UPDATED SUMMER 2024

Cover: In Conversation with Exercises, 3rd Edition by Mike Palmquist; Barbara Wallraff

In Conversation with Exercises

Third Edition  ©2023 Mike Palmquist; Barbara Wallraff Formats: Achieve, E-book, Print

Authors

  • Headshot of Mike Palmquist

    Mike Palmquist

    Mike Palmquist is a professor of English and a University Distinguished Teaching Scholar at Colorado State University, where he has also served as Associate Provost for Instructional Innovation and Director of the Writing Center. He is recognized internationally for his work in writing across the curriculum, the effects of computer and network technologies on writing instruction, and new approaches to scholarly publishing. He is the founding editor of the WAC Clearinghouse (http://wac.colostate.edu), the leading site for communication across the curriculum, and is the author of numerous articles and essays on writing across the curriculum and writing and teaching with technology. He served as an at-large member of the Association for Writing Across the Curriculum, which named him a Distinguished Fellow in 2021, and is a trustee of the University Press of Colorado and a member of the editorial boards of several journals. In 2004, he received the Charles Moran Award for Distinguished Contributions to the Field, which recognizes "exemplary scholarship and professional service to the field of computers and writing." In 2006, the CCCC Committee on Computers in Composition and Composition named him Outstanding Technology Innovator. He served as chair of the National Council of Teachers of English College Section Steering Committee and as a member of the NCTE Executive Committee from 2009 to 2011. He also served as the chair of the NCTE College Section Working Group on the Status and Working Conditions of Contingent Faculty. He is the author of Joining the Conversation: A Guide and Handbook for Writers; In Conversation: A Writer’s Guidebook; and The Bedford Researcher.

  • Headshot of Barbara Wallraff

    Barbara Wallraff

    Barbara Wallraff is a professional writer and editor. She spent 25 years at the Atlantic Monthly, where she was the language columnist and an editor. The author of three books on language and style—the national bestseller Word Court, Your Own Words, and Word Fugitives—Wallraff has lectured at the Columbia School of Journalism, the Council of Science Editors, Microsoft, the International Education of Students organization, and the Radcliffe Publishing Program. Her writing about English usage has appeared in national publications including the American Scholar, the Wilson Quarterly, the Harvard Business Review blog, the Wall Street Journal, and the New York Times Magazine.

Table of Contents

PART 1. JOIN THE CONVERSATION        
1. Understand Yourself as a Writer         
2. Explore Conversations           
3. Read Critically and Actively       
 
PART 2. WORK WITH GENRE AND DESIGN
4. Write a Reflective Essay
5. Write an Argument 
6. Write an Informative Article
7. Write a Proposal      
8. Write a Rhetorical Analysis  
9. Write a Review         
10. Create an Annotated Bibliography 
11. Summarize and Respond to a Source
12. Write a Literature Review
13. Create a Multimedia Presentation 
14. Create a Podcast
15. Design Your Document     

    
Genre Design Gallery  
G1. Academic Essays
G2. Articles
G3. Annotated Bibliographies
G4. Photo Essays
G5. Multimodal Essays
G6. Multimedia Presentations
G7. Websites
G8. Blog Posts
G9. Videos
G10. Infographics
G11. Posters
G12. Professional Pages

PART 3. CONDUCT RESEARCH  
16. Collect Information 
17. Assess and Evaluate Your Sources  
18. Manage Your Sources          
19. Use Sources Effectively      
20. Understand and Avoid Plagiarism    

    
PART 4. DRAFT YOUR DOCUMENT         
21. Define Your Thesis Statement                   
22. Support Your Main Point           
23. Organize Your Ideas            
24. Write Your First Draft                   
25. Use Sources to Accomplish Your Purpose
26. Write Effective Introductions            
27. Write Effective Conclusions  

       
PART 5. REVISE AND EDIT          
28. Revise Your Document                                 
29. Edit Your Document             
30. Understand the Parts of a Sentence      
31. Choose Sentence Structures Thoughtfully   
32. Write in Complete Sentences           
33. Write Clear, Logical Sentences        
34. Choose Engaging Language
35. Use Verbs Skillfully
36. Use Pronouns to Be Clear and Inclusive          
37. Use Adjectives, Adverbs, and Articles Expertly        
38. Use Punctuation to Help Readers 
39. Use Sentence Mechanics to Orient Readers


