From the Publisher
Preface
Acknowledgements
1. Write Now: Start, Develop, Revise
Where to Start
Examples of Freewriting
Two Composition Approaches
Beginning with Storytelling
- "The Stovepipe Hole" by Elizabeth Clark
- "Cell Phone" by Peter
Palladini
Academic Writing
Revision
Types of Editing
How and Where to Edit
Chapter Summary
Further Readings
2. Economy
The Morality of Wordiness
Forms of Wordiness
Editing Wordiness in Academic Writing
Peer Models for Emulation
- "My Mom and
Bramalea" by Julie Michelangelo
- "The Pet Owner's Burden" by Emilia Di Luca
Chapter Summary
Further Readings
3. Strong Verbs
Concrete Verbs
Less-than-Concrete Verbs
Abstract Verbs
The Greater Consequences of Dead Verbs
Academic Writing and Strong
Verbs
Final Thoughts
Peer Models for Emulation
- "Going to Chinese School" by Jennifer Lee
- "Stealing Spirituality: The Non-Native Use of Native American Spirit Guides" by Graeme Scallion
Chapter Summary
Further Readings
4. Active Voice
Word Order
Active
Voice
Passive Voice
The Morality of Passive Voice
The Permanence of Passive in Various Fields
Is it Ever Okay to Use Passive?
Academic Writing and Active Voice
Final Thoughts on Active and Passive
Peer Models for Emulation
- "Jafar Uncle's Chocolates" by Nabila
Rizvi
- "A Flourishing of Humans" by Sara Menuck
Chapter Summary
Further Readings
5. Strong Nouns
The Problem of Pronouns
Examples of Unclear Pronouns
Pronouns and Repetition
The Morality of Unclear Pronouns
Inclusive Pronouns
Subject-Verb
Agreement
Adjective-Pronoun Agreement
Academic Writing, Strong Nouns, and Vague Pronouns
Final Thoughts on Nouns and Pronouns
Peer Models for Emulation
- "Two Weeks at Notre Dame Hospital" by Eric Ramadi
- "Tobacco Cigarettes as a Cause of Urinary Bladder Cancer" by
Elizabeth Dancey
Chapter Summary
Further Readings
6. Original Language
Examples of Clichés
Why Would Any Writer Use Clichés?
Is it Ever Okay to Use a Cliché?
Original Phrasing
Fresh Figurative Language
Academic Writing and Original Language
Final
Thoughts on Figurative Language and Originality
Peer Models for Examination
- "Christine" by Adam Giles
- "Financial Hardship among Former Professional Athletes and Its Contributing Factors" by Taylor Lush
Chapter Summary
Further Readings
7. Parallelism
The
Grammar Behind Parallelism
Surface and Under-the-Surface Parallelism
Single-Element Parallelism: Part I
Single-Element Parallelism: Part II
Multiple-Element Parallelism
Academic Writing and Parallelism
Interview-based Articles
Doing the Interview
The Questioner and
the Listener
Writing Interviews
Peer Models for Emulation
- "Two Hard Years" by Joyce Ong
- "Solace in Obsolescence: Vinyl in the Age of Free Music" by Nicole Brewer
Chapter Summary
Further Readings
8. Sentence Variation and Sound
Sentence Patterns
Short
Sentences
Long Sentences
Variation of Long and Short for Effect
Academic Writing and Sentence Variation
Sound
Personal Essays
The Power of the Personal Essay
Writer as Cultural Observer
Writer as Activist
Personal Essays and the Truth
Three Rhetorical
Elements
Peer Model Writing for Emulation
- "I Wear My Too-black Skin with Pride" by Petura Burrows
- "Saints and Monsters: The Psychology of Altruism and Malice" by Nick Zabara
Chapter Summary
Further Readings
Appendix: Research and
Citations
Glossary
Credits
Works Cited
Index
Instructor's Manual:
For each chapter:
Chapter overview
Learning objectives
Key concepts/terms
Rhetorical analysis of peer writing models
Suggestions for discussion or debate
In-class assignments or group activities
Sample course outlines
Additional
resources (Further readings, web links)
Student Study Guide:
Documentation guidelines
Audio podcasts by Duncan Koerber
E-Book (ISBN 9780199014507)
Available through CourseSmart.com
Duncan Koerber teaches in the Professional Writing Program at York University. He is the founder of Mediahistory.ca, a bibliographic database for the growing academic field of media history in Canada.
Guy Allen is the program coordinator for the Professional Writing and
Communication Program at the University of Toronto. He has won three university-wide teaching awards and the 3M National Teaching Fellowship. He also co-founded Life Rattle Press, a non-profit publisher of narrative literature.
Essay Do's and Don'ts - Lucia Engkent and Garry Engkent
Practical Grammar - Maxine Ruvinsky
Writing with Style - Heather Pyrcz
Practical Writing - Maxine Ruvinsky
The Empowered Writer - Kathleen M. Moran and Eric Henderson
Writing by Choice - Eric Henderson
The Canadian Writer's Handbook - William E. Messenger, Jan de Bruyn, Judy Brown and Ramona Montagnes
The Concise Canadian Writer's Handbook - The late William E. Messenger, Jan de Bruyn, The late Judy Brown and Ramona Montagnes
The Canadian Writer's Handbook - The late William E. Messenger, Jan de Bruyn, The late Judy Brown and Ramona Montagnes
Making Sense - Margot Northey
