Course Match

Discovery: From Sentence to Paragraph, 4/e

BASIC APPROACH

(Note: This textbook was published by our college division for use by students at post-secondary institutions whose writing skills are below the level needed to succeed in college English. Please review this text carefully to ensure appropriateness of content for your students.)

Discovery focuses on helping students build sentence and paragraph writing skills through self and academic discovery, using a full-color design to pique student interest.

With its encouraging tone, careful explanations, and abundance of precisely sequenced and incrementally challenging exercise sets, Discovery enables students to view writing as a means of discovering more about themselves and their surroundings.

The book starts with an overview of the writing process, and special attention is given to prewriting and the development of topic and supporting sentences. Parts II through V provide lucid and well-illustrated explanations of basic sentence elements, grammar, punctuation, and mechanics. Part VI is a section of student and professional reading selections. This part includes an introduction to critical reading and comprehension and contains numerous writing exercises. An end-of-book appendix provides practical advice for ESL students who are learning English grammar and writing. Grammar, mechanics, and punctuation chapters conclude with chapter quick-checks that call upon students to use all the grammar and sentence skills learned in the chapter.

FEATURES

• Discovery offers a progression of exercises that begin on the comprehension level with practice of fundamental concepts. At the next level, "Challenge," the exercises focus on reflection, critical thinking, and invention and require short written responses. The exercises then proceed to "Discovering Connections" in which students are prompted to pre-write, draft, and revise.
• The attractive full-color design provides visual stimulation and emphasis for key concepts.
• "Moving from Paragraph to Essay" chapter introduces the process of creating multi-paragraph writings, tracing an essay through each stage of the writing process to include a transition to longer pieces of writing.
• Engaging and realistic writing samples model clear, effective writing as they illustrate all aspects of writing, grammar, and usage.
• Facsimile examples of all stages of the writing process, plus annotated papers, peer responses, and instructor's comments, provide a unique window into the writing process.
• Full-color charts throughout the text offer graphic representations of key relationships among elements of the writing process, parts of speech, and sentence elements.
• Spotlight pieces in Chapters 1 through 5 feature annotated student writing, modeling what students can achieve.
• Journal writing activities in each chapter provide an opportunity for discovery through writing.
• Extensive and comprehensive coverage of the areas of grammar and usage that most trouble student writers, including sentence fragments, comma splices, and run-on sentences; verb use; subject–verb agreement; spelling; pronoun–antecedent agreement; modifiers; subordination and coordination; and punctuation.
• Each chapter in Parts Two through Five is self-contained, allowing for broad flexibility in course design and presentation of material and leading to maximum learning.
• Numerous Comprehension and Practice exercises in each chapter call for a demonstration of understanding and application of the principles presented. Almost all are continuous discourse, that is, in BOLD paragraph form. This method of presentation underscores one of the guiding principles of the text: The elements of grammar and usage are a part of writing, not a separate system of rules. Working through these paragraphs, on a wide variety of engaging subjects, deepens understanding about the structure of effective topic sentences and support.
• Chapter Quick Checks and Summary Exercises, covering all the concepts presented in a chapter in a single exercise, appear in all chapters in Parts Two through Five.
• Chapter Recaps provide definitions of new terms in the chapter as well as visual summaries of key concepts.
• An anthology of seven professional and eight student readings (with seven of the readings newly chosen for this edition) provides opportunities for critical thinking and active reading as well as for discussion and writing.
• Discovering Connections through Reading activities follow each of the readings in Part Six. These activities include questions and writing assignments in reaction to the ideas presented in or raised by the readings.
• Appendix: Tips for ESL Writers presents additional grammar and usage tips for ESL students.

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