UPDATED SUMMER 2024

Cover: Achieve Writer's Help for Hacker (1-Term Access; Multi-Course), 3rd Edition by Diana Hacker; Stephen A. Bernhardt; Nancy Sommers

Achieve Writer's Help for Hacker (1-Term Access; Multi-Course)

Third Edition  ©2020 Diana Hacker; Stephen A. Bernhardt; Nancy Sommers Formats: Achieve

Authors

  • Headshot of Diana Hacker

    Diana Hacker

    Diana Hacker personally class-tested her handbooks with nearly four thousand students over thirty-five years at Prince George's Community College in Maryland, where she was a member of the English faculty. Hacker handbooks, built on innovation and on a keen understanding of the challenges facing student writers, are the most widely adopted in America. Hacker handbooks, all published by Bedford/St. Martin's, include A Writer's Reference, Eleventh Edition (2025); A Pocket Style Manual, Tenth Edition (2025); The Bedford Handbook, Twelfth Edition (2023); Rules for Writers, Tenth Edition (2022); and Writer’s Help 2.0, Hacker Version.


  • Headshot of Stephen A. Bernhardt

    Stephen A. Bernhardt

    Stephen A. Bernhardt is Professor of English and the Andrew B. Kirkpatrick Chair in Writing at the University of Delaware, where he teaches composition, grammar, and technical writing. His professional interests include computers in composition/distance education, writing across the curriculum, professional and technical communication, and visual rhetoric. He has also taught at New Mexico State University and at Southern Illinois University. The author of many journal articles and technical reports, Bernhardt is also the author of Writing at Work (1997) and coeditor of Expanding Literacies: English Teaching and the New Workplace (1998). Bernhardt designed the research plan and reworked content for Writers Help.


  • Headshot of Nancy Sommers

    Nancy Sommers

    Nancy Sommers, who has taught composition and directed composition programs for thirty years, now teaches in Harvard's Graduate School of Education. She led Harvard's Expository Writing Program for twenty years, directing the first-year writing program and establishing Harvard's WAC program. A two-time Braddock Award winner, Sommers is well known for her research and publications on student writing. Her articles “Revision Strategies of Student and Experienced Writers” and “Responding to Student Writing” are two of the most widely read and anthologized articles in the field of composition. Recently she has been exploring different audiences through publishing in popular media. Sommers is the lead author on Hacker handbooks, all published by Bedford/St. Martin’s, and editor of Tiny Teaching Stories on Macmillan Learning's Bits Blog.

Table of Contents

Welcome to Achieve for Writers Help - Hacker  
About Achieve for Writer’s Help - Hacker
  
 For Bedford/St. Martins 
 Acknowledgments 
Using Achieve for Writers Help - Hacker in your writing course 
 Achieve Writing Tools Implementation Guide 
 Achieve Diagnostics and Study Plans Implementation Guide 
 Submitting a writing assignment in Achieve 
 Completing a peer review assignment in Achieve 
Instructor resources for Achieve for Writers Help.  
 iClicker Reef Slide Set 1 
 iClicker Reef Slide Set 2 

Diagnostics and Study Plans  
Diagnostic and Study Plan for Sentence Grammar
  
 Practice Test for Sentence Grammar - Hacker v2 
 Complete 50% of the Study Plan for Sentence Grammar - Hacker v2
 Complete 100% of the Study Plan for Sentence Grammar - Hacker v2
 Final Test for Sentence Grammar - Hacker v2 
Diagnostic and Study Plan for Punctuation, Style, and Mechanics
 Practice Test for Punctuation, Style, and Mechanics - Hacker v2 
 Complete 50% of the Study Plan for Punctuation, Style, and Mechanics - Hacker v2 
 Complete 100% of the Study Plan for Punctuation, Style, and Mechanics - Hacker v2 
 Final Test for Punctuation, Style, and Mechanics - Hacker v2 
Diagnostic and Study Plan for Reading Skills  
 Practice Test for Reading Skills - Hacker v2 
 Complete 50% of the Study Plan for Reading Skills - Hacker v2 
 Complete 100% of the Study Plan for Reading Skills - Hacker v2 
 Final Test for Reading Skills - Hacker v2 
Diagnostic and Study Plan for Reading Strategies  
 Practice Test for Reading Strategies - Hacker v2 
 Complete 50% of the Study Plan for Reading Strategies - Hacker v2
 Complete 100% of the Study Plan for Reading Strategies - Hacker v2
 Final Test for Reading Strategies - Hacker v2 

Writing Assignments  
Annotated bibliography  
Argument essay  
Narrative essay  
Researched argument  
Rhetorical analysis essay  

Guides to Writing in the Disciplines  
A Guide to Writing in Art and Art History
  
 Thinking like an art professional 
  Questions art professionals ask
  Kinds of evidence art professionals use
  Ethical practices in art
 Looking at works of art 
  Responding to a work of art
  Understanding different points of view in writing about art
  Developing the techniques of description
 Researching art 
  Using databases to find scholarly publications in art
  Primary and secondary sources in art
  Academic art journals
  Books and online resources in art
 Reading the art literature 
  Actively reading art sources
  How to read scholarly books on art
  How to read scholarly articles on art
  Checklists for evaluating sources in art
 Designing and writing papers and projects in art 
  Considering your purpose and audience in writing in art
  Checklist for assessing the writing situation in art
  Organizing and drafting your art paper
  Revising and editing your art paper
 Writing conventions in art 
  Word choice (art)
  Phrasing for clarity, concision, and directness (art)
  Writing effective sentences (art)
  Special considerations in writing about art
 Integrating, citing, and documenting sources in art 
  Avoiding plagiarism and recognizing intellectual property in art
  Quoting, summarizing, and paraphrasing art sources
  Captions and lists of illustrations in your art paper
  MLA style for documenting sources in art
  Chicago style for documenting sources in art
 Genres of writing in art 
  Short description of a work of art
  Copy for a museum label
  Personal response to a work of art
  Comparison of two works of art
  Formal analysis of a work of art
  Contextual analysis of a work of art
  Review of an art exhibition
  Research paper in art or art history
  Artist statement
 Glossary of vocabulary in art 
 Additional resources for art and art history 
 Practice activities (art and art history) 
A Guide to Writing in Criminal Justice and Criminology  
 Thinking like a criminal justice professional or criminologist 
  Questions criminal justice professionals and criminologists ask
  Ethics in criminal justice and criminology studies
  Kinds of evidence criminal justice professionals and criminologists use
 Researching criminal justice and criminology 
  Using databases for research in criminal justice and criminology
  Primary and secondary sources in criminal justice and criminology
  Locating and evaluating online sources in criminal justice and criminology
  Checklists for evaluating sources in criminal justice and criminology
 Reading the literature in criminal justice and criminology 
  Active reading in criminal justice and criminology
  Reading specific literature in criminal justice and criminology
 The process of writing papers and projects in criminal justice and criminology 
  Considering your purpose and audience in criminal justice and criminology
  Checklist for assessing the writing situation in criminal justice and criminology
  Organizing your materials for writing in criminal justice and criminology
  Drafting and developing a thesis in criminal justice and criminology
  Revising your writing in criminal justice and criminology
  Revising and testing thesis statements in criminal justice and criminology
  Editing your writing in criminal justice and criminology
 Writing conventions in criminal justice and criminology 
  Sentence structure (criminal justice and criminology)
  Word choice (criminal justice and criminology)
  Using visuals and presenting data in criminal justice and criminology
 Integrating, citing, and documenting sources in criminal justice and criminology 
  Avoiding plagiarism and recognizing intellectual property in criminal justice and criminology
  Quoting, summarizing, and paraphrasing sources in criminal justice and criminology
  In-text citations in criminal justice and criminology papers (APA style)
  Reference section in criminal justice and criminology papers (APA style)
  APA manuscript format in criminal justice and criminology papers
 Genres of writing in criminal justice and criminology 
  Abstract (criminal justice and criminology)
  Annotated bibliography (criminal justice and criminology)
  Argument or position paper (criminal justice and criminology)
  Analytical paper (criminal justice and criminology)
  Case brief (criminal justice and criminology)
  Administrative report (criminal justice and criminology)
  Investigative report (criminal justice and criminology)
  Literature review (criminal justice and criminology)
  Professional memo (criminal justice and criminology)
  Policy memo (criminal justice and criminology)
  Poster presentation (criminal justice and criminology)
  Research proposal (criminal justice and criminology)
  Research paper: Original empirical research (criminal justice and criminology)
 Glossary of vocabulary in criminal justice and criminology 
 References (criminal justice and criminology) 
 Resources for reading and writing in criminal justice and criminology
Practice activities (criminal justice and criminology) 

