Written in a clear, user-friendly style, this textbook combines practical activities with texts, accompanied by commentaries and suggestions for further study. It can be used individually or in conjunction with the series core textbook Working with Texts. Designed for beginning undergraduate students, this book analyzes the processes involved in writing and speaking; highlights the differences between these two modes of communication; explores written texts, including legal documents, literary discourse, recipes, instruction manuals; explores spoken texts, including telephone conversations, interviews, television programs, intimate talk; explores mixed-mode texts, including email, advertisements, election publicity, written conversations, non-interactive speech; compares and contrasts spoken and written texts on the same topics.