PART 1 | Writing Processes

1 A Writer’s Opportunities
1a Being open to and engaging difference
1b Using social media wisely
1c Positioning yourself as an academic writer
1d Collaborating with others

2 A Writer’s Choices
2a Considering assignment and purpose
2b Choosing a topic
2c Considering audience
2d Considering stance and tone
2e Considering time, genre, medium, format

3 Exploring, Planning, and Drafting
3a Exploring a topic
3b Developing a working thesis
3c Gathering credible evidence and doing research
3d Planning and drafting
3e Developing paragraphs

4 Making Design Decisions
4a Considering design principles
4b Choosing appropriate formats
4c Choosing visuals and media
4d Using visuals and media ethically

5 Reviewing, Revising, and Editing
5a Reviewing
5b Revising
5c Editing and proofreading
Top Twenty Tips for Editing Your Writing

6 Sharing and Reflecting on Your Writing
6a Sharing with audiences
6b Creating a portfolio
6c Reflecting on your own work
6d A sample reflection

PART 2 | Contexts for Writing, Reading, and Speaking

7 Learning from Low-Stakes Writing
7a The value of low-stakes writing
7b Types of low-stakes assignments

8 Reading and Listening Analytically, Critically, and Respectfully
8a Reading collaboratively
8b Previewing
8c Annotating
8d Summarizing
8e Analyzing
8f Student writing: Rhetorical analysis

9 Arguing Ethically and Persuasively
9a Listening (and reading) purposefully and openly
9b Identifying basic appeals in an argument
9c Analyzing elements of an argument
9d Arguing purposefully
9e Making an argument
9f Organizing an argument
9g Student writing: An argument essay

10 Writing in a Variety of Disciplines and Genres
10a Recognizing expectations of academic disciplines
10b Understanding and using genres
10c Adapting genre structures
10d Choosing genres for public writing
10e Student Writing: Samples in a variety of disciplines and genres

11 Creating Presentations
11a Considering task, purpose, and audience
11b Writing a memorable introduction and conclusion
11c Using explicit structure and signpost language
11d Preparing a script for ease of presentation
11e Planning visuals
11f Practicing
11g Delivering the presentation
11h Student Writing: Excerpts from a presentation

PART 3 | Research

12 Conducting Research
12a Understanding challenges to research today
12b Beginning the research process
12c Choosing among types of sources
12d Using web and library resources
12e Doing field research

13 Evaluating Sources and Taking Notes
13a Checking facts
13b Reading vertically
13c Reading laterally
13d Reading and analyzing sources
13e Synthesizing sources
13 f Keeping track of sources
13g Working with quotations, paraphrases, and summaries
13h Creating an annotated bibliography
13i Student writing: Annotated bibliography entries

14 Integrating Sources and Avoiding Plagiarism
14a Using sources ethically
14b Integrating quotations, paraphrases, and summaries
14c Integrating visuals and media
14d Knowing which sources to acknowledge
14e Avoiding plagiarism

15 Writing a Research Project
15a Drafting your text, including illustrations
15b Reviewing and revising a research project
15c Preparing a list of sources
15d Editing and proofreading
15e Student writing: Outline of a research project

PART 4 | Documentation

16 MLA Style
16a Understanding the MLA citation style
16b Considering the context of your sources
16c Following MLA format
16d Creating MLA in-text citations
16e Creating an MLA list of works cited
16f Student writing: A research-based argument in MLA style

17 APA Style
17a Understanding APA citation style
17b Following APA format
17c Creating APA in-text citations
17d Creating an APA list of references
17e Student writing: A Research essay in APA style

18 Chicago Style
18a Understanding Chicago citation style
18b Following Chicago format
18c Creating Chicago notes and bibliographic entries
18d Student writing: Excerpt from a research-based history essay in Chicago style

19 CSE Style
19a Following CSE format
19b Creating CSE in-text citations
19c Creating a CSE list of references
19d Student writing: A literature review for biology in CSE style

