Synopses & Reviews
A long-standing bestseller, Grassroots remains the preeminent worktext for developmental writers. With its excellent writing instruction, well-crafted and paced exercises, and engaging writing activities, Grassroots has taught several generations of students how to write correct sentences and effective paragraphs.
The new 4-color Eighth Edition is completely updated, with mixed-error proofreading practice; more critical thinking; practices with topics of interest to students such as Wyclef Jean, online dating, Habitat for Humanity, and job-search techniques; a revised first chapter that concentrates on writing as a job-skill; more humor; new instructor tips; and new online technology. Grassroots also comes with WriteSpace, an online writing program and course management system, which motivates students with carefully developed writing modules and exercises, innovative writing assignments, and online tutoring.New! A four-color design and additional color images--all arising from the book' s content--enhance the pedagogical goals of Grassroots. The photos, ads, cartoons and paintings were chosen to engage students and prompt them to pause, think more deeply, and connect with a passage they have just read. For example, a photo of Frank Gehry' s Disney Concert Hall lets students see why the adjacent paragraph claims his buildings are unique. Other images include a giant Galapagos tortoise, Tony Hawk in flight, a public service ad from Adbusters, Butterfly Hill in the redwood she saved, Aaron McGruder and his Boondocks characters, Lady Cowdiva from the Cow Parade, a painting by Carmen Lomos Garza, and many more.New! Chapter 30, Putting Your Proofreading Skillsto Work, provides a number of high-interest paragraphs and essays for proofreading, each containing a random mix of errors. This chapter works well for grammar review, proofreading practice, or assessment.New! A focus on critical thinking means a bit less first-person narrative, and more third-person models and assignments. Provocative practice content and humor, linked web activities, photographs, and more collaborative thinking and writing assignments all foster college-level thinking skills.New! Updated high-interest models and practices keep students interested as they practice grammar skills, promoting cultural literacy, sparking discussion, and modeling good writing and rhetorical modes. Topics new to this edition include activist rapper Wyclef Jean, tornado chasers, Latina crossover stars, police artist Jeanne Boylan, advertising in high schools, rude cell phone users, job-search techniques, Habitat for Humanity, Surgeon General Richard Carmona, surfer Lisa Anderson, robotics genius Dean Kamen, online dating, and gratitude research.Chapter 1 has been revised to focus on writing as a job skill, and is now more engaging for students, with an advertisement to analyze and more emphasis on writing and success.New! Exploring Online features throughout the text provide links to online resources for further study, practice, or discovery. For example, one or more top OWL (online writing lab) sites conclude every chapter. In addition, Web sites follow selected practices and readings, on topics like Television Turnoff Week, goal setting, Barbie and body image, and the paintings of Jacob Lawrence.Unit 9 has been extensively updated with nine contemporary readings on a broad range oftopics, based on suggestions from instructors and students. New are Rutgers University student Lauren Mehler' s suggestions on choosing a career path, Dave Barry on SUVs, Ana Veciana Suarez on lottery dreams and work, Julia Alvarez on learning English, Leonard Pitts on the dark side of the Internet, Jack Riemer on an unforgettable concert, Norman Lobsenz on the value of childhood memories, and Firoozeh Dumas on her family' s wacky immigrant experiences. Colman McCarthy' s brief article on ways to address peace illiteracy, with sample student annotations, now introduces the unit.New! Updated selections feature a more humorous bent, including classified-ad bloopers, an article on the Great American Mutt Show, and Adam Gopnik on his daughter' s imaginary playmate who is always too busy to play. In addition, Grassroots now contains several New Yorker and Dilbert cartoons.Susan Fawcett reviews every single example, model, exercise and reading to make sure that it is crystal clear, interesting, and relevant. This careful attention to detail is what helps to make this a best-seller.A long-standing bestseller, Grassroots remains the preeminent worktext for developmental writers. With its excellent guidance, exercises, and writing activities, hundreds of thousands of students have learned how to write correct sentences and effective paragraphs.Fawcett was the first to incorporate critical thinking into developmental English texts, and it' s still a major component of every chapter.Looking at a Paragraph from Start to Finish helps students understand the recursive nature of writing.The appendix for ESL students includes both guidelines for ESL students andpractice exercises.Writer' s Workshop activities at the end of each unit feature a sample student paragraph or essay followed by discussion, peer-editing questions, and writing and revising assignments. These workshops reinforce grammar and sentence skills in context and highlight the writing process.Collaborative writing and revising tasks conclude every grammar chapter, and Chapter 3 includes instruction on peer editing plus a helpful Peer Feedback Sheet. The Writer' s Workshops also offer peer editing exercises.