A Guide to Writing in Economics  
 Thinking like an economist 
  Models and behavior in economics
  Empirical results and data in economics
  Distinguishing fact, opinion, and value in writing in economics
  Questions economists ask
  Types of evidence economists use
 Researching economics 
  Using databases to find sources in economics
  Using economics journals
  Checklists for evaluating sources in economics
 Reading the economics literature 
  The basic structure of an economics article
  Choosing your sources in economics literature
  Reading your sources actively in economics
 The process of writing papers and projects in economics 
  Considering your purpose and audience in writing in economics
  Thesis and hypothesis in economics
  Checklist for assessing the writing situation in economics
  Considering the "So what?" question in writing in economics
  Organizing and drafting your economics paper
  Revising your economics paper
  Four approaches to revising thesis statements in economics
  Editing your economics paper
 Writing conventions in economics 
  Phrasing for clarity, concision, and directness (economics)
  Sentence structure (economics)
  Vocabulary (economics)
  Using equations in economics
  Presenting data in tables and figures in economics papers
  Presenting and documenting code in economics papers
 Integrating, citing, and documenting sources in economics 
  Quoting, summarizing, and paraphrasing economics sources
  Avoiding plagiarism and recognizing intellectual property in economics
  Documenting sources in economics
 Genres of writing in economics 
  Abstract (economics)
  Analysis and evaluation (economics)
  Argumentative essay (economics)
  Annotated bibliography (economics)
  Literature review (economics)
  Theoretical or modeling paper (economics)
  Research proposal (economics)
  Research paper (economics)
  Policy memo (economics)
  Glossary of vocabulary in economics
  References (economics)
 Practice activities (economics) 

A Guide to Writing in Engineering  
 Thinking like an engineer 
  The design process in engineering
  Questions engineers ask
  Kinds of evidence engineers use
  Ethical conduct in engineering
 Researching engineering 
  Using databases to find articles in engineering research journals
  Strategies for optimizing your online searches in engineering
  Distinguishing primary and secondary sources in engineering
  Sources of engineering data and regulations
  Evaluating online resources in engineering
 Reading the engineering literature 
  Actively reading an engineering textbook
  Active reading in engineering
  The structure of a research or experimental engineering report
  The structure of an engineering design report
  How to read an engineering report
 The process of writing papers, projects, and presentations in engineering 
  Considering your purpose and your audience in writing in engineering
  Designing and writing effective documents in engineering
  Organizing and drafting your engineering paper
  Revising and editing your engineering paper
 Writing conventions in engineering 
  Controlling sentence structure in engineering
  Using effective vocabulary in engineering
  Presenting data effectively in engineering
  Presenting equations, calculations, and data in engineering
  Presenting and documenting code in engineering
 Integrating, citing, and documenting sources in engineering 
  Summarizing, paraphrasing, and quoting engineering sources
  Avoiding plagiarism and recognizing intellectual property in engineering
  Using IEEE style for citing sources in engineering
 Genres of writing in engineering 
  Technical, lab, or test report (engineering)
  Lab notebook (engineering)
  Literature review (engineering)
  Problem analysis and evaluation (engineering)
  Project proposal (engineering)
  Design report (engineering)
  Research report (engineering)
  Case study (engineering)
  Memo or brief (engineering)
  Summary, abstract, and annotated bibliography (engineering)
  Poster or slide presentation (engineering)
  Oral presentation (engineering)
 Glossary of vocabulary in engineering 
 References (engineering) 
 Additional resources for reading and writing in engineering 
 Practice activities (engineering) 

A Guide to Writing in Nursing and Health Professions  
 Thinking like a nurse or health professional 
  Questions nurses and health professionals ask
  Kinds of evidence nurses and health professionals use
  Ethics in nursing and health professions
 Researching nursing and health professions 
  Using databases to find research publications in nursing and health professions
  Primary and secondary sources in nursing and health professions
  Evaluating online resources in nursing and health professions
 Reading the nursing and health professions literature 
  Active reading in nursing and health professions
  The range of articles in nursing and health professions
  The structure of research articles in nursing and health professions
  Hypotheses and hypothesis testing in nursing and health professions
  The structure of evidence-based practice review articles in nursing and health professions
  How to read a research study in nursing and health professions
  How to evaluate a research study in nursing and health professions
 Writing papers and projects in nursing and health professions 
  Considering your purpose in nursing and health professions
  Understanding your audience and their needs in nursing and health professions
  Forming a thesis, hypothesis, and research question in nursing and health professions
  Planning, organizing, and drafting your paper in nursing and health professions
  Revising and editing your writing in nursing and health professions
 Writing conventions in nursing and health professions 
  Phrasing for clarity, concision, and directness (nursing and health professions)
  Choosing vocabulary in nursing and health professions
  Presenting data in nursing and health professions
 Integrating, citing, and documenting sources in nursing and health professions 
  Avoiding plagiarism and recognizing intellectual property in nursing and health professions
  Quoting and summarizing sources in nursing and health professions
  In-text citations in nursing and health professions (APA style)
  Reference section in nursing and health professions (APA style)
  APA manuscript format in papers in nursing and health professions
 Genres of writing in nursing and health professions 
  Abstract (nursing and health professions)
  Annotated bibliography (nursing and health professions)
  Literature review (nursing and health professions)
  Best practice paper (nursing and health professions)
  Research proposal (nursing and health professions)
  Case study or observation report (nursing and health professions)
  Narrative, history, care and treatment plan, or clinical interview (nursing and health professions)
  Reflection on learning (nursing and health professions)
  Short-answer or descriptive response (nursing and health professions)
 Poster presentation or health science talk (nursing and health professions) 
 Glossary of vocabulary in nursing and health professions 
 Practice activities (nursing and health professions) 

A Guide to Professional Writing  
 Thinking like a professional writer 
  Questions professional writers ask
  Kinds of evidence professional writers use
  Ethics in professional communication
 Researching professional writing 
  Strategies for researching professional writing
  Distinguishing primary and secondary sources in professional writing
  Reading professional communication journals and online sources
  Using databases to find sources in professional writing
  Finding books and other resources in professional writing
  Evaluating online resources in professional writing
 Reading the professional communication literature 
  Reading professional communication sources actively
  Evaluating the strength of claims in professional writing
  Reading theoretical articles in professional writing
  Reading research articles in professional writing
  Reading practice articles in professional writing
 The process of writing papers, projects, and presentations in professional writing 
  Considering your purpose and audience in professional writing
  Designing texts in professional writing
  Using in-house and organizational style guides
 Writing conventions in professional writing 
  Writing style in professional communication
  Phrasing for clarity, concision, and directness in professional writing
  Sentence structure in professional writing
  Preparing visuals for professional writing
  Vocabulary in professional writing
 Integrating, citing, and documenting sources in professional writing 
  Avoiding plagiarism and recognizing intellectual property in professional writing
  Quoting, summarizing, and paraphrasing sources in professional writing
  In-text citations in professional writing (APA style)
  Reference list in professional writing (APA style)
 Genres of professional writing 
  Technical or scientific report (professional writing)
  Literature review (professional writing)
  Manual or help system (professional writing)
  Procedural document (professional writing)
  Proposal (professional writing)
  Abstract or summary (professional writing)
  Memo or other correspondence (professional writing)
  Presentation or poster (professional writing)
  Website or multimodal document (professional writing)
 Glossary of vocabulary in professional writing 
 References (professional writing) 
 Additional resources for professional writing 
 Practice activities (professional writing) 

