https://saylordotorg.github.io/text_handbook-for-writers/

Handbook for Writers

v. 1.0

Table of Contents

  * Licensing Information

  * Preface

  * Chapter 1: Writing to Think and Writing to Learn

      + Examining the Status Quo
      + Posing Productive Questions
      + Slowing Down Your Thinking
      + Withholding Judgment
  * Chapter 2: Becoming a Critical Reader

      + Browsing the Gallery of Web-Based Texts
      + Understanding How Critical Thinking Works
      + Reading a Text Carefully and Closely
  * Chapter 3: Thinking through the Disciplines

      + Exploring Academic Disciplines
      + Seeing and Making Connections across Disciplines
      + Articulating Multiple Sides of an Issue
  * Chapter 4: Joining the Conversation

      + Raising the Stakes by Going Public
      + Recognizing the Rhetorical Situation
      + Rhetoric and Argumentation
      + Developing a Rhetorical Habit of Mind
  * Chapter 5: Planning

      + Choosing a Topic
      + Freewriting and Mapping
      + Developing Your Purposes for Writing
      + Outlining
  * Chapter 6: Drafting

      + Forming a Thesis
      + Testing a Thesis
      + Supporting a Thesis
      + Learning from Your Writing
      + Learning from Your Reading
      + Generating Further Questions
      + Using a Variety of Sentence Formats
      + Creating Paragraphs
  * Chapter 7: Researching

      + Organizing Research Plans
      + Finding Print, Online, and Field Sources
      + Choosing Search Terms
      + Conducting Research
      + Evaluating Sources
      + Taking Notes
      + Making Ethical and Effective Choices
      + Creating an Annotated Bibliography
      + Managing Information
  * Chapter 8: Revising

      + Reviewing for Purpose
      + Editing and Proofreading
      + Making a Final Overview
  * Chapter 9: Designing

      + General Text Formatting Considerations
      + Creating and Finding Visuals
      + Incorporating Images, Charts, and Graphs
  * Chapter 10: Publishing

      + Choosing a Document Design
      + Developing Digital Presentations
      + Presenting Orally
  * Chapter 11: Academic Writing

      + Meeting College Writing Expectations
      + Using Strategies for Writing College Essays
      + Collaborating on Academic Writing Projects
  * Chapter 12: Professional Writing

      + Writing Business Letters
      + Writing to Apply for Jobs
      + Composing Memos
      + E-mail and Online Networking
  * Chapter 13: Writing on and for the Web

      + Composing in Web-Based Environments
      + Creating Websites
      + Collaborating Online
      + Creating an E-portfolio
      + Using Web Links Effectively
  * Chapter 14: Public and Personal Writing

      + Writing Newsletters
      + Creating Flyers and Brochures
      + Developing Ads
      + Writing Personal Letters
  * Chapter 15: Sentence Building

      + Incorporating Core Sentence Components (Avoiding Fragments)
      + Choosing Appropriate Verb Tenses
      + Making Sure Subjects and Verbs Agree
      + Avoiding Misplaced Modifiers, Dangling Modifiers, and Split
        Infinitives
      + Preventing Mixed Constructions
      + Connecting Pronouns and Antecedents Clearly
  * Chapter 16: Sentence Style

      + Using Varied Sentence Lengths and Styles
      + Writing in Active Voice and Uses of Passive Voice
      + Using Subordination and Coordination
      + Using Parallelism
      + Avoiding Sexist and Offensive Language
      + Managing Mood
  * Chapter 17: Word Choice

      + Controlling Wordiness and Writing Concisely
      + Using Appropriate Language
      + Choosing Precise Wording
      + Using the Dictionary and Thesaurus Effectively
  * Chapter 18: Punctuation

      + Using Commas Properly
      + Avoiding Unnecessary Commas
      + Eliminating Comma Splices and Fused Sentences
      + Writing with Semicolons and Colons
      + Using Apostrophes
      + Using Quotation Marks
      + Incorporating Dashes and Parentheses
      + Choosing Correct End Punctuation
      + Knowing When to Use Hyphens
  * Chapter 19: Mechanics

      + Mastering Commonly Misspelled Words
      + Using Capital Letters
      + Abbreviating Words and Using Acronyms
      + Inserting Numbers into Text
      + Marking Words with Italics
  * Chapter 20: Grammar

      + Making Sure Subject and Verbs Agree
      + Avoiding General Verb Problems
      + Choosing the Correct Pronoun and Noun Cases
      + Making Pronouns and Antecedents Agree
      + Using Relative Pronouns and Clauses
      + Using Adverbs and Adjectives
  * Appendix A: Writing for Nonnative English Speakers

      + Appendix Introduction
      + Parts of Speech
      + English Word Order
      + Count and Noncount Nouns
      + Articles
      + Singulars and Plurals
      + Verb Tenses
      + Correct Verbs
      + Modal Auxiliary Verbs
      + Gerunds and Infinitives
      + Forming Participles
      + Adverbs and Adjectives
      + Irregular Adjectives
      + Indefinite Adjectives
      + Predicate Adjectives
      + Clauses and Phrases
      + Relative Pronouns and Clauses
      + Prepositions and Prepositional Phrases
      + Omitted Words
      + Not and Other Negative Words
      + Idioms
      + Spelling Tips
      + American Writing Styles, Argument, and Structure
  * Appendix B: A Guide to Research and Documentation

      + Appendix Introduction
      + Choosing a Documentation Format
      + Integrating Sources
      + Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing
      + Formatting In-Text References
      + Developing a List of Sources
      + Using Other Formats