Style
Second
Edition
by Laurie E.
Rozakis,
Ph.D.
ALPHA
A
member of
Penguin
Group
(USA)
Inc.
To
my
students,
past,
present,
and
future.
Thank
you
for
your
hard
work,
determination,
and
support.
You
make
teaching
a
privilege.
Special
thanks
to
Tom
Kennedy,
Fred
Church,
and
all
the
other
students
from
years
gone
by
who
stay
in
touch.
Its
gratifying
to
know
you're
happy,
successful,
and
masters
of
grammar
and
style!
Copyright
©
2003
by
Laurie
E.
Rozakis,
Ph.D.
All
rights reserved. No
part
of this book shall be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by
any
means,
electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise,
without
written
permission from the
publisher. No
patent
liability
is
assumed
with
respect to the use of the information contained herein. Although
every
precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, the publisher and author assume no responsi-
bility
for errors or
omissions.
Neither is any liability assumed for
damages
resulting from the use of information
contained herein. For information, address Alpha
Books,
201
West
103rd Street, Indianapolis, IN
46290.
THE COMPLETE IDIOT'S GUIDE TO and Design are registered trademarks of
Penguin
Group
(USA) Inc.
International Standard Book
Number:
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2003105471
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Publisher:
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Butler-Knight
Product
Manager:
Phil
Kitchel
Senior
Managing
Editor:
Jennifer
Chisholm
Acquisitions
Editor:
Gary
Goldstein
Development
Editor:
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Senior
Production
Editor:
Christy
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Editor:
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Designer:
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Indexer:
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Layout/Proofreading:
Becky
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Hunt,
Ayanna
Lacey
Contents
at a Glance
Parti:
No
Uncertain
Terms
1
1 Are You
Grammarphobic?
3
Probe
your
feeling
about
grammar
and get
clear
definitions
for
grammar,
usage,
mechanics,
and
style.
2
Conan the
Grammarian
13
Discover
the
most
common
grammar
errors,
assess
your
own
writing
strengths,
and
find
out how you can
improve
your
writing—right
now!
PartZ:
Under
the
Grammar
Hammer
25
3
Parts of
Speech:
Coming to Terms 21
Play
with
the
building
blocks
of
language
to
grasp
the
under-
pinnings
of
writing
and
speech.
This
chapter
teaches
you
all
about
nouns,
verbs,
conjunctions,
and
prepositions.
4
Terms of Endearment: More Parts of Speech 47
Master
the
rest
of the
gang,
too:
adjectives,
adverbs,
pronouns,
and
interjections.
5
Altered
States:
Verbs 59
Learn
how to use the
basic
English
tenses—and
why it's so
important
to do so.
Also
untangle
the web of
English
verbs;
learn
how to
form
the
irregular
past
tense.
6 Woe Is I: Pronouns and Case 77
Who
versus
whom.
(Or
should
I
just
shoot
myself
now?)
7
Multiple-Vehicle Wrecks: Pronoun Reference 89
Discover
how the
meaning
of a
pronoun
comes
from
its
antecedent,
the
noun
or
pronoun
to
which
it
refers.
8 How to
Write
and Speak Good: Adjectives
Versus Adverbs 99
Good
or
well?
Learn
which
part
of
speech
to use
when.
9 Reaching an Agreement: Matching Sentence Parts
111
Find
out how to
match
subjects
and
verbs,
pronouns
and
antecedents.
10
Dazed and Confused: Common
Usage
Dilemmas 125
Get
a
grip
on
dangling
and
misplaced
modifiers,
mixed
metaphors,
and
split
infinitives.
Usage
and
Abusage
137
11
Phrases:
Prime-Time
Players
139
Probe
prepositional
phrases,
admire
appositives,
and
visit
with
some
verbals.
12
Clauses:
Kickin'It
Up a
Notch
151
Learn
about
independent
clauses,
dependent
clauses,
adverb
clauses,
adjective
clauses,
and
noun
clauses.
13
Sentence and Sensibility 165
Discover
how to
avoid
fragments,
run-ons,
and
comma
splices.
14
Coordination and Subordination:
What
to Say
When
the Cops Come
177
Select
the
sentence
patterns
that
best
convey
your
meaning.
