Brief, Affordable Format. The text offers essential advice and instruction for the essay level course — process-oriented writing instruction and focused grammar lessons — in a concise and affordable format.

Support for Reading, Critical Thinking, and Text-based Writing. An emphasis on reading strategies and responding to texts through summary and paraphrase highlights the importance of careful reading to effective
writing. Marginal questions encourage students to pause and think critically during the reading process, and questions following readings invite students to summarize, make connections, and integrate readings in their own writing.

Real-World Examples. Samples of real students’ writing demonstrate the concepts covered and give students confidence that good writing skills are achievable. These models address such real-world issues and concerns as parenting, peer pressure, and the importance of getting involved on campus and in the community.

Four Basics Boxes. Presenting essay writing in manageable increments, these boxes break down the essentials of topics such as revision, good paragraphs, and argument. For traditional rhetorical modes, the Four Basics highlight essential features of all academic essays: a clear thesis, strong supporting points, substantially developed details, and a coherent organization.

Focus on the Four Most Serious Errors. Real Essays Essentials concentrates first on the four types of grammatical errors that matter most: fragments, run-ons, errors in subject-verb agreement, and errors of verb
tense and form, and helps students avoid making them. Once students master these four topics and start building their editing skills, they are better prepared to tackle the grammar errors treated in later chapters.

Questions for Reflection and Transfer. At the end of each of the rhetorical modes chapters, students are asked to reflect on what works and what does not work in their writing process, building metacognitive habits to promote transfer from one writing situation to the next. Students are also prompted to investigate how rhetorical modes are used in their intended majors and careers.