Real Skills with Readings
Fourth Edition ©2016 Susan Anker Formats: E-book, Print
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Authors
-
Susan Anker
Susan Anker (BA, MEd, Boston University) brings a unique perspective to the teaching of the developmental writing course. She taught English and developmental writing before entering college publishing, where she worked for eighteen years: as a sales representative and English/ESL editor at Macmillan Publishing Company; as developmental English/ESL editor, executive editor, and editor in chief at St. Martin’s Press; and as vice president and editor in chief for humanities at Houghton Mifflin Company. In each of these positions, she worked with developmental writing instructors and students, maintaining her early interest in the field.  Since the publication of the first edition of Real Writing in 1998, Anker has traveled extensively to campuses across the country, continuing her conversations with instructors and students and giving workshops and presentations. She believes that the writing course is, for many students, their first, best opportunity to learn the skills they will need to succeed in college and achieve their goals.
Table of Contents
*New to This Edition
Thematic Table of Contents xv
Preface xvii
A Note to Students from the Authors xxxv
Part 1
Writing Paragraphs 1
1. Reading and Critical Thinking: Keys to Successful Writing 3
Recognize What You Already Know 3
Improve Your Reading Skills 6
■ 2PR: The Critical Reading Process 6
Preview the Reading 6
Read the Piece, Finding the Main Point and Support 6
Pause to Think 8
Review 9
Think Critically 11
FOUR BASIC CRITICAL THINKING QUESTIONS 11
Write and Edit Your Own Work 14
Chapter Review 15
2. Understanding the Basics of Good Writing: How to Write in College and Other Formal
Settings 16
*Reading Roadmap
Understand the Basics of Good Writing 16
FOUR BASICS OF GOOD WRITING 16
Purpose and Audience: Considering Your Writing Situation 16
Main Point and Support 18
Understand What a Paragraph Is 18
FOUR BASICS OF A GOOD PARAGRAPH 19
Understand the Writing Process 19
Write and Edit Your Own Work 20
Chapter Review 22
*Reflecting on the Journey
3. Narrowing and Exploring Your Topic: How to Decide What to Write About 24
*Reading Roadmap
Narrow Your Topic 24
Explore Your Topic 26
Freewrite 26
Brainstorm 26
Map or Cluster 27
Keep a Journal 28
Use the Internet 28
Write and Edit Your Own Work 29
Chapter Review 31
*Reflecting on the Journey
4. Writing Your Paragraph: How to Put Your Ideas Together 32
*Reading Roadmap
Make a Point 32
FOUR BASICS OF A GOOD TOPIC SENTENCE
Support Your Point 37
FOUR BASICS OF GOOD SUPPORT 37
Make a Plan 39
Write a Draft 40
FOUR BASICS OF A GOOD DRAFT 41
Write and Edit Your Own Work 43
Chapter Review 45
*Reflecting on the Journey
5. Improving Your Paragraph: How to Make It the Best It Can Be 46
*Reading Roadmap
Understand What Revision Is 46
FOUR BASICS OF REVISION 46
Get Feedback 46
Improve Your Support 47
Check the Arrangement of Your Ideas 49
Time Order 50
Space Order 53
Order of Importance 54
Title Your Paragraph 57
Check for the Four Basics of a Good Paragraph 57
FOUR BASICS OF A GOOD PARAGRAPH 57
Edit Your Paragraph 59
Write and Edit Your Own Work 60
Chapter Review 61
*Reflecting on the Journey
*6. Developing Narration, Illustration, and Description Paragraphs: Different Ways to
Present Your Ideas 62
*Reading Roadmap
Narration 63
FOUR BASICS OF NARRATION 63
Guided Outline: Narration 64
Write a Narration Paragraph 65
Explore Narration Further: Life-Changing Moments 66
*STUDENT PARAGRAPH Alieh Alfakeeh, What Girls Are For
PROFESSIONAL PARAGRAPH Womenshealth.gov, A 911 Call Saved My Life
Understanding Narration
*STUDENT ESSAY Christina Mevs, How My Community College Experience Has
Changed My Life
*PROFESSIONAL ESSAY Sandra Cisneros, Only Daughter
Illustration 66
FOUR BASICS OF ILLUSTRATION 66
Guided Outline: Illustration 68
Write an Illustration Paragraph 68
Explore Illustration Further: Family Ties 69
*STUDENT PARAGRAPH Mary Adams, From Embarrassing Stories to Favorite Memories
*PROFESSIONAL PARAGRAPH Arnold Brown, Relationships, Community, and Identity
in the New Virtual Society
STUDENT ESSAY Sabina Pajazetovic, My Mother, My Hero
*PROFESSIONAL ESSAY Wil Haygood, Underground Dads
Description 70
FOUR BASICS OF DESCRIPTION 70
Guided Outline: Description 71
Write a Description Paragraph 72
Explore Description Further: The People We Meet and the Places We Go 73
*STUDENT PARAGRAPH Faye Phelps, The Bachelor Life
*PROFESSIONAL PARAGRAPH Scott Russell Sanders, Excerpt from The Men We Carry
In Our Minds
STUDENT ESSAY Andrew Dillon Bustin, Airports Are for People Watching
*PROFESSIONAL ESSAY Amy Tan, Fish Cheeks
*Reflecting on the Journey
*7. Developing Process-Analysis, Classification, and Definition Paragraphs: Three More
Ways to Present Your Ideas 97
*Reading Roadmap
Process Analysis 73
FOUR BASICS OF PROCESS ANALYSIS 73
Guided Outline: Process Analysis 74
Write a Process-Analysis Paragraph 75
Explore Process Analysis Further: Skills for Success 76
*STUDENT PARAGRAPH Jonathan Simon-Valdez, Impossible, Difficult, Done
PROFESSIONAL PARAGRAPH Federal Trade Commission, Building a Better Credit
Report
STUDENT ESSAY Rashad Brown, When I Grow Up I Wanna Be…
*PROFESSIONAL ESSAY Ron Friedman, When to Schedule Your Most Important Work
Classification 76
FOUR BASICS OF CLASSIFICATION 76
Guided Outline: Classification 78
Write a Classification Paragraph 78
Explore Classification Further: Types of People We Meet 79
*STUDENT PARAGRAPH Kristy Fouch, Servers
*PROFESSIONAL PARAGRAPH Marvin Montgomery, Types of Sales People
*STUDENT ESSAY Lauren Woodrell, Cheating
PROFESSIONAL ESSAY Stephanie Dray, Five Kinds of Friends Everyone Should Have
Definition 79
FOUR BASICS OF DEFINITION 79
Guided Outline: Definition 81
Write a Definition Paragraph 81
Explore Definition Further: Identity 83
*STUDENT PARAGRAPH Sydney Tasey, Sex vs. Gender
*PROFESSIONAL PARAGRAPH Douglas Main, Who Are the Millennials?