Tools
of
the
Trade
191
15
The Writer's Tools: Round Up the Usual Suspects 193
Find
out
which
tools
can
help
you
write
better—and
how.
16
Punctuation: Commas Are Our Friends 203
Learn
the
nuts
and
bolts:
end
marks,
commas,
semicolons
and
colons,
apostrophes,
and the
rest
of the
gang
(quotation
marks,
slash
and
dash,
parentheses,
brackets,
and
ellipses).
17
Capitalization and Abbreviations: Go to the
Head of the Class 223
Master
the
guideposts
of our
language.
18
Guide to
Spelling:
Hooked on Phonics
233
Bee
a
good
speller.
Style:
All
the Write Stuff
2U
19
What
Is Style, and How Do I Get Some?
251
Define
"style"
in
writing
and
learn
why
it
is so
important
to
crafting
clear,
effective
prose.
20
In Style 263
First,
analyze
the
importance
of
audience
to
writing.
Then
discover
the
four
kinds
of
writing:
exposition,
narration,
argumentation,
and
description.
21
Stylish Sentences 275
Discover
how to
vary
your
sentence
form
and
types
to
create
a
more
polished
and
effective
writing
style.
22
Conciseness: The
Department
of Redundancy
Department
287
Define
"redundancy"
and
learn
how
to
improve
your
writing
style
by
simplifying your
sentences.
23
Diction: Find the Right
Word,
Not Its First Cousin 299
Learn
the
different
levels
of
diction
and
how to
distinguish
between
confusing
words.
24
Don't
Go There:
Words
and Expressions to Avoid
311
Find
out why
its
so
important
to
avoid
sexist
language,
doublespeak,
and
clichés.
Part
6:
In
Your
Write
Mind
325
25
Business
Writing:
Write
Angles 327
Design
effective
documents
for the
world
of
work.
These
include
resumes,
cover
letters,
thank
you
notes,
and
good
news
and
bad
news
letters.
26
Personal Writing: In Your
Write
Mind 345
Write friendly
letters,
social
notes,
and
letters
of
opinion.
Appendixes
A Glossary 357
B
Model
Documents
361
C
Guide
to Grammar and Usage 367
Index 395
Parti:
No
Uncertain
Terms
I
1
Are
You Grammarphobic?
3
How
Can
You Tell
If
You're
Grammarphobic?
4
Word
Power
5
War of the
Words
5
The
Force
Be
with
You
6
Term Limits
7
What
Is
Grammar?
7
What
Is
Usage?
7
What
Is
Mechanics?
10
What
Is
Style?
10
A
Civil Tongue: Standards
for
Effective Communication
11
2
(onan
the
Grammarian
13
Sweet Dreams Aren't Made
of
These
13
Puppy
Love
14
Has
It
Come
to
This?
14
Perversity
Rules
15
Let
Me
'Splain
It
to
You,
Lucy
18
Personal
Writing Inventory
20
Damage
Control
23
Mission
Possible
23
Part
2:
Under
the Grammar
Hammer
25
3
Parts
of
Speech:
Coming
to
Terms
27
Nouns: Prime-Time
Players
27
Possessive
Nouns:
9
/w
of the
Law
29
Possess
It! 29
Plural
Nouns:
Two's
Company,
Threes
a
Crowd
31
Too
Much
of a
Good
Thing?
31
Combo
Platter
34
A
Note
on
Nouns
for
Non-Native
Speakers
35
Verbs:
All the
Right Moves
36
Action
Verbs:
Jumping
Jack
Flash
36
Chain
Gang:
Linking
Verbs
31
viii The Complete Idiot's Guide to Grammar and Style,
Second
Edition
Mothers
Little
Helper:
Helping
Verbs
31
Verb-O-Rama
31
Conjunctions:
The Ties That
Bind
39
All
Tied
Up
39
Fit to Be
Tied
41
Prepositions:
Good Things Come in
Small
Packages
42
Joined
at
the Hip
43
A
Note
on
Prepositions
for
Non
-Native
Speakers
44
4
Terms
of Endearment:
More
Parts
of
Speech
U
Adjectives:
Happy Little Clouds 47
Spice
Up
Your
Sentences
with
Adjectives
48
A
Note
on
Adjectives
for
Non-Native
Speakers
49
Have
Fun
with
Adjectives
49
And
in
This
Corner
49
Adverbs:
Who
Ya
Gonna
Call?
