For Freshman-level writing courses, such as Freshman Composition, English Composition, First-Year Writing, Expository Writing, or any course where students need help with the writing.     This widely acclaimed handbook provides students with the most focus on critical thinking, writing process, particularly revision, and writing across the curriculum.   The fifth edition of The Blair Handbook is the clearest and most accessible edition yet. It continues to explain and illustrate the qualities of good writing and the logic behind conventions of grammar, spelling, punctuation, and usage. And it continues to insist that good writing results from imaginative composing, careful revising, and editing. At the same time, the new edition adds coverage of visual rhetoric, public forms of discourse, Writing Across the Curriculum, and writing for the world of work.  

Table of Contents:
PART  1 Reading and Writing in College    1 Why Writing Matters   a What is difficult about writing?  b What do you enjoy about writing?   c What surprises are in store?   d Why is writing important?   e What can you learn from the experience of others?   f   What else do you want to know about writing?     2  Reading Texts Critically   a Reading to understand b Reading critically     3  Reading Images Critically   a The elements of composition   b Words   c Color   d Images of persuasion   4  The Writing Process   a   Describing writing as a process   b   Planning c   Composing d   Revising   e   Researching   f Editing   g   English as a second language       PART 2 Planning a Writing Project   5  Analyzing the Rhetorical Situation   a   Knowing the purpose   b   Addressing audiences   c   Understanding the situation   d   Adopting a voice     6  Keeping Journals   a   Understanding journals   b   Keeping journals in college   c   Suggestions for using journals     7  Strategies for Invention and Discovery   a   Brainstorming   b   Freewriting   c   Looping   d   Asking reporters’ questions   e   Outlining   f  Clustering   g   Talking        PART  3 Composing   8 Writing from Experience   a   Character   b   Subject   c Perspective   d   Setting   e   Sequence of events   f Theme   g   Sample student essay     9 Writing to Explain   a   Topic   b   Thesis   c   Strategies   d   Organization   e   Neutral perspective   f Sample student essay     10 Arguing and Persuading   a   Elements of argument   b   Issue   c   Analysis   d   Position   e   Argument   f Organization   g   Sample student essay     11 Writing About Literature   a   Interpretive essays   b   Exploring texts   c Interpretive communities   d   Interpretations   e   Different literary genres   f Sample student essay     12 Writing Creative Nonfiction  a   Lists   b   Snapshots   c   Playful sentences   d   Repetition/refrain   e   Double voice     13 Writing Essay Examinations   a   Understanding questions   b   Writing good answers        PART  4 Revising   14 The Revising Process   a Understanding revising   b Planning   c Revising strategies     15 Focused Revising   a Limiting   b Adding   c Switching   d Transforming   e Experimenting     16  Responding to Writing and Peer Review   a Asking for help   b   Giving responses   c Writing responses   d Responding through conferences   e Responding in writing groups       PART  5 Presenting and Publishing     17 Designing Documents   a   Objectives of design   b   Layout   c Typography   d Graphics   e Illustrations     18 Writing for the Internet  a Writing for the Web   b   E-mail, newsgroups, and instant messages   c Weblogs     19 Writing for the World   a Reports b Pamphlets and brochures c Newsletters   d Press releases   e Advocacy      20 Portfolios and Publishing Class Books  a Writing portfolios   b Course portfolios   c Story portfolios   d Publishing class books     21 Making Oral Presentations  a   The assignment   b   Speaking texts   c   Speaking in public   d   Creative options       PART 6  Writing with Research      22 Writing Research Papers   a Understanding research   b    Working with a thesis   c Keeping a research log   d Finding your way     23 Conducting Library Research   a Planning library research   b Finding sources of information   c Taking notes     24 Conducting Internet Research  a Search engines   b Limiting your search   c Search strategies   d E-mail, lists, and newsgroups     25 Conducting Field Research  a   Planning   b   Interviewing   c Surveying   d   Observing     26 Evaluating Research Sources   a Evaluating library sources   b Evaluating Internet sources   c Evaluating field sources     27 Using Research Sources   a Controlling sources b Organizing sources   c Integrating information   d Paraphrasing and summarizing   e Incorporating visual images     28 Avoiding Plagiarism   a What plagiarism is  b What plagiarism is not c Recognizing and avoiding plagiarism       PART  7 Writing in the Disciplines      29 Understanding the College Curriculum   a   Differences among disciplines   b   Similarities among disciplines     30 MLA: Writing in Languages and Literature   a   Aims   b   Style   c   Writing about texts   d   MLA style: Documenting sources   e   Conventions for list of Works Cited   f   Sample MLA research paper     31 APA: Writing in the Social Sciences   a   Aims   b   Style   c   Writing about texts   d   APA style: Documenting sources   e   Sample APA research paper     32 CMS: Writing in the Humanities  a   Aims   b   Style   