A Guide to Writing in Psychology  
 Thinking like a psychologist 
  Psychological science
  Questions psychologists ask
  Scientific ethics in psychology studies
 Researching psychology 
  Finding sources in psychology
  Psychology databases
  Primary and secondary sources in psychology
 Reading a psychology research study 
  The basic structure of a psychology article
  Choosing your sources in psychology literature
  Reading your sources actively in psychology
  Detecting bias in psychology sources
  Checklists for evaluating sources in psychology
  Drawing on expert opinion in psychology
 The process of writing papers and projects in psychology 
  Considering your purpose in writing in psychology
  Understanding your audience and their needs in psychology
  Checklist for assessing the writing situation in psychology
  Considering the "So what?" question in writing in psychology
  Organizing and drafting your psychology paper
  Revising and editing your psychology paper
  Four approaches to revising thesis statements in psychology
 Writing conventions in psychology 
  Sentence structure (psychology)
  Word choice (psychology)
 Integrating, citing, and documenting sources in psychology 
  Avoiding plagiarism and recognizing intellectual property in psychology
  Quoting, summarizing, and paraphrasing psychology sources
  In-text citations in psychology papers (APA style)
  Reference section in psychology papers (APA style)
  Presenting data in psychology papers (APA style)
  Formatting psychology papers (APA style)
 Genres of writing in psychology 
  Annotated bibliography (psychology)
  Abstract (psychology)
  Literature review (psychology)
  Research proposal (psychology)
  Institutional review board (IRB) application (psychology)
  Research paper (psychology)
  Lab report (psychology)
  Case study (psychology)
  Response paper (psychology)
  Poster presentation (psychology)
 Glossary of vocabulary in psychology 
 Practice activities (psychology) 

A Guide to Writing in Science  
 Thinking like a scientist 
  Writing like a scientist
  Questions scientists ask
  Kinds of evidence scientists use
  Distinguishing fact, opinion, and value in writing in science
  Ethics in science writing
 Researching science 
  Using databases to find research publications in science
  Primary and secondary sources in science
  Evaluating online resources in science
 Reading the scientific literature 
  Actively reading a science textbook
  The structure of a science paper
  Actively reading science papers
 The process of writing papers in science 
  Considering your purpose in writing in science
  Understanding your audience and their needs in science
  Organizing and drafting your science paper
  Revising and editing your science paper
 Writing conventions in science 
  Sentence structure (science)
  Phrasing for clarity, concision, and directness (science)
  Word choice (science)
 Integrating, citing, and documenting sources in science 
  Avoiding plagiarism and recognizing intellectual property in science
  Presenting data in science papers
  CSE system for documenting sources in science writing
 Genres of writing in science 
  Annotated bibliography, article summary, or abstract (science)
  Literature review (science)
  Lab report (science)
  Research report (science)
  Research proposal (science)
  Lab notebook (science)
  Short response and description (science)
  Oral presentation (science)
  Poster presentation (science)
 Glossary of vocabulary in science 
 Additional resources for reading and writing in science 
 Practice activities (science) 

Drafting and Revising  
Planning a paper
  
 Understanding an assignment 
 Assessing the writing situation 
  Checklist for assessing the writing situation
  Subject
  Purpose and audience
  Academic, business, and public audiences
  Genre
  Length and document design
  Reviewers and deadlines
 Exploring the subject 
  Reading and annotating texts
  Talking, listening, and observing
  Brainstorming and listing ideas
  Listing ideas (brainstorming): Samples
  Freewriting
  Gaining expert perspective
  Keeping a journal and blogging
  Asking questions
 Drafting and revising a working thesis statement 
  Drafting a working thesis
  Revising a working thesis
  Five approaches to revising thesis statements
 Drafting a plan 
  Sample informal outlines
  Sample formal outlines
 Planning an analysis essay 
  Key features of analysis essays
  Exploring, drafting, revising, and presenting an analysis essay
  Sample student writing: Analysis essays
 Planning an annotated bibliography 
  Key features of annotated bibliographies
  Exploring, drafting, revising, and presenting an annotated bibliography
  Sample student writing: Annotated bibliography
 Planning an argument essay 
  Key features of argument essays
  Exploring, drafting, revising, and presenting an argument essay
  Sample student writing: Argument essays
 Planning a literacy narrative 
  Key features of literacy narratives
  Exploring, drafting, revising, and presenting a literacy narrative
  Sample student writing: Literacy narrative
 Planning a reflective letter for a portfolio 
  Key features of reflective letters
  Exploring, drafting, revising, and presenting a reflective letter
  Sample student writing: Reflective letter
Drafting a paper  
 Drafting an introduction 
  Developing the thesis statement
  Effective introductions
  Drafting the body
 Drafting a conclusion 
  Effective conclusions
 Using software tools 
 Managing your files 
 Naming, saving, and sharing your files 
Exercises: Planning and drafting (4)  
Reviewing, revising, and editing  
 Effective peer reviews 
  The writer’s role in peer review
  The reviewer’s role in peer review
  Tips for reviewers and for writers
 Revising with comments 
 Global revision: Revising in cycles 
 Checklist for global revision  
 Revising and editing sentences 
 Proofreading 
 Reflecting on your writing 
Exercises: Reviewing and revising (2)  
One student’s process of revision: Literacy narrative  
 Exploring the subject (literacy narrative) 
 Peer review of literacy narrative 
 Developing revision goals and revising the draft (literacy narrative)
 Literacy narrative (MLA): Nguyen, “A Place to Begin” 
Preparing a portfolio  
 Reflection and portfolios 
 Sample student writing: Reflective letter for a portfolio 
 Preparing a professional portfolio 
 Deciding on format (print vs. online) 
Building effective paragraphs  
 Unifying paragraphs with topic sentences 
 Positioning the topic sentence 
 Developing the main point 
 Using paragraph patterns 
 Making paragraphs coherent 
  Linking ideas to the topic sentence
  Repeating key words for coherence
  Using parallel structures
  Maintaining consistency
  Using transitions between sentences
  Using transitions between paragraphs
 Managing paragraph length 
Exercises: Paragraphs (3)  
LearningCurve: Paragraphs (3)  
Designing documents  
 Page layout and formatting 
  Page layout
  Page formatting
  Page elements
 Text formatting 
  Line spacing
  Paragraph indenting and spacing
  Text alignment
  Tabbed text
  Font selection
  Font styles
  Headings
  Phrasing and formatting headings
  Lists
 Using visuals 
  Using visuals
  Choosing appropriate visuals
  Placing and labeling visuals
  Types of visuals to suit your purpose
  Using visuals responsibly
 Document design gallery 
  MLA essay format
  MLA works cited page
  APA title page
  APA abstract page
  APA essay format
  APA list of references
  Business report with a visual
  Business letter in full block style
  Résumé
  Professional memo
  Email message

