The Second Chance Writing Book
What would happen if writing were taught without all the gobbledygook language teachers and textbooks use? What if words and phrases like predicate modifier, subordinating conjunction, conjunctive adverb, relative clause, and pronoun antecedent were banished from instruction?
Textbooks for teaching writing skills often confuse with unfamiliar and vague terminology, illogical definitions, and awkward labeling. Students struggle to understand what is meant when a sentence is defined as "a group of words expressing a complete thought." What exactly is a "complete thought"? They cannot see the difference between an expository paragraph and a descriptive paragraph, and they are sorely disillusioned when they discover sentences that are only one word, paragraphs without topic sentences, and essays that persuade, describe, and explain all at the same time. Textbooks set rules and then break the rules themselves.
The Second Chance Writing Book by Frances Caldwell eliminates all those writing rules that defy logic. Both a textbook and a workbook, it breaks writing into small packages with suggestions for combining words into sentences, sentences into paragraphs, and paragraphs into essays. These strategies are easy to perform, and they make perfect sense. Dozens of worksheets with answer keys and examples are provided as well as writing assignments and the rare opportunity to have papers critiqued over the web by the author herself (order consultation option). In the end, students will be writing complete, polished essays.
Writing students can use this workbook as an independent study, or they can use it in a group, enlisting peers and teachers as helpers
Table of Contents
Build It!
The Sentence
The Paragraph
The Essay
Decorate It!
Revision: Word Choice,
Redundancy, Deadwood, Sensory Details
Polish It!
Common errors to avoid:
Grammar
Punctuation
Capitalization
Spelling
Word Usage
Answer Keys with Explanations
Sample Essays