Real writing with readings paragraphs and essays for college

FIFTH EDITION

with Readings
Paragraphs and Essays
for College, Work, and
Everyday Life

Susan Anker

Bedford / St. Martin’s
Boston ◆ New York


For Bedford/St. Martin’s
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Copyright © 2010, 2007, 2004 by Bedford/St. Martin’s
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For information, write: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 75 Arlington Street, Boston, MA 02116
(617-399-4000)
ISBN-10: 0-312-59632-4 (Real Writing)
0-312-53904-5 (Real Writing with Readings)
0-312-56711-1 (Instructor’s Annotated Edition)

ISBN-13: 978-0-312-59632-3
978-0-312-53904-7
978-0-312-56711-8

Acknowledgments
Janice E. Castro with Dan Cook and Cristina Garcia. “Spanglish.”
From Time magazine, July 11, 1988. Copyright © 1988, Time,
Inc. Reprinted by permission. TIME is a registered trademark of
Time, Inc. All rights reserved.
Judith Ortiz Cofer. “Don’t Misread My Signals.” Published in The
Latin Deli: Prose and Poetry under the title, “The Myth of the
Latin Woman: I Just Met a Girl Named Maria.” Published in
Glamour magazine under the title, “Don’t Misread My Signals.”
Copyright © 1993 by Judith Ortiz Cofer. Reprinted by permission of the University of Georgia Press.
Patrick Conroy. “Chili Cheese Dogs, My Father, and Me.” Initially
published in the November 4, 2004 issue of Parade, pages 4–5.
© 2004 Pat Conroy. Reprinted by permission of Parade and
Marly Rusoff & Associates, Inc. All rights reserved.
David Dosa. “A Day in the Life of Oscar the Cat.” From The New
England Journal of Medicine, July 26, 2007. Volume 357: 328–329,

Number 4. Copyright © 2007 Massachusetts Medical Society.
Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Stephanie Ericsson. “The Ways We Lie.” Originally published in The
Utne Reader, November/December 1992 issue. Copyright © 1992
by Stephanie Ericsson. Reprinted by the permission of Dunham
Literary as agents for the author. This essay also appears in Companion Into Dawn: Inner Dialogues on Loving by Stephanie Ericsson, published in 1997 by HarperCollins.
Dianne Hales. “Why Are We So Angry?” Initially published in the
September 2, 2001 issue of Parade. © 2001 Dianne Hales.
Reprinted by permission of Parade Magazine and the author. All
rights reserved.
Eric Liu. “Po-Po in Chinatown.” From The Accidental Asian: Notes of
a Native Speaker by Eric Liu. Copyright © 1998 by Eric Liu.
Used by permission of Random House, Inc.
Noreen Malone. “What Happens If You Fall into a Black Hole?”
Appeared on www.slate.com/id/2199664 on September 9, 2008.
Copyright © 2009, Washington Post. Newsweek Interactive
Company, LLC and Slate Magazine. All rights reserved.

Acknowledgments and copyrights are continued at the back of the book on pages AK-10–11, which constitute an extension of the copyright page. It is a
violation of the law to reproduce these selections by any means whatsoever without the written permission of the copyright holder.


Brief Contents

Thematic Table of Contents xi

17. Cause and Effect 239

Preface xiii

18. Argument 258

Real Support for Instructors and Students xxviii
A Note to Students from Susan Anker xxx

Part 3
Special College
Writing Projects 277

PARAGRAPHS AND ESSAYS

19. Writing Summaries and Reports 279

Part 1
How to Write Paragraphs
and Essays 1
1. Course and College Basics 3

20. Writing the Research Essay 288

EDITING

2. Reading Basics 22
3. Writing Basics 35
4. Finding, Narrowing, and Exploring
Your Topic 48

Part 4
The Four Most

Serious Errors 309

5. Writing Your Topic Sentence or Thesis
Statement 57

21. The Basic Sentence 311

6. Supporting Your Point 72

23. Run-Ons 343

7. Making a Plan 80
8. Drafting 88

24. Problems with Subject-Verb
Agreement 360

9. Revising 104

25. Verb Tense 380

22. Fragments 325

Part 2
Writing Different Kinds of
Paragraphs and Essays 119

Part 5
Other Grammar Concerns 409

10. Narration 121

27. Adjectives and Adverbs 434

11. Illustration 139

28. Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers 444

12. Description 155

29. Coordination 451

13. Process Analysis 171

30. Subordination 461

14. Classification 188

31. Parallelism 468

15. Definition 205

32. Sentence Variety 476

16. Comparison and Contrast 221

33. Formal English and ESL Concerns 491

26. Pronouns 411

iii


iv

Brief Contents

Part 6
Word Use 527

44. Description 638

34. Word Choice 529

46. Classification 663

35. Commonly Confused Words 539

47. Definition 677

36. Spelling 550

48. Comparison and Contrast 689

45. Process Analysis 652

49. Cause and Effect 701

Part 7
Punctuation and Capitalization 557

37. Commas 559

50. Argument 713

Appendices

38. Apostrophes 574

A. Succeeding on Tests A-1

39. Quotation Marks 582

B. Solving Problems A-12

40. Other Punctuation 590
41. Capitalization 596

EDITING REVIEW TESTS 1–10 601

Answers to Odd-Numbered
Editing Exercises AK-1
Index I-1
Useful Editing and Proofreading Marks
Useful Lists, Checklists, and Charts

READINGS
Part 8
Readings for Writers 611
42. Narration 613
43. Illustration 626

Contents

Thematic Table of Contents xi

Practice Exploring Your Topic 51
Write Your Own Topic and Ideas 55

Preface xiii
Real Support for Instructors and Students xxviii
A Note to Students from Susan Anker

xxx

PARAGRAPHS AND ESSAYS

Part 1
How to Write Paragraphs
and Essays 1
1. Course and College Basics:
What You Need to Know 3
Course Basics 3
College Basics 8
■

The VARK Questionnaire

WRITING ASSIGNMENTS
CHAPTER REVIEW

13

20

Understand How to Read Actively
and Critically 22
34

3. Writing Basics: Audience,
Purpose, and Process 35
35

Understand Audience and Purpose 35
Understand the Writing Process 39
Understand Grading Criteria 41
CHAPTER REVIEW

47

4. Finding, Narrowing, and Exploring
Your Topic: Choosing Something
to Write About 48
Understand What a Topic Is 48
Practice Narrowing a Topic 49

5. Writing Your Topic Sentence
or Thesis Statement:
Making Your Point 57
Understand What a Topic Sentence

and a Thesis Statement Are 57
Practice Developing a Good Topic
Sentence or Thesis Statement 60
Write Your Own Topic Sentence
or Thesis Statement 69
CHAPTER REVIEW

79

Understand What Support Is 72
Practice Supporting a Main Point 74
Write Your Own Support 76

20

FOUR BASICS OF GOOD WRITING

56

6. Supporting Your Point: Finding
Details, Examples, and Facts 72

2. Reading Basics: How to
Understand What You Read 22

CHAPTER REVIEW

CHAPTER REVIEW

CHAPTER REVIEW

79

7. Making a Plan: Arranging
Your Ideas 80
Understand What a Logical Order Is 80
Practice Arranging Ideas
in a Logical Order 82
Make Your Own Plan 86
CHAPTER REVIEW