Reading, Writing, and Speaking  
Reading and analyzing written texts
  
 Reading a written text actively 
  Reading a written text actively
  Previewing a written text
  Annotating a written text
  Conversing with a written text
  Asking the “So what?” question
 Outlining a written text 
 Summarizing a written text 
 Analyzing a written text 
 Balancing summary with analysis for a written text 
 Drafting an analytical thesis statement for a written text 
 Analysis of an article (MLA): Sanchez, “Rethinking Big-Box Stores”
Video tutorials: Analytical essay  
 What is an analytical essay? (video+assessment) 
 How to read actively (video+assessment) 
 How to draft an analytical thesis statement (video+assessment) 
 How to balance summary and analysis (video+assessment) 
LearningCurve: Critical reading (4)  
Reading and analyzing multimodal texts  
 Reading a multimodal text actively 
  Previewing a multimodal text
  Annotating a multimodal text
  Sample annotated multimodal texts
  Conversing with a multimodal text
 Outlining a multimodal text 
 Summarizing a multimodal text 
 Analyzing a multimodal text 
 Balancing summary with analysis for a multimodal text 
 Drafting an analytical thesis statement for a multimodal text 
 Analysis of an advertisement (MLA): Yoshida, “Sometimes a Cup of Coffee Is Just a Cup of Coffee” 
Reading arguments  
 Reasonable vs. fallacious arguments 
  Making generalizations (inductive reasoning)
  Drawing analogies
  Tracing causes and effects
  Weighing options
  Making assumptions
  Deducing conclusions (deductive reasoning)
 Legitimate vs. unfair emotional appeals 
 Evaluating appeals (ethos, logos, pathos) as a reader 
 Judging how a writer handles opposing views 
Writing arguments  
 Placing an issue in context 
 Addressing skeptical audiences 
 Using appeals (ethos, logos, pathos) as a writer 
 Stating your position in your introduction 
 Backing up the thesis 
  Sample lines of argument: Using subclaims to support the thesis
 Supporting claims with evidence 
  Facts and statistics as support for claims
  Examples and illustrations as support for claims
  Visuals as support for claims
  Expert opinion as support for claims
 Anticipating objections and countering opposing arguments 
 Building common ground 
 Argument paper (MLA): Jacobs, “From Lecture to Conversation: Redefining Whats Fit to Print” 
Video tutorials: Researched argument  
 What is a researched argument? (video+assessment) 
 How to ask a research question (video+assessment) 
 How to develop an argumentative thesis (video+assessment) 
 How to address a counterargument (video+assessment) 
Exercise: Argument (1)  
LearningCurve: Argument (4)  
Speaking confidently  
 Speaking with a sense of purpose, audience, and context 
 Developing a clear structure 
 Using visuals purposefully 
 Preparing to present with slides, from memory, or from a text 
 Rehearsing the presentation 
 Delivering the presentation 
 Being an audience member 
 Remixing a paper for a presentation 

Researching  
Managing a research project
  
 Exploring the research topic 
 Writing a research proposal 
 Posing questions worth exploring 
 Developing focused, challenging, and grounded questions 
Mapping out a search strategy  
 Tips for smart searching 
 Going beyond a Google search 
 Library searches 
 Database searches 
 Web searches 
 Citations, bibliographies, and literature reviews 
 Field research 
Managing information responsibly  
 Avoiding plagiarism with careful note taking 
  Summarizing without plagiarizing
  Paraphrasing without plagiarizing
  Quoting without plagiarizing
Evaluating sources  
 Checklists for evaluating sources 
 Detecting unreliable and misleading sources 
 Functions of sources 
 Selecting articles in databases 
 Selecting books 
 Selecting web sources 
 Selecting versions of electronic sources 
 Reading sources critically 
 Creating an annotated bibliography 
Video tutorials: Annotated bibliography  
 What is an annotated bibliography? (video+assessment) 
 How to enter a research conversation (video+assessment) 
 How to write an annotation: The language of summary and evaluation (video+assessment) 
 How to evaluate a source (video+assessment) 
Exercise: Researching (1)  

Documenting Sources: MLA Style  
Forming and supporting a thesis (MLA)
  
 Organizing your evidence (MLA) 
 Using sources for different purposes (MLA) 
Avoiding plagiarism and integrating sources (MLA)  
 Quick help: Reviewing an MLA paper: Use of sources 
 Using quotation marks with borrowed language (MLA) 
 Using quotations appropriately (MLA) 
  Using the ellipsis mark to limit quoted material (MLA)
  Using brackets to make quotations clear (MLA)
  Indenting long quotations (MLA)
  Summarizing and paraphrasing in your own words (MLA)
 Using signal phrases to integrate sources (MLA) 
  Marking boundaries between your words and the source’s words (MLA)
  Establishing authority (MLA)
  Introducing summaries and paraphrases (MLA)
  Putting direct quotations in context (MLA)
  Integrating statistics and other facts (MLA)
 Synthesizing sources (MLA) 
  Considering how sources relate to your argument (MLA)
  Placing sources in conversation (MLA)
MLA in-text citations  
 Directory to MLA in-text citation models 
 Basic format for in-text citations (MLA) 
 Variations on authors (MLA in-text citations) 
 Variations on types and parts of works (MLA in-text citations) 
 Literary works and sacred texts (MLA in-text citations) 
MLA list of works cited  
 Directory to MLA works cited models 
 General guidelines for the MLA works cited list 
 Quick help: MLA works cited 
 Authors and other contributors (MLA works cited) 
 Articles and other short works (MLA works cited) 
 Websites and parts of websites (MLA works cited) 
 Blogs, comments, social media (MLA works cited) 
 Books and book-length works (MLA works cited) 
 Video, audio, software, video games (MLA works cited) 
 TV, radio, performance, lecture, music (MLA works cited) 
 Visuals (artwork, photograph, graphics) (MLA works cited) 
 Letters and interviews (MLA works cited) 
 Government and legal documents (MLA works cited) 
Citation at a glance and other models (MLA)  
 Citation at a glance and other models (MLA) 
 Citation at a glance: Article from a database (MLA) 
 Citation at a glance: Article in an online journal (MLA) 
 Citation at a glance: Book (MLA) 
 Citation at a glance: Selection from an anthology or a collection (MLA)
Citation at a glance: Work from a website (MLA) 
 How to answer the basic question “Who is the author?” (MLA) 
 How to cite a source reposted from another source (MLA) 
Video tutorials: Citing sources (MLA)  
 MLA documentation style (video) 
 How to cite a book in MLA style (video+assessment) 
 How to cite an article in a database in MLA style (video+assessment)
 How to cite an online article in MLA style (video+assessment) 
 How to cite a selection from an anthology in MLA style (video+assessment)  
 How to cite a work from a Web site in MLA style (video+assessment)
 How to format a paper in MLA style (video) 
MLA information notes (optional)  
Formatting an MLA research paper; sample student writing 
MLA guidelines, body of paper 
 MLA guidelines, works cited list 
 Research paper (MLA): Harba, “What’s for Dinner? Personal Choices vs. Public Health” 
 Directory to sample student writing in MLA style 
Exercises: MLA documentation (15)  
LearningCurve: Working with sources (MLA)  

Documenting Sources: APA Style  
Forming and supporting a thesis (APA)
  
