Writing Today, 5th edition

Published by Pearson (March 6, 2024) © 2025

  • Richard Johnson-Sheehan Purdue University
  • Charles Paine University of New Mexico

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ISBN-13: 9780138061920 (2024 update)
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Writing Today is designed to teach you the genres and rhetorical strategies you will need to succeed in your advanced college courses, your career and your civic life. Current with evolving cultural and technological trends, the text will prepare you for the impact of artificial intelligence (AI), working in a multimodal environment (e.g., composing electronic texts and using visual and audio tools) and more. The authors provide clear instruction and visual cues with annotated models and practice to help you master key writing skills.

The 5th Edition reflects the emergence of AI tools, such as ChatGPT, including guidance on ethically using AI to assist with writing. Updates include enhanced coverage of citing sources, new readings and writing samples, and a new Part 3 focused on transferring communication skills from college to the workplace.

PART 1: GETTING STARTED

  1. Writing with Genres
  2. Topic, Angle, Purpose
  3. Readers, Contexts, and Rhetorical Situations
  4. Reading Critically, Thinking Analytically
  5. Reflecting Critically, Starting Your Portfolio

PART 2: GENRES FOR WRITING IN COLLEGE

  1. Literacy Narratives
  2. Memoirs
  3. Reviews
  4. Arguments
  5. Literary Analysis
  6. Rhetorical Analysis
  7. Written Exams and Assessments
  8. Research Papers

PART 3: GENRES FOR WRITING IN YOUR CAREER

  1. Profiles
  2. Explainers
  3. Photo Essays
  4. Proposals
  5. Research Reports
  6. Résumés and Application Letters

PART 4: DEVELOPING YOUR OWN WRITING PROCESS

  1. Prewriting and Inventing Your Ideas
  2. Organizing and Drafting
  3. Choosing a Style
  4. Designing Your Document
  5. Revising and Editing

PART 5: STRATEGIES FOR SHAPING IDEAS

  1. Developing Paragraphs and Sections
  2. Using Basic Rhetorical Patterns
  3. Using Argumentative Strategies
  4. Collaborating and Peer Response
  5. Presenting Your Work

PART 6: DOING RESEARCH

  1. Starting Your Research
  2. Finding Sources, and Collecting Evidence
  3. Citing, Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing Sources
  4. Using MLA Style
  5. Using APA Style

PREFACE FOR THE COREQUISITE SUPPORT WORKBOOK FOR WRITING TODAY

  1. Getting Your Edge
  2. Reading to Strengthen Your Writing
  3. Inventing Ideas Before You Write
  4. Writing a College Paper
  5. Writing Stronger Sentences
  6. Revising Paragraphs
  7. Doing Research and Citing It
  8. Fixing the Dirty Dozen Grammar Errors
  9. Punctuating Correctly

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