87

8. Drafting: Putting Your
Ideas Together 88
Understand What a Draft Is 88
Practice Writing a Draft Paragraph 89
Write Your Own Draft Paragraph 92
Practice Writing a Draft Essay 93
Write Your Own Draft Essay 100
CHAPTER REVIEW

102

v


vi

Contents

9. Revising: Improving Your
Paragraph or Essay 104

Assignment 2: Writing about Connections

■

Assignment 3: Writing in the Real World /Solving
a Problem 152

COMMUNITY MATTERS: EVELKA RANKINS

Understand What Revision Is 104
Understand What Peer Review Is 106
Practice Revising for Unity, Detail,
and Coherence 106
Revise Your Own Paragraph 114
Revise Your Own Essay 115
CHAPTER REVIEW

■

CHAPTER REVIEW

154

12. Description: Writing That Creates
Pictures in Words 155
Understand What Description Is

118

151

155

FOUR BASICS OF GOOD DESCRIPTION

Read and Analyze Description

Student Description Paragraph
Student Description Essay

Read and Analyze Narration

121

Student Narration Essay

164

129

166

■

Assignment 1: Writing about College,
Work, and Everyday Life 166

■

Assignment 2: Writing about Connections

121

COMMUNITY MATTERS: ALESSANDRA CEPEDA
■

Profile of Success
Narration in the Real World:
Kelly Layland 129
Student Narration Paragraph

163

Write Your Own Description

10. Narration: Writing That Tells
Important Stories 121
FOUR BASICS OF GOOD NARRATION

162

Profile of Success
Description in the Real World:
Celia Hyde 162

Part 2

Writing Different Kinds of
Paragraphs and Essays 119

Understand What Narration Is

155

Assignment 3: Writing in the Real World /Solving
a Problem 168

CHAPTER REVIEW

170

130

13. Process Analysis: Writing That
Explains How Things Happen 171

132

Write Your Own Narration

134

Understand What Process Analysis Is

■

Assignment 1: Writing about College,

Work, and Everyday Life 134

■

Assignment 2: Writing about Connections

Read and Analyze Process Analysis

COMMUNITY MATTERS: JENNY HAUN

Profile of Success
Process Analysis in the Real World:
Rocío Murillo 177

■

135

Student Process Analysis Paragraph

137

Student Process Analysis Essay

139

FOUR BASICS OF GOOD ILLUSTRATION

Read and Analyze Illustration

144

Profile of Success
Illustration in the Real World:
Karen Upright 145
Student Illustration Paragraph
Student Illustration Essay

147

148

Write Your Own Illustration
■

150

Assignment 1: Writing about College,
Work, and Everyday Life 150

178

182

■

Assignment 1: Writing about College,
Work, and Everyday Life 182

■

Assignment 2: Writing about Connections

139

COMMUNITY MATTERS: ROBIN WYANT
■

176

179

Write Your Own Process Analysis

11. Illustration: Writing That
Gives Examples 139
Understand What Illustration Is

171

FOUR BASICS OF GOOD PROCESS ANALYSIS

Assignment 3: Writing in the Real World /Solving
a Problem 136

CHAPTER REVIEW

166

183

Assignment 3: Writing in the Real World /Solving
a Problem 184

CHAPTER REVIEW

186

14. Classification: Writing That
Sorts Things into Groups 188
Understand What Classification Is

188

FOUR BASICS OF GOOD CLASSIFICATION

188

171


vii

Contents

Read and Analyze Classification

196

Profile of Success

Classification in the Real World:
Nicole Day 196
Student Classification Paragraph
Student Classification Essay

■

■

197

■

198

200

■

Assignment 1: Writing about College,
Work, and Everyday Life 200

Assignment 2: Writing about Connections
234

Assignment 3: Writing in the Real World /Solving
a Problem 235

CHAPTER REVIEW

238

Assignment 2: Writing about Connections
COMMUNITY MATTERS: CAROLINE POWERS

■

Assignment 1: Writing about College,
Work, and Everyday Life 233
COMMUNITY MATTERS: LYNZE SCHILLER

Write Your Own Classification
■

Write Your Own Comparison
and Contrast 233

201

Assignment 3: Writing in the Real World /Solving
a Problem 202

CHAPTER REVIEW

204

17. Cause and Effect: Writing That
Explains Reasons or Results 239
Understand What Cause and Effect Are

239

FOUR BASICS OF GOOD CAUSE AND EFFECT

Read and Analyze Cause and Effect

15. Definition: Writing That Tells
What Something Means 205
Understand What Definition Is

205

FOUR BASICS OF GOOD DEFINITION

Read and Analyze Definition

205

210

Profile of Success
Cause and Effect in the Real World:
Mary LaCue Booker 246
Student Cause/Effect Paragraph
Student Cause/Effect Essay

248

249

Write Your Own Cause and Effect 252

Profile of Success
Definition in the Real World:
Walter Scanlon 210
Student Definition Paragraph

■

■

212

Assignment 1: Writing about College,
Work, and Everyday Life 252
Assignment 2: Writing about Connections
COMMUNITY MATTERS: SHAWN ELSWICK

Student Definition Essay

213

Write Your Own Definition
■

■

■

■

215

Assignment 1: Writing about College,
Work, and Everyday Life 215
216

Assignment 3: Writing in the Real World /Solving
a Problem 218

CHAPTER REVIEW

253

Assignment 3: Writing in the Real World /Solving
a Problem 255

CHAPTER REVIEW

Assignment 2: Writing about Connections
COMMUNITY MATTERS: CORIN COSTAS

257

18. Argument: Writing
That Persuades 258
Understand What Argument Is

219

258

FOUR BASICS OF GOOD ARGUMENT

Read and Analyze Argument

16. Comparison and Contrast:
Writing That Shows Similarities
and Differences 221
Understand What Comparison
and Contrast Are 221

258

266

Profile of Success
Argument in the Real World:
Reggie Harris 267
Student Argument Essay in Favor of the Gas Tax 269
Student Argument Essay against the Gas Tax

Write Your Own Argument

FOUR BASICS OF GOOD COMPARISON
AND CONTRAST 221

■

269

271

Assignment 1: Writing about College,
Work, and Everyday Life 271

Read and Analyze Comparison
and Contrast 228

■

Profile of Success
Comparison and Contrast in the Real World:
Brad Leibov 229

■

Assignment 3: Writing in the Real World /Solving
a Problem 273

■

Assignment 4: Writing Argument
for a Writing Test 274

Student Comparison/Contrast Essay

Assignment 2: Writing about Connections
COMMUNITY MATTERS: JORGE ROQUE

Student Comparison/Contrast Paragraph
231

239

245

230

CHAPTER REVIEW

275

272


viii

Contents

Part 3
Special College
Writing Projects

Edit Run-Ons

356

277

24. Problems with Subject-Verb
Agreement: When Subjects
and Verbs Don’t Match 360

19. Writing Summaries and
Reports: Condensing
Important Information 279

Understand What Subject-Verb
Agreement Is 360
Find and Correct Errors in
Subject-Verb Agreement 362
Edit for Subject-Verb Agreement 374