*STUDENT ESSAY Spencer Rock, Mask-ulinity: The Price of Becoming a Man
*PROFESSIONAL ESSAY Roque Planas, Chicano: What Does the Word Mean and
Where Does It Come From?
Chapter Review
*Reflecting on the Journey
*8. Developing Comparison and Contrast, Cause and Effect, and Argument Paragraphs:
Additional Ways to Present Your Ideas 97
*Reading Roadmap
Comparison and Contrast 83
FOUR BASICS OF COMPARISON AND CONTRAST 83
Guided Outline: Comparison and Contrast 85
Write a Comparison-and-Contrast Paragraph 85
Explore Comparison and Contrast Further: Our Changing Culture 86
*STUDENT PARAGRAPH Yolanda Castaneda Vasquez, Classroom Culture, Then and
Now
*PROFESSIONAL PARAGRAPH CNN iReport, Brick and Mortar vs. Online Shopping
*STUDENT ESSAY James Sellars, His and Hers
*PROFESSIONAL ESSAY Jenny Deam, E-books vs. Print: What Parents Need to Know
Cause and Effect 86
FOUR BASICS OF CAUSE AND EFFECT 87
Guided Outline: Cause and Effect 88
Write a Cause-and-Effect Paragraph 89
Explore Cause and Effect Further: Health 90
*STUDENT PARAGRAPH Kendal Rippel, We Need Sleep
*PROFESSIONAL PARAGRAPH Wayne Weiten and Margaret Lloyd, What Makes Us
Happy
STUDENT ESSAY Delia Cleveland, Champagne Taste, Beer Budget
*PROFESSIONAL ESSAY Natalie McGill, Caffeine: Don’t Let Your Pick-me-up Drag You
Down
Argument 90
FOUR BASICS OF ARGUMENT 90
Guided Outline: Argument 92
Write an Argument Paragraph 92
Explore Argument Further: How We Eat and the Language We Speak 93
PROFESSIONAL PARAGRAPH Michael Pollan, Vegetarians and Human Culture
PROFESSIONAL PARAGRAPH Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, Eating
Healthy
STUDENT ESSAY Sheena Ivey, English as an Official Language: One Language for One
Nation
STUDENT ESSAY Tony Felts, English as an Official Language: The Injustice of One
Language
Chapter Review 96
*Reflecting on the Journey
9. Moving from Paragraphs to Essays: How to Write Longer Papers 97
Understand Essay Structure 97
Write an Essay 99
Narrow Your Topic 100
Write a Thesis Statement 101
Support Your Thesis Statement and Write Topic Sentences 103
Make a Plan 104
Write, Revise, and Edit 104
FOUR BASICS OF A GOOD DRAFT 105
Chapter Review 108
*Reflecting on the Journey
Part 2
Grammar Basics 113
10. The Parts of Speech: A Brief Review 115
*Reading Roadmap
Nouns 115
Pronouns 117
Personal Pronouns 117
Indefinite Pronouns 121
Other Types of Pronouns 123
Verbs 126
Action Verbs 126
Linking Verbs 128
Main Verbs and Helping Verbs 129
Adjectives 130
Adverbs 132
Prepositions 134
Conjunctions 136
Coordinating Conjunctions 136
Subordinating Conjunctions 137
Interjections 138
Write and Edit Your Own Work 138
Chapter Review 140
*Reflecting on the Journey
11. Simple Sentences: Key Parts to Know 141
*Reading Roadmap
Understand What a Sentence Is 141
Find Subjects 141
Subject Nouns 142
Subject Pronouns 142
Simple and Complete Subjects 144
Singular and Plural Subjects 145
Prepositional Phrases 146
Find Verbs 148
Decide If There Is a Complete Thought 149
Six Basic English Sentence Patterns 150
Write and Edit Your Own Work 152
Chapter Review 153
*Reflecting on the Journey
12. Longer Sentences: Joining Related Ideas 154
*Reading Roadmap
Compound Sentences 154
Complex Sentences 155
Compound-Complex Sentences 158
Write and Edit Your Own Work 158
Chapter Review 160
*Reflecting on the Journey
Part 3
Editing for the Four Most Serious Errors 167
13. Fragments: Sentences That Are Missing a Key Part 169
*Reading Roadmap
The Four Most Serious Errors 169
Understand What Fragments Are 169
In the Real World, Why Is It Important to Correct Fragments? 170
Find and Correct Fragments 171
Trouble Spot 1: Fragments That Start with a Prepositional Phrase 171
Trouble Spot 2: Fragments That Start with a Dependent Word 174
Trouble Spot 3: Fragments That Start with an -ing Verb 178
Trouble Spot 4: Fragments That Start with to and a Verb 181
Trouble Spot 5: Fragments That Start with an Example or Explanation 185
Edit Fragments in Everyday Life 187
Write and Edit Your Own Work 189
Chapter Review 190
*Reflecting on the Journey
14. Run-Ons and Comma Splices: Two Sentences Joined Incorrectly 194
*Reading Roadmap
Understand What Run-Ons and Comma Splices Are 194
In the Real World, Why Is It Important to Correct Run-Ons and Comma Splices? 195
Find and Correct Run-Ons and Comma Splices 196
Add a Period or a Semicolon 197
Add a Comma and a Coordinating Conjunction 200
Add a Subordinating Conjunction (Dependent Word) 204
Edit Run-Ons and Comma Splices in Everyday Life 208
Write and Edit Your Own Work 210
Chapter Review 211
*Reflecting on the Journey
15. Subject-Verb Agreement Problems: Subjects and Verbs That Do Not Match 215
*Reading Roadmap
Understand What Subject-Verb Agreement Is 215
In the Real World, Why Is It Important to Correct Subject-Verb Agreement Errors? 218
