Style A Pragmatic Approach

by Richardson, Peter

• ISBN13: 9780205321087
• ISBN10: 0205321089
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2001-06-01
• Publisher: Pearson

Summary

Style combines a concise and clear guide to stylistic revision and a mini-anthology of professional prose stylists. Three stylistic guidelines-relevance, proportion, and clarity-link revision strategies to everyday conversational practice. Mini-anthology of 7 selections analyzes stylistic decisions of authors in various fields, showing how they follow, or flout, the stylistic guidelines. Section on metaphor shows readers how to generate new and related ideas from previous drafts. Three new readings including Carol Clover's essay on gender in the modern horror film, a model of academic writing. A new section on pronoun choice helps writers avoid sexist language. More "real-world" examples and exercises illustrate how pragmatic decisions of style are applied. Includes more emphasis on alphabetic literacy, both as a technology and as it relates to speech. For those seeking a clear and concise style book to enhance their writing skills.

Table of Contents

Preface	ix
Writing and Conversation	1	(6)
What Speakers Know About Language	1	(1)
Applying Conversational Guidelines	2	(2)
Preconceptions About Style	4	(1)
Practical Style in the Real and Virtual World	5	(2)
Exercise 1.1	5	(2)
Finding the Action	7	(4)
Choosing a Verb	7	(4)
Exercise 2.1	9	(2)
Focusing the Action	11	(8)
Transitive and Intransitive Verbs	11	(1)
Exercise 3.1	12	(1)
Complements, Modifiers, and Style	12	(7)
Exercise 3.2	16	(1)
Exercise 3.3	16	(1)
Exercise 3.4	17	(2)
Staging the Characters	19	(10)
Recognizing Your Options	19	(1)
Active and Passive Voice	19	(2)
Exercise 4.1	21	(1)
Voice and Revision	21	(4)
Verb Selection Revisited	25	(1)
Exercise 4.2	25	(1)
Choosing Pronouns	26	(3)
Exercise 4.3	28	(1)
Revising for Precision	29	(8)
Identifying Problems	29	(1)
Exercise 5.1	30	(1)
Throat-Clearing	30	(1)
Overstating the Claim	31	(2)
Exercise 5.2	32	(1)
Smothering the Claim	33	(4)
Exercise 5.3	34	(3)
Making Connections	37	(10)
Speaking Versus Writing	37	(1)
The Anti-Paragraph	38	(1)
New and Given Information	39	(2)
Nominalization	41	(1)
Exercise 6.1	42	(1)
Antecedents	42	(2)
Exercise 6.2	44	(1)
Transitions	44	(3)
Exercise 6.3	46	(1)
Mixing It Up	47	(8)
Rhythm, Sound, and Emphasis	47	(3)
Exercise 7.1	49	(1)
Strong Endings	50	(5)
Exercise 7.2	52	(3)
Saying What You Mean	55	(8)
Some Useful Routines	55	(1)
Slowing Down	56	(2)
Developing Your Ideas	58	(2)
Exercise 8.1	59	(1)
Exploring Your Own Metaphors	60	(3)
Exercise 8.2	62	(1)
Readings	63	(34)
Personal Ads	64	(3)
Clear and Simple as the Truth	67	(3)
Francis-Noel Thomas
Mark Turner
The Body and Society	70	(3)
Peter Brown
``The Female Body''	73	(4)
Margaret Atwood
``The Intellectuals and the Poor''	77	(5)
Richard Rorty
``Near Misses''	82	(5)
William Ian Miller
``The Boy Scout Handbook''	87	(6)
Paul Fussell
``Men, Women, and Chainsaws''	93	(4)
Carol J. Clover
Sample Answers to Selected Exercises	97	(4)
Glossary of Terms	101	(8)
Credits	109	(2)
Index	111