Write a Summary 279
Write a Report 284
CHAPTER REVIEW

354

CHAPTER REVIEW AND TEST

287

CHAPTER REVIEW AND TEST

20. Writing the Research Essay:
Using Outside Sources
in Your Writing 288
Make a Schedule 288

Choose a Topic 289
Find Sources 290
Evaluate Sources 294
Avoid Plagiarism 296
Cite and Document Your Sources
SAMPLE STUDENT RESEARCH ESSAY

377

25. Verb Tense: Using Verbs to
Express Different Times 380
Understand What Verb Tense Is 380
Practice Using Correct Verbs 381
Edit for Verb Problems 399
CHAPTER REVIEW AND TEST

401

300
305

Part 5
Other Grammar Concerns
EDITING

Part 4
The Four Most Serious Errors
21. The Basic Sentence:
An Overview 311
The Four Most Serious Errors

The Parts of Speech 311
The Basic Sentence 313
CHAPTER REVIEW AND TEST

26. Pronouns: Using Substitutes
for Nouns 411
309

Understand What Pronouns Are 411
Practice Using Pronouns Correctly 411
Edit for Pronoun Use 428
CHAPTER REVIEW AND TEST

430

311

323

22. Fragments: Incomplete
Sentences 325
Understand What Fragments Are 325
Find and Correct Fragments 326
Edit for Fragments 336
CHAPTER REVIEW AND TEST

409

339

23. Run-Ons: Two Sentences
Joined Incorrectly 343
Understand What Run-Ons Are 343
Find and Correct Run-Ons 345

27. Adjectives and Adverbs:
Using Descriptive Words 434
Understand What Adjectives
and Adverbs Are 434
Practice Using Adjectives and
Adverbs Correctly 435
Edit for Adjectives and Adverbs 441
CHAPTER REVIEW AND TEST

442

28. Misplaced and Dangling
Modifiers: Avoiding
Confusing Descriptions 444
Understand What Misplaced
Modifiers Are 444
Practice Correcting
Misplaced Modifiers 445


ix

Contents

Understand What Dangling

Modifiers Are 446
Practice Correcting
Dangling Modifiers 446
Edit for Misplaced and
Dangling Modifiers 447
CHAPTER REVIEW AND TEST

448

29. Coordination: Joining Sentences
with Related Ideas 451
Understand What Coordination Is 451
Practice Using Coordination 451
Edit for Coordination 457
CHAPTER REVIEW AND TEST

459

30. Subordination: Joining
Sentences with
Related Ideas 461
Understand What Subordination Is 461
Practice Using Subordination 461
Edit for Subordination 465
CHAPTER REVIEW AND TEST

466

Part 6
Word Use

527

34. Word Choice 529
Understand the Importance of
Choosing Words Carefully 529
Practice Avoiding Four Common
Word-Choice Problems 530
Edit for Word Choice 536
CHAPTER REVIEW AND TEST

537

35. Commonly Confused Words 539
Understand Why Certain Words
Are Commonly Confused 539
Practice Using Commonly Confused
Words Correctly 539
Edit for Commonly Confused Words 548
CHAPTER REVIEW AND TEST

549

36. Spelling 550
Finding and Correcting Spelling Mistakes
Three Strategies for Becoming
a Better Speller 551
CHAPTER REVIEW AND TEST

550

555

31. Parallelism: Balancing Ideas 468
Understand What Parallelism Is 468
Practice Writing Parallel Sentences 469
Edit for Parallelism 473
CHAPTER REVIEW AND TEST

474

Part 7
Punctuation and Capitalization

557

37. Commas ( , ) 559
32. Sentence Variety: Putting
Rhythm in Your Writing 476
Understand What Sentence Variety Is 476
Practice Creating Sentence Variety 477
Edit for Sentence Variety 487
CHAPTER REVIEW AND TEST

488

33. Formal English and ESL Concerns:
Grammar Trouble Spots for
Multilingual Students 491
Basic Sentence Patterns 491

Pronouns 497
Verbs 500
Articles 516
Prepositions 520
CHAPTER REVIEW AND TEST

523

Understand What Commas Do 559
Practice Using Commas Correctly 559
Edit for Commas 570
CHAPTER REVIEW AND TEST

571

38. Apostrophes ( ’ ) 574
Understand What Apostrophes Do 574
Practice Using Apostrophes Correctly 574
Edit for Apostrophes 579
CHAPTER REVIEW AND TEST

579

39. Quotation Marks ( “ ” ) 582
Understand What Quotation Marks Do 582
Practice Using Quotation Marks Correctly 582
Edit for Quotation Marks 587
CHAPTER REVIEW AND TEST

588

x

Contents

40. Other Punctuation ( ; : ( ) -- - ) 590

Stephanie Ericsson, The Ways We Lie 667
Carolyn Foster Segal, The Dog Ate
My Disk, and Other Tales of Woe 672

Understand What Punctuation Does 590
Practice Using Punctuation Correctly 590
Edit for Punctuation 593
CHAPTER REVIEW AND TEST

47. Definition 677

594

John Around Him, Free Money 677
Michael Thompson, Passage
into Manhood 680
Janice E. Castro with Dan Cook
and Cristina Garcia, Spanglish 684

41. Capitalization 596
Understand Three Rules of Capitalization 596
Practice Capitalization 596

CHAPTER REVIEW AND TEST

599

EDITING REVIEW TESTS 1–10

601

48. Comparison and Contrast 689
Jackie Davison, Happy Birthday, Sis! 689
Judith Ortiz Cofer, Don’t Misread
My Signals 693
Deborah Tannen, Gender Patterns
Begin at the Beginning 697

READINGS

Part 8
Readings for Writers

611

49. Cause and Effect 701
Ruth Russell, The Wounds That
Can’t Be Stitched Up 701
Pat Wingert, Uniforms Rule 705
John Tierney, Yes, Money Can
Buy Happiness 709

42. Narration 613

Monique Rizer, When Students Are Parents 614
Walter Scanlon, It’s Time I Shed
My Ex-Convict Status 618
Patrick Conroy, Chili Cheese Dogs,
My Father, and Me 621

50. Argument 713
Robert Phansalkar, Stop Snitchin’
Won’t Stop Crime 714
Bill Maxwell, Start Snitching 717
Alexandra Natapoff, Bait and Snitch:
The High Cost of Snitching for
Law Enforcement 720

43. Illustration 626
Rose Martinez, Reality TV 626
Dianne Hales, Why Are We So Angry? 629
James Verini, Supersize It 633

44. Description 638
Brian Healy, First Day in Fallujah 638
David M. Dosa, A Day in the Life
of Oscar the Cat 642
Eric Liu, Po-Po in Chinatown 646

45. Process Analysis 652
Jasen Beverly, My Pilgrimage 652
Tara Parker-Pope, How to Boost
Your Willpower 656
Noreen Malone, What Happens If

You Fall into a Black Hole? 660

46. Classification 663
Vanessa Radzimski, Vanessa
the Vegetarian 663

Appendices*
A.

