Customer Reviews

Keys for Writers: A Brief Handbook (English Composition College)

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Like a lot of college writing guides on the market, Keys for Writers has a convenient, small format and subject tabs that make finding the information you need easy. It's the only guide I know of, though, that packs in all the writing know-how you'll need in college, grad school, and at the start of your career.

Anyone can use the brainstorming and organizing tips this book gives you to jump-start a writing assignment. Most writing books lead you through the writing process just as well as this one does, but when it comes to the final draft, most don't go further than style hints and information on what size margins to use. Keys for Writers does much more: it teaches you to write and format everything from argumentative essays, lab reports and writing journals to business letters and resumes, with whole chapters devoted to Chicago and APA formats. Non-native English speakers will also find a chapter specifically designed to help them write--and it covers different cultures' approaches to writing in as much depth as grammar and vocabulary. Sidebars and boxes in every chapter give students valuable information on the writing process, covering everything from common spelling mistakes to how to find their own voice and the different approaches to take in different types of writing (literary, scientific, business...)

Definitely a good buy!

I have to look at dozens of these books every semester, and frankly mostly of them are less that impressive. Most lack organization or detail that make them useful or user friendly.

This is one of the few books that I find myself referring to and recommending repeatedly. Students from 16-60 tell me that this books is easy to follow. The book is well organized, clear, and consistent. For instance, if you need to find out how to do a Works Cited Page, this book walks you through it in a nearly fool-proof example.

After using this book for awhile, I found not only did I prefer using it, but I didn't have to keep explaining to my students how to do basic writing skills. I would tell them where to find something and they would pick it up.

Besides basic research information there are a number of tips on writing, structure, and organizing that my students have found helpful. It might be silly, but one of the things I like best about this book is it is small, ring bound, and is tabbed to its major parts. It seems someone finally figured out the key to a good writing reference guide is "easy access".

This is a good reference for students to have when learning, or relearning, grammar and writing skills. The first part of the book discusses the writing process, documentation styles, and research. The second part goes into the mechanics of punctuation and grammar. In this latter part is a section devoted to ESL/multilingual writers, which points out various pitfalls in the English language.

As an instructor, my disappointment is that I can not use this book on its own for grammar and punctuation drills. There are no exercises in this book, although I believe there is an exercise book, which can be purchased separately.

From my students, I have found that students with a stronger grasp of grammar were not as fond of this book as those students who were struggling with grammar.

Although not my favorite handbook, this one is quite serviceable.

Keys for writers written by Ann Raimes, is useful reference book for students and scholars of all ages. Hitting on almost all major points of writing today, this book helps with everything from the documentation, grammar, and style. Being written very recently also allows the reader to use the handbook to research things such as how to site a website, website design, and even an area about online discussions. Raimes also goes into an area about multilingual writers. This is very helpful especially when attending a college that a majority of the people do not use English for their first language. Tips for these people on writing are easy to find and follow. Raimes hits many points throughout the whole book making it one of the best reference books for English that I have seen in a long time.

One of the hardest assignments in any age of schooling today is a research paper. There is a certain format that one must follow and many rules on how exactly to write the paper. This handbook helps students in these areas like research, documentation (both APA and MLA), and also punctuation and mechanics. Particularly on pages 125 through 158 I found great examples of documentation using the MLA format, in all types of ways. It is much easier to see an example written as Raimes has done, then to just be given a format. She even goes through how to document one or more authors, speeches and lectures, and translated books. Some of these things I never even knew existed. Many students, myself included find research very hard sometimes. Sure anyone can go onto the Internet type the main words of your search, but what do you do when 143,000 different references come up and which of these references are acceptable to use? On pages 72 through 120 Raimes gives specific examples of what kind of reference to use and where even to find these references. What makes it even nicer is that she breaks down her sources into subject so you can search quickly and efficiently. Research papers, including the one that I have due in December will be much easier to write with the help of this book.

Many students do not even know what style means when it comes to writing. I would bet that some thing that style only means the type of cloths you wear. Raimes goes into style very thoroughly. She even hits some great points with her table on the "Five C's of Style," on page 249. This table guides a writer with a series of questions to ask yourself before, after, and during the writing of a paper to keep your thoughts in order. Thoughts such as "is my paper wordy or repetitive," "could any of my language offend the reader," and "am I staying connected throughout the whole piece and not jumping from thought to thought without any transitions." These are often points that a writer overlooks and needs go through every time a paper is written. Hitting on the style aspect as well is the sentence structure through out a paper. Many times a writer will use the same word to start each sentence or misuse pronouns and verbs. This problem is helped in the "Common Sentence Problems" and the "Punctuation, Spelling, and Mechanics" areas of the handbook. These two sections go through some basic points and aspects of writing. Just as any other sport or hobby one must master the basics before becoming really good at what they do, and this is what Raimes hits on perfectly. She tells the writer to go with their ideas, but do not forget these basic rules and format that one must follow in the writing of any paper.

