Focus: Writing Paragraphs and Essays, 2/E
Martha E. Campbell, St. Petersburg Junior College-Tarpon Center

ISBN-10: 0138964653
ISBN-13: 9780138964658

Publisher: Prentice Hall
Copyright: 1999
Format: Paper; 326 pp
Published: 07/15/1998

Suggested retail price: $83.00
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For developmental writing courses at the paragraph or paragraph-to-essay level. This comprehensive rhetoric/workbook for developmental writers offers an integrated, balanced approach to paragraph and essay composition skills, grammar, and punctuation. It helps students experience writing as a holistic activity by teaching them specific grammar/punctuation rules within the context of the specific types of writing where they are most often used (and misused). A lower-level version of this text covering sentence and paragraph skills is now available as well.

NEW TO THIS EDITION

  • NEW - Includes several new pedagogical features:

    • New student samples Pg.___

    • Additional exercises Pg.___

    • Graphical icons in the margins to reinforce concepts Pg.___

    • An ESL Appendix Pg.___

  • NEW - Includes a new section in each chapter called Writers as Spiders, containing links to Internet resources to reinforce grammatical/rhetorical concepts within each chapter. Some writing assignments are also tied to World Wide Web searches. Pg.___
  • Outlines the stages of the writing process and provides a student work-in-progress to demonstrate these stages.

    • Chapter 2 contains the elements of the paragraph including the topic sentence, supporting details and the concluding sentence and the elements of the sentence including phrases and clauses. Pg.___

  • Offers a balance of rhetoric and grammar through an integrated approach: Pg.___

    • Chapters 3-6 each focus on a particular purpose for writing paragraphs, development by examples, narration, observation, and comparison/contrast. Each is introduced along with the grammatical, punctuation, and diction skills that are most often associated with them and with which students tend to have the most trouble (e.g., comma splices and run-ons frequently appear in narrative paragraphs and are so covered in the chapter on narration; dialogue is often a component of narratives, so the use of quotation marks is also introduced in the chapter on narration). Pg.___

  • Makes extensive use of student samples especially in early chapters as well as professional models in later chapters. Pg.___
  • Outlines revising and editing strategies for paragraphs and essays.

    • Considers choosing a topic, writing a topic sentence or thesis, composing and arranging specific details, using effective transition and writing concluding sentences or paragraphs. Pg.___

    • Presents strategies for revising and editing on the computer. Pg.___

  • Provides abundant exercises to reinforce grammar, punctuation, and diction skills.

    • Features many paragraph-level editing exercises which more closely simulate the students' editing of their own work (as opposed to simply filling in blanks). Pg.___

  • Emphasizes peer review of paragraphs and essays and includes guide questions for each assignments to underscore the power of writing as a creative exchange between writer and reader. Pg.___
  • Features collaborative activities for small group work. Pg.___
  • Provides an effective bridge from paragraph to essay writing:

    • Focuses on transition in each rhetorical context. Pg.___

    • Chapter 7 uses paragraph writing assignments from previous chapters to build an essay step-by-step. Pg.___

  • Provides appendices on outlining, manuscript form, and key grammatical terms. Pg.___
  • Includes answers to selected odd-numbered exercises.

  • Includes several new pedagogical features:

    • New student samples Pg.___

    • Additional exercises Pg.___

    • Graphical icons in the margins to reinforce concepts Pg.___

    • An ESL Appendix Pg.___

  • Includes a new section in each chapter called Writers as Spiders, containing links to Internet resources to reinforce grammatical/rhetorical concepts within each chapter. Some writing assignments are also tied to World Wide Web searches. Pg.___



1. Focus on Writing.

Why Write in a High-Tech World? Speaking versus Writing. Informal versus Formal Writing. Focus on the Reader. Focus on the Writer. Focus on the Writing Process. Student Sample: “If I Won the Lottery” by Nicole Masko. Focus on Peer Review. Writers as Spiders.



2. Focus on the Paragraph.

Focus on Purpose. Focus on Generating Ideas. Student Sample. Focus on the Topic Sentence. Focus on Supporting Details. Focus on Transition. Focus on the Concluding Sentence. Focus on Grammar. Writers as Spiders.



3. Focus on Development by Example.

Focus on Purpose. Focus on Choosing a Topic. Focus on Organizing. Focus on Transition. Focus on Grammar. Focus on Punctuation. Student Samples - Development by Example. Focus on Peer Review. Writers as Spiders.



4. Focus on Narration.

Focus on Purpose. Focus on Choosing a Topic. Focus on Organizing. Focus on Transition. Focus on Diction. Focus on Grammar. Focus on Punctuation. Student Samples - Narration. Focus on Peer Review. Writers as Spiders.



5. Focus on Observation.

Focus on Purpose. Focus on Choosing a Topic. Focus on Organizing. Focus on Transition. Focus on Diction. Focus on Grammar. Focus on Punctuation. Student Samples - Observation. Focus on Peer Review. Writers as Spiders.



6. Focus on Comparison/Contrast.

Focus on Purpose. Focus on Choosing a Topic. Focus on Organizing. Focus on Transition. Focus on Diction. Focus on Grammar. Focus on Punctuation. Student Sample - Contrast Paragraph - Point-by-Point Pattern. Student Sample - Contrast Paragraph - Block Pattern. Focus on Peer Review. Writers as Spiders.



7. Focus on the Essay.

Focus on Purpose. Focus on Choosing a Topic. Focus on the Development by Example Essay. Student Sample - Development by Example Essay. Focus on the Comparison/Contrast Essay. Student Sample - Comparison Essay. Student Sample - Contrast Essay. Student Sample - Comparison/Contrast Essay. Focus on Grammar. Focus on Diction. Focus on Peer Review. Writers as Spiders.



8. Focus on the Problem-Solving Essay.

Focus on Purpose. Focus on Choosing a Topic. Focus on Generating Ideas. Focus on Organizing. Focus on the Problem Essay. Student Sample - Problem Essay. Focus on the Problem/Solution Essay. Sample Editorial - Problem/Solution Essay. Focus on the Solution Essay. Student Samples - Solution Essay. Focus on Transition. Focus on Grammar. Focus on Peer Review. Writers as Spiders.



9. Focus on the Persuasive Essay.

Focus on Purpose. Focus on Choosing a Topic. Focus on Generating Ideas. Focus on Organizing. Focus on Transition. Student Sample - Block Pattern for Persuasive Essay. Student Sample - Point/Counterpoint Pattern for Persuasive Essay. Focus on Diction. Sample Persuasive Speech - “I Have a Dream” by Martin Luther King, Jr. Focus on Peer Review. Writers as Spiders.



10. Revising and Editing Strategies.

Why Revise and Edit? Revising versus Editing. Focus on Revising Strategies. Focus on Editing Strategies. Focus on Conferences with Tutor/Teacher. Writers as Spiders.



Appendix A. Tips for ESL Students.


Appendix B. Outlining.


Appendix C. Manuscript Form.


Appendix D. Glossary of Key Grammatical Terms.


Answers to Selected Odd-Numbered Exercises.


Index.

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