Find and Correct Errors in Subject-Verb Agreement 219
The Verb Is a Form of Be, Have, or Do 219
Words Come between the Subject and the Verb 226
The Sentence Has a Compound Subject 230
The Subject Is an Indefinite Pronoun 233
The Verb Comes before the Subject 236
Edit Subject-Verb Agreement Problems in Everyday Life 239
Write and Edit Your Own Work 242
Chapter Review 243
*Reflecting on the Journey
16. Verb-Tense Problems: The Past Tense and the Past Participle 247
*Reading Roadmap
Understand Regular Verbs in the Past Tense 247
In the Real World, Why Is It Important to Use the Correct Tense? 248
Understand Irregular Verbs in the Past Tense 251
Understand Four Very Irregular Verbs 253
The Verb Be 253
The Verb Have 255
Can / Could and Will / Would 256
Understand the Past Participle 259
Past Participles of Regular Verbs 259
Past Participles of Irregular Verbs 260
Use the Past Participle Correctly 265
Present-Perfect Tense 265
Past-Perfect Tense 268
Passive versus Active Voice 271
Edit Verb-Tense Errors in Everyday Life 273
Verb-Tense Reference Chart 276
Write and Edit Your Own Work 282
Chapter Review 284
*Reflecting on the Journey
Part 4
Editing for Other Errors and Sentence Style 297
17. Pronoun Problems: Using Substitutes for Nouns 299
*Reading Roadmap
Make Pronouns Agree with Their Antecedents 299
Indefinite Pronouns 300
Collective Nouns 304
Check Pronoun Reference 306
Use the Right Pronoun Case 309
Pronouns in Sentences with More Than One Subject or Object 310
Pronouns Used in Comparisons 313
Who versus Whom 315
Edit Pronouns in Everyday Life 316
Write and Edit Your Own Work 318
Chapter Review 320
*Reflecting on the Journey
18. Adjective and Adverb Problems: Describing Which One? or How? 325
*Reading Roadmap
Choose between Adjectives and Adverbs 325
Adjectives and Adverbs in Comparisons 328
Good, Well, Bad, and Badly 331
Edit Adjectives and Adverbs in Everyday Life 334
Write and Edit Your Own Work 336
Chapter Review 337
*Reflecting on the Journey
19. Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers: Avoiding Confusing Descriptions 341
*Reading Roadmap
Understand What Misplaced Modifiers Are 341
Find and Correct Misplaced Modifiers 343
Understand What Dangling Modifiers Are 345
Find and Correct Dangling Modifiers 346
Edit Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers in Everyday Life 348
Write and Edit Your Own Work 350
Chapter Review 351
*Reflecting on the Journey
20. Illogical Shifts: Avoiding Inconsistencies 356
*Reading Roadmap
Understand Consistent Tense 356
Find and Correct Inconsistent Tenses 357
Understand Consistent Person 359
Find and Correct Inconsistent Person 359
Edit Illogical Shifts in Everyday Life 361
Write and Edit Your Own Work 362
Chapter Review 364
*Reflecting on the Journey
21. Choppy Sentences: Using Coordination and Subordination 368
*Reading Roadmap
Use Coordination to Join Sentences 368
Using Coordinating Conjunctions 369
Using Semicolons 372
Use Subordination to Join Sentences 374
Edit for Choppy Sentences in Everyday Life 379
Write and Edit Your Own Work 382
Chapter Review 383
*Reflecting on the Journey
22. Parallelism: Balancing Ideas 389
Understand What Parallelism Is 389
Use Parallel Structure 390
Parallelism in Pairs and Lists 390
Parallelism in Comparisons 391
Parallelism with Certain Paired Words 393
Edit for Parallelism in Everyday Life 395
Write and Edit Your Own Work 398
Chapter Review 400
*Reflecting on the Journey
Part 5
Editing Words in Sentences 411
23. Word Choice 413
*Reading Roadmap
Understand the Importance of Choosing Words Carefully 413
Dictionary 413
Thesaurus 414
Avoid Four Common Word-Choice Problems 415
Vague Words 415
Slang 416
Wordy Language 417
Clichés 419
Edit for Word Choice in Everyday Life 421
Write and Edit Your Own Work 423
Chapter Review 424
*Reflecting on the Journey
24. Commonly Confused Words 428
*Reading Roadmap
Understand Strategies for Editing Soundalike Words 428
Use Commonly Confused Words Correctly 428
Edit Commonly Confused Words in Everyday Life 438
Write and Edit Your Own Work 439
Chapter Review 440
*Reflecting on the Journey
25. Spelling 443
*Reading Roadmap
Understand the Importance of Spelling Correctly 443
Practice Spelling Correctly 443
Follow These Steps to Better Spelling 444
Remember Ten Troublemakers 444
Defeat Your Personal Spelling Demons 445
Learn about Commonly Confused Words 445
Learn Seven Spelling Rules 445
Check a Spelling List 452
Edit Spelling Errors in Everyday Life 454
Write and Edit Your Own Work 456
Chapter Review 457
*Reflecting on the Journey
Part 6
Editing for Punctuation and Mechanics 467
26. Commas ( , ) 469
*Reading Roadmap
Understand What Commas Do 469
Use Commas Correctly 469
Commas between Items in a Series 469
Commas in Compound Sentences 471