Succeeding on Tests

B.

Solving Problems

A-1

A-12

Answers to Odd-Numbered
Editing Exercises AK-1
Index

I-1

Useful Editing and Proofreading Marks
Useful Lists, Checklists, and Charts

*For other useful materials, such as vocabulary-building
tools and a step-by-step guide to conducting a job search,

visit the Real Writing Student Center at bedfordstmartins
.com/realwriting.


Thematic Table
of Contents

Education
Dale Hill, How Community College Has Changed
My Life (narration) 132
Kelli Whitehead, “Oh, You’re a College Student”
(definition) 213
Kimberly Sharpe, Graduation Day: A Life-Changing
Experience (cause /effect) 249
Monique Rizer, When Students Are Parents
(narration) 614
Jasen Beverly, My Pilgrimage
(process analysis) 652
Noreen Malone, What Happens If You Fall
into a Black Hole? (process analysis) 660
Carolyn Foster Segal, The Dog Ate My Disk,
and Other Tales of Woe (classification) 672
John Around Him, Free Money (definition) 677
Pat Wingert, Uniforms Rule (cause /effect) 705

Health and Fitness / Food and Diet
Kathleen Aharonian, Does Anyone Want Some
More Calories with That? (illustration) 148
Michele Wood, My Home Exercise Program
(process analysis) 179

Tara Parker-Pope, How to Boost Your Willpower
(process analysis) 656
Vanessa Radzimski, Vanessa the Vegetarian
(classification) 663

Language and Communication
Rose Martinez, Reality TV (illustration) 626
David M. Dosa, A Day in the Life of Oscar the Cat
(description) 642
Stephanie Ericsson, The Ways We Lie
(classification) 667
Janice E. Castro with Dan Cook and Cristina
Garcia, Spanglish (definition) 684

Jackie Davison, Happy Birthday, Sis!
(comparison /contrast) 689
Deborah Tannen, Gender Patterns Begin
at the Beginning (comparison /contrast)

697

Personal Stories
Dale Hill, How Community College Has
Changed My Life (narration) 132
Cathy Vittoria, The Peach Tree (description) 164
Michele Wood, My Home Exercise Program
(process analysis) 179
Kelli Whitehead, “Oh, You’re a College Student”
(definition) 213
Kimberly Sharpe, Graduation Day: A Life-Changing

Experience (cause /effect) 249
Monique Rizer, When Students Are Parents
(narration) 614
Walter Scanlon, It’s Time I Shed My Ex-Convict
Status (narration) 618
Pat Conroy, Chili Cheese Dogs, My Father, and
Me (narration) 621
Brian Healy, First Day in Fallujah
(description) 638
Eric Liu, Po-Po in Chinatown (description) 646
Jasen Beverly, My Pilgrimage (process
analysis) 652
Vanessa Radzimski, Vanessa the Vegetarian
(classification) 663
Carolyn Foster Segal, The Dog Ate My Disk,
and Other Tales of Woe (classification) 672
Jackie Davison, Happy Birthday, Sis!
(comparison /contrast) 689
Judith Ortiz Cofer, Don’t Misread My Signals
(comparison /contrast) 693
Ruth Russell, The Wounds That Can’t Be Stitched
Up (cause /effect) 701
xi


xii

Thematic Table of Contents

Psychology: Behavior and the Mind

Rose Martinez, Reality TV (illustration) 626
Dianne Hales, Why Are We So Angry?
(illustration) 629
Brian Healy, First Day in Fallujah (description) 638
David M. Dosa, A Day in the Life of Oscar the Cat
(description) 642
Tara Parker-Pope, How to Boost Your Willpower
(process analysis) 656
Stephanie Ericsson, The Ways We Lie
(classification) 667
Michael Thompson, Passage into Manhood
(definition) 680
Jackie Davison, Happy Birthday, Sis!
(comparison /contrast) 689
Ruth Russell, The Wounds That Can’t Be
Stitched Up (cause /effect) 701
John Tierney, Yes, Money Can Buy Happiness
(cause /effect) 709

Social Issues and Challenges
Kathleen Aharonian, Does Anyone Want Some
More Calories with That? (illustration) 148
Lou Enrico, Target and Wal-Mart: Not as Different as
You Think (comparison /contrast) 231
Rollina Lowe, The Gas Tax Is Fair (argument) 269
Jim Green, Unequal Taxation (argument) 269
Monique Rizer, When Students Are Parents
(narration) 614
Walter Scanlon, It’s Time I Shed My Ex-Convict
Status (narration) 618

James Verini, Supersize It (illustration) 633
Brian Healy, First Day in Fallujah (description) 638
Stephanie Ericsson, The Ways We Lie
(classification) 667
Michael Thompson, Passage into Manhood
(definition) 680
Ruth Russell, The Wounds That Can’t Be Stitched Up
(cause /effect) 701
Robert Phansalkar, Stop Snitchin’ Won’t Stop Crime
(argument) 714
Bill Maxwell, Start Snitching (argument) 717

Alexandra Natapoff, Bait and Snitch: The High Cost
of Snitching for Law Enforcement (argument) 720

Stereotypes
Kelli Whitehead, “Oh, You’re a College Student”
(definition) 213
Monique Rizer, When Students Are Parents
(narration) 614
Walter Scanlon, It’s Time I Shed My Ex-Convict
Status (narration) 618
Judith Ortiz Cofer, Don’t Misread My Signals
(comparison /contrast) 693

Trends
Kathleen Aharonian, Does Anyone Want Some More
Calories with That? (illustration) 148
Lou Enrico, Target and Wal-Mart: Not as Different as
You Think (comparison /contrast) 231

Rollina Lowe, The Gas Tax Is Fair (argument) 269
Jim Green, Unequal Taxation (argument) 269
Monique Rizer, When Students Are Parents
(narration) 614
Dianne Hales, Why Are We So Angry?
(illustration) 629
James Verini, Supersize It (illustration) 633
Janice E. Castro with Dan Cook and Cristina Garcia,
Spanglish (definition) 684
John Tierney, Yes, Money Can Buy Happiness
(cause /effect) 709

Work
Lou Enrico, Target and Wal-Mart: Not as Different as
You Think (comparison /contrast) 231
Kimberly Sharpe, Graduation Day: A Life-Changing
Experience (cause /effect) 249
Walter Scanlon, It’s Time I Shed My Ex-Convict
Status (narration) 618
Brian Healy, First Day in Fallujah (description) 638
David M. Dosa, A Day in the Life of Oscar the Cat
(description) 642
Carolyn Foster Segal, The Dog Ate My Disk, and
Other Tales of Woe (classification) 672


Preface

Since the first edition of Real Writing, the basic goal of this book has been
twofold: to show students how writing is essential to success in the real

world, and then to help them develop the writing skills they need to succeed
in their college, work, and everyday lives. Real Writing shares this goal with
the other Real books: Real Skills and Real Essays.
As always, our first job as educators is to meet students where they
are — to understand who they are and what they bring to the college writing
class. Only then can we make a connection with them and guide them along
the path to success. Because this book is grounded in the real world, the
content of each edition must reflect changes in that world and its requirements for success. Honestly, that is what I love about having the chance to
revise every few years. What happens in classrooms, boardrooms, and living
rooms is not static, and as an author I have the opportunity to incorporate
what is needed to help students become successful college students and citizens. So, in this fifth edition, Real Writing has the same basic goals and some
of the same core content that has worked for so many instructors and students. It also reflects important new research into what helps students connect to college life and their communities, and thereby succeed academically
and identify and achieve their own goals.