PART 6. DOCUMENT YOUR SOURCES   
40. Use MLA Style                     
41. Use APA Style                 
42. Use Chicago Style  
43. Use CSE Style          
            
Glossary of Terms         
Frequently Confused, Misused, and Abused Words        

Product Updates

Summer 2024 Updates:

New! Exclusive Palmquist Content: AI Guides for Instructors and Students.
Boost AI literacy with How Can I Use Generative AI in My Writing Classroom?, a brief resource by Mike Palmquist 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 In Conversation, Joining the Conversation, and The Bedford Researcher.

Third Edition Updates (2023):

A stronger focus on genre. Part 2 — with eleven new chapters — helps writers understand how to choose among genres and how to compose in the genres they choose. The new chapters offer detailed practical guidance writers can use to contribute to conversations on the issues they care about.

An expanded Genre Design Gallery helps students understand the design features of a dozen widely used genres and features four new genres and examples: photo essay, video, poster, and LinkedIn page. Checklists, illustrations, and annotations offer practical help.

More attention to critical language awareness and DEI. This edition seeks to widen the conversation about language varieties, lived experiences, expertise, and “correctness” — all through the lens of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Advice, examples, model writing, photos, rhetorical situations, and learning scenarios reflect the realities of those who will use this edition.

A reimagined Chapter 17 offers tools to assess bias, pop information bubbles, and seek alternative viewpoints. It also provides a rhetorically-grounded process that helps writers assess and evaluate sources — a process that relies on strategies used by fact checkers (such as lateral reading), on proven evaluative criteria, and on rhetorical listening.

Authors

  • Headshot of Mike Palmquist

    Mike Palmquist

    Mike Palmquist is a professor of English and a University Distinguished Teaching Scholar at Colorado State University, where he has also served as Associate Provost for Instructional Innovation and Director of the Writing Center. He is recognized internationally for his work in writing across the curriculum, the effects of computer and network technologies on writing instruction, and new approaches to scholarly publishing. He is the founding editor of the WAC Clearinghouse (http://wac.colostate.edu), the leading site for communication across the curriculum, and is the author of numerous articles and essays on writing across the curriculum and writing and teaching with technology. He served as an at-large member of the Association for Writing Across the Curriculum, which named him a Distinguished Fellow in 2021, and is a trustee of the University Press of Colorado and a member of the editorial boards of several journals. In 2004, he received the Charles Moran Award for Distinguished Contributions to the Field, which recognizes "exemplary scholarship and professional service to the field of computers and writing." In 2006, the CCCC Committee on Computers in Composition and Composition named him Outstanding Technology Innovator. He served as chair of the National Council of Teachers of English College Section Steering Committee and as a member of the NCTE Executive Committee from 2009 to 2011. He also served as the chair of the NCTE College Section Working Group on the Status and Working Conditions of Contingent Faculty. He is the author of Joining the Conversation: A Guide and Handbook for Writers; In Conversation: A Writer’s Guidebook; and The Bedford Researcher.

  • Headshot of Barbara Wallraff

    Barbara Wallraff

    Barbara Wallraff is a professional writer and editor. She spent 25 years at the Atlantic Monthly, where she was the language columnist and an editor. The author of three books on language and style—the national bestseller Word Court, Your Own Words, and Word Fugitives—Wallraff has lectured at the Columbia School of Journalism, the Council of Science Editors, Microsoft, the International Education of Students organization, and the Radcliffe Publishing Program. Her writing about English usage has appeared in national publications including the American Scholar, the Wilson Quarterly, the Harvard Business Review blog, the Wall Street Journal, and the New York Times Magazine.