Commas after Introductory Words 473
Commas around Appositives and Interrupters 474
Commas around Adjective Clauses 477
Other Uses for Commas 479
Edit Commas in Everyday Life 482
Write and Edit Your Own Work 484
Chapter Review 485
*Reflecting on the Journey
27. Apostrophes ( ’ ) 489
*Reading Roadmap
Understand What Apostrophes Do 489
Use Apostrophes Correctly 489
Apostrophes to Show Ownership 489
Apostrophes in Contractions 492
Apostrophes with Letters, Numbers, and Time 494
Edit Apostrophes in Everyday Life 495
Write and Edit Your Own Work 497
Chapter Review 498
*Reflecting on the Journey
28. Quotation Marks ( “ ” ) 501
*Reading Roadmap
Understand What Quotation Marks Do
Use Quotation Marks Correctly
Quotation Marks for Direct Quotations
No Quotation Marks for Indirect Quotations
Quotation Marks for Certain Titles
Edit Quotation Marks in Everyday Life
Write and Edit Your Own Work
Chapter Review
*Reflecting on the Journey
29. Other Punctuation ( ; : ( ) — - )
*Reading Roadmap
Understand What Punctuation Does
Use Punctuation Correctly
Semicolon ( ; )
Colon ( : )
Parentheses ( ( ) )
Dash ( — )
Hyphen ( - )
Edit Other Punctuation in Everyday Life
Write and Edit Your Own Work
Chapter Review
*Reflecting on the Journey
30. Capitalization: Using Capital Letters
*Reading Roadmap
Understand Capitalization
Use Capitalization Correctly
Capitalization of Sentences
Capitalization of Names of Specific People, Places, Dates, and Things
Capitalization of Titles
Edit for Capitalization in Everyday Life
Write and Edit Your Own Work
Chapter Review
*Reflecting on the Journey
Part 7
ESL Concerns
31. Subjects
Include a Subject in Every Sentence
More Than One Subject
Chapter Review
32. Verbs
Understand Verbs
Use Be to Show Age, Emotion, or Physical Condition
Form Negatives Correctly
Form Questions Correctly
Form the Present-Progressive Tense Correctly
Use Modal Auxiliaries / Helping Verbs Correctly
Use Gerunds and Infinitives Correctly
Include Prepositions after Verbs When Needed
Chapter Review
33. Nouns and Articles
Count and Noncount Nouns
Articles
Chapter Review
Editing Review Tests
Appendix: Succeeding on Tests
Index
Editing and Proofreading Marks
For Easy Reference: Selected Lists and Charts
Product Updates
New Reading Roadmaps provide guided reading instruction at the beginning of each chapter. Each Reading Roadmap outlines a learning goal, lists tools in the chapter to achieve that goal, and previews key terms. Then, a Before You Read activity invites students to consider what they already know and what they hope to learn from the chapter.
Reflecting on the Journey activities at the end of each chapter invite students to consider what they have learned by revisiting the Before You Read activity from the beginning of the chapter.
Readings are interspersed with writing instruction to provide better support for reading and writing skills. Thirty-six readings now appear with the modes-based instruction on developing paragraphs, helping students make immediate connections between what they learn and what they read. Readings for each mode focus on relatable themes such as life-changing moments, family ties, and skills for success.
More student writing samples demonstrate the real-world relevance of writing skills and show students that they, too, can succeed at writing. In response to reviewers’ suggestions, each mode of paragraph development is now illustrated with paragraph-length and essay-length readings by real students as well as an equal number of examples by professional writers.
A new, streamlined design creates a better reading experience for students, making it easier for them to transition from reading the text to working on practice exercises and back again.
Authors
-
Susan Anker
Susan Anker (BA, MEd, Boston University) brings a unique perspective to the teaching of the developmental writing course. She taught English and developmental writing before entering college publishing, where she worked for eighteen years: as a sales representative and English/ESL editor at Macmillan Publishing Company; as developmental English/ESL editor, executive editor, and editor in chief at St. Martin’s Press; and as vice president and editor in chief for humanities at Houghton Mifflin Company. In each of these positions, she worked with developmental writing instructors and students, maintaining her early interest in the field.  Since the publication of the first edition of Real Writing in 1998, Anker has traveled extensively to campuses across the country, continuing her conversations with instructors and students and giving workshops and presentations. She believes that the writing course is, for many students, their first, best opportunity to learn the skills they will need to succeed in college and achieve their goals.
