This page intentionally left blank

How to Use This Book

P ractice Makes Perfect: Mastering Writing is divided into four parts that concen-
trate on writing skills, from developing ideas to proofreading. The book
includes exercises and worksheets. An answer key for the worksheets is included at
the end of the book.

Part 1 “Finding and Developing Ideas for Writing” begins with the understand-
ing that solid ideas are the foundation of good writing. Ideas are everywhere, and
you simply need to learn how to identify and develop ideas for your writing. This
part of the book includes information on idea development, six exercises, and a hun-
dred reproducible worksheets designed to help you develop material for writing.
The worksheets are broken down into seven sections: “Personally Speaking,”
“Friends,” “School,” “Out and About,” “At Your Leisure,” “Sports and Play,” and
“Weird, Strange, and Unbelievable.” Each worksheet, which serves as a prewriting
activity, offers a topic and guidelines you can use to explore and develop the topic.

Part 2 “Writing the Draft” focuses on skills that will help you to write with com-
petence and confidence. Along with information on the characteristics of good writ-
ing, fifteen exercises and twenty-two worksheets address topics such as using proper
sentence structure; combining and varying sentences; constructing paragraphs;
using active constructions, strong verbs, and effective transitions; and choosing a
point of view.

Part 3 “Revision” focuses on skills and methods necessary for revising your writ-
ing. Three exercises, some “Guidelines for Revision,” and twenty-five worksheets
are included. Worksheets, which include both fiction and nonfiction, show you the
types of weak composition that can slip into your own writing. You are required to
identify and revise the weaknesses on the worksheets.

Part 4 “Proofreading” examines the skills and methods necessary for proofread-
ing your writing. Three exercises, some “Guidelines for Proofreading,” and twenty-
five worksheets are included in this part of the book. The worksheets, both fiction
and nonfiction, present you with the errors in mechanics you will find in your own

xvii