New Hart's Rules: The Handbook of Style for Writers and Editors


Horace Hart - 1967
    This classic reference work for writers, editors, and publishers was in print through 39 editions for nearly one hundred years. New Hart's Rules is a brand-new text that brings the principles of the old text into the 21st century, providing answers to questions of editorial style for a new generation of editorial professionals. Writers and editors of all kinds will find this handy guide an indispensable companion in their work. Twenty chapters give information on all aspects of writing and of preparing copy for publication, whether in print or electronically. New Hart's Rules covers a broad range of topics including publishing terms, layout and headings, how to present numbers and dates, how to treat illustrations, hyphenation, punctuation, UK and US usage, bibliographies and notes, and indexing. The chapters have been compiled by a team of experts and consultants, and the book draws on the unrivalled expertise of Oxford's Reference Department. It is also endorsed by the Society for Editors and Proofreaders. The text is designed and organized for maximum accessibility with clearly displayed examples throughout. Authoritative and comprehensive, New Hart's Rules is the essential desk guide for all writers and editors, and together with the New Oxford Spelling Dictionary and the New Oxford Dictionary forWriters and Editors forms the complete editorial reference set.

A Dictionary of Modern English Usage


Henry Watson Fowler - 1926
    It covers topics such as plurals and literary technique, distinctions among like words (homonyms and synonyms), and the use of foreign terms.This book is intended for general; students and teachers of English; anyone wanting guidance on the correct use of English.

The Oxford English Grammar


Sidney Greenbaum - 1996
    This is followed by an account of the development of grammar, and a review of modern approaches to this complex subject. The central section of the book is a presentation of current English grammar at sentence, clause, phrase, and word level; with the last chapters covering grammar in relation to discourse, word-formation, lexis, pronunciation and intonation, punctuation, and spelling. A full index is provided, and examples of usage are drawn from a wide range of sources, including use of the new international Corpus of English at University College London. Written in a readable and absorbing style, The Oxford English Grammar is an essential reference for English speakers around the world.

Woe Is I: The Grammarphobe's Guide to Better English in Plain English


Patricia T. O'Conner - 1996
    The bestselling grammar book has been updated and revised to include the latest and greatest on the basics and subtleties of English, and features a new chapter on the language of the Internet.

The Best Punctuation Book, Period


June Casagrande - 2014
    Everywhere you turn, publications seem to follow different rules on everything from possessive apostrophes to hyphens to serial commas. Then there are all the gray areas of punctuation--situations the rule books gloss over or never mention at all. At last, help has arrived.This all-in-one reference from grammar columnist June Casagrande covers the basic rules of punctuation plus the finer points not addressed anywhere else, offering clear answers to perplexing questions about semicolons, quotation marks, periods, apostrophes, and more. Better yet, this is the only guide that uses handy icons to show how punctuation rules differ for book, news, academic, and science styles--so you can boldly switch between essays, online newsletters, reports, fiction, and magazine and news articles.Style guides don't cover everything, but never fear! This handbook features rulings from an expert "Punctuation Panel" so you can see how working pros approach sticky situations. And the second half of the book features an alphabetical master list of commonly punctuated terms worth its weight in gold, combining rulings from the major style guides and showing exactly where they differ. With The Best Punctuation Book, Period, you'll be able to handle any punctuation predicament in a flash--and with aplomb.

Pocket Oxford English Dictionary


Catherine Soanes - 2005
    Particularly suitable for students of secondary-school level, it is also a handy dictionary for the home and office. It covers all the words you need for everyday use, and has excellent coverage of curriculum vocabulary. For the new edition the definitions are clearer than ever before and there is lots of help with those aspects of the language (such as spelling, pronunciation, and usage) which cause most difficulties.In particular, there are hundreds of new spelling notes to help with tricky words that are commonly misspelled, extra usage notes giving advice on good English, and more help with pronunciations of difficult words. A new open design ensures that this dictionary is even more accessible and easier to use than ever before.

Concise Oxford English Dictionary with CDROM


Oxford University Press - 1911
    It offers rich vocabulary coverage, with full treatment of World English, rare, historical, and archaic terms, as well as scientific and technical vocabulary, and provides hundreds of helpful notes on grammar and usage. The CD-ROM version of the dictionary offers full-text search functionality, instant look-up from WindowsR documents, including email and the Internet, high-quality spoken pronunciations for thousands of words, and interactive educational word games, making it ideal for family use, as well as for homework and school use. New to this edition is a fascinating Word Histories feature, telling the often bizarre stories of the origins and development of hundreds of words. For example, did you know that the word grammar is related to glamour, or that cockney used to mean a spoilt child? This dictionary also contains full appendices on topics such as alphabets, currencies, electronic English, and the registers of language, from formal to slang, plus a useful Guide to Good English with advice on grammar, punctuation, and spelling.

