Rhetorical Grammar : Grammatical Choices, Rhetorical Effects

by Kolln, Martha J.; Gray, Loretta S.

• ISBN13: 9780321397232
• ISBN10: 0321397231
• Edition: 5th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-01-01
• Publisher: Longman

Summary

This detailed guide encourages writers to recognize and use the grammatical and stylistic choices available to them and to understand the rhetorical effects those choices can have on their readers. Helps to improve writing style. 1. The Structure of Sentences. 2. The Basic Sentences in Prose 3. Coordination 4. Cohesion 5. Sentence Rhythm. 6. The Writer's Voice. 7. Choosing Verbs. 8. Choosing Adverbials. 9. Choosing Adjectivals. 10. Choosing Stylistic Variations. 11. Word Classes. 12. Pronouns. 13. Punctuation: Its Purposes, Its Hierarchy, and Its Rhetorical Effects. Anyone interested in improving their writing style.

Table of Contents

Preface	xi
Acknowledgments	xiv
Introduction	1	(4)
PART I Understanding Basic Sentences
Chapter 1 The Structure of Sentences	5	(22)
Chapter Preview	5	(1)
The Two-Part Sentence	5	(4)
Questions and Commands	9	(1)
The Expanded Verb	9	(2)
Sentence Patterns	11	(7)
The Be Patterns	12	(1)
The Linking Verb Pattern	12	(1)
The Intransitive Verb Pattern	13	(1)
The Basic Transitive Verb Pattern	14	(1)
Transitive Patterns with Two Complements	15	(2)
Sentence Pattern Summary	17	(1)
The Optional Slot	18	(2)
The Passive Voice	20	(3)
"Clause" and "Sentence"	23	(2)
Punctuation and the Sentence Patterns	25	(1)
Key Terms	26	(1)
Punctuation Reminder	26	(1)
Chapter 2 The Basic Sentences in Prose	27	(10)
Chapter Preview	27	(1)
Topic Sentences	27	(4)
Paragraph Openers	28	(1)
Internal Topic Sentences	28	(3)
Special Effects	31	(2)
The Short Paragraph	33	(1)
A Sentence Survey	34	(2)
Key Terms	36	(1)
Rhetorical Reminders	36	(1)
Chapter 3 Coordination	37	(26)
Chapter Preview	37	(1)
Coordination within the Sentence	38	(8)
And versus But	39	(1)
Coordination with Correlative Conjunctions	40	(2)
Coordination of the Series	42	(2)
Subject—Verb Agreement	44	(2)
Compound Sentences	46	(9)
Connecting Sentence Patterns	46	(4)
Conjunctive Adverbs	50	(2)
Compound Sentences with Semicolons	52	(1)
Compound Sentences with Colons	53	(2)
The Compound Sentence: Punctuation Review	55	(3)
Parallel Structure	58	(3)
Key Terms	61	(1)
Rhetorical Reminders	61	(1)
Punctuation Reminders	62	(1)
PART II Connecting with the Reader
Chapter 4 Cohesion	63	(26)
Chapter Preview	63	(1)
Reader Expectation	64	(3)
Repetition	67	(1)
The Known—New Contract	68	(12)
The Role of Pronouns	72	(5)
Personal Pronouns	72	(2)
Demonstrative Pronouns	74	(3)
The Role of the Passive Voice	77	(1)
Other Sentence Inversions	78	(2)
Metadiscourse	80	(1)
Parallelism	81	(3)
Repetition versus Redundancy	83	(1)
Levels of Generality	84	(4)
Key Terms	88	(1)
Rhetorical Reminders	88	(1)
Punctuation Reminder	88	(1)
Chapter 5 Sentence Rhythm	89	(18)
Chapter Preview	89	(1)
Intonation: The Peaks and Valleys	89	(1)
End Focus	90	(3)
Controlling Rhythm	93	(6)
The It-Cleft	94	(1)
The What-Cleft	95	(1)
The There-Transformation	96	(3)
Rhythm and the Comma	99	(2)
Power Words	101	(4)
Correlative Conjunctions	102	(1)
Adverbials of Emphasis	103	(8)
The Common Only	104	(1)
Key Terms	105	(1)
Rhetorical Reminders	105	(1)
Punctuation Reminder	106	(1)
Chapter 6 The Writer's Voice	107	(22)
Chapter Preview	107	(1)
Tone	107	(4)
Diction	111	(8)
Contractions	114	(4)
Verbs and Formality	118	(1)
Metaphor	119	(1)
Metadiscourse	119	(5)
The Overuse of Metadiscourse	122	(2)
Point of View	124	(3)
Key Terms	127	(1)
Rhetorical Reminders	128	(1)
