I taught freshman composition in two different colleges using this text. It is the clearest, most complete book for directing students how to achieve each of the various basic writing styles in English. It gives many examples, together with a summarized step-by-step method for each style.

This book is a great ENGL 101 book with clear explainations of each genre.

I looked at this book in my local bookstore, and couldn't buy it, because it was unpleasant to read. The paper was thin and extremely bright white, while the typeface was too pale. Inserted examples were in Courier type, as if people still use typewriters--these inserts were even more difficult to read. These major flaws made the book unusable to me.

I teach an English Composition course at a small community college. The course focuses on writing research papers of 12-15 pages. Most of our students have no experience in citing sources. I have found the Winkler and McCuen book helpful in teaching them the two principle annotation styles, as well as in guiding students through the process of writing the research paper itself. The book also includes instructions for citing electronic sources according to MLA and APA style formats. The fifth edition of the book, with its spiral binding and and tabs, is, in my opinion, a very useful tool for students who are writing their first research papers. Of course, the book must necessarily abbreviate some of the information regarding MLA and APA formats, so we also have available, in our college library, both of the official style manuals for these research paper formats. However, for the students' own suppementary "textbook," I have found this text a very worthwhile choice.

I gave this book 5 stars because it has everything you need to write a research paper in it. It goes from the cover page all the way through to the bibliography. It also is very well organized, so if you're just looking for one certain part, it's easy to find.