Review
"I hope our developmental English program will continue to re-adopt Grassroots for a long time to come. It is so very accessible for our instructors and students alike. I encourage my students to keep this book with them throughout their college days as a valuable resource in their subsequent college-credit writing projects. I also tell them that I plan to be buried with my copy of Grassroots."
Review
"One of the strongest features of this text is the Writer's Workshop at the end of each unit and the following Writing Assignments page. The variety of suggested topics and points of view suggested for student writings I found IMPRESSIVE. The writing assignments in the text are STRONG.... With the changes [mentioned] above, I definitely would push for adoption in Independent Studies."
Review
"The great strength of Grassroots is its high-interest content. I know this is a selling point of the textbook, but it's just plain true. I would feel very comfortable assigning almost every exercise in Grassroots, which I cannot say without reservation about the other textbooks I've encountered."
Synopsis
A long-standing bestseller, Grassroots remains the preeminent worktext for developmental writers. With its excellent writing instruction, well-crafted and evenly paced exercises, and engaging writing activities, Grassroots has taught several generations of students how to write correct sentences and effective paragraphs.
The four-color Eighth Edition offers proofreading practice, a focus on critical thinking, and practice exercises linked to high-interest topics. WriteSpace, an interactive online writing program and course management system, accompanies Grassroots to motivate students with carefully developed writing modules and exercises, innovative writing assignments, and online tutoring.A four-color design and images--including photos of Frank Gehry's Disney Concert Hall and of Galapagos tortoises--engage students and prompt them to think critically about the readings.High-interest models and exercises--focusing on topics such as Latina crossover stars, Habitat for Humanity, and online dating--engage students as they practice grammar skills and promote cultural literacy, spark discussion, and model good writing and rhetorical modes.Collaborative problem-solving and revising exercises all foster college-level thinking and writing skills.Chapter 30, Putting Your Proofreading Skills to Work, provides high-interest paragraphs and essays for proofreading and grammar review, each containing a random mix of errors.Exploring Online in-text references to relevant web sites extend text learning to online study, practice, and discovery.ESL Tips and Teaching Tips in the Instructor's Annotated Edition provide suggestions for how to tailor chapter material to meet students'needs.Writer's Workshop activities at the end of each unit feature a sample student paragraph or essay followed by discussion, peer-editing questions, and writing and revising assignments. These workshops reinforce grammar and sentence skills in context and highlight the writing process.
Synopsis
A long-standing bestseller, Grassroots remains the preeminent worktext for developmental writers. With its excellent writing instruction, well-crafted and evenly paced exercises, and engaging writing activities, Grassroots has taught several generations of students how to write correct sentences and effective paragraphs.The four-color Eighth Edition offers proofreading practice, a focus on critical thinking, and practice exercises linked to high-interest topics. WriteSpace, an interactive online writing program and course management system, accompanies Grassroots to motivate students with carefully developed writing modules and exercises, innovative writing assignments, and online tutoring.
Synopsis
Motivating students with high-interest content and guiding them with a clear, functional approach, Susan Fawcett's Grassroots inspires students to succeed. With its excellent writing instruction, well-crafted exercises, and engaging writing activities, Grassroots teaches students how to write correct sentences and effective paragraphs. Fawcett introduces each topic with a boxed example and follows it up with clear, easy to read explanations. After the boxed example, Grassroots engages students with bulleted points and questions before defining the rule. Then, Grassroots inspires students and reinforces concepts with a wealth of interesting examples and practice that lead students from carefully controlled practice toward creating their own successful sentences and paragraphs.
About the Author
Susan Fawcett is a former professor of English and director of the writing lab at Bronx Community College, CUNY. She is the author of two leading writing textbooks, EVERGREEN and GRASSROOTS. In 2000, EVERGREEN won the McGuffey Prize for sustained excellence in a language and literature text, awarded by the Text and Academic Authors Association. Ms. Fawcett?s poetry and nonfiction articles on education, health, and the environment have appeared in such magazines as _The Nation_, _Poetry_, _Ms._, _Woman?s Day_, and _Ploughshares_. Her formal education took place at Ohio University, the University of London, and Columbia University, with the support of Fulbright and Woodrow Wilson fellowships. Through presentations in the U.S. and South Africa, she has worked to improve college writing instruction, and recently, to promote textbook authorship of minority faculty.