Some aspects of the book, not on a structure level that I found to be very good are the price and make up of the book. A book only costing around forty to fifty dollars that is going to get this much use throughout the years of high school, college, and beyond is almost impossible to find these days. I feel that the price was very reasonable and probably was the only book that I purchased the semester without cringing while reaching my hands into my pocket. Also the spiral binding makes it easy for a writer to flip through and keep open on one's desk while writing. The tabs for easy to find aspects and the small make up of the book make it great to carry around in a students backpack without weighing it down. If I had to bring up some negative points of the book I would say that Raimes does not give any exercises for one to practice the skills she is teaching and also a supplemental CD format for the computer would have been helpful. Many students today like to pop in a CD and sit on the computer to go through something. As a whole though I found Raimes' book to be very informative and helpful in my writing process and plan to keep this book very many years to come!

Ann Raimes' Keys for Writers is a comprehensive, clever, well-coordinated tool for learning and teaching. As a student, I have been through numerous English courses with substandard textbooks. The information within this handbook is valuable and effective for anyone from beginning to advanced writers. Like anything in an imperfect world, the book does have its deficiencies and drawbacks however. Judging from past writing books and what I have learned thus far from this book, it has demonstrated to be the most informative, handy, and efficient. This high praise is due to Keys for Writers's convenient layout, simple maneuverability, constructive teachings, and trouble-free comprehension.
First off, allow me to run through the books few, minor weaknesses. My initial criticism was the spiral binding. I have had the book for merely seven weeks and already pages have begun to tear at the binding. This approach was a poor decision since it weakens the book, which usually goes through a rough life of being tossed, squashed, and bent. Also, there is a lack of pictures. It's understandable that it may be difficult to utilize visuals in an English text, but the primary purpose is to offer an interesting example. This is a very effectual method of keeping the consumer's attention. Another downside, at least from a teacher's standpoint, is the missing exercises and problems. Coming from a student's perspective however, I am not complaining at all! Keys for Writers has minimal flaws, which adds to its credibility as a fine textbook.
The book's traditional arrangement with unique advancements allow for rather uncomplicated navigation. With a flip of the cover, you are encountered by a general directory to what lies ahead. The book is first broken up into two categories: the "Writing Process" and "Sentence-Level Issues". It further divides the text into ten separate sections and specifies the pages of each main idea within the divisions. On the right hand side of the pages there are tabs identifying where each of these sections begins. This is distinctive feature that most books don't have provides for the simple navigation. The book is concluded with an extensive index followed by the table of contents. Conventionally the table of contents is found in the introduction of books, but this poses no threat to this one's worthiness.
The information Ann Raimes poured into her book is extremely practical and beneficial. There is an entire section devoted to teaching the MLA documentation style. She keeps each way of documenting a source short and sweet, but all of them are backed with a helpful example. This section is proceeded by one dedicated to the other types of documentation including APA, CBE, Chicago, and CGOS. What I found most helpful was the tips on evaluating who your audience is and overcoming the notorious writer's block. These are located in the first section which I feel is very necessary. Keys for Writers covers writing critically, essay exams, oral and lab reports, and business letters. It even touches on technological issues including e-mails, web site designs, visuals, and PowerPoint. Additionally, there is a portion that teaches the reader how to perform and evaluate research. This happens to be the first book I have come across to even mention this in detail. And this book has an entire chapter covering it. The majority of the second half of the text contributes the grammar portion. I thought I had learned all there is to know about grammar, but I was proven wrong. Being a somewhat experienced writer I was surprised how I still picked up things that I was unaware of. Furthermore, the glossary is complete and comes in hand often. The language used within the definitions is easy to read which lets you gain a better understanding.
Perhaps the cleverest of the book's construction is the multilingual section or the KeyTabs. Near the end of the text, Ann Raimes put together a piece that is principally aimed at multilingual students. This clears up most difficulties or misunderstandings that foreigners may have with the English language. This was an ingenious move by Raimes as these foreigners usually get overlooked and unaccounted for. The unique KeyTabs are included side notes that the consumer can use to mark a page or make a memo on. They are located in the rear of the book but are removable and can be placed wherever desired due to the binding. This lets one personalize their book and gives a quick reference if needed.
Overall, Keys for Writers establishes itself as a very commendable textbook that provides valuable information for a variety of consumers. From novice to developed writers, this book easily allows the student to learn. It is well worth the forty-five dollars you'll spend on a new edition of it. To teachers - lesson plans will be effortless to develop with the aid of this book and your students will greatly benefit for it. To students - this book will assist you and increase your chances at succeeding in your English course. It is strongly recommended by many others and me to purchase Keys for Writers.