 Organizing your evidence (APA) 
 Using sources for different purposes (APA) 
Avoiding plagiarism and integrating sources (APA)  
 Quick help: Reviewing an APA paper: Use of sources 
 Using quotation marks with borrowed language (APA) 
 Using quotations appropriately (APA) 
  Using quotations appropriately (APA)
  Using the ellipsis mark to limit quoted material (APA)
  Using brackets to make quotations clear (APA)
  Indenting long quotations (APA)
 Summarizing and paraphrasing in your own words (APA) 
 Using signal phrases to integrate sources (APA) 
  Marking boundaries between your words and the source’s words (APA)
  Introducing summaries and paraphrases (APA)
  Putting direct quotations in context (APA)
  Integrating statistics and other facts (APA)
 Synthesizing sources (APA) 
APA in-text citations  
 Directory to APA in-text citation models 
 Basic format for in-text citations (APA) 
 Multiple works (APA in-text citations) 
 Web sources (APA in-text citations) 
 Other sources (APA in-text citations) 
APA list of references  
 Directory to APA reference list models 
 General guidelines for the APA reference list 
 Quick help: APA reference list 
 Authors and other contributors (APA reference list) 
 Articles and other short works (APA reference list) 
 Websites and parts of websites (APA reference list) 
 Books and book-length works (APA reference list) 
 Audio, visual, and multimedia sources (APA reference list) 
 Visuals (artwork, photograph, graphic, data set) (APA reference list)
 Personal communication and social media (APA reference list) 
Citation at a glance (APA style)  
 Citation at a glance: Article in an online journal or magazine (APA)
 Citation at a glance: Article from a database (APA) 
 Citation at a glance: Book (APA) 
 Citation at a glance: Section in a web document (APA) 
Video tutorials: Citing sources (APA)  
 APA documentation style (video) 
 How to cite an article in a database in APA style (video+assessment)
 How to cite a book in APA style (video+assessment) 
 How to cite an online article in APA style (video+assessment) 
 How to cite a web document in APA style (video+assessment) 
Formatting an APA paper; sample student writing  
 APA guidelines, body of paper 
 APA guidelines, reference list 
 Review of the literature (APA): Wang, "Technology and the Shift From Teacher-Delivered to Student-Centered Learning" 
 Directory to sample student writing in APA style 
Exercises: APA documentation (17)  
LearningCurve: Working with sources (APA)  

Documenting Sources: Chicago Style  
Forming and supporting a thesis (Chicago)
  
 Organizing your evidence (Chicago) 
 Using sources for different purposes (Chicago) 
Avoiding plagiarism and integrating quotations (Chicago) 
Quick help: Reviewing a Chicago paper: Use of sources 
 Using quotation marks with borrowed language (Chicago) 
 Using quotations appropriately (Chicago) 
  Using the ellipsis mark to limit quoted material (Chicago)
  Using brackets to make quotations clear (Chicago)
  Indenting long quotations (Chicago)
 Summarizing and paraphrasing in your own words (Chicago) 
 Using signal phrases to integrate sources (Chicago) 
  Marking boundaries between your words and the source’s words (Chicago)
  Introducing summaries and paraphrases (Chicago)
  Putting direct quotations in context (Chicago)
  Integrating statistics and other facts (Chicago)
Chicago notes and bibliography  
 Directory to Chicago notes and bibliography entries 
 General guidelines for Chicago notes and bibliography entries 
 Quick help: Chicago notes and bibliography entries 
 Authors and other contributors (Chicago style) 
 Books and book-length works (Chicago style) 
 Articles and other short works (Chicago style) 
 Websites and parts of websites (Chicago style) 
 Audio, visual, and multimedia sources (Chicago style) 
 Personal communication and social media (Chicago style) 
Citation at a glance (Chicago)  
 Citation at a glance (Chicago) 
 Citation at a glance: Article in an online journal (Chicago) 
 Citation at a glance: Article from a database (Chicago) 
 Citation at a glance: Book (Chicago) 
 Citation at a glance: Letter in a published collection (Chicago) 
 Citation at a glance: Primary source from a website (Chicago) 
Formatting a Chicago paper; sample student writing  
 Chicago guidelines, body of paper 
 Chicago guidelines, endnotes 
 Chicago guidelines, bibliography 
 Research paper (Chicago): Bishop, “The Massacre at Fort Pillow: Nathan Bedford Forrest” 
 Directory to sample student writing in Chicago style 
Exercises: Chicago documentation (18)  

Documenting Sources: CSE Style  
CSE in-text citations  
CSE reference list
  
 Directory to CSE reference list models 
 Basic guidelines for CSE style 
 Articles and other short works (CSE) 
 Books, other long works, and parts of books (CSE) 
 Online, audio, visual, and multimedia sources (CSE) 
Formatting a CSE paper; sample student writing  
 CSE guidelines, body of paper 
 CSE guidelines, reference list 
 Directory to sample student writing in CSE style 

Documenting Sources: IEEE Style  
IEEE in-text citations  
IEEE reference list
  
 IEEE reference list: Basic formatting guidelines 
 IEEE reference list: Examples 

Writing Strong Sentences  
Sentence emphasis (coordination and subordination)
  
 Coordination 
 Ineffective coordination 
 Subordination 
 Ineffective subordination 
 Combining choppy sentences 
 Special techniques for emphasis 
 Sentence variety 
Exercises: Sentence emphasis (7)  
LearningCurve: Coordination and subordination (1)  
Strong, active verbs  
 Quick help: Strong, active verbs 
 Strong, active verbs: Overview 
 Using the active voice 
 Appropriate uses of the passive voice 
 be verbs 
Exercises: Active and passive voice (4)  
LearningCurve: Active and passive voice (1)  
Parallelism  
 Quick help: Parallelism 
 Parallelism: Overview 
 Parallel ideas in a series 
 Parallel ideas in headings and lists 
 Parallel ideas in pairs 
 Repeating function words to clarify parallels 
Exercises: Parallelism (4)  
LearningCurve: Parallelism (1)  
Using needed words  
 Quick help: Needed words 
 Complete compound structures 
 Using that to avoid misreading 
 Making comparisons logical and complete 
Exercises: Needed words (3)  

Avoiding Sentence Problems  
Sentence fragments
  
 Quick help: Sentence fragments 
 Sentence fragments: Overview 
 Test for sentence fragments 
 Fragmented clauses 
 Fragmented phrases 
 Fragmented lists and examples 
 Using fragments deliberately 
Exercises: Sentence fragments (3)  
LearningCurve: Sentence fragments (1)  
Run-on sentences  
 Quick help: Run-on sentences 
 Run-on sentences: Overview 
 Recognizing run-on sentences 
 Revising run-on sentences 
 Fixing a run-on by adding a coordinating conjunction or punctuation
 Fixing a run-on by creating separate sentences 
 Fixing a run-on by subordination 
Exercises: Run-on sentences (3)  
LearningCurve: Run-on sentences (1)  
Awkward modifiers  
 Quick help: Awkward modifiers 
 Placement of limiting modifiers 
 Placement of modifying phrases and clauses 
 Ambiguous (squinting) modifiers 
 Awkwardly placed modifiers 
 Split infinitives 
Exercises: Awkward modifiers (3)  
Dangling modifiers  
 Quick help: Recognizing dangling modifiers 
 Quick help: Repairing dangling modifiers 
 Recognizing dangling modifiers 
 Repairing dangling modifiers 
Exercises: Dangling modifiers (3)  
LearningCurve: Modifiers (1)  
Shifts  
 Quick help: Shifts 
 Shifts in point of view 
 Shifts in verb tense, mood, and voice 
 Shifts from indirect to direct questions and quotations 
Exercises: Shifts (6)  
LearningCurve: Shifts (1)  
Mixed constructions  
 Mixed grammatical structure 
 Mixed sentence logic 
 Avoiding is when, is where, and reason . . . is because 
Exercises: Mixed constructions (3)  

