第一部分 写作基础：写作步骤和写作标准

1.Introduction

1.1 The Importance of Essay Writing

1.2 Levels of（American） College Student Essays

1.3 Common College Essay Assignments

1.4 The Aim and Organization of the Book

2.How to Generate Ideas：Planning

2.1 Find a Good Topic

2.2 Understand a Given Topic

2.3 Generate Ideas for a Topic

2.4 Get a Plan for Organization

2.5 Use Criteria to Form Strong Main Points

3.How to Organize Ideas：Drafting

3.1 Drafting versus Planning

3.2 Outlining before Drafting

3.3 Writing the Introduction

3.4 Writing Body Paragraphs

3.5 Writing the Conclusion

4.How to Polish Ideas：Revising

4.1 Be Willing to Make Changes

4.2 Understand Writing Standards：Unity，Coherence and Support

4.3 Revise for Better Focus and Organization

4.4 Revise for Better Coherence

4.5 Revise for Better Support

4.6 Revise for Grammatical Correctness

第二部分 分享写作

5.Sharing Experiences：Narrating

5.1 How to Plan for a Narrative

5.2 How to Organize a Narrative：Narrative Structure

5.3 How to Maintain a Clear Narrative Sequence

5.4 How to Establish a Credible Narrator and Point of View

5.5 How to Tell a Compelling Story

Student Essay The Kiss

Samuel H.Scudder “Take This Fish and Look at It”

Edgar Allan Poe The Tell-Tale Heart

6.Sharing Images and Impressions：Describing

6.1 Using Objective and Subjective Description

6.2 Describing with Sensory Details

6.3 Describing with Figurative Language

6.4 Creating Physical Image and Character Image

6.5 Creating Images with Dialogue and Example

William Spooner Donald Will Someone Please Hiccup My Pat？

Stephen Leacock My Discovery of England

7.Sharing Examples：Illustrating

7.1 Consider This Example

7.2 Illustrate a Point with Specific Examples

7.3 Illustrate a Point with Typical Examples

7.4 Use Both Types of Examples

John Leo No Books，Please； We’re Students

Samuel Johnson On the Art of Advertising

Stephen King Ever Et Raw Meat？

8.Sharing Ideas： Informing

8.1 Topics for an Informative Essay

8.2 How to Plan for an Informational Essay

8.3 How to Organize an Informative Essay

8.4 How to Make an Essay（More） Informative

Student Essay Attaining Success in College

Sherry Sweetnam How to Organize Your Thoughts for Better Communication

Jeanine Barone Surprising Super Foods

第三部分 认识写作

9.Understanding Causes and Effects：Analyzing

9.1 Understanding Analytical Skills：A Hypothetical Scenario

9.2 Defining“Analysis”

9.3 Analyzing for Effects

9.4 Analyzing for Causes

9.5 Writing about Both Effects and Causes

Student Essay Study Habit Blues

Jason Vest， Warren Cohen，and Mike Tharp Road Rage

10.Understanding Similarities and Differences：Comparing and Contrasting

10.1 Comparing for Similarities

10.2 Contrast for Differences

10.3 Comparing and Contrasting for a Real Purpose

Joseph Brant Indian Civilization vs.White Civilization

Sydney Harris The Difference between Winners and Whiners

Lewis Carroll Feeding the Mind

Karen Heller Is He Husband Material or a Boyfriend Kind of Guy？

11.Understanding Types：Classifying

11.1 How to Plan for a New Classification

11.2 How to Formulate Clear Categories

11.3 How to Use an Old Classification for a New Purpose

11.4 How to Organize a Classification Essay

Student Essay Cat Categories

Tom Bodett Dish Demeanor

Sigmund Freud Libidinal Types

Margot Mifflin The Ten Most Memorable Bores

12.Understanding Opinions：Arguing

12.1 The Need to Argue

12.2 How to Plan for an Argumentative Essay

12.3 How to Argue with a Credible Persona

12.4 How to Argue with Aristotle’s Three Appeals

12.5 How to Avoid Logic Fallacies when Arguing

Student Essay Let’s Drive Fifty-five

David Segal Excuuuse Me

Oliver Goldsmith National Prejudices

第四部分 探研写作

13.Exploring Literature

13.1 Understanding Literature

13.2 Two Methods of Literary Criticism： Explication and Analysis

13.3 Literary Forms：the Basics

13.4 What to Focus on When Analyzing a Novel

13.5 How to Organize an Essay on a Novel

Virginia Woolf What the Novelist Gives Us

D.H.Lawrence Why the Novel Matters

Mark Twain Extracts from Adam’s Diary

14.Exploring Research

14.1 Understanding Research

14.2 Conducting Empirical Research

14.3 Conducting Library and Internet Research

14.4 Writing the Research Paper

A Self-Testing Exercise on Source Use and MLA Documentation

Laura Holupka The Sun Also Rises： A Glimpse into the Life of Ernest Hemingway

Denise E.Macedo The Mysterious Love Life of Henry James

Jennifer Eriguel The Three Main Themes in Henry James’ Works

Answers and Explanations on the Self-Testing Exercise

Appendix 附录

Credits参考书目