Table of Contents
*New to This Edition
Thematic Table of Contents xv
Preface xvii
A Note to Students from the Authors xxxv
Part 1
Writing Paragraphs 1
1. Reading and Critical Thinking: Keys to Successful Writing 3
Recognize What You Already Know 3
Improve Your Reading Skills 6
■ 2PR: The Critical Reading Process 6
Preview the Reading 6
Read the Piece, Finding the Main Point and Support 6
Pause to Think 8
Review 9
Think Critically 11
FOUR BASIC CRITICAL THINKING QUESTIONS 11
Write and Edit Your Own Work 14
Chapter Review 15
2. Understanding the Basics of Good Writing: How to Write in College and Other Formal
Settings 16
*Reading Roadmap
Understand the Basics of Good Writing 16
FOUR BASICS OF GOOD WRITING 16
Purpose and Audience: Considering Your Writing Situation 16
Main Point and Support 18
Understand What a Paragraph Is 18
FOUR BASICS OF A GOOD PARAGRAPH 19
Understand the Writing Process 19
Write and Edit Your Own Work 20
Chapter Review 22
*Reflecting on the Journey
3. Narrowing and Exploring Your Topic: How to Decide What to Write About 24
*Reading Roadmap
Narrow Your Topic 24
Explore Your Topic 26
Freewrite 26
Brainstorm 26
Map or Cluster 27
Keep a Journal 28
Use the Internet 28
Write and Edit Your Own Work 29
Chapter Review 31
*Reflecting on the Journey
4. Writing Your Paragraph: How to Put Your Ideas Together 32
*Reading Roadmap
Make a Point 32
FOUR BASICS OF A GOOD TOPIC SENTENCE
Support Your Point 37
FOUR BASICS OF GOOD SUPPORT 37
Make a Plan 39
Write a Draft 40
FOUR BASICS OF A GOOD DRAFT 41
Write and Edit Your Own Work 43
Chapter Review 45
*Reflecting on the Journey
5. Improving Your Paragraph: How to Make It the Best It Can Be 46
*Reading Roadmap
Understand What Revision Is 46
FOUR BASICS OF REVISION 46
Get Feedback 46
Improve Your Support 47
Check the Arrangement of Your Ideas 49
Time Order 50
Space Order 53
Order of Importance 54
Title Your Paragraph 57
Check for the Four Basics of a Good Paragraph 57
FOUR BASICS OF A GOOD PARAGRAPH 57
Edit Your Paragraph 59
Write and Edit Your Own Work 60
Chapter Review 61
*Reflecting on the Journey
*6. Developing Narration, Illustration, and Description Paragraphs: Different Ways to
Present Your Ideas 62
*Reading Roadmap
Narration 63
FOUR BASICS OF NARRATION 63
Guided Outline: Narration 64
Write a Narration Paragraph 65
Explore Narration Further: Life-Changing Moments 66
*STUDENT PARAGRAPH Alieh Alfakeeh, What Girls Are For
PROFESSIONAL PARAGRAPH Womenshealth.gov, A 911 Call Saved My Life
Understanding Narration
*STUDENT ESSAY Christina Mevs, How My Community College Experience Has
Changed My Life
*PROFESSIONAL ESSAY Sandra Cisneros, Only Daughter
Illustration 66
FOUR BASICS OF ILLUSTRATION 66
Guided Outline: Illustration 68
Write an Illustration Paragraph 68
Explore Illustration Further: Family Ties 69
*STUDENT PARAGRAPH Mary Adams, From Embarrassing Stories to Favorite Memories
*PROFESSIONAL PARAGRAPH Arnold Brown, Relationships, Community, and Identity
in the New Virtual Society
STUDENT ESSAY Sabina Pajazetovic, My Mother, My Hero
*PROFESSIONAL ESSAY Wil Haygood, Underground Dads
Description 70
FOUR BASICS OF DESCRIPTION 70
Guided Outline: Description 71
Write a Description Paragraph 72
Explore Description Further: The People We Meet and the Places We Go 73
*STUDENT PARAGRAPH Faye Phelps, The Bachelor Life
*PROFESSIONAL PARAGRAPH Scott Russell Sanders, Excerpt from The Men We Carry
In Our Minds
STUDENT ESSAY Andrew Dillon Bustin, Airports Are for People Watching
*PROFESSIONAL ESSAY Amy Tan, Fish Cheeks
*Reflecting on the Journey
*7. Developing Process-Analysis, Classification, and Definition Paragraphs: Three More
Ways to Present Your Ideas 97
*Reading Roadmap
Process Analysis 73
FOUR BASICS OF PROCESS ANALYSIS 73
Guided Outline: Process Analysis 74
Write a Process-Analysis Paragraph 75
Explore Process Analysis Further: Skills for Success 76
*STUDENT PARAGRAPH Jonathan Simon-Valdez, Impossible, Difficult, Done
PROFESSIONAL PARAGRAPH Federal Trade Commission, Building a Better Credit
Report
STUDENT ESSAY Rashad Brown, When I Grow Up I Wanna Be…
*PROFESSIONAL ESSAY Ron Friedman, When to Schedule Your Most Important Work
Classification 76
FOUR BASICS OF CLASSIFICATION 76
Guided Outline: Classification 78
Write a Classification Paragraph 78
Explore Classification Further: Types of People We Meet 79
*STUDENT PARAGRAPH Kristy Fouch, Servers
*PROFESSIONAL PARAGRAPH Marvin Montgomery, Types of Sales People
*STUDENT ESSAY Lauren Woodrell, Cheating
PROFESSIONAL ESSAY Stephanie Dray, Five Kinds of Friends Everyone Should Have
Definition 79
FOUR BASICS OF DEFINITION 79
Guided Outline: Definition 81
Write a Definition Paragraph 81
Explore Definition Further: Identity 83
*STUDENT PARAGRAPH Sydney Tasey, Sex vs. Gender
*PROFESSIONAL PARAGRAPH Douglas Main, Who Are the Millennials?
*STUDENT ESSAY Spencer Rock, Mask-ulinity: The Price of Becoming a Man
*PROFESSIONAL ESSAY Roque Planas, Chicano: What Does the Word Mean and
Where Does It Come From?
