Heath Grammar and Composition [antikvár]

To the StudentThis book is about communicationthe act of expressing yourself. Think of how much of your day is spent speaking with your family, friends, and many others in your school and community. Speaking, however, is only one means of communication. Writing is another. Writing clearly is an important skill. In today's world more and more businesses are using computers to communicate information. The written wordwhether displayed on a screen or printed on paperis the backbone of communication.The different units in this book have one main goal. That goal is to help you speak and write clearly. The first unit, on grammar, shows the structure of English and gives you choices for your speaking and writing. The next unit, on usage, explains ways to speak and write more clearly. The third unit, on mechanics, shows the importance of punctuation and capitalization in writing. The fourth, fifth, and sixth units show how to find, organize, and communicate your ideas in writing. The seventh unit gives important study tips and other language skills that you will need in school.The composition units in this book are unique. The chapters include all the help you need to understand and write different kinds of compositionsfrom single paragraphs through reports. Within chapters you are taken step by step through the four stages of the writing process. In the preventing stage, you choose and limit a subject and organize your ideas. In the writing stage, you learn how to write a draft based on your prewriting notes that includes a topic sentence and a concluding sentence. In the revising stage, you learn how to improve your work and to look at it from a reader's point of view. Finally, in the editing stage, you learn how to polish your work by applying what you have learned in the first three units.Going through these writing stages is like having someone steady you as you learn to ride a bike. If you are unsure of yourself, there are many helps, including practice exercises, models, and checklists. These will show you exactly what to do, how to do it, and when to do it. Following these stages in the writing process will help you write well in tomorrow's world.xvii