Table of Contents
Note: Each chapter includes Chapter Highlights and Exploring Online. Chapters 6-12 also include a Writing Assignment and a Chapter Review. Units 1-8 include Unit Writing Assignments and a Unit Review. I. Writing Forceful Paragraphs 1. Exploring the Writing Process Part A. The Writing Process Part B. Subject, Audience, and Purpose Part C. Guidelines for Submitting Written Work 2. Prewriting to Generate Ideas Part A. Freewriting Part B. Brainstorming Part C. Clustering Part D. Keeping a Journal 3. Developing Effective Paragraphs Part A. Defining the Paragraph and the Topic Sentence Part B. Narrowing the Topic and Writing the Topic Sentence Part C. Generating Ideas for the Body of the Paragraph Part D. Selecting and Dropping Ideas Part E. Arranging Ideas in a Plan or an Outline Part F. Writing and Revising the Paragraph Part G. Writing the Final Draft 4. Improving Your Paragraphs Part A. More Work on Support: Examples Part B. More Work on Arranging Ideas: Coherence Part C. More Work on Revising: Exact and Concise Language Part D. Turning Assignments into Paragraphs 5. Moving from Paragraph to Essay Part A. Defining the Essay and the Thesis Statement Part B. The Process of Writing an Essay Writers' Workshop: Discuss Your Name II. Writing Complete Sentences 6. Subjects and Verbs Part A. Defining and Spotting Subjects Part B. Spotting Singular and Plural Subjects Part C. Spotting Prepositional Phrases Part D. Defining and Spotting Action Verbs Part E. Defining and Spotting Linking Verbs Part F. Spotting Verbs of More Than One Word 7. Avoiding Sentence Fragments Part A. Writing Sentences with Subjects and Verbs Part B. Writing Sentences with Complete Verbs Part C. Completing the Thought Writers' Workshop: Discuss an Event That Influenced You III. Using Verbs Effectively 8. Present Tense (Agreement) Part A. Defining Agreement Part B. Troublesome Verb in the Present Tense: TO BE Part C. Troublesome Verb in the Present Tense: TO HAVE Part D. Troublesome Verb in the Present Tense: TO DO (+ NOT) Part E. Changing Subjects to Pronouns Part F. Practice in Agreement Part G. Special Problems in Agreement 9. Past Tense Part A. Regular Verbs in the Past Tense Part B. Irregular Verbs in the Past Tense Part C. Troublesome Verb in the Past Tense: TO BE Part D. Review 10. The Past Participle in Action Part A. Defining the Past Participle Part B. Past Participles of Regular Verbs Part C. Past Participles of Irregular Verbs Part D. Using the Present Perfect Tense Part E. Using the Past Perfect Tense Part F. Using the Passive Voice Part G. Using Past Participles as Adjectives 11. Progressive Tenses (TO BE + -ING Verb Form) Part A. Defining and Writing the Present Progressive Tense Part B. Defining and Writing the Past Progressive Tense Part C. Using the Progressive Tenses Part D. Avoiding Incomplete Progressives 12. Fixed-Form Helping Verbs and Verb Problems Part A. Defining and Spotting the Fixed-Form Helping Verbs Part B. Using the Fixed-Form Helping Verbs Part C. Using CAN and COULD Part D. Using WILL and WOULD Part E. Writing Infinitives Part F. Revising Double Negatives Writers' Workshop: Tell a Lively Story IV. Joining Ideas Together 13. Coordination 14. Subordination Part A. Defining and Using Subordinating Conjunctions Part B. Punctuating Subordinating Conjunctions 15. Avoiding Run-Ons and Comma Splices 16. Semicolons and Conjunctive Adverbs Part A. Defining and Using Semicolons Part B. Defining and Using Conjunctive Adverbs Part C. Punctuating Conjunctive Adverbs 17. Relative Pronouns Part A. Defining and Using Relative Pronouns Part B. Punctuating Ideas Introduced by WHO, WHICH, or THAT 18. -ING Modifiers Part A. Using -ING Modifiers Part B. Avoiding Confusing Modifiers Writers' Workshop: Describe a Detour off the