Rules of Thumb : A Guide for Writers,9780073533193

Rules of Thumb : A Guide for Writers

by ; ;
Edition: 7th
ISBN13: 9780073533193
ISBN10: 007353319X
Format: Paperback
Pub. Date: 2006-12-01
Publisher(s): McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages
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List Price: $34.24

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Summary

Brevity and practicalityare the hallmarks ofRules of Thumb. Reflecting the most current MLA, APA, and Chicago documentation styles, the seventh edition remains the ideal handbook for improving grammar without overwhelming student writers with specialized terminology.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments xiii
The Meaning of "Rule of Thumb" xvi
How to Use Rules of Thumb xvii
PART 1: THE BASICS: SPELLING, PUNCTUATION, AND GRAMMAR
A Word about Correctness
2
Commonly Confused Words
3
One Word or Two?
10
Spelling
13
Capitalization
16
Abbreviations and Numbers
18
Apostrophes
20
Consistent Pronouns
21
I vs. Me, She vs. Her, He vs. Him, Who vs. Whom
24
Vague Pronouns
26
Recognizing Complete Sentences
28
Period or Comma? Run-on Sentences and Sentence Fragments
31
Feature: Using but, however, although
37
Commas
38
Semicolons
40
Colons
41
Dashes and Parentheses
42
Quotation Marks
44
Titles: Underlines, Italics, or Quotations Marks
48
Shifting Verb Tenses
49
Verb Agreement
53
Word Endings: -s and -ed
54
Tangled Sentences
56
PART 2: PUTTING A PAPER TOGETHER
What to Do When You're Stuck
61
Addressing Your Audience
65
Writing with a Thesis
67
Finding an Organization for Your Essay
70
Introductions
72
Paragraphs—Long and Short
74
Transitions
77
Incorporating Quotations
79
Conclusions
81
How to Make a Paper Longer (and When to Make It Shorter)
82
How to Work on a Second Draft
84
Shortcuts for "Word"
87
Proofreading Tips
92
Format of College Papers
94
Special Case: Writing an Essay in Class
97
Special Case: Writing about Literature
100
PART 3: THE RESEARCH PAPER
Seven Steps to a Research Paper
109
How to Conduct Research
110
Feature: Sizing Up a Website
115
Getting Information Online and at the Library
120
Feature: When You Find Too Few or Too Many Sources
124
Writing the Research Paper
125
Feature: PowerPoint Presentations
129
Plagiarism (Cheating)
131
What Is Documentation?
132
Feature: Where to Find Specific Entries for
Works Cited, References, and Bibliography
134
Documentation: The MLA Style
135
Documentation: The APA Style
150
Documentation: The Chicago Style (Footnotes)
159
PART 4: STYLE
Keeping a Journal
169
Adding Details
171
Recognizing Clichés
173
Eliminating Offensive Language
174
Trimming Wordiness
176
Using Strong Verbs
178
Varying Your Sentences
180
Finding Your Voice
185
Postscript 187
A List of Valuable Sources 189
About the Authors 195
Index 197
Troubleshooting Guide 204

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