The Christian Writer's Manual of Style: Updated and Expanded Edition


Robert Hudson - 2004
    Rather than simply repeating style information commonly available in standard references, this newly updated and expanded edition includes points of grammar, punctuation, usage, book production and design, and written style that are often overlooked in other manuals. It focuses on information relating to the unique needs and demands of religious publications, such as discussions on how to correctly quote the Bible, how to capitalize and use common religious terms, and how to abbreviate the books of the Bible and other religious words.Also included are rarely found items such as:• an author’s guide to obtaining permissions• guidelines for using American, British, and Mid-Atlantic styles• discussions of inclusive language, profanity, and ethnic sensitivities• discussions of Internet and computer-related language style• a list of problem words• style issues regarding words from major world religions• a discussion of handling brand names in text• a list of common interjections• issues of type design, paper, copy-fitThis edition has been completely updated since the 1988 edition and contains more than twice as much information as the previous edition. This is the most detailed and comprehensive guide of its kind.

Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of English Usage


E. Ward Gilman - 1994
    Entries reveal a usage history, contemporary analysis, and a recommended solution.Quotations illustrating usage help you make informed choices. Over 20,000 illustrative quotations provide concrete examples of how words are used.Special history and pronunciation sections help you build understanding and knowledge. A Brief History of English Usage and a quick-reference guide to Pronunciation Symbols provide background and supplementary data.Alphabetical listings and cross-referencing help you find answers fast. More than 2,300 entries and 600 cross-references facilitate quick look-ups.

Editors on Editing: What Writers Need to Know about What Editors Do


Gerald C. Gross - 1962
    Written by America’s most distinguished editors, these 38 essays will teach, inform, and inspire anyone interested in the world of editing. Editors on Editing includes essays on the evolution of the American editor; the ethical and moral dimensions of editing; what an editor looks for in a query letter, proposal, and manuscript; line editing; copyediting; the freelance editor; the question of political correctness; making the most of writers’ conferences; and numerous other topics

Essential English for Journalists, Editors and Writers


Harold Evans - 1972
    What makes a good English sentence? How should you rewrite a bad one? What clichés and other word-traps are to be avoided? Using a wealth of examples drawn from British and American newspapers, Essential English is an indispensable guide for all who have to convey information by the written or printed word.

Oxford Modern English Grammar


Bas Aarts - 2011
    This indispensable handbook covers both British and American English, and makes use of authentic spoken and written examples.Packed with tables, diagrams, and numerous example sentences, and assuming no prior knowledge of grammatical concepts on the part of the reader, this volume offers an unmatched guide to the structure of contemporary English. Arranged in three clear parts for ease of use, the Grammar's comprehensivecoverage ranges from the very basic--such as word structure, simple and complex phrases, and clause types--to the more sophisticated topics that lie at the intersection of grammar and meaning, including tense and aspect, mood and modality, and information structuring. How do words formed bycompounding differ from words formed by conversion? How many verbs in English can take a declarative clause functioning as direct object (ie, decide that... or believe that...)? What is the relationship between a matrix clause and a subordinate clause? What is the present futurate? The pastfuturate? The present perfect? How does the grammar of English encode such semantic notions as possibility, probability, necessity, obligation, permission, intention, or ability? Aarts answers all these questions, clearly and engagingly, deeply enriching the reader's understanding ofthe English language.Oxford Modern English Grammar will be invaluable for those with an interest in the English language, undergraduate students of all disciplines, and for anyone who would like a clear guide to English grammar and how to use it.

The Associated Press Guide To Punctuation


Rene J. Cappon - 2003
     More people write for the Associated Press than for any other news service, and more writers take their style and word-usage cues from this world-famous institution than from any other journalism source. From the when and how of the ampersand to the rules for dashes, slashes, and brackets; from the correct moment for the overused exclamation point to the rules of engagement for the semicolon, The AP Guide to Punctuation is an invaluable and easy-to-use guide to the most important aspect of clear and persuasive writing.

Between You & Me: Confessions of a Comma Queen


Mary Norris - 2015
    Now she brings her vast experience, good cheer, and finely sharpened pencils to help the rest of us in a boisterous language book as full of life as it is of practical advice.Between You & Me features Norris's laugh-out-loud descriptions of some of the most common and vexing problems in spelling, punctuation, and usage—comma faults, danglers, "who" vs. "whom," "that" vs. "which," compound words, gender-neutral language—and her clear explanations of how to handle them. Down-to-earth and always open-minded, she draws on examples from Charles Dickens, Emily Dickinson, Henry James, and the Lord's Prayer, as well as from The Honeymooners, The Simpsons, David Foster Wallace, and Gillian Flynn. She takes us to see a copy of Noah Webster's groundbreaking Blue-Back Speller, on a quest to find out who put the hyphen in Moby-Dick, on a pilgrimage to the world's only pencil-sharpener museum, and inside the hallowed halls of The New Yorker and her work with such celebrated writers as Pauline Kael, Philip Roth, and George Saunders.Readers—and writers—will find in Norris neither a scold nor a softie but a wise and witty new friend in love with language and alive to the glories of its use in America, even in the age of autocorrect and spell-check. As Norris writes, "The dictionary is a wonderful thing, but you can't let it push you around."

Eats, Shites and Leaves


Antal Parody - 2004
    Eats, Shites and Leaves is a celebration of all things shite about the misuse of English, highlighting the prevalence of absent apostrophes, ghastly grammar, suspect sentences, rambling repetitiveness, commentators' claptrap, tortuous tautologies, insane instructions, and quirky quotations in society today.