c   Writing about texts   d   CMS style: Documenting sources   e   Sample page with endnotes    f Sample page with footnotes     33 Writing in the Physical Sciences   a   Aims   b   Style   c   Writing about texts   d   Number systems: Documenting sources     34 Writing in Business   a   Aims   b   Style   c   Common forms of writing in business   d   Documentation and format conventions       PART  8 Editing     EDITING FOR EFFECTIVENESS     35 The Editing Process   a   Editing techniques   b   The meaning of “error”   c   Working with others   d   Editing on a computer e   Proofreading   f    Editing when English is your second language  g   Using Part Eight     36 Shaping Paragraphs  a   Unity   b   Organization   c   Coherence     37 Improving Openings and Conclusions   a   Engaging openings   b   Strong openings   c   Satisfying conclusions   d   Strong conclusions     38 Strengthening Sentences   a   Coordinating ideas   b   Using subordination   c   Using parallelism     39 Creating Emphasis and Variety   a   First and final positions   b   Sentence length   c   Sentence types   d   Sentence openings   e   Deliberate repetition   f    Elliptical constructions     40 Building Vital Sentences   a   Concrete, specific nouns   b   Strong verbs   c   Active or passive voice   d   Vital modifiers     41 Being Concise  a   Vague generalities   b   Idle words   c   Simplifying grammatical constructions   d   Redundancy   e   Pretentious language   f Euphemism     42 Adjusting tone   a   Appropriate tone   b   Point of view   c   Level of formality   d   Consistent tone     43 Choosing the Right Word   a   The history of English  b   Using the dictionary and thesaurus   c   Expanding your vocabulary   d   Connotations   e   Confusing words   f   Prepositions and particles   g   Slang, regionalisms, and jargon   h   Figurative language   i Cliches      44 Eliminating Biased Language   a   Stereotypes   b   Labels   c   Nonsexist language     GRAMMAR    45  Eliminating Sentence Fragments   a  Fragments lacking subjects or verbs   b  Dependent clause fragments   c  Fragments for special effects     46  Fixing Fused Sentences and Comma Splices   a  Comma and a coordinating conjunction   b  Adding a semicolon   c  Colon   d  Separate sentences   e  Subordinating one clause   f   Creating independent clauses     47  Using Verbs Correctly   a  Understanding forms   b  Standard verb forms   c  Auxiliary verbs   d  Understanding tense   e  Appropriate sequence   f   Understanding mood   g  Subjunctive mood   h  Agreement   i   Intervening words   j   Subject following verb   k  Linking verbs   l   Making verbs agree with subjects joined by and   m  Or, nor n  Collective nouns   o  Indefinite pronouns   p Who, which, that   q  Amounts   r   Noun phrases and clauses s  Titles, words used as words   t   Subjects ending in -s   u  Troublesome plurals     48 Using Modifiers Correctly  a   Adjectives or adverbs   b   After linking verbs   c   Confusing modifiers   d   Double negatives   e   Comparatives and superlatives   f Placing modifiers   g   Dangling modifiers   h   Disruptive modifiers     49 Using Pronouns Correctly   a   Clear antecedents   b   Explicit antecedents   c It, they, you   d   Who, which, that   e   Unneeded pronouns   f Agreement   g   Joined by and h   Joined by or, nor   i Collective nouns   j Indefinite antecedents   k   Choosing case   l    And, or, nor   m  Appositive pronouns   n   Us, we o  Verbals   p  Than, as   q  Who, whom   r   Reflexive pronouns     50 Consistent and Complete Sentences  a   Unnecessary shifts   b   Mixed constructions   c   Missing words     PUNCTUATION   51 End Punctuation a   Periods   b   Question marks   c   Exclamation points     52 Commas  a   Coordinating conjunctions   b   Introductory elements   c   Nonrestrictive elements   d   Parenthetical expressions and elements of contrast   e   Tag sentences, direct address, and interjections   f Items in a series   g   Coordinate adjectives   h   Quotations   i Numbers, dates, names, and places   j To prevent misreading   k   Misuse     53 Semicolons   a   Between independent clauses   b   In a series     54 Colons a   Marks of introduction   b   Marks of separation     55 Apostrophes  a   Possessive nouns and indefinite pronouns   b   Plurals of words used as words, letters, numbers, and symbols   c   Omission of letters     56 Quotation Marks   a   Direct quotations   b   Dialogue   c   Titles   d   Translations, special terms, irony, and nicknames   e   With other punctuation     57 Other Punctuation  a   Parentheses   b   Dashes   c   Ellipsis points   d   Brackets   e   Slashes     MECHANICS    58 Spelling   a   Confusing words   b   Spelling rules     59 Capitalization a   First word of a sentence   b   Quotations and lines of poetry   c   Proper nouns   d   Titles   60 Hyphenation  a   Ends of lines   b   Prefixes   c   Compound words   d   Numbers, fractions, and units of measure     61 Italics  a   Titles   b   Individual trains, ships, airplanes, and spacecraft   c   For emphasis d   Words, numerals, and letters used as words   e Foreign words     62 Numbers and Abbreviations  a   Figures and words   b   Conventional uses   c   In nontechnical terms   d   Titles and degrees   e   Time, dates, amounts, and symbols   f Geographic names   g   Latin terms   h   Initials and acronyms       PART  9 Glossaries     63 Glossary of Terms   64 Glossary of Usage     CREDITS ESL INDEX INDEX