Core Features
The core features of Real Writing that have made it successful are here
again, with changes based on the thoughtful suggestions of reviewers, both
users and non-users of the book, and longtime writing teacher friends.

Motivates Students as No
Other Text Does
College can be intimidating, so Real
Writing is designed to get students off
to a good start and remind them that
they can survive and thrive in college.
■

“Profiles of Success” show
that writing skills are important to workplace success. ᮣ
Inspiring case studies of former

students who have overcome

PROFILE OF SUCCESS
Argument in the Real World
The following profile shows how Reggie uses writing and includes an example of
how he uses argument in his work.
Background I grew up in a family of six brothers and sisters, raised by a single
mother. I was an athlete and in high school was voted Most Valuable Player in
both football and baseball. When I arrived at Hinds Community College, I realized
that my reading skills were weak, so I took developmental reading with a teacher,
Vashti Muse, who became my mentor. In the supportive environment of Hinds, I
thrived. I was a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes on campus, a
group that meets to share ideals and find ways to help the campus and other
communities. I became a big brother to a local high-school student and have
been rewarded by helping others.
After getting a B.A. from Delta State, I returned to be a college recruiter for
Hinds, where I now oversee recruitment, supervising three other recruiters and
enrollment specialists. I visit local high schools to give presentations and talk
about the many advantages Hinds offers students. I encourage students who are
not confident in their academic skills to try Hinds, and I tell them that if I could do
it, they can too.
Degrees / College(s)

Reggie Harris
District Recruiting
Coordinator

B.A., Delta State University; M.Ed., Jackson State

xiii

xiv

Preface

challenges to succeed in college and in life, “Profiles of Success” include photos, short autobiographies, and authentic workplace writing
samples. The people profiled work in a wide range of careers, including nursing, law enforcement, teaching, business, non-profit
community development, entertainment, and academia. As part of
each chapter in Part 2, “Writing Different Kinds of Paragraphs and
Essays,” these popular profiles now function integrally as readings,
accompanied by questions that encourage careful reading and analysis. Students can now relate these real-life examples of each mode of
development more easily to the two other brief illustrative readings
that follow: a paragraph model and an essay model, both by student
writers.
■

Chapter 1, “Course and College Basics,” begins with practical,
candid advice about how to be a successful student, offered by
students (with photos and quotations) who, perhaps like your students, did not know at first how to navigate within their college
environment. This chapter’s can-do, practical attitude sets the tone
for the rest of the book.

Shows Students That Good Writing Is an Achievable Goal
Real Writing’s message to students is clear: Good writing is not magic, nor
is it something that only “born writers” can do. Good writing has certain
p
g
p
p

basic features, and by focusing on and mastering
Description translates your experience of a person, place, or thing into
these, any student can become a better writer.
words, often by appealing to the physical senses: sight, hearing, smell, taste,
and touch.
Four Basics of Good Description

ᮤ

Helps students focus on the most important elements first. Each chapter in
Part 2 opens with a list of four basic features
of the type of writing, followed by meaty annotated models that are color-coded to show
the four basics at work.

■

Step-by-step checklists give specific
guidance. Students can use these detailed
checklists to write and revise their papers,
following the steps listed and doing the concrete activities that will lead to effective
writing.

1 It creates a main impression — an overall effect, feeling, or image —
about the topic.
2 It uses specific examples to support the main impression.
3 It supports those examples with details that appeal to the five senses:
sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch.
4 It brings a person, place, or physical object to life for the reader.

In the following paragraph, each number and color corresponds to one

of the Four Basics of Good Description. A student sent this paragraph to
helium.com, a Web site for writing, sharing information, contributing to organizations, writing contests, and much more.
Scars are stories written on a person’s skin and sometimes on his
heart. 1 My scar is not very big or very visible. 2 It is only about three
inches long and an inch wide. It is on my knee, so it is usually covered,
unseen. 3 It puckers the skin around it, and the texture of the scar itself

Makes Grammar Less Overwhelming
Real Writing helps students gain confidence and see grammar in a new light,
as useful in achieving their own goals. It does not need to be an inscrutable
set of rules known only to instructors. Instead, like other skills or bodies of
knowledge, it can be learned and bring satisfaction.
■

Focuses first on the four most serious errors. The Part 4 chapters
on fragments, run-ons, subject-verb agreement problems, and verb
problems help students find and fix many of the mistakes that mar


Preface

xv

their writing. They have heard the grammar rules and terms before, but
often these student writers get lost in the details. Grammar success becomes possible when students focus on the most important errors first
and absorb explanations and strategies that
make sense to them. When they master these
Finding and Fixing Fragments:
Fragments That Start with a Dependent Word
four topics, they know they will not make the

serious mistakes that count against them most,
Find
in college and in the real world, and this fact
Because a job search is important. People should take the time
gives them a firm foundation from which to
to do it right.
proceed to other grammar topics.
1. Circle any dependent word that starts either word group.
■

■

Review charts at the end of the grammar
chapters visually summarize key information. The “Finding and Fixing” charts are
ᮣ
excellent review and reference tools.
“Language Notes” help students with
tricky English language rules. For nonnative and native speakers alike, these
“Language Notes” help students write correct
academic English.

2. Ask: Does the word group have a subject? Yes. A verb? Yes. Underline
any subject, and double-underline any verb.
3. Ask: Does the word group express a complete thought? No.
4. If the word group is missing a subject or verb or does not express a complete
thought, it is a fragment. This word group is a fragment.

Fix

, p

Because a job search is important/. /
People should take the time

to do it right.

^

5. Correct the fragment by joining it to the sentence before or after it. Add a
comma if the dependent word group comes first.

Shows Students How to Be Active, Critical Readers
Like writing, reading is essential for success in college, work, and everyday
life. Real Writing gives students more help with the essential skills of previewing and active reading, skills they can use immediately in all their courses.
■

“Reading Basics” is now a complete chapter (Chapter 2). This
new chapter includes boxes that highlight basic active and critical
reading strategies for absorbing information from various college documents, such as essays, syllabi, and tests, along with other real-world
g
g
documents such as admundane: ordinary
proximity: closeness
vertisements and
Dale Hill
What do you think “change a
product labels.
sow’s ear into a silk purse”
How Community College
(para. 1) means?

■

Marginal prompts
help students engage with readings
moment by moment
and note key elements. In all Part 2
models and in all the
selections in “Reader”
section (in the version
of this book with
readings), prompts get
students to identify,
summarize, and reflect
on what they are
ᮣ
reading.