Chapter Review
*Reflecting on the Journey
*8. Developing Comparison and Contrast, Cause and Effect, and Argument Paragraphs:
Additional Ways to Present Your Ideas 97
*Reading Roadmap
Comparison and Contrast 83
FOUR BASICS OF COMPARISON AND CONTRAST 83
Guided Outline: Comparison and Contrast 85
Write a Comparison-and-Contrast Paragraph 85
Explore Comparison and Contrast Further: Our Changing Culture 86
*STUDENT PARAGRAPH Yolanda Castaneda Vasquez, Classroom Culture, Then and
Now
*PROFESSIONAL PARAGRAPH CNN iReport, Brick and Mortar vs. Online Shopping
*STUDENT ESSAY James Sellars, His and Hers
*PROFESSIONAL ESSAY Jenny Deam, E-books vs. Print: What Parents Need to Know
Cause and Effect 86
FOUR BASICS OF CAUSE AND EFFECT 87
Guided Outline: Cause and Effect 88
Write a Cause-and-Effect Paragraph 89
Explore Cause and Effect Further: Health 90
*STUDENT PARAGRAPH Kendal Rippel, We Need Sleep
*PROFESSIONAL PARAGRAPH Wayne Weiten and Margaret Lloyd, What Makes Us
Happy
STUDENT ESSAY Delia Cleveland, Champagne Taste, Beer Budget
*PROFESSIONAL ESSAY Natalie McGill, Caffeine: Don’t Let Your Pick-me-up Drag You
Down
Argument 90
FOUR BASICS OF ARGUMENT 90
Guided Outline: Argument 92
Write an Argument Paragraph 92
Explore Argument Further: How We Eat and the Language We Speak 93
PROFESSIONAL PARAGRAPH Michael Pollan, Vegetarians and Human Culture
PROFESSIONAL PARAGRAPH Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, Eating
Healthy
STUDENT ESSAY Sheena Ivey, English as an Official Language: One Language for One
Nation
STUDENT ESSAY Tony Felts, English as an Official Language: The Injustice of One
Language
Chapter Review 96
*Reflecting on the Journey
9. Moving from Paragraphs to Essays: How to Write Longer Papers 97
Understand Essay Structure 97
Write an Essay 99
Narrow Your Topic 100
Write a Thesis Statement 101
Support Your Thesis Statement and Write Topic Sentences 103
Make a Plan 104
Write, Revise, and Edit 104
FOUR BASICS OF A GOOD DRAFT 105
Chapter Review 108
*Reflecting on the Journey
Part 2
Grammar Basics 113
10. The Parts of Speech: A Brief Review 115
*Reading Roadmap
Nouns 115
Pronouns 117
Personal Pronouns 117
Indefinite Pronouns 121
Other Types of Pronouns 123
Verbs 126
Action Verbs 126
Linking Verbs 128
Main Verbs and Helping Verbs 129
Adjectives 130
Adverbs 132
Prepositions 134
Conjunctions 136
Coordinating Conjunctions 136
Subordinating Conjunctions 137
Interjections 138
Write and Edit Your Own Work 138
Chapter Review 140
*Reflecting on the Journey
11. Simple Sentences: Key Parts to Know 141
*Reading Roadmap
Understand What a Sentence Is 141
Find Subjects 141
Subject Nouns 142
Subject Pronouns 142
Simple and Complete Subjects 144
Singular and Plural Subjects 145
Prepositional Phrases 146
Find Verbs 148
Decide If There Is a Complete Thought 149
Six Basic English Sentence Patterns 150
Write and Edit Your Own Work 152
Chapter Review 153
*Reflecting on the Journey
12. Longer Sentences: Joining Related Ideas 154
*Reading Roadmap
Compound Sentences 154
Complex Sentences 155
Compound-Complex Sentences 158
Write and Edit Your Own Work 158
Chapter Review 160
*Reflecting on the Journey
Part 3
Editing for the Four Most Serious Errors 167
13. Fragments: Sentences That Are Missing a Key Part 169
*Reading Roadmap
The Four Most Serious Errors 169
Understand What Fragments Are 169
In the Real World, Why Is It Important to Correct Fragments? 170
Find and Correct Fragments 171
Trouble Spot 1: Fragments That Start with a Prepositional Phrase 171
Trouble Spot 2: Fragments That Start with a Dependent Word 174
Trouble Spot 3: Fragments That Start with an -ing Verb 178
Trouble Spot 4: Fragments That Start with to and a Verb 181
Trouble Spot 5: Fragments That Start with an Example or Explanation 185
Edit Fragments in Everyday Life 187
Write and Edit Your Own Work 189
Chapter Review 190
*Reflecting on the Journey
14. Run-Ons and Comma Splices: Two Sentences Joined Incorrectly 194
*Reading Roadmap
Understand What Run-Ons and Comma Splices Are 194
In the Real World, Why Is It Important to Correct Run-Ons and Comma Splices? 195
Find and Correct Run-Ons and Comma Splices 196
Add a Period or a Semicolon 197
Add a Comma and a Coordinating Conjunction 200
Add a Subordinating Conjunction (Dependent Word) 204
Edit Run-Ons and Comma Splices in Everyday Life 208
Write and Edit Your Own Work 210
Chapter Review 211
*Reflecting on the Journey
15. Subject-Verb Agreement Problems: Subjects and Verbs That Do Not Match 215
*Reading Roadmap
Understand What Subject-Verb Agreement Is 215
In the Real World, Why Is It Important to Correct Subject-Verb Agreement Errors? 218
Find and Correct Errors in Subject-Verb Agreement 219
The Verb Is a Form of Be, Have, or Do 219
Words Come between the Subject and the Verb 226
The Sentence Has a Compound Subject 230
The Subject Is an Indefinite Pronoun 233
The Verb Comes before the Subject 236
Edit Subject-Verb Agreement Problems in Everyday Life 239
Write and Edit Your Own Work 242
Chapter Review 243
*Reflecting on the Journey
16. Verb-Tense Problems: The Past Tense and the Past Participle 247
*Reading Roadmap
Understand Regular Verbs in the Past Tense 247
In the Real World, Why Is It Important to Use the Correct Tense? 248
Understand Irregular Verbs in the Past Tense 251
Understand Four Very Irregular Verbs 253
The Verb Be 253
The Verb Have 255
Can / Could and Will / Would 256
Understand the Past Participle 259
Past Participles of Regular Verbs 259
Past Participles of Irregular Verbs 260
Use the Past Participle Correctly 265
Present-Perfect Tense 265
Past-Perfect Tense 268
Passive versus Active Voice 271
Edit Verb-Tense Errors in Everyday Life 273
Verb-Tense Reference Chart 276
Write and Edit Your Own Work 282
Chapter Review 284
*Reflecting on the Journey
Part 4
Editing for Other Errors and Sentence Style 297
17. Pronoun Problems: Using Substitutes for Nouns 299
*Reading Roadmap
Make Pronouns Agree with Their Antecedents 299
Indefinite Pronouns 300