Punctuation Reminders	128	(1)
PART III Making Choices
Chapter 7 Choosing Verbs	129	(20)
Chapter Review	129	(1)
Our Versatile Verbs	129	(13)
Using the Expanded Verbs	130	(4)
The Modal Auxiliaries	134	(1)
The Passive Voice	134	(17)
The Obscure Agent	139	(3)
The Abstract Subject	142	(2)
Showing, Not Telling	144	(3)
The Overuse of Be	147	(1)
Key Terms	148	(1)
Rhetorical Reminders	148	(1)
Chapter 8 Choosing Adverbials	149	(23)
Chapter Preview	149	(1)
The Opening Adverbial	150	(1)
The Prepositional Phrase	151	(3)
The Proliferating Prepositional Phrase	152	(2)
The Subordinate Clause	154	(11)
Punctuation of Subordinate Clauses	157	(1)
The Movability of Subordinate Clauses	158	(1)
The Because-Clause Myth	159	(2)
The Elliptical Subordinate Clause	161	(14)
The Elliptical Clause of Comparison	162	(3)
Infinitive (Verb) Phrases	165	(1)
Movability and Closure	166	(2)
The Qualifiers	168	(2)
Key Terms	170	(1)
Rhetorical Reminders	170	(1)
Punctuation Reminders	171	(1)
Chapter 9 Choosing Adjectivals	172	(38)
Chapter Preview	172	(1)
Determiners	173	(2)
Adjectives and Nouns	175	(4)
Modifier Noun Proliferation	177	(1)
The Movable Adjective Phrase	178	(1)
Prepositional Phrases	179	(1)
Participial Phrases	180	(5)
The Prenoun Participle	181	(1)
The Movable Participle	181	(2)
The Dangling Participle	183	(2)
Relative Clauses	185	(2)
The Relatives	186	(1)
Punctuation of Phrases and Clauses	187	(4)
The Broad-Reference Clause	191	(3)
Other Nominals	194	(4)
Verb Phrases	194	(3)
The Dangling Gerund	195	(1)
The Subject of the Gerund	196	(1)
Nominal Clauses	197	(1)
Appositives	198	(9)
The Introductory Appositive	200	(2)
The Colon with Appositives	202	(1)
Avoiding Punctuation Errors	203	(1)
The Sentence Appositive	204	(1)
The Resumptive Modifier	205	(2)
Punctuation Revisited	207	(2)
Key Terms	209	(1)
Rhetorical Reminders	209	(1)
Punctuation Reminders	209	(1)
Chapter 10 Choosing Stylistic Variations	210	(23)
Chapter Preview	210	(1)
Absolute Phrases	211	(5)
The Coordinate Series	216	(1)
Repetition	217	(3)
Word-Order Variation	220	(3)
Ellipsis	223	(1)
Antithesis	224	(2)
The Deliberate Fragment	226	(5)
Key Terms	231	(1)
Rhetorical Reminders	231	(1)
Punctuation Reminders	232	(1)
PART IV Your Way with Words
Chapter 11 Word Classes	233	(17)
Chapter Preview	233	(1)
Lexical Rules	234	(4)
Parts of Speech	238	(2)
The Form Classes	240	(8)
Nouns	240	(5)
Plural-Only Forms	241	(1)
Collective Nouns	242	(2)
Proper Nouns	244	(1)
Verbs	245	(1)
Adjectives	245	(1)
Adverbs	246	(1)
Derivational Affixes	247	(1)
Key Terms	248	(1)
Rhetorical Reminders	249	(1)
Punctuation Reminder	249	(1)
Chapter 12 Pronouns	250	(20)
Chapter Preview	250	(1)
Personal Pronouns	251	(5)
The Missing Pronoun	251	(5)
We and Us as Determiners	256	(1)
Personal Pronoun Errors	256	(5)
Case	256	(3)
The Unwanted Apostrophe	259	(1)
The Ambiguous Antecedent	260	(1)
The Vague Antecedent	260	(1)
Reflexive Pronouns	261	(1)
Intensive Reflexive Pronouns	262	(1)
Reciprocal Pronouns	262	(1)
Demonstrative Pronouns	263	(1)
Indefinite Pronouns	264	(4)
The Everyone/Their Issue	265	(3)
Key Terms	268	(1)
Rhetorical Reminders	268	(1)
Punctuation Reminder	269	(1)
PART V Punctuation
Chapter 13 Punctuation: Its Purposes, Its Hierarchy, and Its Rhetorical Effects	270	(13)
Chapter Preview	270	(1)
The Purposes of Punctuation Marks	271	(3)
Syntax	271	(1)
Prosody	272	(1)
Semantics	273	(1)
The Hierarchy of Punctuation	274	(3)
The Rhetorical Effects of Punctuation	277	(4)
Key Terms	281	(2)
Glossary of Punctuation	283	(10)
Glossary of Terms	293	(11)
Bibliography	304	(2)
Answers to the Exercises	306	(10)
Index	316