Words Fail Me

by O'Conner, Patricia T.

• ISBN13: 9780156010870
• ISBN10: 0156010879
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2000-09-01
• Publisher: Mariner Books

Summary

Whether you are working on the novel that's been in the back of your mind for years or simply facing an increasing demand to write well at work or school, the fact remains: more and more of us are writing more often these days-reports, e-mails, faxes, and newsletters. But despite the increase in written communication, something has been lost-the fundamentals of good writing. Grammar maven Patricia T. O'Conner comes to the rescue with the most painless, practical, and funny writing book ever written. In short, snappy chapters filled with crystal-clear examples, amusing comparisons, and humorous allegories that cover everything from "Pronoun Pileups" and "Verbs That Zing" to "What to Do When You're Stuck," O'Conner provides simple, straightforward tips to help you sort your thoughts and make sentences that make sense. Push aside those stuffy old-fashioned rule books, because O'Conner has written the most accessible and enjoyable book yet for today's writer.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	vii
Introduction	1	(8)
Part 1 Pull Yourself Together
Is Your Egg Ready to Hatch? Know the Subject	9	(3)
``The Party to Whom I Am Speaking'': Know the Audience	12	(5)
Get with the Program: The Organized Writer	17	(9)
Commencement Address: The First Few Words	26	(9)
From Here to Uncertainty: How Am I Doing?	35	(14)
Part 2 The Fundamental Things Apply
Pompous Circumstances: Hold the Baloney	49	(7)
The Life of the Party: Verbs That Zing	56	(4)
Call Waiting: Putting the Subject on Hold	60	(8)
Now, Where Were We?
A Time and a Place for Everything	63	(5)
The It Parade: Pronoun Pileups	68	(4)
Smothering Heights: Misbehaving Modifiers	72	(15)
Too Marvelous for Words: The Sensible Sentence	87	(6)
Made for Each Other: Well-Matched Sentences	93	(6)
Give Me a Break: Thinking in Paragraphs	99	(6)
The Elongated Yellow Fruit: Fear of Repetition	105	(3)
Training Wheels: Belaboring the Obvious	108	(3)
Critique of Poor Reason: The Art of Making Sense	111	(6)
Grammar Moses: Thou Shalt Not Embarrass Thyself	117	(12)
Down for the Count: When the Numbers Don't Add Up	129	(12)
Part 3 Getting Better All the Time
Lost Horizon: What's the Point of View?	141	(8)
Wimping Out: The Backward Writer	149	(6)
Everybody's Favorite Subject: I, Me, My	155	(10)
Promises, Promises: Making Them, Keeping Them	165	(6)
You Got Rhythm: Writing to the Beat	171	(9)
The Human Comedy: What's So Funny?	180	(11)
I Second That Emotion: Once More, with Feeling	191	(6)
The Importance of Being Honest: Leveling with the Reader	197	(5)
Once around the Block: What to Do When You're Stuck	202	(8)
Debt before Dishonor: How and What to Borrow	210	(5)
Revise and Consent: Getting to the Finish Line	215	(7)
Appendix	222	(1)
Bibliography	223	(1)
Index	224