Has Changed My Life
After graduating from Kaskaskia College, Dale Hill went on to receive
an M.A. in English from Southern Illinois University in 2008 and currently teaches English at Kaskaskia, his community college alma
mater. Hill most enjoys reading “short stories and essays, since the
work must be done with precision and power,” and he aims to
achieve a similar level of conciseness in his own writing. He encourages other aspiring writers “to read widely in order to absorb the
beauty of the language, to write constantly even if your writing
seems inadequate at first, and to set realistic goals that you never
give up on.”

PREDICT Read the title and

the first paragraph. How do

you think the writer’s attitude
might have changed?

Grandpa was a sharecropper. With only a second-grade education, he
planted his seeds and raised his family of seven sons and three daughters.
My father, third eldest of the sons, broke new ground when he became the
first person ever in the family to graduate from high school. Although Dad
was very bright, it never occurred to him to go on to college. He and Grandpa
shared the attitude that college was only for rich people and that you cannot
change a sow’s ear into a silk purse. Dad was expected to work to help support his younger brothers and sisters and that is what he did And that is

1


xvi

Preface

New to This Edition
When I wrote the first edition of Real Writing, I was proud that it was the
first writing text to link writing and real-world success. It was a breakthrough,
and the reason, I believe, that the book was successful from the start was
that it reflected what teachers were doing in their classes and was a good
extension of that teaching.
This edition of Real Writing is similar in breaking new ground. Through
research, countless campus visits, and conversations with instructors and
students, I became convinced that not only did we need to connect to students, but we also needed to help students connect to the college and their
own community. For many students, college is a part-time occupation,
wedged in between multiple other demanding commitments. They come to
school unaware that colleges offer much more than classes, that colleges are

teeming with resources and learning opportunities of all sorts, waiting to
enrich those who seek them out. When students are involved in their college
communities, they are more likely to stay. When students have a chance to
write about these real, voluntary activities, they draw from a rich pool of experience. Many find their voice for the first time, and many find that their
writing is both easier and better than ever.
So, for the first time, this edition of Real Writing includes a strand on the
theme of making connections to college and community. Crafting this
feature was the hardest thing about the revision, but it was also the most rewarding. And it is unique to this book. It will be, I believe, another way Real
Writing can be a solid extension of your classroom practices.

More Strategies for Success in College
In Chapter 1, the “College Basics” section introduces a new emphasis on
making connections to help students become engaged in college, in their
communities, and in their writing.
■

“Know Your Resources” activities and writing practices help students become aware of and use campus resources, including the
writing center.

■

“Connect to the College” features the profile of a young woman
who attributes her academic success and transfer to a four-year college to her involvement in first one, then several college clubs.

■

“Know Your Learning Style” coverage utilizes the VARK Questionnaire to help students determine their learning style—whether visual,
auditory, read/write, or kinesthetic—and gives specific strategies for
using it to read, study, write, and take tests.

xvii

Preface

More Models and Tools for Successful Writing
■

In Part 1, Chapters 4–9 now begin and end with the instantmessaged exchanges of two students. Chelsea Wilson has been
assigned to write a paper, and her friend, Nick Brown, who has taken
the taken the course already, serves as an unofficial peer tutor and
sounding board. This illustrated case study shows students how it is
possible to work through their writing questions and frustrations and
proceed step-by-step through all stages of an
assignment, in this case Chelsea’s paper on the
ASSIGNMENT 2 Writing about Connections
Read the following account of Jorge Roque before doing the assignment below.
topic of “My Career Goal.” Part 1 chapters on
the writing process also now include new writCOMMUNITY MATTERS
ing assignments.

■

Part 2 continues the strand of making
connections with a new “Writing about
Connections” assignment, at the end of
each chapter. These assignments ask students
to respond to an exciting new kind of student
profile called “Community Matters.” Each one
tells the story — complete with a photograph

and quotations — of a student who was busy
and overloaded, as most of yours are, but who
attributes his or her success to taking time to
get involved. The writing of the students profiled in the “Community Matters” boxes is
ᮣ
included as a model.

■

■

Jorge Roque
Jorge Roque is a veteran of the Iraq War, where
he served in the Marine Corps and was partially
disabled. When he returned after his tour ended,
he had trouble finding work and ended up living
in his car. He was referred to Veteran Love, an
organization that helps soldiers returning from
the war.
He started at Miami-Dade Community College in 2007, taking developmental reading,
writing, and math. On his own, he organized students to write letters to soldiers in Iraq because
he knew how much letters helped morale. Then,
he made fliers on how people could help and posted them around the campus.
He also gives presentations to classes about Veteran Love. Billie Jones, the
faculty adviser for Omicron Delta Alpha, a service fraternity, heard of Jorge’s
work and asked him to join. He did, and his first project was to organize a food
drive for the homeless. He is vice president of Omicron Delta Alpha and has
since created and served in many community events while still taking classes
and working at the financial aid office. He is also active in the Student Government Association.
Here is part of an argument Jorge presents for getting involved in service

work while you are a student.

Even for the busiest student, getting involved in service organizations is
worth the time and effort it takes. At one point, after I had returned from Iraq,
was homeless, and was experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder, I was
referred to Veteran Love, a nonprofit organization that helps disabled exsoldiers, and they helped when I needed it most. When I was back on track, I

More examples of real student writing
provide realistic models. In addition to
Chelsea Wilson’s writing in Part 1, Chapters
10 through 18 each have three models of student writing,
and each chapter of the “Readings” section (Part 8 in the
version of the book with readings) now includes a student
essay along with the two professional essays.
An explanation of rubrics helps students write with
the criteria in mind. Chapter 3, “Writing Basics,” now
includes a description of grading criteria, along with annotated examples of unsatisfactory, satisfactory, and good
writing on the same topic.

NAME

SECTION

Editing Review Test 1
The Four Most Serious Errors

(Chapters 21–25)

1

Each of the underlined word groups contains one or more errors. As you locate and
identify each error, write its item number on the appropriate line below. Then, edit the underlined
word groups to correct the errors. If you need help, turn back to the chapters indicated.

DIRECTIONS:

Two fragments

Two verb problems

Two run-ons

Four subject-verb
agreement errors

1 Every time you step outside, you are under attack. 2 Which you may not know what is
hitting you, but the attack is truly happening. 3 Invisible storms of sky dust rain down on you all
the time. 4 It does not matter if the sun is shining, and the sky are bright blue. 5 The dust is still
there.

6 Sky dust consist of bug parts, specks of hair, pollen, and even tiny chunks of comets.
7 According to experts, 6 million pounds of space dust settle on the earth’s surface every year.
8 You will never notice it, scientists, however, are collecting it in order to learn more about
weather patterns and pollution. 9 Using sophisticated equipment like high-tech planes and
sterile filters to collect dust samples.

More Grammar and Editing Practice

10 Dan Murray, a geologist at the University of Rhode Island, has began a new project
that invites students and teachers to help collect samples of cosmic dust. 11 Murray says that

collecting the dust particles are quite simple. 12 It starts with a researcher setting up a small,

■

■

New comprehensive Editing Review Tests cover increasingly comprehensive clusters of grammar issues,
culminating in tests that require students to apply what
they have learned in all of the grammar chapters.

inflatable swimming pool. 13 Next, this investigator leaves the pool out in the open for fortyeight hours. 14 Finally, the researcher uses a special type of tape to pick up whatever have
settled over time. 15 The tape is put into a beaker of water to dissolve a microscope is used to
analyze what comes off the tape. 16 The information finded there will help scientists predict
insect seasons, measure meteor showers, or even catch signs of global warming.