Collective Nouns 304
Check Pronoun Reference 306
Use the Right Pronoun Case 309
Pronouns in Sentences with More Than One Subject or Object 310
Pronouns Used in Comparisons 313
Who versus Whom 315
Edit Pronouns in Everyday Life 316
Write and Edit Your Own Work 318
Chapter Review 320
*Reflecting on the Journey
18. Adjective and Adverb Problems: Describing Which One? or How? 325
*Reading Roadmap
Choose between Adjectives and Adverbs 325
Adjectives and Adverbs in Comparisons 328
Good, Well, Bad, and Badly 331
Edit Adjectives and Adverbs in Everyday Life 334
Write and Edit Your Own Work 336
Chapter Review 337
*Reflecting on the Journey
19. Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers: Avoiding Confusing Descriptions 341
*Reading Roadmap
Understand What Misplaced Modifiers Are 341
Find and Correct Misplaced Modifiers 343
Understand What Dangling Modifiers Are 345
Find and Correct Dangling Modifiers 346
Edit Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers in Everyday Life 348
Write and Edit Your Own Work 350
Chapter Review 351
*Reflecting on the Journey
20. Illogical Shifts: Avoiding Inconsistencies 356
*Reading Roadmap
Understand Consistent Tense 356
Find and Correct Inconsistent Tenses 357
Understand Consistent Person 359
Find and Correct Inconsistent Person 359
Edit Illogical Shifts in Everyday Life 361
Write and Edit Your Own Work 362
Chapter Review 364
*Reflecting on the Journey
21. Choppy Sentences: Using Coordination and Subordination 368
*Reading Roadmap
Use Coordination to Join Sentences 368
Using Coordinating Conjunctions 369
Using Semicolons 372
Use Subordination to Join Sentences 374
Edit for Choppy Sentences in Everyday Life 379
Write and Edit Your Own Work 382
Chapter Review 383
*Reflecting on the Journey
22. Parallelism: Balancing Ideas 389
Understand What Parallelism Is 389
Use Parallel Structure 390
Parallelism in Pairs and Lists 390
Parallelism in Comparisons 391
Parallelism with Certain Paired Words 393
Edit for Parallelism in Everyday Life 395
Write and Edit Your Own Work 398
Chapter Review 400
*Reflecting on the Journey
Part 5
Editing Words in Sentences 411
23. Word Choice 413
*Reading Roadmap
Understand the Importance of Choosing Words Carefully 413
Dictionary 413
Thesaurus 414
Avoid Four Common Word-Choice Problems 415
Vague Words 415
Slang 416
Wordy Language 417
Clichés 419
Edit for Word Choice in Everyday Life 421
Write and Edit Your Own Work 423
Chapter Review 424
*Reflecting on the Journey
24. Commonly Confused Words 428
*Reading Roadmap
Understand Strategies for Editing Soundalike Words 428
Use Commonly Confused Words Correctly 428
Edit Commonly Confused Words in Everyday Life 438
Write and Edit Your Own Work 439
Chapter Review 440
*Reflecting on the Journey
25. Spelling 443
*Reading Roadmap
Understand the Importance of Spelling Correctly 443
Practice Spelling Correctly 443
Follow These Steps to Better Spelling 444
Remember Ten Troublemakers 444
Defeat Your Personal Spelling Demons 445
Learn about Commonly Confused Words 445
Learn Seven Spelling Rules 445
Check a Spelling List 452
Edit Spelling Errors in Everyday Life 454
Write and Edit Your Own Work 456
Chapter Review 457
*Reflecting on the Journey
Part 6
Editing for Punctuation and Mechanics 467
26. Commas ( , ) 469
*Reading Roadmap
Understand What Commas Do 469
Use Commas Correctly 469
Commas between Items in a Series 469
Commas in Compound Sentences 471
Commas after Introductory Words 473
Commas around Appositives and Interrupters 474
Commas around Adjective Clauses 477
Other Uses for Commas 479
Edit Commas in Everyday Life 482
Write and Edit Your Own Work 484
Chapter Review 485
*Reflecting on the Journey
27. Apostrophes ( ’ ) 489
*Reading Roadmap
Understand What Apostrophes Do 489
Use Apostrophes Correctly 489
Apostrophes to Show Ownership 489
Apostrophes in Contractions 492
Apostrophes with Letters, Numbers, and Time 494
Edit Apostrophes in Everyday Life 495
Write and Edit Your Own Work 497
Chapter Review 498
*Reflecting on the Journey
28. Quotation Marks ( “ ” ) 501
*Reading Roadmap
Understand What Quotation Marks Do
Use Quotation Marks Correctly
Quotation Marks for Direct Quotations
No Quotation Marks for Indirect Quotations
Quotation Marks for Certain Titles
Edit Quotation Marks in Everyday Life
Write and Edit Your Own Work
Chapter Review
*Reflecting on the Journey
29. Other Punctuation ( ; : ( ) — - )
*Reading Roadmap
Understand What Punctuation Does
Use Punctuation Correctly
Semicolon ( ; )
Colon ( : )
Parentheses ( ( ) )
Dash ( — )
Hyphen ( - )
Edit Other Punctuation in Everyday Life
Write and Edit Your Own Work
Chapter Review
*Reflecting on the Journey
30. Capitalization: Using Capital Letters
*Reading Roadmap
Understand Capitalization
Use Capitalization Correctly
Capitalization of Sentences
Capitalization of Names of Specific People, Places, Dates, and Things
Capitalization of Titles
Edit for Capitalization in Everyday Life
Write and Edit Your Own Work
Chapter Review
*Reflecting on the Journey
Part 7
ESL Concerns
31. Subjects
Include a Subject in Every Sentence
More Than One Subject
Chapter Review
32. Verbs
Understand Verbs
Use Be to Show Age, Emotion, or Physical Condition
Form Negatives Correctly
Form Questions Correctly
Form the Present-Progressive Tense Correctly
Use Modal Auxiliaries / Helping Verbs Correctly
Use Gerunds and Infinitives Correctly
Include Prepositions after Verbs When Needed
Chapter Review
33. Nouns and Articles
Count and Noncount Nouns
Articles
Chapter Review
Editing Review Tests
Appendix: Succeeding on Tests
Index
Editing and Proofreading Marks
For Easy Reference: Selected Lists and Charts
Product Updates
New Reading Roadmaps provide guided reading instruction at the beginning of each chapter. Each Reading Roadmap outlines a learning goal, lists tools in the chapter to achieve that goal, and previews key terms. Then, a Before You Read activity invites students to consider what they already know and what they hope to learn from the chapter.
