalize the first word in the greeting and closing of a letter.

Chapter 58: Abbreviations, Acronyms, and Symbols

58a. Abbreviate familiar titles that always precede or follow a person’s name.

58b. Use abbreviations only when you know your readers will understand them.

58c. Abbreviate words typically used with times, dates, and numerals, as well as units of measurement in charts and graphs.

58d. Use abbreviations in mailing addresses.

58e. Become familiar with abbreviations used in research citations.

58f. Avoid Latin abbreviations in formal writing.

58g. Avoid inappropriate abbreviations and symbols.

Chapter 59: Numbers

59a. In nontechnical writing, spell out numbers up to one hundred and round numbers greater than one hundred.

59b. In technical and business writing, use numerals for exact measurements and all numbers greater than ten.

59c. Always spell out a number that begins a sentence.

59d. Use numerals for dates, times of day, addresses, and similar kinds of conventional quantitative information.

Chapter 60: Italics and Underlining

60a. Italicize (underline) titles of lengthy works or separate publications.

60b. Italicize (underline) the names of ships, trains, aircraft, and spaceships.

60c. Italicize (underline) foreign terms.

60d. Italicize (underline) scientific names.

60e. Italicize (underline) words, letters, and numbers referred to as themselves.

60f. Use italics (underlining) sparingly for emphasis.

Chapter 61: Apostrophes

61a. Use apostrophes to indicate possession.

61b. Use apostrophes to form contractions.

61c. Distinguish between contractions and possessive pronouns.

61d. An apostrophe can be used with –s to form plural numbers, letters, abbreviations, and words used as words.

61e. Watch out for common misuses of the apostrophe.

Chapter 62: Hyphens

62a. Use hyphens to form compound words and to avoid confusion.

62b. Use hyphens to join two or more words to create compound adjective or noun forms.

62c. Use hyphens to spell out fractions and compound numbers.

62d. Use a hyphen to attach some prefixes and suffixes.

62e. Use hyphens to divide words at the ends of lines.

Chapter 63: Spelling

63a. Learn the rules that generally hold for spelling, as well as their exceptions.

63b. Learn to distinguish words pronounced alike but spelled differently.

63c. Check for commonly misspelled words.

Checklist: Editing for Mechanics and Spelling

Part Twelve: Guide for Multilingual Writers

Chapter 64: Language Basics

64a. Learn the characteristics of English nouns and their modifiers.

64b. Learn the characteristics of English pronouns.

64c. Learn the characteristics of English verb phrases.

Chapter 65: Sentence Structure

65a. Learn the requirements of English word order.

65b. Learn to use subordinating and coordinating words correctly

Chapter 66: Error Analysis

66a. Be alert to native language interference

66b. Develop a self-editing checklist

Part Thirteen: Further Resources for Learning

Timeline of World History

Selected Terms from across the Curriculum

*(Foldout) Resources for Writers across the Curriculum/World Map

Back Matter

Glossary of Key Terms

Credits

Index

Index for Multilingual Writers

Editing Symbols and Abbreviations