ᮣ

New grammar practices in each chapter reflect
common student problems. New practices are realistic
and touch on wide-ranging topics of interest to students.

609


xviii

Preface

More Tools for Successful Reading
■

New marginal prompts promote active, critical reading. In addition to the prompts in the “Readings” section, now all models in
the Part 2 chapters have marginal prompts to get students in the
habit of active reading.

Monique Rizer

ᮤ

Additional selections in the “Readings”
section include a new student-written essay
in each chapter. Of the twenty-seven essays
in Part 8, eighteen are new and chosen for
both their excellence as models of the
methods of development and their highinterest value.

■

More vocabulary glosses develop language skills. All readings in Part 2 and
in the “Readings” section now have more
vocabulary words, shown in boldface. Students are instructed to highlight these
vocabulary words, read the definitions,
and later use the words in sentences of
their own.

When Students Are Parents
Monique Rizer graduated from Gonzaga University with a journalism
degree in 2001 and received an M.S. in information management
from Syracuse University. As the mother of a young son while in
college, Rizer was presented with an unusual challenge, one that

she says inspired her to “share a unique experience about college
life and offer suggestions on how to support other non-traditional
students.” She also kept an anonymous blog while her husband
was deployed to Iraq, sharing her stories and experiences with other
military spouses. She offers this encouragement for other student
writers: “Read. Read. Read. Along with just writing frequently to build that muscle, reading is probably just as important.”

GUIDING QUESTION

Do you know about resources that could help you on your campus?

Crammed behind my desk, I fidgeted1 and shifted my eyes to observe
the other students in the room. I tried not to look the way I felt — like I
didn’t belong there with them. I couldn’t help noticing that all the other

1

More Student Presence Throughout, and More Visuals
More concrete student presence creates a clear, engaging, student-centered
textbook.
■

Most student writing models now include photos and biographical
notes.

■

The subjects of the “Profiles of Success” features appear at the
beginning of their respective chapters with a quotation giving
student-to-student advice, and previewing the full “Profile of

Success,” now integrated more fully with follow-up questions and
activities that help students actively engage with the profiles.
■

The new “Writing about Connections/
Community Matters” assignments include
photos of the students being featured, along
with biographical notes and quotations.

■

The photos of Chelsea Wilson and Nick Brown,
along with their typed exchanges, help bring the
writing process alive for students in Part 1,
Chapters 4–9.

ᮤ

Part 2 chapters now contain a new series of
photographs or drawings by students from
around the country, bringing in the student
perspective. Accompanying writing prompts
give students a chance for journal writing and
visual analysis.

STUDENT PHOTO

write

What is the story here?

Preface

Ancillaries
Real Writing does not stop with a book. Online and in print, you will find
both free and affordable premium resources to help students get even
more out of the book and your course. You will also find convenient instructor resources, such as downloadable sample syllabi, classroom activities, transparency masters, and more. For ideas and assistance on using
these ancillaries in your course, please see the Resource Integration Guide
on pages xxviii–xxix. To order any of the products below, or to learn more
about them, contact your Bedford/St. Martin’s sales representative by emailing Sales Support at , or visit the Web site
at bedfordstmartins.com/realwriting/catalog.
Real Writing Student Center at bedfordstmartins.
com/realwriting Send students to free and open resources, or upgrade to an expanding collection of innovative digital content — all in one place. The Real
Writing Student Center Web site provides access to Exercise Central, the largest free online database of editing
exercises (see p. xx). Additional free resources include
help with taking tests, building vocabulary, making
oral presentations, and conducting a job search; annotated student paragraphs and essays; the VARK
Learning Style Questionnaire; Grammar Girl podcasts;
useful forms mentioned in the book; and a guide to
writing a research paper. Premium resources available
through the Real Writing Student Center site include
WritingClass and Re:Writing Plus.
WritingClass at yourwritingclass.com Students
are online all the time. WritingClass keeps them on
target. At one easy-to-use site, students can see if there
is a new assignment, click through and complete the
activity, and check back to find out how they did.
WritingClass makes it easy for you to set assignments —
and see when students have done them. There are options for building online discussions, adding multimedia

tutorials, and more — but you choose how much or
how little you want to do online.
Re:Writing Plus, now with VideoCentral, at
bedfordstmartins.com/rewritingplus This impressive resource gathers all of our premium digital content for the writing class into one online collection. It
includes innovative and interactive help with writing
a paragraph; tutorials and practices that show how
writing works in students’ real-world experience;
VideoCentral, with over 50 brief videos for the writing
classroom; the first-ever peer review game, Peer

xix


xx

Preface

Factor; i-cite: visualizing sources; plus hundreds of models of writing and hundreds of readings. Re:Writing Plus can be purchased separately or packaged
with Real Writing at a significant discount.
Exercise Central 3.0 at bedfordstmartins.com/
exercisecentral Completely free, and offering the
largest database of editing exercises on the Internet,
Exercise Central 3.0 is a comprehensive resource for
skill development as well as skill assessment. In addition to over 9,000 exercises offering immediate feedback and reporting to an instructor grade book, Exercise
Central 3.0 can help identify students’ strengths and
weaknesses, recommend personalized study plans,
and provide tutorials for common problems.
Supplemental Exercises for Real Writing, Fifth
Edition (ISBN-10: 0-312-56708-1 / ISBN-13: 9780-312-56708-8) This book supplements the exercises in the editing and research chapters of Real Writing with more than one
hundred additional practices.

Quick Reference Card (ISBN-10: 0-312-61816-6 / ISBN-13: 978-0-31261816-2) Students can prop up this handy three-panel card next to their
computers for easy reference while they are writing and researching, or they
can bring it to class. It contains the basics on writing, editing, and research
and documentation. Available packaged with Real Writing.
Make-a-Paragraph Kit with Exercise Central to Go (ISBN-10: 0-31245332-9 / ISBN-13: 978-0-312-45332-9) This fun, interactive CD-ROM
includes “Extreme Paragraph Makeover,” a brief animation teaching students about paragraph development. It also contains exercises to help students build their own paragraphs, audiovisual tutorials on four of the most
common errors for basic writers, and the content from Exercise Central to Go:
Writing and Grammar Practices for Basic Writers.
The Bedford/St. Martin’s ESL Workbook, Second Edition (ISBN-10:
0-312-54034-5 / ISBN-13: 978-0-312-54034-0) This comprehensive collection of exercises covers grammatical issues for multilingual students with
varying English-language skills and cultural backgrounds. Instructional introductions precede exercises in a broad range of topic areas.
The Bedford/St. Martin’s Planner with Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty
Tips (ISBN-10: 0-312-48023-7 / ISBN-13: 978-0-312-48023-3) This appealing resource includes everything that students need to plan and use their
time effectively, with advice on preparing schedules and to-do lists and blank
schedules and calendars (monthly and weekly) for planning. Integrated into