Main Highway V. Choosing the Right Noun, Pronoun, Adjective, Adverb, or Preposition 19. Nouns Part A. Defining Singular and Plural Part B. Signal Words: Singular and Plural Part C. Signal Words with OF 20. Pronouns Part A. Defining Pronouns and Antecedents Part B. Referring to Indefinite Pronouns Part C. Referring to Collective Nouns Part D. Referring to Special Singular Constructions Part E. Avoiding Vague and Repetitious Pronouns Part F. Using Pronouns as Subjects, Objects, and Possessives Part G. Choosing the Correct Case after AND or OR Part H. Choosing the Correct Case in Comparisons Part I. Using Pronouns with -SELF and -SELVES 21. Adjectives and Adverbs Part A. Defining and Writing Adjectives and Adverbs Part B. A Troublesome Pair: GOOD/WELL Part C. Writing Comparatives Part D. Writing Superlatives Part E. Troublesome Comparatives and Superlatives Part F. Demonstrative Adjectives: THIS/THAT and THESE/THOSE 22. Prepositions Part A. Defining and Working with Prepositional Phrases Part B. Troublesome Prepositions: IN, ON, and LIKE Part C. Prepositions in Common Expressions Writers' Workshop: Tell How Someone Changed Your Life VI. Revising for Consistency and Parallelism 23. Consistent Tense 24. Consistent Person 25. Parallelism Part A. Writing Parallel Constructions Part B. Using Parallelism for Special Effects Writers' Workshop: Shift Your Audience and Purpose VII. Mastering Mechanics 26. Capitalization 27. Commas Part A Commas after Items in a Series Part B Commas after Introductory Phrases Part C Commas for Direct Address Part D Commas to Set Off Appositives Part E Commas for Parenthetical Expressions Part F Commas for Dates Part G Commas for Addresses Part H Commas for Coordination and Subordination 28. Apostrophes Part A. Using the Apostrophe for Contractions Part B. Defining the Possessive Part C. Using the Apostrophe to Show Possession (in Words That Do Not Already End in -S) Part D. Using the Apostrophe to Show Possession (in Words That Already End in -S) 29. Direct and Indirect Quotations Part A. Defining Direct and Indirect Quotations Part B. Punctuating Simple Direct Quotations Part C. Punctuating Split Quotations Part D. Ending Direct Quotations 30. Putting Your Proofreading Skills to Work Writers' Workshop: Explain a Cause or an Effect VIII. Improving Your Spelling 31. Spelling Part A. Suggestions for Improving Your Spelling Part B. Computer Spell Checkers Part C. Spotting Vowels and Consonants Part D. Doubling the Final Consonant (in Words of One Syllable) Part E. Doubling the Final Consonant (in Words of More Than One Syllable) Part F. Dropping or Keeping the Final E Part G. Dropping or Keeping the Final Y Part H. Choosing IE or EI Part I. Commonly Misspelled Words 32. Look-Alikes/Sound-Alikes Writers' Workshop: Examine Positive (or Negative) Values IX. Reading Selections and Quotation Bank Reading Selections Effective Reading: Strategies for the Writer Colman McCarthy, Needed: Teaching Peace Literacy by Numbers Lauren Mehler, For Career Insight Try Talking to Neighbors Jack Riemer, Playing a Violin with Three Strings Maya Angelou, Mrs. Flowers Daniel Meier, One Man's Kids Dave Barry, Another Road Hog with Too Much Oink Ana Veciana-Suarez, You Can Take This Job and. . .Well, It Might Surprise You Malcolm X, A Homemade Education Anna Quindlen, Barbie at 35 Leo Buscaglia, Papa, the Teacher Julia Alvarez, My English Rosa Parks, Montgomery, Alabama, 1955 Norman M. Lobsenz, The Importance of Childhood Memories Courtland Milloy, The Gift Leonard Pitts Jr., Anonymity Brings Out Our Dark Sides Firoozeh Dumas, Hot Dogs and Wild Geese Shoba Narayan, In This Arranged Marriage, Love Came Later Liza Gross, The Hidden Life of Bottled Water Amy Tan, Four Directions Daniel Goleman, Emotional Intelligence Quotation Bank