PART 5 | Style: Effective Language

20 Language and Identity
20a Recognizing how the language of others can shape identity
20b Using language to shape your own identity

21 Writing across Cultures, Communities, and Identities
21a Thinking about what seems “normal”
21b Clarifying meaning
21c Meeting audience expectations

22 Language that Builds Common Ground
22a Examining assumptions and avoiding stereotypes
22b Examining assumptions about gender
22c Examining assumptions about race and ethnicity
22d Considering abilities and disabilities

23 Language Varieties
23a Practicing language awareness
23b What is standardized English?
23c Bringing in other languages

24 Word Choice
24a Using levels of formality
24b Considering denotation and connotation
24c Using general and specific language effectively
24d Using figurative language effectively

Part 6 | Style: Effective Sentences

25 Varying Sentences
25a Varying sentence length
25b Varying sentence openings

26 Consistency and Completeness
26a Revising confusing sentence structure
26b Matching subjects and predicates
26c Making complete comparisons

27 Coordination and Subordination
27a Relating equal ideas
27b Distinguishing main ideas

28 Conciseness
28a Eliminating redundant words
28b Eliminating empty words
28c Replacing wordy phrases
28d Simplifying sentence structure

29 Parallelism
29a Making items in a series or list parallel
29b Making paired ideas parallel
29c Using words necessary for clarity

30 Shifts
30a Revising shifts in tense
30b Revising shifts in voice
30c Revising shifts in point of view
30d Revising shifts between direct and indirect language

Part 7 | Grammar

31 Verbs and Verb Phrases
31a Using regular and irregular verb forms
31b Building verb phrases
31c Using infinitives and gerunds
31d Using lie and lay, sit and set, rise and raise
31e Using verb tenses
31f Using active and passive voice
31g Using mood appropriately
31h Using conditional sentences appropriately

32 Nouns and Noun Phrases
32a Understanding nouns and noncount nouns
32b Using determiners
32c Using articles

33 Subject-Verb agreement
33a Checking for words between subject and verb
33b Checking agreement with compound subjects
33c Making verbs agree with collective nouns
33d Making verbs agree with indefinite pronouns
33e Making verbs agree with who, which, and that
33f Making linking verbs agree with subjects
33g Making verbs agree with subjects that end in -s
33h Checking for subjects that follow the verb
33i Making verbs agree with titles and words used as words
33j Considering forms of be in varieties of English

34 Adjectives and Adverbs
34a Using adjectives after linking verbs
34b Using comparatives and superlatives

35 Modifier Placement
35a Revising misplaced modifiers
35b Revising disruptive modifiers
35c Revise dangling modifiers

36 Pronouns
36a Considering a pronoun’s role in the sentence
36b Making pronouns agree with antecedents
36c Making pronoun references to refer to clear antecedents

37 Prepositions and Prepositional Phrases
37a Choosing the right preposition
37b Using two-word verbs idiomatically

38 Comma Splices and Fused Sentences
38a Separating the clauses into two sentences
38b Linking the clauses with a comma and a coordinating conjunction
38c Linking the clauses with a semicolon
38d Rewriting the two clauses as one independent clause
38e Rewriting one independence clause as a dependent clause
38f Linking the two clauses with a dash

39 Sentence Fragments
39a Revising phrase fragments
39b Revising compound-predicate fragments
39 c Revising clause fragments

Part 8 | Punctuations and Mechanics

40 Commas
40a Setting off introductory elements
40b Separating clauses in compound sentences
40c Setting off nonrestrictive elements
40d Separating items in a series
40e Setting off parenthetical and transitional expressions
40f Setting off contrasting elements, interjections, direct address, and tag questions
40g Setting off parts of dates and addresses
40h Setting off quotations
40i Avoiding unnecessary commas

41 Semicolons
41a Linking independent clauses
41b Separating items in a series containing other punctuation
41c Avoiding misused semicolons

42 End punctuation
42a Using periods
42b Using question marks
42c Using exclamation points
42d Using end punctuation in informal writing