Ann Raimes has successfully blended grammatical construction, error correction methods, and easy usage into a 6x8 ring-bound writer's handbook. It is fascinating how, in one book, entry level college writers, graduate writers, and even multilingual writers can learn to write with poise, insight and comfort, successfully. Everything from writer's block to punctuation is addressed. In fact, if a writer doesn't know 'how to address,' Keys for Writers addresses that also.

The book begins by detailing the writing process. The most important steps in any successful paper are to:
Define your purpose, Assess your audience, Choose your topic, and
Generate a thesis. Generating a thesis is one of the most important steps. A weak thesis will not define the purpose of the paper, a broad thesis will take away from the main facts. Keys for Writers walks the writer through the processes.

The next section of the text explains the writing procedure. Creating an argument and taking a stand is vital. If an argument is not present the writer may be less formal, writing figurative language, essays, oral reports or poetry. I am a lover of poetry and Keys for Writers really spoke to my passion.
Common errors are remedied in the sentence structuring section. Sentence fragments, run-on sentences, and subject-verb agreement errors are conquered. It is quite helpful for a beginner. Even a graduate, at times, may have trouble.

The book is very careful to address the learning student's needs. It clearly identifies all of the key in the writing process. It also points out the importance of revision. Proofing and revising a paper before submitting it may further remedy and errors. During revision a writer can add any last minute changes, rephrase, and even outline. Outlining the paper may help the student decide if the ideas in the paper flow.

The most amazing fact about Keys for Writers is it's section for multilingual writers. Few other books address these student's needs. Anne Raimes' effort to help each student is commendable. This may even make it possible for multilingual students to engage in learning together at equal levels.

One of the facts that has been pointed out is the cost of the book. Some think that it is too expensive. I do agree to some extent that it is very expensive, but when 'what is learned' is weighed against 'cost' the purpose is obvious. This book is a must have.

Every student should have a copy of Keys for Writers. The book is great for English speaking students, Multilingual students, students unfamiliar with the writing process and even professionals. Ann Raimes has done an excellent job in preparing this resource. The money for the book will be well spent. It is the perfect gift for a student and with Christmas right around the corner the time to buy
is now.

I'm a professional technical writer and editor, specilaizing in online documents. Consequently, I have a library of about 50 reference books regarding style, usage, grammar, etc.
I use this book more than any other because it is the ONLY book with a section for Multilingual writers or for people who speak / write English as a second language. Ann Raimes has masterfully crafted a chart of common transfer errors from the foreign language into English. Though I use this chart infrequently, the fact that Keys HAS such a chart is indicitave of the in-depth treatment that Ms. Raimes accords each topic.
In addition, I like the tabbed references in the spiral-bound edition. I also bought this book on CD for ready-reference on my compuyuter desktop.

