A Writer's Handbook from A to Z

This brief reference handbook organizes its grammar contents by the letters of the alphabet to facilitate reference for students, many of whom may not understand the organizational logic of traditionally arranged handbooks. The alphabetical section, the main portion of the handbook, responds to questions that ordinarily send students to handbooks: questions of grammatical usage (sentence and clause types, uses of prepositional phrases, descriptions of verbs and how they are used), punctuation (listed by type of mark, such as comma or hyphen), common sentence errors (including lack of subject-verb agreement, faulty pronoun reference, and shifts), and style (such as idioms, nonsexist language, and emphasis). In addition, all items of diction ordinarily found in a glossary are included in the alphabetical list, set in italic type to differentiate them from other entries. The discussions are nonprescriptive, concise, and oriented toward college writing. Entries are illustrated with sample sentences. The text also provides coverage of rhetorical topics contained in other handbooks. Separate sections on the writing process, the research paper, and specialized writing assignments (essay exams, summaries, etc.) are designed to be used in the classroom or for reference.