Shortcuts for the Student Writer

by Silverman, Jay; Hughes, Elaine; Wienbroer, Diana

• ISBN13: 9780071448468
• ISBN10: 0071448462
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-12-27
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Education

Summary

Based on the popular textbookRules of Thumb, this handy quick-reference guide has been designed for use by students or anyone else in need of writing advice. It's an all-in-one, at-aglance resource that provides fast, concise answers to common questions about: Grammar Punctuation Style Usage Formal Correspondence E-mails Memos Proposals Resumes Searching the Web Creating templates Editing And more

Author Biography

Jay Silverman (New York, NY) has received national fellowships and an Honors Program Award for Excellence in Teaching at Nassau Community College. Diana Roberts Wienbroer (New York, NY) has taught writing for more than 30 years and served as chair of the English Department of Nassau Community College.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	vii
How to Use Shortcuts for the Student Writer	xi
PART 1: CORRECTNESS
A Word about Correctness	2	(1)
Commonly Confused Words	3	(7)
One Word or Two?	10	(3)
Spelling	13	(3)
Capitalization	16	(2)
Abbreviations and Numbers	18	(2)
Apostrophes	20	(1)
Consistent Pronouns	21	(3)
Correct Pronouns	24	(2)
Vague Pronouns	26	(2)
Recognizing Complete Sentences	28	(3)
Period or Comma? Run-on Sentences and Sentence Fragments	31	(7)
Feature: Using but, however, although	37	(1)
Commas	38	(3)
Semicolons	41	(1)
Colons	42	(1)
Dashes and Parentheses	43	(2)
Quotation Marks	45	(4)
Titles: Underlines, Italics, or Quotations Marks	49	(1)
Shifting Verb Tenses	50	(2)
Verb Agreement	52	(1)
Word Endings: s and ed	53	(2)
Tangled Sentences	55	(5)
PART 2: PUTTING A PAPER TOGETHER
What to Do When You're Stuck	60	(4)
Addressing Your Audience	64	(2)
Writing with a Thesis	66	(3)
Finding an Organization for Your Essay	69	(3)
Introductions	72	(2)
Paragraphs-Long and Short	74	(3)
Transitions	77	(2)
Incorporating Quotations	79	(2)
Conclusions	81	(1)
How to Make a Paper Longer (and When to Make It Shorter)	82	(2)
How to Work on a Second Draft	84	(3)
Shortcuts for "Word"	87	(5)
Proofreading Tips	92	(2)
Format of College Papers	94	(3)
Special Case: Writing an Essay in Class	97	(3)
Special Case: Writing about Literature	100	(8)
PART 3: THE RESEARCH PAPER
How to Start a Research Project	108	(3)
Three Essential Research Skills	111	(6)
Feature: When You Find Too Few or Too Many Sources	112	(5)
Getting Information at the Library	117	(3)
Getting Information Online	120	(3)
Feature: Sizing Up a Website	121	(2)
Writing the Research Paper	123	(5)
Plagiarism (Cheating)	128	(1)
What Is Documentation?	129	(2)
Documentation: The MLA Style	131	(15)
Documentation: The APA Style	146	(9)
Documentation: The Chicago Style (Footnotes)	155	(9)
PART 4: GROWING AS A WRITER
Keeping a Journal	164	(2)
Adding Details	166	(2)
Recognizing Clichès	168	(1)
Eliminating Offensive Language	169	(2)
Trimming Wordiness	171	(2)
Using Strong Verbs	173	(2)
Varying Your Sentences	175	(5)
Finding Your Voice	180	(1)
Postscript	181	(2)
A List of Valuable Sources	183	(5)
About the Authors	188	(1)
Index	189	(6)
Troubleshooting Guide	195