The keys for writers handbook is a very helpful book especially if you are someone like me, who is not interested in writing papers or anything to do with composition. Not only have I used this book for my English class but, it was very useful in writing papers for my other classes such as speech.
This book is well organized. Providing tabs at each chapter make it easier to follow and find things, you are looking for faster. It is much easier than having an index. The first chapter provides the writing process step by step. Making it simpler to learn, if you don't know the writing process. Every section in each chapter is in bold, making it easier for you to find what section you are looking for. Instead, of having to read the whole chapter to find for example how to form a thesis. The book teaches you how to do research and one important concept how to determine which internet sources are creditable to use. Another important section which is very helpful to every student is the MLA and APA section of the handbook. Most classes require students to use one of these forms to document their citations. Not only does it tell you how to do it, it also provides many examples that are helpful.
Not only does it provide sections on the writing process, MLA and APA. But it also has sections on technology, style, common sentence problems, punctuation, mechanics, spelling, a special section for multilingual/ ESL writers which will help writers who are new to the English writing. The multilingual/ ESL section is very helpful to many students who are new in this country or just are not fluent in English. Keys for writers would be helpful in Dearborn, MI because there are many students who come from foreign countries who end up dropping out because they are unable to master the English language. Ann Raimes came up with a good idea when she decided to use the spiral binding. It makes it easier to flip through pages with having the book class on you while looking up something. The Keys for Writers handbook is a paper back book. It makes it light weight and easy to carry around and pull out whenever you need it.
The introductions in this handbook are very useful. It makes me easier to find what you are looking for. It provides the topics which are included in each chapter and on what page they are found. Another interesting part of this handbook is that Ann Raimes provides you sample papers people have written. It shows you how to put your paper together so that everything flows easily. She provides key points to keep in mind while writing a paper or just doing research. Keys for writers handbook is about $45. Even though it is expensive it is a very good investment. This handbook can be used through out all your college years. Personally, keys for writers should be used also in high schools around the world. It will help prepare students for college and teach them how to write better papers. Ann Raimes uses words that anyone with some English background can understand. She doesn't use big words, which make you stop reading and take out a dictionary. Her writing is easy to follow. Ms. Raimes starts off with the basic things every writers needs to know such as the writing process, to the more complex issues such as grammar and punctuation.
Overall, most high schools and colleges should use keys for writers because it is very helpful to all age groups. Not only does it teach you the writing process but it teaches you everything that leads to it. The research, grammar, and punctuation every writer needs to know.

Keys for Writers, written by Ann Raimes, was a very useful book. Any college student would find this a very helpful tool. I felt the book had very thorough information that I will be able to use in all of my English classes. I liked the construction, organization, and content of the book. It covered all aspects of writing that an English student will need to know.
Yes, this book was very informational, but I must mention one minor downfall-price! I felt a little under $40.00 was a bit pricey for how small it was. Yes, it did provide very good information, but the price was too high for the quality of the book. Many college students have to pay for everything with their own money, and I think a resource book like this could have been found at a much cheaper price. Maybe if an exercise book had been provided at no extra cost, the price would have been more reasonable.
Although the book was a bit on the expensive side, it was very well constructed. I enjoyed the tab-style dividers. These made looking for certain information a lot easier and faster. For example, when I wanted to know how to document an anthology MLA style, I did the following: flipped to tab #3: "MLA Documentation," and looked under section E: "Work in an Anthology." This was a very quick and efficient way to locate how to document sources of information. The laminated front cover provided a nice finish so that the book will stay in-tact. The back cover was designed the same way to keep the book in place. The plastic spiral-bound side was also a nice touch. This made turning the pages easy. The book will hold in places and the pages will not tear or "fray." The pages consisted of very durable paper, so that they also will not rip out. This was a nice added touch to the book.
Along with construction, another positive aspect of this book was the way in which it was organized. All the information I needed was right at my fingertips. It had all the information in a logical order, which made accessing things easy. Each numbered section was organized with sub numbers and sub divisions. Locating certain things I needed was very convenient. I also liked the white "Keytabs" in the back of the book. To use these, one can just pull a Keytab out and insert it wherever needed. I used several of these as bookmarks while reading, and also to write reminders on. I had never seen this in a reference book before, but it was very helpful.
The last thing I'd like to comment on is the content of the book. It was written very thorough and concise. All types of documenting sources were given. It covered every aspect of what students need help with in English. It contained grammar and information about punctuation, sentence problems, mechanics, and even spelling words. I thought one specific bit of information was very neat-the section for multilingual/ESL writers. I had never seen that in a resource book before either. This would definitely be helpful to those writers with English as their second language. The book takes into account that there may be users who do not speak or use English as their primary vernacular. Along with helping ESL students, this feature can also help native English speakers.
Keys for Writers is a book that will carry an English student through all of his or her classes. Everything one needs to know about writing is just a page-flip away! Remember to consider cost when purchasing this book. Although it does cost a lot, the investment is worth it. All-in-all, Keys for Writers was a very knowledgeable and useful book. Out of all the resource books I have used, I found this one to be the most useful and helpful. I would recommend it to anyone in need of an English reference book.

Overall, this reference book makes it easy to use proper documentation in papers. However, [the price] is too expensive for this book especially since it does not contain a complete listing of MLA documentation... If you are not new to writing papers, and just need a reference book for documentation, the MLA handbook is much cheaper and gives you everything you need.