Writing examples, opportunities to learn about and produce academic prose, and sequenced assignments that increase in complexity help students build their ability to fulfill academic assignments as high as the university and graduate school levels. Examples of good (and poor) student compositions, written by native and non-native speakers of English, enrich all three books.

The Reid hallmark of peer interaction with partners, small groups, and entire classes is an important feature of the books.

Basic Writing is for "false beginners" and/or students whose writing skills are less advanced than their other language skills.
-- New paragraphs written by ESL students and native English speakers are organized thematically on topics that communicate experiences common to students.
-- Writings introduce the vocabulary and sentence structures needed to compose paragraphs on the same or a similar topic. Interview assignments offer opportunities to interact with peers and share perspectives.