本書共設六個章節，可分成三個部分。第一部分為應用寫作（第1章），涉及到日記、求職信、簡歷、推薦信、書評、新聞報道、摘要等內容。第二部分為各類文體的寫作，包括段落寫作技巧、寫作過程分析、寫作練習等（第2—4章）。第三部分為學術性寫作，包括作品評論與研究論文的寫作過程、步驟、結構、語言特點、文體風格、格式等內容（第5、6章）。 本書除適用於高等院校英語專業黨外外，也適用於高校非英語專業學生，以及需要運用英文交際的研究生、行業工作者和英語愛好者。此外，對參加英語專業四、八級、大學英語四、六級、雅思、托福、碩、博士研究生入學等考試，或准備到國外留學、希望盡快適應國外課程及英文論文寫作的讀者亦會有很大的幫助。

CHAPTER ONE PRACTICAL WRITING I．Keeping Journals II．Writing Summaries III．Writing Responses IV．Writing a Book Report V．Cover Letters and Resumes VI．Recommendation Letters VII．Writing News StoriesCHAPTER TWO WRITING PERSONAL ESSAYS I．Narrative Essays II．Descriptive EssaysCHAPTER THREE WRITING EXPOSITORY ESSAYS I．Organizing Expository Essays II．Writing the Introduction III．Writing Body Paragraphs IV．Writing the Concluding Paragraph V．The Development Pattern of EssaysCHAPTER FOUR WRITING ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAYS I．Three Important Tools II．Writing the Introduction III．Writing the Body IV．The Length of the Essay:Approximate Paragraph Count V．Selecting the Points for the Thesis VI．Rethinking the Focus and Thesis VII．Developing an Outline:Topic Sentences VIII．Anticipating Opposition IX．Writing the Conclusion X．Organizing Argumentative EssaysCHAPTER FIVE WRITING CRITICAL ESSAYS I．Process of Criticism II．Interpretation III．Technical Analysis IV．EvaluationCHAPTER SIX WRITING LITERARY RESEARCH PAPERS I．Research Procedure II．Deciding on a Topic III．Gathering References IV．Formulating Thesis V．Creating Bibliography Cards VI．Creating Note Cards VII．Outlining the Thesis or Statement of Purpose VIII．Writing the Introduction IX．Documenting SourcesBIBLIOGRAPHY