Paige Wilson
With an amazing gift for explaining the basics of grammar, punctuation, and writing, Paige Wilson, Associate Professor at Pasadena City College, focuses on the vital structures of English, reinforcing fundamental concepts with an abundance of easy-to-follow exercises.

Quickly master English writing skills with THE LEAST YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT ENGLISH: WRITING SKILLS, FORM A, Eleventh Edition. Brief and uncomplicated, this text has helped students learn the basics of English writing for over thirty years with its clear, concise concept explanations and useful, relevant corresponding exercises. Topics include spelling, word choice, sentence structure, punctuation, paragraph and essay writing--as well as more advanced skills such as argumentation and quotation. Check your work easily with exercise answers located in the back of the book, making it an excellent writing resource even after the course has ended.

1. SPELLING AND WORD CHOICE.
What Is the Least You Should Know? How to Learn the Least You Should Know. The Importance of a Good Dictionary. Your Own List of Misspelled Words. Words That Can Be Broken into Parts. Guidelines for Doubling a Final Letter. Words Often Confused (Set 1). Words Often Confused (Set 2). The Eight Parts of Speech. Adjectives and Adverbs. Contractions. Possessives.
2. SENTENCE STRUCTURE.
Finding Subjects and Verbs. Locating Prepositional Phrases. Understanding Dependent Clauses. Correcting Fragments. Correcting Run-on Sentences. Identifying Verb Phrases. Using Standard English Verbs. Using Regular and Irregular Verbs. Maintaining Subject-Verb Agreement. Avoiding Shifts in Time. Recognizing Verbal Phrases. Correcting Misplaced or Dangling Modifiers. Following Sentence Patterns. Avoiding Clichés, Awkward Phrasing, and Wordiness. Correcting for Parallel Structure. Using Pronouns. Avoiding Shifts in Person.
3. PUNCTUATION AND CAPITAL LETTERS.
Period, Question Mark, Exclamation Point, Semicolon, Colon, Dash. Comma Rules 1, 2, and 3. Comma Rules 4, 5, and 6. Quotation Marks and Underlining/Italics. Capital Letters.
4. WRITING.
What Is the Least You Should Know about Writing? Writing as Structure. First-Person and Third-Person Approaches. Basic Structures. I. The Paragraph: Defining a Paragraph. Types of Paragraphs. Sample Paragraphs in an Essay. Sample of a Single-Paragraph Assignment.
II. The Essay: The Five-Paragraph Essay and Beyond. Defining an Essay. A Sample Essay. Writing Skills. III. Writing in Your Own Voice: Narration. A Sample Essay. Description.
IV. Finding a Topic: Look to Your Interests. Focused Free Writing (or Brainstorming). Clustering. Talking with Other Students. V. Organizing Ideas: Thesis Statements. Organizing an Essay. Topic Sentences. Organizing Body Paragraphs (or Single Paragraphs). Transitional Expressions. VI. Supporting with Details: Types of Support. A Sample Final Draft. VII. Choosing and Using Quotations: Choosing Quotations. Using Quotations. Signal Phrases and Punctuation. A Sample Paragraph Using Quotations. Guidelines for Including Quotations. VIII. Writing an Argument: Taking a Stand and Proving Your Point. A Sample Argument. Three Requirements of a Strong Written Argument. Reading Longer, More Challenging Works. IX. Writing Summaries: A Sample Reading. A Sample Summary. Summary Checklist. X. Revising, Proofreading, and Presenting Your Work: A Sample Rough Draft. Revision Checklist. Exchanging Papers (Peer Evaluations), Proofreading Aloud. Presenting Your Work. Paper Formats. Titles.
Answers.
Index.