College English: The Basics (3 Revised edition)

College English: The Basics is intended for use in first-year college writing classes.

Accordingly, it focuses primarily on the academic essay, discussing several main modes of essay development, along with specialized applications such as essay exams, literary criticism, and research-based assignments.

But the book goes beyond this principal emphasis to provide coverage of workplace writing as well, reflecting an ongoing trend in composition textbooks published in recent years. In truth, College English is not just about the kind of writing done in college; it's more than that, equipping students to write well even after graduation, when they'll be called upon to communicate on the job.

There are clear-cut learning objectives, revision checklists, model documents, and helpful exercises, along with an appendix that identifies key strategies for developing an effective style and another that reviews the fundamentals of spelling, punctuation, and grammar. Short on theory, long on practical applications, and written in a simple, conversational style, College English is exceptionally user friendly, appropriate not only for recent high school graduates but also for returning adult students and other non-traditional leaners.

It's deliberately compact, but fully comprehensive enough for community colleges and four-year institutions as well.

This is a book that students can read and comprehend easily, without needless difficulty—a book from which they can actually learn.