List of Artworks
List of Advertisements
To the Teacher
Acknowledgments
To the Student
Part One The Basics of the Short Essay
1 Prewriting
Getting Started (or Soup-Can Labels Can Be Fascinating)
Selecting a Subject
Finding Your Essay﹀s Purpose and Focus
Pump-Primer Techniques
After You﹀ve Found Your Focus
Practicing What You﹀ve Learned
Discovering Your Audience
How to Identify Your Readers
Practicing What You﹀ve Learned
Assignment
Keeping a Journal (Talking to Yourself Does Help)
Chapter I Summary
2 The Thesis Statement
What Is a Thesis? What Does a \〃Working Thesis\〃 Do?
Can a \〃Working Thesis\〃 Change?
Guidelines for Writing a Good Thesis
Avoiding Common Errors in Thesis Statements
Practicing What You﹀ve Learned
Assignment
Using the Essay Map
Practicing What You﹀ve Learned
Assignment
Chapter 2 Summary
3 The Body Paragraphs
Planning the Body of Your Essay
Composing the Body Paragraphs
The Topic Sentence
Focusing Your Topic Sentence
Placing Your Topic Sentence
Practicing What You﹀ve Learned
Assignment
Applying What You﹀ve Learned toYour Writing
Paragraph Development
Paragraph Length
Practicing What You﹀ve Learned
Assignment
Applying What You﹀ve Learned toYour Writing
Paragraph Unity
Practicing What You﹀ve Learned
Applying What You﹀ve Learned to Your Writing
Paragraph Coherence
Practicing What You﹀ve Learned
Paragraph Sequence
Transitions between Paragraphs
Applying What You﹀ve Learned to Your Writing
Chapter 3 Summary
4 Beginnings and Endings
How to Write a Good Lead-in
Avoiding Errors in Lead-ins
Practicing What You﹀ve Learned
Assignment
How to Write a Good Concluding Paragraph
Avoiding Errors in Conclusions
Practicing What You﹀ve Learned
Assignment
How to Write a Good Title
Practicing What You﹀ve Learned
Assignment
Applying What You﹀ve Learned toYour Writing
Chapter 4 Summary
Part Two Purposes,Modes,and Strategies
Part Three Special Assignments
Part Four A Concise Handbook