Rules of Thumb

Rules of Thumb: A Guide for Writers, Third Edition, is a brief, easy-to-use, and affordable handbook. Designed to accommodate real writing needs, Rules of Thumb offers advice on the writing process as a whole, as well as specific guidance on punctuation, mechanics, usage, and a wide variety of common writing assignments.

Acknowledgments

v

How to Use Rules of Thumb

vii

PART 1: CORRECTNESS

A Word About Correctness

2

(1)

Confusing Words [to and too, their and there]

3

(5)

One Word or Two? [a lot]

8

(3)

Spelling (ie or ei? One p or two?]

11

(3)

Capitalization

14

(2)

Abbreviations and Numbers

16

(2)

Apostrophes ['s]

18

(1)

Consistent Pronouns [he or she, they, one]

19

(3)

Correct Pronouns [I vs. me]

22

(2)

Vague Pronouns [which, it, this, that, and who]

24

(2)

Recognizing Complete Sentences

26

(3)

Sentence Fragments and Run-on Sentences

29

(6)

Commas [,]

35

(2)

Semicolons [;]

37

(1)

Colons [:]

38

(1)

Dashes and Parentheses [---()]

39

(2)

Quotation Marks [`` '']

41

(4)

Underlining or Quoting Titles

45

(1)

Verb Tenses

46

(5)

Shifting Verb Tenses [moved, had moved]

51

(2)

Verb Agreement

53

(1)

Word Endings: s and ed

54

(2)

Tangled Sentences [Parallel Structure, Danglers]

56

(5)

PART 2: PUTTING A PAPER TOGETHER

What to Do When You're Stuck

61

(4)

Finding an Organization for Your Essay

65

(3)

How to Work on a Second Draft

68

(2)

How to Make a Paper Longer (and When to Make It Shorter)

70

(2)

Introductions and Conclusions

72

(3)

Paragraphs---Long and Short

75

(3)

Transitions

78

(2)

Proofreading Tips

80

(5)

PART 3: MEETING SPECIFIC ASSIGNMENTS

Format of College Papers

85

(3)

Writing in Class

88

(3)

Writing About Literature

91

(4)

How to Quote From Your Sources

95

(2)

Using the College Library and the Internet

97

(7)

Writing Research Papers

104

(7)

Plagiarism (Cheating)

111

(1)

Documentation

112

(17)

PART 4: WRITING WITH ELEGANCE

Keeping a Journal

129

(3)

Finding Your Voice

132

(1)

Adding Details

133

(2)

Recognizing Cliches

135

(2)

Eliminating Biased Language

137

(2)

Trimming Wordiness

139

(3)

Varying Your Sentences

142

(5)

Postscript

147

(1)

About the Authors

148

(1)

Index

149

What is included with this book?

The New copy of this book will include any supplemental materials advertised. Please check the title of the book to determine if it should include any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

The Used, Rental and eBook copies of this book are not guaranteed to include any supplemental materials. Typically, only the book itself is included. This is true even if the title states it includes any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

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Summary

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials