Part 1: CORRECTNESS

A Word About Correctness

Commonly Confused Words

One Word or Two?

Spelling

Capitalization

Abbreviations and Numbers

Apostrophes

Consistent Pronouns

I vs. Me, She vs. Her, He vs. Him, Who vs. Whom

Vague Pronouns

Recognizing Complete Sentences

Period or Comma? Run-on Sentences and Sentence Fragments

                    Feature: Using but, however, although

Commas

Semicolons

Colons

Dashes and Parentheses

Quotation Marks

Titles: Underlines, Italics or Quotation Marks

Verb Tenses

Shifting Verb Tenses

Verb Agreement

Word Endings: s and ed

Tangled Sentences

Part 2: PUTTING A PAPER TOGETHER

What to Do When You're Stuck

Addressing Your Audience

Writing a Thesis

Finding an Organization for Your Essay

Introductions

Paragraphs—Long and Short

Transitions

Incorporating Quotations

Conclusions

How to Make a Paper Longer (and When to Make It Shorter)

How to Work on a Second Draft

Shortcuts for “Word”

Proofreading Tips

Format of College Papers

Special Case: Writing in Class

Special Case: Writing About Literature

Part 3: THE RESEARCH PAPER

Seven Steps to a Research Paper

How to Conduct Research 

                    Feature: When You Find Too Few or Too Many Sources 

Getting Information Online and at the Library 

                    Feature: Sizing Up a Website 

Writing the Research Paper

                    Feature: PowerPoint Presentations 

Plagiarism (Cheating) 

What Is Documentation? 

                    Feature: Where to Find Specific Entries for

                    Works Cited, References, and Bibliography

Documentation: The MLA Style

Documentation: The APA Style

Documentation: The Chicago Style (Footnotes)

Part 4: STYLE

Keeping a Journal

Adding Details

Recognizing Clichés

Eliminating Offensive Language

Trimming Wordiness

Using Strong Verbs

Varying Your Sentences

Finding Your Voice

Postscript

A List of Valuable Sources

About the Authors

Troubleshooting Guide