43 Apostrophes
43a Signaling possessive case
43b Signaling contractions
43c Understanding apostrophes and plural forms

44 Quotation Marks
44a Signaling direct quotation
44b Identifying titles of short works and definitions
44c Using quotation marks with other punctuation
44d Avoiding misused quotation marks

45 Other Punctuation
45a Using parentheses
45b Using brackets
45c Using dashes
45d Using colons
45e Using slashes
45f Using ellipses

46 Capital Letters
46a Capitalizing the first word of a sentence
46b Capitalizing proper nouns and proper adjectives
46c Capitalizing titles before proper names
46d Capitalizing titles of works
46e Revising unnecessary capitalization

47 Abbreviations and Numbers
47a Using abbreviations
47b Using numbers

48 Italics and Hyphenation
48a Italicizing titles
48b Italicizing words, letter, and numbers used as terms
48c Italicizing non-English words
48d Using italics for emphasis
48e Using hyphens with compound words
48f Using hyphens with prefixes and suffixes
48g Avoiding unnecessary hyphens

Summer 2024 Updates:

New! Exclusive Lunsford Content: AI Guides for Instructors and Students.
Boost AI literacy with Using Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) in the Writing Course, a brief resource by Andrea Lunsford 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 Everything’s an Argument, EasyWriter, Everyday Writer, and Achieve-Writer’s Help-Lunsford.

Eighth Edition Updates (2022):

Achieve. Achieve with EasyWriter puts student writing and revision at the core of your course, with a dedicated composition space that guides and engages students through drafting, peer review, source check, reflection, and revision and with diagnostics that generate personalized study plans for students. Developed to increase student engagement and  to support best practices in commenting on drafts, Achieve is a flexible, integrated suite of tools for designing and facilitating writing assignments, paired with actionable insights that make students’ progress towards outcomes clear and measurable—all in a powerful, easy-to-use platform that works for in-person, remote, and hybrid learning scenarios. Fully editable pre-built assignments support the book’s approach, and an e-book version of EasyWriter is included for convenience. For corequisite composition courses, Achieve lets students sign in to their composition and corequisite sections with one easy process–and no additional fees.

Emphasis on being an open-minded learner. A new opening chapter, “A Writer’s Opportunities,” provides a framework for developing the habits of open-minded readers, writers, listeners, and speakers. This new approach invites students to expect and engage difference and provides strategies for communicating respectfully with others across differences.

New strategies for lateral reading, critical thinking, and fact checking. Many students enter college with little experience approaching sources with skepticism. New advice for lateral reading and evaluating sources and revised tips for fact-checking help students respond to the information and misinformation in news sources and in social media—and help them balance open-mindedness and skepticism as they evaluate sources. New advice also encourages students to seek out sources they might have otherwise overlooked.

Broader presentation of language use. Grounded in an understanding of “standardized” English as the traditional language of power and access in the United States, EasyWriter coaches students in following, experimenting with, and even resisting conventions—and in respecting English in all of its forms and dialects. A new chapter, “Language and Identity” helps students think more openly and carefully about the language we claim as our own and about language used to label us and others. A revised chapter on language varieties fosters a new openness to translingual composition—with excerpts from student writing. Attention to gender-neutral pronoun use raises awareness about writing to include rather than to exclude.

New visual help for writers and new student models. Three new graphic organizers for argument writing help visual learners plan and execute writing. New student-written analysis, argument, and research essays provide useful models and annotations that teach.

Updated MLA and APA formatting and citation guidelines. With up-to-date guidelines for writing in MLA (2021) and APA (2020) style, the handbook’s thorough advice and plenty of models help students work within multiple disciplines.

New resource for corequisite composition. A new workbook for developing writers in support or corequisite composition sections provides a wide range of activities to help students practice the skills and habits they need to be successful academic writers. A Student’s Companion to Lunsford Handbooks is designed specifically to help underprepared students improve their reading and writing performance—with material on time management and etiquette, substantial coverage of reading strategies, graphic organizers for visual learners, and more than sixty exercises on writing, research, and grammar.