Table Of ContentExploring Writing
Exploring Writing
S entences and Paragraphs
SECOND EDITION
John Langan
Atlantic Cape Community College
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Langan, John
Exploring writing : sentences and paragraphs / John Langan. — 2nd ed.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN-13: 978-0-07-337186-3 (alk. paper)
ISBN-10: 0-07-337186-6 (alk. paper)
1. English language—Sentences—Problems, exercises, etc. 2. English language—Paragraphs—Problems,
exercises, etc. 3. English language—Rhetoric—Problems, exercises, etc. 4. Report writing—Problems,
exercises, etc. I. Title.
PE1441.L34 2009
808'.042076—dc22
2009004597
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J ohn Langan has taught reading and writing at Atlantiicc
Cape Community College near Atlantic City, New Jerseyy,,
for more than twenty-five years. The author of a popullaarr
series of college textbooks on both writing and reading, Joohhnn
enjoys the challenge of developing materials that teach skillss iinn
an especially clear and lively way. Before teaching, he earnneedd
advanced degrees in writing at Rutgers University and in reeaadd--
ing at Rowan University. He also spent a year writing ficcttiioonn
that, he says, “is now at the back of a drawer waiting to bee ddiiss--
covered and acclaimed posthumously.” While in school, hee ssuupp--
ported himself by working as a truck driver, a machinist, a bbaatttteerryy
assembler, a hospital attendant, and apple packer. John noww lliivveess
with his wife, Judith Nadell, near Philadelphia. In addition to his wife
and Philly sports teams, his passions include reading and turning on
nonreaders to the pleasure and power of books. Through Townsend
Press, his educational publishing company, he has developed the non-
profit “Townsend Library”—a collection of more than fifty new and
classic stories that appeal to readers of any age.
v
Preface xxi
PART 1 Writing: Skills and Process 2
1. An Introduction to Writing 4
2. The Writing Process 16
PART 2 Writing Effective Paragraphs 44
3. Four Steps for Writing, Four Bases for Revising 46
4. Nine Patterns of Paragraph Development 85
5. Moving from Paragraph to Essay 126
PART 3 Sentence Skills 150
SECTION I Sentences 152
6. Subjects and Verbs 153
7. Fragments 162
8. Run-Ons 179
9. Sentence Variety I 195
SECTION II Verbs, Pronouns, and Agreement 209
10. Standard English Verbs 210
11. Irregular Verbs 220
12. Subject-Verb Agreement 231
13. Consistent Verb Tense 241
14. Additional Information about Verbs 245
15. Pronoun Reference, Agreement, and Point of View 252
16. Pronoun Types 263
SECTION III Modifiers and Parallelism 275
17. Adjectives and Adverbs 276
18. Misplaced Modifiers 283
19. Dangling Modifiers 289
20. Faulty Parallelism 295
21. Sentence Variety II 304
SECTION IV Punctuation and Mechanics 318
22. Paper Format 319
23. Capital Letters 324
vi
BRIEF CONTENTS vii
24. Numbers and Abbreviations 334
25. End Marks 339
26. Apostrophes 342
27. Quotation Marks 354
28. Commas 365
29. Other Punctuation Marks 379
SECTION V Word Use 385
30. Dictionary Use 386
31. Spelling Improvement 395
32. Omitted Words and Letters 402
33. Commonly Confused Words 407
34. Effective Word Choice 423
PART 4 Readings for Writers 436
INTRODUCTION TO THE READINGS 438
GOALS AND VALUES 442
EDUCATION AND SELF-IMPROVEMENT 483
HUMAN GROUPS AND SOCIETY 537
APPENDIXES 585
A. Parts of Speech 586
B. ESL Pointers 597
C. Sentence-Skills Diagnostic Test 609
D. Sentence-Skills Achievement Test 614
E. Answers to Activities in Part 3 619
Credits 637
Index 639
Preface xxi
PART 1 Writing: Skills and Process 2
1. An Introduction to Writing 4
Understanding Point and Support 5
An Important Difference between Writing and Talking 5
Point and Support in Two Cartoons 6
Point and Support in a Paragraph 8
Writing as a Skill 10
Why Does Your Attitude toward Writing Matter? 10
Writing as a Process of Discovery 12
Keeping a Journal 13
2. The Writing Process 16
How Do You Reach the Goals of Effective Writing? 17
Prewriting 17
Technique 1: Freewriting 17
Technique 2: Questioning 20
Technique 3: Making a List 21
Technique 4: Clustering 22
Technique 5: Preparing a Scratch Outline 23
Writing the First Draft 25
Writing a First Draft: A Student Model 25
Revising 27
Revising: A Student Model 28
Editing and Proofreading 29
Editing Tips 30
Proofreading Tips 30
Editing and Proofreading: A Student Model 31
Tips on Using a Computer 32
Using a Computer at Each Stage of the Writing Process 33
Using Peer Review 35
1. Identification 35
2. Scratch Outline 35
3. Comments 36
Review Activities 36
Prewriting 37
ix
x CONTENTS
Outlining, Drafting, and Revising 37
Taking a Writing Inventory 39
Chapter Review 40
PART 2 Writing Effective Paragraphs 44
3. Four Steps for Writing, Four Bases for Revising 46
What Are the Steps to Writing Effective Paragraphs? 47
Step 1: Make a Point 47
Step 2: Back Up Your Point 50
Step 3: Organize the Support 67
Step 4: Write Clear, Error-Free Sentences 73
Four Bases for Revising Writing 73
Base 1: Unity 74
Base 2: Support 75
Base 3: Coherence 76
Base 4: Sentence Skills 77
4. Nine Patterns of Paragraph Development 85
Important Considerations in Paragraph
Development 86
Knowing Your Subject 86
Knowing Your Purpose and Audience 86
Patterns of Development 87
1. Exemplification 88
A Paragraph to Consider 89
Writing an Exemplification Paragraph 89
2. Description 92
A Paragraph to Consider 92
Writing a Descriptive Paragraph 93
3. Narration 97
A Paragraph to Consider 97
Writing a Narrative Paragraph 98
4. Process 100
A Paragraph to Consider 100
Writing a Process Paragraph 101
5. Cause and Effect 105
A Paragraph to Consider 105
Writing a Cause-and-Effect Paragraph 106
6. Comparison or Contrast 108
Two Paragraphs to Consider 109
Writing a Comparison or Contrast Paragraph 111