Writing Correct Sentences  
Subject-verb agreement
  
 Quick help: Subject-verb agreement 
 Standard subject-verb combinations 
 Subject-verb agreement at a glance 
 Agreement with subject, not with intervening words (subject-verb)
 Agreement when subjects are joined with and (subject-verb) 
 Agreement when subjects are joined with or or nor (subject-verb)
 Agreement with indefinite pronouns (subject-verb) 
 Agreement with collective nouns (subject-verb) 
 Agreement with the number, a number, fractions, and units of measure 
 Agreement when the subject follows the verb 
 Agreement with subject, not with words following verb 
 Agreement with antecedents of who, which, and that (subject-verb)
 Agreement with miscellaneous terms (subject-verb) 
Exercises: Subject-verb agreement (4)  
LearningCurve: Subject-verb agreement (1)  
Verbs  
 Quick help: Verbs 
 Survey of verb tenses (active voice) 
  Simple tenses
  Perfect tenses
  Progressive forms
 Forms of regular and irregular verbs 
 Common irregular verbs 
 Past tense vs. past participle of irregular verbs 
 -s verb endings 
 -ed verb endings 
 Omitted verbs 
 Special uses of tenses 
 Special uses of the past perfect tense 
 Sequence of tenses 
 Subjunctive mood 
Exercises: Verbs (9)  
LearningCurve: Verbs (1)  
Pronoun agreement and reference  
 Quick help: Pronoun agreement and reference 
 Pronoun-antecedent agreement 
  Agreement with indefinite pronouns (pronoun-antecedent)
  Agreement with generic nouns (pronoun-antecedent)
  Agreement with collective nouns (pronoun-antecedent)
  Agreement with compound antecedents
 Pronoun reference 
  Ambiguous and implied pronoun reference
  Broad reference of this, that, which, and it
  Indefinite reference of they, it, or you
Exercises: Pronoun agreement and reference (6)  
LearningCurve: Pronoun agreement and pronoun reference (1) 
Pronoun case (I vs. me, who vs. whom)  
 Quick help: Pronoun case 
 Pronoun case: I vs. me, they vs. them, who vs. whom, etc. 
 Pronoun case with compound word groups 
 Miscellaneous uses of pronoun case 
 who and whom 
  who and whom in subordinate clauses
  who vs. whom in questions and with infinitives
Exercises: Pronoun case (7)  
Using adjectives and adverbs appropriately  
 Quick help: Adjectives and adverbs 
 Adjectives and adverbs: Overview 
 Using adjectives to modify nouns 
 Using adverbs to modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs 
 good vs. well, bad vs. badly 
 Comparatives and superlatives 
 Double comparatives or superlatives, absolute concepts 
 Double negatives 
Exercises: Adjectives and adverbs (3)  

Choosing Words Appropriately  
Concise sentences
  
 Quick help: Concise language 
 Avoiding redundancy and repetition 
 Cutting empty or inflated phrases 
 Simplifying sentence structure 
Exercises: Wordy sentences (3)  
Appropriate language  
 Quick help: Appropriate language 
 Avoiding jargon 
 Avoiding pretentious language, euphemisms, and "doublespeak"
 Avoiding slang and regional expressions 
 Observing the distinction between standard and nonstandard English
 Using an appropriate level of formality 
 Recognizing sexist and noninclusive language 
 Revising sexist and noninclusive language 
 Avoiding offensive language 
Exercises: Appropriate language (5)  
LearningCurve: Appropriate language (1)  
Exact Language  
 Quick help: Exact language 
 Using words with proper connotation and meaning 
 Specific, concrete nouns 
 Standard idioms 
 Clichés 
 Figurative language 
Consulting the dictionary and thesaurus  
 Understanding dictionary entries and labels 
 Using the thesaurus 
Exercises: Exact language (6)  

Using Punctuation Effectively  
Commas
  
 Quick help: Commas 
 The comma: Overview 
 Comma before a coordinating conjunction 
 Comma after introductory phrase or clause 
 Commas with items in a series (list) 
 Comma between coordinate adjectives 
 Commas and restrictive and nonrestrictive elements: Overview 
  Distinguishing between restrictive and nonrestrictive from context
  Commas with adjective clauses
  Commas with adjective phrases
  Commas with appositives
 Commas with transitional expressions 
 Commas with absolute phrases 
 Miscellaneous uses of commas 
Exercises: Commas (10)  
LearningCurve: Commas (1)  
Unnecessary commas  
 Quick help: Unnecessary commas 
 No comma between some compound elements 
 No comma between a verb and its subject or object 
 No comma between cumulative adjectives 
 No commas with restrictive (essential) elements 
 No comma with an essential concluding adverb clause 
 Other unnecessary commas 
Exercises: Unnecessary commas (3)  
Semicolons   
 Quick help: Semicolons 
 Semicolon between independent clauses 
 Semicolon with transitional expression 
 Semicolons between items in a series 
 Unnecessary semicolons 
Exercises: Semicolons and commas (3)  
LearningCurve: Semicolons and colons (1)  
Colons  
 Quick help: Colons 
 Colon to introduce a list or other concluding element 
 Colon between independent clauses 
 Conventional uses of the colon 
 Unnecessary colons 
Exercises: Colons, semicolons, and commas (2)  
Apostrophes  
 Quick help: Apostrophes 
 Apostrophe in possessives 
 Apostrophe in contractions 
 Apostrophe: Special cases 
 Common misuses of the apostrophe 
Exercises: Apostrophes (3)  
LearningCurve: Apostrophes (1)  
Quotation marks  
 Quick help: Quotation marks 
 Quotation marks with direct quotations and dialogue 
 Long quotations in academic writing 
 Miscellaneous uses of quotation marks 
 Quotation marks with other punctuation 
 Introducing quoted material 
 Misuses of quotation marks 
Exercises: Quotation marks (2)  
LearningCurve: Quotation marks and italics (1)  
Other punctuation marks  
 The period 
 The question mark 
 The exclamation point 
 The dash 
 Parentheses 
 Brackets 
 The ellipsis mark 
 The slash 
Exercises: Miscellaneous punctuation marks (3)  

Mechanics  
Spelling
  
 Spelling words correctly 
 Spelling rules 
 Words that sound alike but have different spellings (homophones)
Exercise: Spelling (1)  
Hyphens  
 Using hyphens 
 Miscellaneous uses of hyphens 
Exercises: Hyphens (2)  
Capitalization  
 Capitalizing proper nouns and abbreviations 
 Capitalizing personal titles 
 Capitalizing titles and subtitles of works 
 Capitalizing scientific and technical terms 
 Capitalization and sentences 
Exercises: Capitalization (2)  
LearningCurve: Capitalization (1)  
Abbreviations  
 Abbreviations for titles with proper names 
 Abbreviations for organizations and other common terms 
 Abbreviations for units of measurement and scientific terms 
 Miscellaneous uses of abbreviations 
 Misuses of abbreviations 
Exercises: Abbreviations (2)  
Numbers  
 Spelling out numbers 
 Acceptable uses of numerals 
Exercises: Numbers (2)  
Italics  
 Titles that are italicized 
 Titles that are not italicized 
 Miscellaneous uses of italics 
Exercises: Italics (2)  
Basic Grammar and ESL Topics  
Parts of speech
  
 Parts of speech 
 Parts of speech: Nouns 
 Parts of speech: Pronouns 
 Parts of speech: Verbs 
 Parts of speech: Adjectives and articles 
 Parts of speech: Adverbs 
 Parts of speech: Prepositions 
 Parts of speech: Conjunctions 
 Parts of speech: Interjections 
Exercises: Parts of speech (19)  
LearningCurve: Parts of speech (3)  

