Errors and Expectations: A Guide for the Teacher of Basic Writing

I can't agree with Dr. Bruce Leeds more. This is THE book for the teachers of basic writers. Also, it is food for thought for ESL writing teachers. This book is a classic. I am waiting for another equivalent classic for an ESL writing teacher like me.

With the patience and attention to detail of a saint, Professor Shaughnessy hunted, and found, patterns in her students' writing that allowed her to lift each student to his or her true potential. This is THE book for the teacher of basic, first-language writing. Her prose is stunning in itself and is a model for the kind of clear, elloquent writing she would espouse. Certainly the best of its kind and as yet to be equalled.

In the dry world of composition theory, Shaughnessy's brilliantdiscussion of error in student writing stands as a landmark. Aftertwenty-plus years, this book remains highly readable and one of the half dozen most important books in the field. I particularly admire the writer's refusal to slip into the pseudo-scientific jargon that typifies the trendy, flimsy, unreadable literature that comprises the field of composition. Anyone who teaches writing at a high school or college level would benefit from reading this fine book.