The Writer's FAQs

Updated in a new 4th edition,The Writer's FAQs is a clear and ultra-portable reference for style, grammar, punctuation, mechanics, research and documentation that enables writers quickly to find the material they need withonly minimal knowledge of terminology. The contents are presented both conventionally, and by lists of frequently asked questions about writing concerns as students are inclined to phrase them. Especially noteworthy are a generous section for multilingual writers, and "source maps" to demystify documentation visually. The Writer's FAQs is a clear and concise reference for style, grammar, punctuation, mechanics, writing process, research and documentation.Anyone who can benefit from a reference for writing, grammar, research and documentation.

How to Use This Book                                                                     

Question and Correct                                                                       

 

I.        Writing and Speaking                                                       
1.          Checklist for Effective Papers and Portfolios                                       

2.          Checklist for Oral and Multimedia Presentations                        

II.        Sentence Choices                                                                           
3.          Clarity                                                                                                 

4.          Variety                                                                                                

5.          Active/Passive Verbs                                                                           

6.          Parallelism                                                                                           

7.          Predication                                                                                         

8.          Transitions                                                                                           

 

III.      Writing Style                                                                          
9.          Conciseness                                                                                        

10.        Voice and Formality                                                                            

11.        Nonsexist Language                                                                             

 

IV.      Sentence Grammar                                                               

12.       Fragments                                                                                           

13.       Comma Splices and Fused Sentences                                                  

14.       Subjects and Verbs                                                                             

15.       Pronouns                                                                                             

16.       Adjectives and Adverbs                                                                       

17.       Modifiers                                                                                             

18.       Shifts                                                                                                   

 

V.        Punctuation                                                                           

19.       Sentence Punctuation Patterns (for Commas and Semicolons)   

20.       Commas                                                                                              

21.       Apostrophes                                                                                        

22.       Semicolons                                                                                          

23.       Quotation Marks                                                                                 

24.       Other Punctuation                                                                                

 

VI.     Mechanics                                                                             

25.       Capitalization                                                                                       

26.       Italics                                                                                                  

27.       Numbers                                                                                             

28.       Abbreviations                                                                                      

29.       Spelling                                                                                               

 

VII.   Multilingual Speakers                                                           

30.       American Style in Writing/ESL Resources                                            

31.       Verbs                                                                                                  

32.       Nouns (Count and Noncount)                                                              

33.       Articles (“A,” “An,” and “The”)                                                

34.       Prepositions                                                                                         

35.       Omitted/Repeated Words                                                                    

36.       Idioms                                                                                                 

 

VIII.  Research                                                                                

37.       Finding a Topic                                                                        

38.       Searching for Information                                                                     

39.       Evaluating Print and Online Sources                                                     

40.       Integrating Sources                                                                              

41.       Designing Documents                                                                           

 

IX.     Documentation                                                                      

42.       Documenting in MLA Style                                                                  

43.       Documenting in APA Style                                                                   

44.       Chicago Manual of Style (CM)                                                          

45.       Council of Science Editors (CSE)                                                        

46.       Style Manuals and Resources for Various Fields                                   

 

Glossary of Usage                                                                   

Glossary of Grammatical Terms                                            

Index                                                                                      

Correction Symbols                                              Inside back cover