Preface

the planner are pointers on fixing common grammar errors, with tips from
Mignon Fogarty, host of the popular Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips for
Better Writing podcast, and from other podcast hosts. Also included are advice on note taking and succeeding on tests, an address book, and an annotated list of useful Web sites.
Journal Writing: A Beginning (ISBN-10: 0-312-59027-X / ISBN-13: 9780-312-59027-7) Designed to give students an opportunity to use writing
as a way to explore their thoughts and feelings, this writing journal includes
a generous supply of inspirational quotations placed throughout the pages,
tips for journaling, and suggested journal topics.
Notebook Dividers for Real Writing, Second Edition (ISBN-10: 0-31262063-2 / ISBN-13: 978-0-312-62063-9) Prepared by Lois Hassan, this
set of eight sturdy dividers is pre-printed to help students organize their papers and succeed in their writing course. Each divider contains a relevant
quotation and a list of writing or college success tips.
From Practice to Mastery (for the Florida College Basic Skills Exit

Tests) (ISBN-10: 0-312-41908-2 / ISBN-13: 978-0-312-41908-0) Full
of practical instruction and plenty of examples, this handy book gives students all the resources they need to practice for — and pass — the Florida
College Basic Skills Exit Tests on reading and writing.

For Instructors
Instructor’s Annotated Edition of Real Writing, Fifth Edition (ISBN-10:
0-312-56711-1 / ISBN-13: 978-0-312-56711-8) This annotated edition
gives practical page-by-page advice on teaching with Real Writing and contains answers to all exercises and suggestions for using other ancillaries.
Practical Suggestions for Teaching Real Writing, Fifth Edition (ISBN-10:
0-312-56712-X / ISBN-13: 978-0-312-56712-5) An ideal resource for
teachers new to teaching or to Real Writing, Practical Suggestions contains information and advice on bringing the real world into the classroom, using computers, teaching multilingual students, and more. It also includes advice for
responding to the most difficult student papers.
Additional Resources for Real Writing, Fifth Edition (ISBN-10: 0-31256709-X / ISBN-13: 978-0-312-56709-5) This book supplements the instructional materials in Real Writing with a variety of transparency masters,
planning forms, handouts, and other reproducibles for classroom use.
Testing Tool Kit: A Writing and Grammar Test Bank (ISBN-10: 0-31243032-9 / ISBN-13: 978-0-312-43032-0) This test bank CD-ROM allows instructors to create secure, customized tests and quizzes from a pool
of nearly 2,000 questions covering 47 topics. It also includes 10 pre-built
diagnostic tests.

xxi


xxii

Preface

Teaching Developmental Writing: Background Readings, Third Edition (ISBN-10: 0-312-43283-6 / ISBN-13: 978-0-312-43283-6) Edited
by Susan Naomi Bernstein, this professional resource offers a collection of
essays on topics of interest to basic writing instructors, along with editorial
apparatus pointing out practical classroom applications. The new edition
includes revised chapters on technology and the writing process and focuses

on topics relevant to instructors who work with multilingual students in the
developmental writing course.
The Bedford Bibliography for Teachers of Basic Writing, Third Edition
(ISBN-10: 0-312-58154-8 / ISBN-13: 978-0-312-58154-1) (also available
online at bedfordstmartins.com/basicbib) Compiled by members of the
Conference on Basic Writing under the general editorship of Gregory R.
Glau and Chitralekha Duttagupta, this annotated list of books, articles, and
periodicals was created specifically to help teachers of basic writing find valuable resources.
TeachingCentral at bedfordstmartins.com/teachingcentral Offers the
entire list of Bedford/St. Martin’s print and online professional resources in
one place. You will find landmark reference works, sourcebooks on pedagogical issues, award-winning collections, and practical advice for the classroom —
all free for instructors.
Content cartridges These are available for the most common course
management systems — Blackboard, WebCT, Angel, and Desire2Learn —
allow you to easily download Bedford/St. Martin’s digital materials for your
course. For more information about our course management offerings, visit
bedfordstmartins.com/cms.
CourseSmart e-Book for Real Writing (ISBN-10: 0-312-60136-0 / ISBN13: 978-0-312-60136-2) Bedford/St. Martin’s has partnered with CourseSmart to offer a downloadable version of Real Writing at about half the
price of the print book. To learn more about this low-cost alternative visit
www.coursesmart.com.

Ordering Information
Use these ISBNs to order the following supplements packaged with your
students’ books:
Real Writing with Readings with:
■

The Bedford/St. Martin’s ESL Workbook, Second Edition
ISBN-10: 0-312-62727-0 / ISBN-13: 978-0-312-62727-0

■

The Bedford/St. Martin’s Planner
ISBN-10: 0-312-69166-1 / ISBN-13: 978-0-312-69166-0


Preface

■

Exercise Central to Go CD-ROM
ISBN-10: 0-312-62611-8 / ISBN-13: 978-0-312-62611-2

■

From Practice to Mastery (for Florida)
ISBN-10: 0-312-62721-1 / ISBN-13: 978-0-312-62721-8

■

Journal Writing: A Beginning
ISBN-10: 0-312-64363-2 / ISBN-13: 978-0-312-64363-8

■

Make-a-Paragraph Kit CD-ROM
ISBN-10: 0-312-62723-8 / ISBN-13: 978-0-312-62723-2

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Merriam-Webster Dictionary, Tenth Edition
ISBN-10: 0-312-64364-0 / ISBN-13: 978-0-312-64364-5

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Quick Reference Card
ISBN-10: 0-312-64733-6 / ISBN-13: 978-0-312-64733-9

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Re:Writing Plus Access Card
ISBN-10: 0-312-62725-4 / ISBN-13: 978-0-312-62725-6

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Supplemental Exercises
ISBN-10: 0-312-64366-7 / ISBN-13: 978-0-312-64366-9

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WritingClass
ISBN-10: 0-312-62726-2 / ISBN-13: 978-0-312-62726-3

Real Writing with:
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The Bedford/St. Martin’s ESL Workbook, Second Edition
ISBN-10: 0-312-62975-3 / ISBN-13: 978-0-312-62975-5

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The Bedford/St. Martin’s Planner
ISBN-10: 0-312-62970-2 / ISBN-13: 978-0-312-62970-0

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Exercise Central to Go CD-ROM
ISBN-10: 0-312-62968-0 / ISBN-13: 978-0-312-62968-7

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From Practice to Mastery (for Florida)
ISBN-10: 0-312-62971-0 / ISBN-13: 978-0-312-62971-7

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Journal Writing: A Beginning
ISBN-10: 0-312-64134-6 / ISBN-13: 978-0-312-64134-4

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Make-a-Paragraph Kit CD-ROM
ISBN-10: 0-312-62972-9 / ISBN-13: 978-0-312-62972-4

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Merriam-Webster Dictionary, Tenth Edition
ISBN-10: 0-312-64135-4 / ISBN-13: 978-0-312-64135-1

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Quick Reference Card
ISBN-10: 0-312-64734-4 / ISBN-13: 978-0-312-64734-6

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Re:Writing Plus Access Card
ISBN-10: 0-312-62973-7 / ISBN-13: 978-0-312-62973-1

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