Clear, step-by-step writing instruction, ample annotated student essays, and extensive practice opportunities for writing have made The Longman Writer one of the most successful methods-of-development guides for college writing.

The Longman Writer draws on decades of teaching experience to integrate the best of the "product" and "process" approaches to writing.  Its particular strengths include an emphasis on the reading-writing connection, a focus on invention and revision, attention to the fact that patterns blend in actual writing, and an abundance of class-tested activities and assignments—more than 350 in all.