Table of Contents

PART 1. JOIN THE CONVERSATION        
1. Understand Yourself as a Writer         
2. Explore Conversations           
3. Read Critically and Actively       
 
PART 2. WORK WITH GENRE AND DESIGN
4. Write a Reflective Essay
5. Write an Argument 
6. Write an Informative Article
7. Write a Proposal      
8. Write a Rhetorical Analysis  
9. Write a Review         
10. Create an Annotated Bibliography 
11. Summarize and Respond to a Source
12. Write a Literature Review
13. Create a Multimedia Presentation 
14. Create a Podcast
15. Design Your Document     

    
Genre Design Gallery  
G1. Academic Essays
G2. Articles
G3. Annotated Bibliographies
G4. Photo Essays
G5. Multimodal Essays
G6. Multimedia Presentations
G7. Websites
G8. Blog Posts
G9. Videos
G10. Infographics
G11. Posters
G12. Professional Pages

PART 3. CONDUCT RESEARCH  
16. Collect Information 
17. Assess and Evaluate Your Sources  
18. Manage Your Sources          
19. Use Sources Effectively      
20. Understand and Avoid Plagiarism    

    
PART 4. DRAFT YOUR DOCUMENT         
21. Define Your Thesis Statement                   
22. Support Your Main Point           
23. Organize Your Ideas            
24. Write Your First Draft                   
25. Use Sources to Accomplish Your Purpose
26. Write Effective Introductions            
27. Write Effective Conclusions  

       
PART 5. REVISE AND EDIT          
28. Revise Your Document                                 
29. Edit Your Document             
30. Understand the Parts of a Sentence      
31. Choose Sentence Structures Thoughtfully   
32. Write in Complete Sentences           
33. Write Clear, Logical Sentences        
34. Choose Engaging Language
35. Use Verbs Skillfully
36. Use Pronouns to Be Clear and Inclusive          
37. Use Adjectives, Adverbs, and Articles Expertly        
38. Use Punctuation to Help Readers 
39. Use Sentence Mechanics to Orient Readers


PART 6. DOCUMENT YOUR SOURCES   
40. Use MLA Style                     
41. Use APA Style                 
42. Use Chicago Style  
43. Use CSE Style          
            
Glossary of Terms         
Frequently Confused, Misused, and Abused Words        

Product Updates

Summer 2024 Updates:

New! Exclusive Palmquist Content: AI Guides for Instructors and Students.
Boost AI literacy with How Can I Use Generative AI in My Writing Classroom?, a brief resource by Mike Palmquist 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 In Conversation, Joining the Conversation, and The Bedford Researcher.

Third Edition Updates (2023):

A stronger focus on genre. Part 2 — with eleven new chapters — helps writers understand how to choose among genres and how to compose in the genres they choose. The new chapters offer detailed practical guidance writers can use to contribute to conversations on the issues they care about.

An expanded Genre Design Gallery helps students understand the design features of a dozen widely used genres and features four new genres and examples: photo essay, video, poster, and LinkedIn page. Checklists, illustrations, and annotations offer practical help.

More attention to critical language awareness and DEI. This edition seeks to widen the conversation about language varieties, lived experiences, expertise, and “correctness” — all through the lens of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Advice, examples, model writing, photos, rhetorical situations, and learning scenarios reflect the realities of those who will use this edition.

A reimagined Chapter 17 offers tools to assess bias, pop information bubbles, and seek alternative viewpoints. It also provides a rhetorically-grounded process that helps writers assess and evaluate sources — a process that relies on strategies used by fact checkers (such as lateral reading), on proven evaluative criteria, and on rhetorical listening.

For every type of writer you need to be.

This rhetorically-driven, genre-based handbook prepares college writers to write in different ways for different courses, professional contexts, and civic and everyday scenarios. Using a framework of writing as conversation, In Conversation grounds writers in a deep understanding of their purpose, audience, and context. It gives novice writers the versatility and confidence to succeed and helps them to enter conversations, plan documents, cite sources, check facts, and understand language conventions. Paired with Achieve, an engaging and powerful digital platform (see Related Titles for more details), In Conversation is a practical tool for shaping and sharpening a writers’ instincts.

Success Stories

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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.

Related Titles

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Answer Key for In Conversation with Exercises (Online Only)

Mike Palmquist; Barbara Wallraff | Third Edition | ©2023 | ISBN:9781319412487
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Teaching with In Conversation (Online Only)

Mike Palmquist; Barbara Wallraff | Third Edition | ©2023 | ISBN:9781319509521

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