50
Have
Fun
with
Adverbs
51
Conjunctive
Adverbs:
An
Adverb
Disguised
as a
Conjunction
51
Hunt
and
Peck
52
Pronouns:
Pinch Hitters 53
Face
the
Music
55
Interjections:
Zap! Pow! Wow! 56
Just
When
You Thought It Was
Safe
to Take a Shower 56
Seventh-Inning
Stretch
51
5
Altered
States:
Verbs
59
Shape
Shifters 60
Verb
Tense:
Nothing a Little
Prozac
Wouldn't Cure 60
I
Feel
Your
Pain:
Principal
Parts
of
Verbs
61
A
Class
Act:
Forming
Past
Tenses
61
Now
Ihayhh
Lay
Me
Down
to
Sleep
64
Party
Pooper:
Test
Time
65
All
Tensed Up:
Using
Verb
Tense Correctly 66
Past
Tense
61
Back
to the
Future
68
A
Note
on
Verbs
for
Non-Native
Speakers
68
It
s
All
in
the Timing 10
Person,
Number,
and Mood 71
Person
12
Number 12
Mood
12
Active and
Passive
Voice: A Mistake Has
Been
Made 73
Not
So
Fast
14
6
Woe
Is
I:
Pronouns
and
Case
77
Why Can't a Pronoun
Be
More Like a Noun? 77
Head
Case:
The
Three
Cases
78
The Rules 79
Sorry,
Wrong
Number
83
Seventh-Inning
Stretch
84
Who Versus
Whom
(or Should I Just Shoot
Myself
Now?)
85
This
Hurts
You
More
Than
It
Hurts
Me 86
I
Dare
You
86
Seventh-Inning
Stretch
81
7
Multiple-Vehicle
Wrecks:
Pronoun Reference
89
How's
That
Again?
90
It Just Proves There's Someone for Everyone 91
The
Numbers
Game
91
Tag,
You're
It 92
Location,
Location, Location: Placement of Pronouns 93
A
Match Made in
Writer's
Heaven 94
Possession
and
Pronouns
94
Its
a
Lock
94
It
and
They
95
It
Mania
96
Who's
on
First?
91
8 How to
Write
and Speak Good: Adjectives
Versus
Adverbs
99
They Walk
Alike,
They Talk
Alike:
You Could
Lose
Your
Mind 100
Graphic
Proof
100
Fm
Ready
for
My
Close-Up
Now,
Mr.
DeMille
101
Three
Degrees of Separation 102
Size
Does Matter 103
Good,
Gooder,
Goodest:
Irregular
Adjectives
and
Adverbs
104
Keep
Your
Balance
105
Other
and
Else
105
X
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Grammar and Style,
Second
Edition
Tough
Sledding:
Using Adjectives After
Linking
Verbs 106
The
Badlands
106
Good
News;
Well
News
106
Once
More
into
the
Breach,
Dear
Friends
107
A
Note
on Adjectives and Adverbs for Non-Native
Speakers
108
Don't
Use No Double Negatives 108
Don't
Be
Making
No
Mistakes
109
9
Reaching
an
Agreement:
Matching
Sentence
Parts
III
Anyone Got a Match? 112
Singular
Subjects
and
Verbs
112
Plural
Subjects
and
Verbs
113
Seventh-Inning
Stretch
114
Collective Nouns 115
Indefinite Pronouns
116
The
Pause
That
Refreshes
118
Walk
This
Way 119
Hide
and
Seek
119
Playing
the
Numbers
120
Matchmaker, Matchmaker,
Make
Me a
Match
120
Mix
and
Match
121
Agree
to
Disagree
122
Nose to the Grindstone 124
10
Dazed
and
Confused:
Common
Usage
Dilemmas
125
Dangling
Modifiers:
Counterintelligence 126
Help
Is
on
the
Way
126
Man
the
Battle
Stations
121
Misplaced
Modifiers: Lost and Found 128
It
Says
What? 129
Quiz
Show
130
Mixed Metaphors: A Dollar Late and a Day Short
131
Split
Infinitives: To
Boldly
Go
Where
Everyone
Else
Goes
133
The Good, the
Bad,
the
Ugly
134
Hopefully
134
Like/As 134
Ending
with
a
Preposition
135
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