Transitions helps students bridge the gap between writing paragraphs and writing essays from dealing with concrete information to dealing with abstract topics.The Second Edition updates the readings and adds new supplemental reading lists to most chapters. To move students more quickly into essay writing, the Second Edition reduces the number of paragraph-writing assignments. The text focuses on a single theme per chapter, which provides a unifying thread for reading, grammar, and editing activities. Assignment-specific peer response sheets are included to guide students through peer response activities.