Parts of sentences  
 Subjects 
 Verbs, objects, and complements 
Exercises: Parts of sentences (9)  
Subordinate words groups  
 Prepositional phrases 
 Verbal phrases 
 Appositive phrases and absolute phrases 
 Subordinate clauses 
 Sentence structures and purposes 
Exercises: Subordinate word groups (12)  
Articles for multilingual writers  
 Quick help: Articles 
 Articles and other noun markers 
 Types of articles and types of nouns 
 Types of nouns 
 Choosing articles for common nouns 
 Using the with most specific common nouns 
 Using a (or an) with common singular count nouns 
 When to use articles and quantifiers with noncount nouns 
 Not using articles with general nouns 
 Articles with proper nouns 
Exercises: Articles for multilingual writers (4)  
LearningCurve: Articles and types of nouns (1)  
Verbs for multilingual writers  
 Quick help: Verbs for multilingual writers 
 Verb form and tense 
 Survey of tenses for multilingual writers 
 Base form after a modal 
 Forming the passive voice 
 Verb tenses commonly used in the passive voice 
 Negative verb forms 
 Avoiding double negatives 
 Verbs in conditional sentences 
 Verbs followed by gerunds or infinitives 
  Verbs followed by gerunds or infinitives
  Verb + gerund or infinitive
  Verb + gerund
  Verb + infinitive
  Verb + noun or pronoun + infinitive
Exercises: Verbs for multilingual writers (9)  
LearningCurve: Verbs for multilingual writers (1)  
Adjectives for multilingual writers  
 Quick help: Adjectives for multilingual writers 
 Present participles and past participles used as adjectives 
 Order of cumulative adjectives 
Exercises: Adjectives for multilingual writers (4)  
Prepositions and idioms for multilingual writers  
 Quick help: Prepositions and idiomatic expressions 
 Prepositions showing time and place 
 Using nouns (including -ing forms) after prepositions 
 Common adjective + preposition combinations 
 Common verb + preposition combinations 
Exercises: Prepositions for multilingual writers (2)  
LearningCurve: Prepositions for multilingual writers (1)  
Sentence structure for multilingual writers  
 Quick help: Sentence structure 
 Linking verb between a subject and its complement 
 A subject in every sentence 
 Avoiding repeated subjects 
 Avoiding repeated objects or adverbs 
 Avoiding mixed constructions with although or because 
 Avoiding adverbs between verbs and objects 
Exercises: Sentence structure for multilingual writers (4)  
LearningCurve: Sentence structure for multilingual writers (1)  
Meeting Academic Expectations  
College-level expectations
  
 Reading the syllabus 
 Understanding the expectations of US classrooms 
 Participating actively 
  Working in groups
  Showing respect for peers
 Attending classes 
 Getting extra help 
Improving your academic English  
 Intensive and extensive language activities 
 Reading while listening 
 Using an English-English dictionary or a thesaurus 
 The Academic Word List 
 Learning about prefixes and suffixes 
 Keeping a vocabulary notebook 
 Keeping an editing log 
 Targeting areas for improvement 
 Paraphrasing sources effectively 
  Understanding synonyms
  Determining the source’s meaning
  Presenting the source’s meaning in your own words
Academic writing and cultural expectations  
 Asserting your claim before providing evidence 
 Taking a stand on an issue 
 Including details that support the main idea 
 Understanding intellectual property and avoiding plagiarism 
 Draft with instructors comments (MLA): Ryoo, “Summary of You, the Language Learner” 
 Final draft (MLA): Ryoo, “Summary of You, the Language Learner”
Practice exercises for multilingual writers  
 Practice exercises for multilingual writers 
 Intensive grammar exercises 
 Topics for writing practice (intensive and extensive) 
  Topics for writing practice (intensive and extensive)
  Writing prompts for multilingual writers
Preparing to learn online  
 Checking your readiness for online learning 
 Traditional versus online courses 
 Asynchronous versus synchronous communication 
 Navigating technology in your course 
  Navigating technology in your course
  Home page or welcome page for the course
  Course content units
  Discussion forums (asynchronous communication)
  Chat rooms, live chat, and instant messaging (synchronous communication)
  Course email (personal communication)
 Syllabus and assignments for an online course 
 Announcements, content pages, and organization 
Participating actively in online courses  
 Setting priorities and managing your time effectively 
 Using the course calendar and a personal planner to manage your time 
 Communicating regularly with your instructor and classmates 
 Making adjustments to increase your motivation and participation
Contributing appropriate content in online courses  
 Communicating with your instructor and classmates 
 Communicating with peers and instructors 
 Offering sound advice in peer reviews 
 Communicating courteously and professionally 
 Using the appropriate level of detail and clarity in discussions 
Finding extra help in online courses  
 Being prepared for possible technology challenges 
 Getting help from your instructor, your peers, or the writing center
A brief glossary of online learning terminology  

Understanding and Composing Multimodal Projects  
Introduction to multimodal texts
  
 What does it mean to “read” a text? 
 What is a text? A drawing and a poem on a Grecian urn 
 What is multimodal composing? 
 Composing hasn’t changed 
 Composing has changed 
 Composing in college 
 Composing beyond college 
 A toolkit for analyzing and composing multimodal texts 
Analyzing written words  
 Genre: In what kind of document do the written words appear? 
 Features: What do the words look like? 
 Purpose and audience: Why and for whom are the words created?
 Meaning: What effect do the words have on the reader? 
Analyzing sound  
 Genre: What kind of sound is it? 
 Podcast for student analysis: King Anyi Howell, “Hustlers, Street Vendors, and Farmers” 
 Features: Pitch, pace, and volume 
 Purpose and audience: Why and for whom is the sound created?
 Meaning: What effect does sound have on the listener? 
Analyzing static images  
 Genre: What kind of image is it? 
 Features: Context, perspective, and elements 
 Purpose and audience: Why and for whom are the images created?
 Meaning: What effect does the image have on the viewer? 
Analyzing moving images  
 Genre: What kind of moving image is it? 
 Features: Perspective, composition, and editing 
 Purpose and audience: Why and for whom are the moving images created? 
 Meaning: What effect do the moving images have on the viewer?
Analyzing multimodal texts  
 Genre: What kind of multimodal text is it? 
 Features: Which modes are represented? How do they function?
 Purpose and audience: Why and for whom is the multimodal text created? 
 Meaning: What effect does the composition have on the viewer?
Starting your own multimodal project  
 Getting direction from the assignment 
 Considering the “So what?” question 
 Understanding expectations and managing your time 
Considering your purpose and audience for a multimodal project
 Prewriting with your purpose in mind 
 Alyson DAmatos notes on a website project 
 Identifying your audience’s needs and perspectives 
 Connecting with your audience 
 Recognizing an unintended audience 
Planning your multimodal project  
 Understanding your own composing process 
 Collaborating effectively with others 
 Deciding on a main idea 
 Planning support for your main idea 
 Choosing a genre; deciding on a delivery method 
Managing your multimodal project  
 Saving all your files in one place 
 Keeping track of all your files 
 File names and versions 
Organizing your multimodal project  
 Deciding what type of project you want to create 
 Using outlines, wireframes, and storyboards 
 Drafting to support your main idea 
Emphasizing important information in your multimodal project 
 Determining what needs emphasis 
 Choosing a strategy for creating emphasis 
Revising and editing your multimodal project  
 Seeking and using feedback 
 Revising and remixing a multimodal composition 
 Editing a multimodal composition 
Integrating and documenting sources in your multimodal project
 Knowing when a citation is needed 
 Determining how to integrate sources in a multimodal composition
Figuring out how to document sources in a multimodal composition
Presenting or publishing your multimodal project  
 Pros and cons of presentation and publication spaces 
 Making your project accessible and usable 
 Website project: DAmato, “Loose Leaf Teas” 
 Video essay project: Williamson, “To the Children of America” 

