Table Of ContentCOMBINING SENTENCES USING COORDINATION AND SUBORDINATION
COORDINATION
1. Independent Clause , and Independent Clause
but
for
nor
or
so
yet
2. Independent Clause ; Independent Clause
3. Independent Clause ; accordingly, Independent Clause
additionally,
also,
as a result,
besides,
consequently,
for example,
for instance,
furthermore,
however,
in addition,
indeed,
in fact,
instead,
likewise,
meanwhile,
moreover,
nevertheless,
nonetheless,
otherwise,
therefore,
thus,
SUBORDINATION
The following subordinating conjunctions begin dependent clauses:
after even though whenever
although rather than where
as since wherever
as long as unless whether
because until whether or not
before when while
1. If the dependent clause comes before the independent clause, a comma
must separate the two clauses.
Dependent Clause , Independent Clause
(beginning with a
subordinating conjunction)
2. If the dependent clause follows the independent clause, do not use a
comma to separate the two clauses.
Independent Clause Dependent Clause
(beginning with a
subordinating conjunction)
P
W I T H R O F E S S I O N A L
S R
A N D T U D E N T E A D I N G S
Fourth Edition
Gayle Feng-Checkett
St. Charles Community College
Lawrence Checkett
St. Charles Community College
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The Write Start: Sentences to Paragraphs © 2010, 2006 Wadsworth, Cengage Learning
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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 13 12 11 10 09
BRIEF CONTENTS
Detailed Contents v
Preface xiv
TO THE STUDENT
Getting Started 1
1. The Important Elements of Good Writing 1
PART ONE
Writing Effective Sentences 9
2. The Simple Sentence and the Independent
Clause 11
3. Linking Independent Clauses Using the Comma
and Coordinators 44
4. Combining Independent Clauses Using the
Semicolon 63
5. Combining Independent Clauses Using the
Adverbial Conjunction 70
6. Adding a List 82
7. The Dependent Clause 95
8. Adding Information to Sentences 103
PART TWO
Writing Effective Paragraphs 127
9. The Paragraph 133
10. Description 159
11. Narration 177
12. Using Examples 192
13. Classification 205
14. Process 219
iii
iv ■ BRIEF CONTENTS
15. Comparison and Contrast 233
16. Definition 249
17. Persuasion (Including Cause and Effect) 261
PART THREE
Writing Effective Essays 285
18. The Essay 287
The Writer’s Resources 311
Readings 415
Limited Answer Key 474
Glossary 480
Credits 483
Index 484
DETAILED CONTENTS
Preface xiv
TO THE STUDENT
Getting Started 1
Chapter 1
The Important Elements of Good Writing 1
Avoiding the Two Major Problems of Poor Writing 3
Understanding Good Versus Poor Writing 4
Good Writing: Four Misconceptions 4
Good Writing Doesn’t Have to Be Complicated 4
Good Writing Doesn’t Have to Be Long 5
Good Writing Is More Formal than Talking 5
Good Writing Needs Proper Punctuation 6
The Computer, Writing, and You 7
Chapter Self-Assessment Test 8
PART 1
Writing Effective Sentences 9
Chapter 2
The Simple Sentence and the Independent
Clause 11
The Subject 11
Nouns 11
Pronouns 12
Using Pronouns to Eliminate Repetition 12
Identifying Subjects 13
Subjects and Prepositional Phrases 16
The Verb 19
Action Verbs 19
Linking Verbs 22
Helping Verbs 24
Verb Tense (Time) 27
Compound Subjects 32
Compound Verbs 34
Correcting Sentence Fragments 36
Chapter Self-Assessment Test 43
v
vi ■ DETAILED CONTENTS
Chapter 3
Linking Independent Clauses Using the Comma
and Coordinators 44
Coordinating Conjunctions 44
Correcting Run-on and Comma Splice Sentences 55
Run-on 55
Comma Splice 56
Chapter Self-Assessment Test 62
Chapter 4
Combining Independent Clauses Using the
Semicolon 63
Chapter Self-Assessment Test 69
Chapter 5
Combining Independent Clauses Using the
Adverbial Conjunction 70
Putting It All Together 77
Chapter Self-Assessment Test 81
Chapter 6
Adding a List 82
Punctuating and Placing the List 83
Parallelism in a Series 85
Using a Colon to Add Sentence Variety 88
Chapter Self-Assessment Test 93
Chapter 7
The Dependent Clause 95
Independent versus Dependent Clauses 95
Punctuating Dependent Clauses 98
Chapter Self-Assessment Test 101
Chapter 8
Adding Information to Sentences 103
The Introductory Phrase 103
Introductory Phrase Variety 104
The Introductory Word 109
Punctuating the Introductory Word 110
When to Use Introductory Words 110
DETAILED CONTENTS ■ vii
Adding Interrupters to the Sentence 114
Putting It All Together: Sentence Combining to Improve
Paragraph Style 121
Chapter Self-Assessment Test 125
PART 2
Writing Effective Paragraphs 127
Prewriting Activities 128
Listing 128
Clustering (Mind Mapping) 129
Cubing 130
Cross-Examining 130
Brainstorming 131
Chapter 9
The Paragraph 133
The Topic Sentence 134
Support Sentences 139
Six Important Support Questions 139
Paragraph Unity 140
Paragraph Coherence 141
Logical Order of Events 142
Time Order 142
Space Order 142
Order of Ideas 143
Transitional Expressions 143
Key Concept Repetition 145
Substituting Pronouns for Key Nouns 145
Creating the Working Outline of a Paragraph 145
Writing the First Draft 148
Revising the First Draft 149
Proofreading: The Final Step 150
Topic Bank 156
Writing Opportunities 157
Home 157
School 157
Work 157
Chapter Self-Assessment Test 158
Chapter 10
Description 159
Types of Description 160
Dominant Impressions 160
viii ■ DETAILED CONTENTS
Sensory Images 162
Comparisons 164
Simile 164
Metaphor 164
Personification 164
A Ten-Step Process for Writing the Descriptive
Paragraph 170
Writing the Descriptive Paragraph 170
Example of the Ten-Step Process at Work 170
Topic Bank 174
Writing Opportunities 175
Home 175
School 175
Work 175
Chapter Self-Assessment Test 176
Chapter 11
Narration 177
The Point of the Story 178
Developing the Narrative Paragraph 179
Model Narrative Paragraphs 180
Transitional Expressions: Showing Time Sequence 181
Topic Bank 189
Writing Opportunities 190
Home 190
School 190
Work 190
Chapter Self-Assessment Test 191
Chapter 12
Using Examples 192
The Topic Sentence 193
Transitional Expressions: Introducing Examples 193
Using One Extended Example 199
Topic Bank 203
Writing Opportunities 203
Home 203
School 203
Work 203
Chapter Self-Assessment Test 204