Reflecting on the Journey activities at the end of each chapter invite students to consider what they have learned by revisiting the Before You Read activity from the beginning of the chapter.
Readings are interspersed with writing instruction to provide better support for reading and writing skills. Thirty-six readings now appear with the modes-based instruction on developing paragraphs, helping students make immediate connections between what they learn and what they read. Readings for each mode focus on relatable themes such as life-changing moments, family ties, and skills for success.
More student writing samples demonstrate the real-world relevance of writing skills and show students that they, too, can succeed at writing. In response to reviewers’ suggestions, each mode of paragraph development is now illustrated with paragraph-length and essay-length readings by real students as well as an equal number of examples by professional writers.
A new, streamlined design creates a better reading experience for students, making it easier for them to transition from reading the text to working on practice exercises and back again.
Everyday reading and writing skills for a solid foundation
Real Skills with Readings offers practical, accessible coverage of basic sentence skills and step-by-step guidance for writing paragraphs. Motivating students with its message that writing is an essential and achievable skill, the text uses real-world examples, assignments, and readings to help students relate writing to all aspects of their lives. The fourth edition builds on suggestions from developmental writing instructors across the country. Streamlined with a new design, the text features even more emphasis on critical thinking and reading skills, with new guided reading support in every chapter and more samples by real student writers. Additional skill-specific practice is available by packaging Real Skills with LaunchPad Solo for Readers and Writers, our newest set of online multimedia content and assessments, including LearningCurve adaptive quizzing. Use ISBN 1319051928 to order Real Skills with Readings and LaunchPad Solo for Readers and Writers.
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Instructor's Annotated Edition Real Skills with Readings
Susan Anker | Fourth Edition | ©2016 | ISBN:9781457698330The Instructor’s Annotated Edition gives answers to exercises and practical page-by-page advice on teaching with Real Sk...
The Instructor’s Annotated Edition gives answers to exercises and practical page-by-page advice on teaching with Real Skills. Teaching Tips in the margins include discussion prompts, strategies for teaching ESL students, ideas for additional classroom activities, and cross-references useful to teachers at all levels of experience.
Instructor's Manual for Real Skills with Readings (Online Only)
Susan Anker | Fourth Edition | ©2016 | ISBN:9781319017521The Instructor’s Manual—written by experienced developmental writing instructors—provides helpful information and advice on teach...
The Instructor’s Manual—written by experienced developmental writing instructors—provides helpful information and advice on teaching developmental writing, including sample syllabi, tips for building students’ critical-thinking skills, resources for teaching nonnative speakers, ideas for using journal writing and collaborative assignments, and suggestions for assessing students’ writing and progress. The instructor’s manual also includes a robust collection of handouts, activities, supplemental exercises, and assessments to supplement the text.
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Canadian Stores: Please use only the first five digits/letters in your zip code on MOST.
Visit MOST, our online ordering system for booksellers: https://tracking.mpsvirginia.com/Login.aspx
Learn more about our Bookstore programs here: https://www.macmillanlearning.com/college/us/contact-us/booksellers
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Our courses currently integrate with Canvas, Blackboard (Learn and Ultra), Brightspace, D2L, and Moodle. Click on the support documentation below to find out more details about the integration with each LMS.
Integrate Macmillan courses with Blackboard
Integrate Macmillan courses with Canvas
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If you’re a verified instructor, you can request a free sample of our courseware, e-book, or print textbook to consider for use in your courses. Only registered and verified instructors can receive free print and digital samples, and they should not be sold to bookstores or book resellers. If you don't yet have an existing account with Macmillan Learning, it can take up to two business days to verify your status as an instructor. You can request a free sample from the right side of this product page by clicking on the "Request Instructor Sample" button or by contacting your rep. Learn more.
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Sometimes also referred to as a spiral-bound or binder-ready textbook, loose-leaf textbooks are available to purchase. This three-hole punched, unbound version of the book costs less than a hardcover or paperback book.
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Real Skills with Readings
Real Skills with Readings offers practical, accessible coverage of basic sentence skills and step-by-step guidance for writing paragraphs. Motivating students with its message that writing is an essential and achievable skill, the text uses real-world examples, assignments, and readings to help students relate writing to all aspects of their lives.
The fourth edition builds on suggestions from developmental writing instructors across the country. Streamlined with a new design, the text features even more emphasis on critical thinking and reading skills, with new guided reading support in every chapter and more samples by real student writers. Additional skill-specific practice is available by packaging Real Skills with LaunchPad Solo for Readers and Writers, our newest set of online multimedia content and assessments, including LearningCurve adaptive quizzing. Use ISBN 1319051928 to order Real Skills with Readings and LaunchPad Solo for Readers and Writers.
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