Learning about Writing in College Classes  
Writing in college classes
  
 Approaching assignments in different classes 
 Recognizing the questions writers ask 
 Using a discipline’s preferred citation style 
 Directory to sample student writing, by genre (type) 
Writing in a biology class: Overview  
 Your audience in biology 
 Forms of writing in biology 
 Questions biologists ask and the evidence they use 
 Writing conventions in biology 
 Sample student writing: Laboratory report and review of the literature
Writing in a business class: Overview  
 Your audience in business 
 Forms of writing in business 
 Questions business writers ask and the evidence they use 
 Writing conventions in business 
 Sample student writing: An investigative report and a proposal 
Writing in a criminal justice or criminology class: Overview 
 Your audience in criminal justice and criminology 
 Forms of writing in criminal justice and criminology 
 Questions criminal justice professionals and criminologists ask and the evidence they use 
 Writing conventions in criminal justice and criminology 
 Sample student writing: Administrative report 
Writing in an education class: Overview  
 Your audience in education 
 Forms of writing in education 
 Questions writers in education ask and the evidence they use 
 Writing conventions in education 
 Sample student writing: Reflective essay 
Writing in an engineering class: Overview  
 Your audience in engineering 
 Forms of writing in engineering 
 Questions engineers ask and the evidence they use 
 Writing conventions in engineering 
 Sample student writing: Proposal (engineering) 
Writing in a history class: Overview  
 Your audience in history 
 Forms of writing in history 
 Questions historians ask and the evidence they use 
 Writing conventions in history 
 Sample student writing: Research essay (history) 
Writing in a music class: Overview  
 Your audience in music 
 Forms of writing in music 
 Questions writers in music ask and the evidence they use 
 Writing conventions in music 
 Sample student writing: Concert review 
Writing in a nursing class: Overview  
 Your audience in nursing 
 Forms of writing in nursing 
 Questions nurses ask and the evidence they use 
 Writing conventions in nursing 
 Sample student writing: Nursing practice paper 
Writing in a psychology class: Overview  
 Your audience in psychology 
 Forms of writing in psychology 
 Questions psychologists ask and the evidence they use 
 Writing conventions in psychology 
 Sample student writing: Literature review (psychology) 
Writing about literature  
 Planning an interpretation of literature 
  Questions to ask about literature
  Taking notes on a literary work
  Discussing a literary work
  Forming an interpretation
  Developing an interpretive thesis
  Outlining an interpretive essay
 Drafting a literature paper 
  Integrating quotations from a literary work
  Referring to literary authors, titles, and characters
  Observing conventional uses of verbs in literature papers
  Avoiding plagiarism in literature papers
 Using MLA style for citing literary works  
  Citing passages from short stories or novels
  Citing lines from poems and from plays
  Documenting secondary sources
 Literary analysis (MLA): Peel, “Opposing Voices in Ballad of the Landlord” 
 Literary analysis (MLA): Larson, “The Transformation of Mrs. Peters”

Glossaries  
 Glossary of usage 
 Brief glossary of terms 
 Glossary of terms

 

Product Updates

Summer 2024 Updates:

New! Exclusive Hacker/Sommers Content: AI Guides for Instructors and Students.
Boost AI literacy with Generative AI and College Writing, a brief resource by Nancy Sommers that helps college writers understand the opportunities and challenges of AI use in academic settings. Separate instructor and student guides offer support for using AI ethically and responsibly, with assessment to help reinforce concepts. Now available in the Achieve courses for A Writer’s Reference, Rules for Writers, A Pocket Style Manual, The Bedford Handbook, and Achieve-Writer’s Help-Hacker.

Third Edition Updates (2020):

11 New Guides to Writing in the Disciplines
Crafted by subject matter experts in collaboration with Achieve for Writer’s Help authors Stephen Bernhardt and Nancy Sommers, Guides to Writing in the Disciplines offer targeted “how-to” writing and research support to all college students. These compact guides pack a powerful punch, providing just the essential instruction students need to get their writing tasks completed successfully--thinking, reading, and researching; writing conventions and designing and writing papers, projects, and presentations;  integrating and evaluating sources, documentation; and advice and models of genres of the discipline.

A digital experience co-designed with you and for you Achieve for Writer’s Help provides teachers of writing deeper visibility into their students’ writing processes so that they can target feedback to help student writers grow and develop across drafts, across assignments, and across courses. Informed by learning science and hundreds of class tests and interviews with students and instructors, Achieve for Writer’s Help is simple to use, powered by superior content, and accessible wherever writers are.

Writing tools that empower writers and teachers

  • A flexible assignment building tool allows instructors to assign ready-made writing prompts, customize the prompts provided, or create their own assignments. Publisher-provided assignments for common types of writing--argument, analysis, researched essay, annotated bibliography, and narrative--include prompts, rubrics, reflection questions, and suggested goals to achieve as students draft.
  • Instructor feedback tools. Powerful commenting tools allow instructors to focus their feedback on success criteria and efficiently mark patterns of error. Feedback links to e-book content to provide students with point-of-need support within the context of their own writing.
  • A clear assignment journey that involves response, reflection, and revision leads to a concrete action plan for each student writer and fosters independent learning.
  • The Revision Plan lets students take ownership of revision planning by helping them turn feedback into strategies to strengthen their writing. Revision planning creates accountability for students and provides instructors with additional insight into how well students understand the feedback they’ve received on their writing.
  • Reflection Instructors can choose and customize reflection prompts. Students can communicate their confidence in their writing and articulate the choices they’re making as writers, increasing their rhetorical awareness and promoting the transfer of skills from draft to draft. Instructors can choose and customize reflection prompts.
  • Peer review tools, tied to clear and specific goals, help writers build a vocabulary about writing and become critical readers of both their own work and that of their peers.
  • Reporting and Insights highlight student engagement, provide opportunities for intervention, and visualize trends in student progress from assignment to assignment. Instructors can easily track what students do with instructor and peer feedback and can use reflection data to understand students’ sentiments about their work in the course.

Diagnostics and study plans
Achieve for Writer’s Help allows instructors to assign diagnostic pre-tests that generate study plans for students based on areas where they need the most improvement. Students will also take a post-test so that they can track their improvement. Instructors can monitor student progress at all stages of the study plan. They can analyze results by roster or by individual student, and they can compare pre- and post-test scores through an intuitive dashboard.

For any kind of writing, all kinds of help.

Writing well is critical to college success. Students are assigned to write in multiple courses, in multiple genres, and for a wide range of purposes and audiences. They need a resource that will be with them through it all. Achieve for Writer’s Help - Hacker is a powerful online resource developed to meet the writing and research needs of students in the humanities, in the sciences and social sciences, and in pre-professional fields such as nursing, engineering, and business. With trusted content from the widely used Hacker handbooks and robust guides and models from disciplinary experts, Writer’s Help takes students through first-year writing and beyond.

Achieve for Writer’s Help puts student writing at the center of your course and keeps revision at the core, with a dedicated composition space that guides students through draft, review, source check, and revision steps. Let Achieve do the heavy lifting for you with powerful analytics, pre-built assignments and  diagnostics, and adaptive quizzing that make student improvement of writing skills both visible and measurable. Our tools have been built for and with writing instructors to be intuitive and effective so you can Achieve more.

Success Stories

Here are a few examples of how Achieve has helped instructors like you improve student preparedness, enhance their sense of belonging, and achieve course goals they set for themselves.

Prof. Kiandra Johnson, Spelman College

See how the resources in Achieve help you engage students before, during, and after class.

Prof. Jennifer Duncan

Use diagnostics in Achieve for a snapshot into cognitive and non-cognitive factors that may impact your students’ preparedness.

Prof. Ryan Elsenpeter

Here’s why educators who use Achieve would recommend it to their peers.

Looking for instructor resources like Test Banks, Lecture Slides, and Clicker Questions? Request access to Achieve to explore the full suite of instructor resources.

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