Synopses & Reviews
An important goal of Read to Write is to make students aware that reading and writing are interconnected and that by developing their skills in one area, they will also develop their skills in the other. Read to Write offers a wide variety of academic and student-generated readings along with a generous list of writing suggestions in every chapter. In addition, each chapter of Read to Write focuses on one of the rhetorical modes and ends with a check list to help students evaluate their work. Additional Highlights Chapter One serves as a basic introduction to reading and writing. In addition to containing a number of introductory readings, Chapter One also reviews basic paragraph writing and introduces essay writing. Chapters Two-Eight are organized around the core rhetorical modes: biography, description, narration, exposition, comparison and contrast, cause and effect, and persuasion. Each chapter presents a patient three-part organization, which allows students to develop their writing skills in a highly systematic way, with ample opportunities for revisions. Within each chapter part, the reading skills of skimming, scanning, inferring, guessing meaning from context, and understanding the main idea are presented in conjunction with the writing skills related to the various rhetorical forms. A generous number of readings are found in each chapter, exposing students to several different essays for each rhetorical form and thus, better preparing them to write in each form. A wide variety of subject matter and different writing styles are presented in each chapter, including authentic material by professional writers and essays written by teachers and international students. These writing styles are often used as models to help students perfect their own writing skills.
Table of Contents
PREFACECHAPTER ONE: Introduction to Reading and WritingPart One: The ParagraphAudiencePurposeTopicNarrowing the TopicTopic SentenceControlling IdeaSupportUnitsRevising Your ParagraphPunctuation and ParagraphPart Two: The EssayIntroductionThesis StatementSupporting ParagraphsUnitsConclusionPart Three: Basic Reading SkillsSkimmingScanningVocabularyGoing Further: Idea GeneratorCHAPTER TWO: BiographyPart One: Reading and Writing BiographyActivity: Sharing StoriesBiography in the Real WorldThe Main IdeaGetting Started: Brainstorming with a Time LineEssay Writing: First DraftPart Two: Developing BiographiesOrganizational Style in Biographical WritingInferring Information (1)Now Revise: Second DraftPart Three: Refining and ReviewingCohesive Devices: Chronological Connectors (1)Finding Meaning from ContextFinal DraftGoing Further: Idea GeneratorCHAPTER THREE: DescriptionPart One: Reading and Writing DescriptionActivity: Describing and ObjectDescription in the Real WorldIdentifying Descriptive DetailsGetting Started: Brainstorming Sensory DetailsEssay Writing: First DraftPart Two: Developing DescriptionsOrganizational Style in Descriptive WritingTopic SentenceSupporting DetailsNow Revise: Second DraftPart Three: Refining and ReviewingReview of Supporting DetailsDescriptive DetailsFinal DraftGoing Further: Idea GeneratorCHAPTER FOUR: NarrationPart One: Reading and Writing NarrativeActivity: StorytellingNarrative in the Real WorldIdentifying Audience and PurposeGetting Started: Don't Take Your Pen Off the PapersEssay Writing: First DraftPart Two: Developing NarrationsOrganizational Style in Narrative WritingAdding Detail to Narrative WritingQuoted and Reported SpeechNow Revise: Second DraftPart Three: Refining and ReviewingCohesive Devices: Chronological Connectors (2)Inferring Information (2)Final DraftGoing Further: Idea GeneratorCHAPTER FIVE: ExpositionPart One: Reading and Writing ExpositionActivity: Exposing IdeasExpository Writing in the Real WorldIdentifying the Purpose of Expository WritingGetting Started: Brainstorming by MappingEssay Writing: First DraftPart Two: Developing ExpositionOrganizational Style in Expository WritingIntroductionsThe Funnel ApproachConclusionsNow Revise: Second DraftPart Three: Refining and ReviewingCohesive Devices: Identifying Important PointsRecognizing Use of Italics, Boldface, and UnderliningReading CarefullyFinal DraftGoing Further: Idea GeneratorCHAPTER SIX: Comparison and ContrastPart One: Reading and Writing Comparison and ContrastActivity: Identifying Similaritties and DifferencesComparison and Contrast in the Real WorldIdentifying Similarities and DifferencesGetting Started: Brainstorming a TopicEssay Writing: First DraftPart Two: Developing Comparison and ContrastOrganizational Style in Comparison and Contrast WritingOutliningHow Examples Are Used to Support the Thesis StatementNow Revise: Second DraftPart Three: Refining and ReviewingCohesive Devices: Comparison and Contrast ConstructionsUnity within a ParagraphFinal DraftGoing Further: Idea GeneratorCHAPTER SEVEN: Cause and EffectPart One: Reading and Writing Cause and EffectActivity: Identifying Causes and EffectsCause and Effect in the Real WorldIdentifying Causes and EffectsGetting Started: Brainstorming Causes and EffectsEssay Writing: First DraftPart Two: Developing Cause and EffectOrganizational Style in Cause and Effect WritingAnalyzing Organizational StylesMaking Your Introduction InvitingThe Surprise IntroductionThe Dramatic IntroductionMaking the Connections between IdeasNow Revise: Second DraftPart Three: Refining and ReviewingCohesive Devices: Logical ConnectorsThesis StatementFinal DraftGoing Further: Idea GeneratorCHAPTER EIGHT: PersuasionPart One: Reading and Writing PersuasionActivity: Debating Both Sides of an IssuePersuasion in the Real WorldIdentifying Persuasive SupportExamplesPersonal OpinionCiting AuthoritiesGetting Started: Brainstorming Types of SupportEssay Writing: First DraftPart Two: Developing PersuasionsOrganizational Style in Persuasion WritingArguing a CaseReviewing Rhetorical FormsMaking Your Position Clear: Thesis StatementsCoherenceNow Revise: Second DraftPart Three: Refining and ReviewingReview of Cohesive DevicesReview of Transitions between ParagraphsUsing Transitions to Find the Central PointsFinal Draft