Part One: Effective Writing

1 Learning Sentence Skills

2 A Brief Guide to Effective Writing

Why Does Your Attitude toward Writing Matter?

What Is a Paragraph?

What Are the Goals of Effective Writing?

How Do You Reach the Goals of Effective Writing?

What Is an Essay?

What Are the Parts of an Essay?

How Can a Computer Help?

3 Practice in Effective Writing

Part Two: Sentence Skills

Section 1: Sentences

4 Subjects and Verbs

5 Fragments

6 Run-Ons

7 Sentence Variety I

Section 2: Verbs, Pronouns and Agreement

8 Standard English Verbs

9 Irregular Verbs

10 Subject-Verb Agreement

11 Consistent Verb Tense

12 Additional Information about Verbs

13 Pronoun Reference, Agreement, and Point of View

14 Pronoun Types

Section 3: Modifiers and Parallelism

15 Adjectives and Adverbs

16 Misplaced Modifiers

17 Dangling Modifiers

18 Faulty Parallelism

19 Sentence Variety II

Section 4: Punctuation and Mechanics

20 Paper Format

21 Capital Letters

22 Numbers and Abbreviations

23 End Marks

24 Apostrophe

25 Quotation Marks

26 Comma

27 Other Punctuation Marks

Section 5: Word Use

28 Dictionary Use

29 Spelling Improvement

30 Omitted Words and Letters

31 Commonly Confused Words

32 Effective Word Choice

Part Three: Reinforcement of the Skills

Mastery Tests

Subjects and Verbs

Fragments

Run-Ons

Sentence Variety I

Standard English Verbs

Irregular Verbs

Subject-Verb Agreement

Consistent Verb Tense

Pronoun Reference, Agreement, and Point of View

Pronoun Types

Adjectives and Adverbs

Misplaced Modifiers

Dangling Modifiers

Faulty Parallelism

Sentence Variety II

Capital Letters

Numbers and Abbreviations

End Marks

Apostrophe

Quotation Marks

Comma

Other Punctuation Marks

Dictionary Use

Spelling Improvement

Omitted Words and Letters

Commonly Confused Words

Effective Word Choice

Combined Mastery Tests

Fragments and Run-Ons

Verbs

Pronouns

Faulty Modifiers and Parallelism

Capital Letters and Punctuation

Word Use

Editing and Proofreading Tests

Test 1: Fragments

Test 2: Fragments

Test 3: Run-Ons (Fused Sentences)

Test 4: Run-Ons (Comma Splices)

Test 5: Standard English Verbs

Test 6: Irregular Verbs

Test 7: Faulty Parallelism

Test 8: Capital Letters

Test 9: Apostrophes

Test 10: Quotation Marks

Test 11: Commas

Test 12: Commonly Confused Words

Combined Editing Tests

Part Four: Readings for Writing

Introduction to the Readings

A Change of Attitude, Grant Berry

Do It Better!, Ben Carson, M.D., with Cecil Murphey

Lost Years, Found Dreams, Regina Ruiz

Papa, Leo Buscaglia

Let’s Get Specific, Beth Johnson

All the Good Things, Sister Helen Mrosla

Responsibility, M. Scott Peck

A Small Victory, Steve Lopez

The Most Hateful Words, Amy Tan

My Daughter Smokes, Alice Walker

Appendixes

A. Parts of Speech

B. ESL Pointers

C. Sentence-Skills Diagnostic Test

D. Sentence-Skills Achievement Test

E. Answers to Introductory Activities and Practice Exercises in Part Two

F. Progress Charts

Acknowledgements

Index

Correction Symbols