The elephants of style
a trunkload of tips on the big issues and gray areas of contemporary American English
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Word Count
59,500 words, Guess
Page Count
238 pages
Identifiers
- Internet Archiveelephantsstyletr00wals_228
- Internet Archiveelephantsofstyle00wals
- ISBN-100071422684
- ISBN-139780071422680
- LibraryThing41552
and 4 more
- Library of Congress Control Number2003017004
- OCLC Control Number52806039
- Better World Books9780071422680
- Open LibraryOL3677523M
Classifications
- DDC428/.00973
- LCCPE2827 .W35 2004
- LCCPE2827.W35 2004
Description
A thorough, and thoroughly entertaining, guide to writing like the prosWhat do writers and editors mean when they talk about style? Sometimes they mean formatting for consistency and clarity. (Is it Texas or Tex. or TX? One space or two after a period?) Sometimes they mean correctness in spelling, grammar, word usage and punctuation. (A historic or an historic? The data is or the data are?) And sometimes they mean style as in stylishness. (Bright and breezy or just-the-facts-ma'am? Is that cute little idea fresh and original or tired and silly?) Inside, you'll find answers that will add polish and sparkle to your writing.In the word-nerd classic Lapsing Into a Comma, Bill Walsh of the Washington Post entertained, educated and enlightened writers, editors, students and language lovers with commonsense guidelines and opinionated commentary on American English in the computer age. In The Elephants of Style he takes a step back and presents an in-depth look at the basics, including spelling, capitalization, abbreviations, subject-verb agreement, plurals and possessives.With sometimes acerbic wit, the author also addresses:The lies your English teacher told you. Balancing the traditional ("Once wrong, always wrong") with the progressive ("Everybody does it") as language continues to evolve. How and why major publications differ in their handling of basic spelling, capitalization and punctuation issues. How empathy between writers and editors can make writing better.
Description
Provides an overview of the fundamental rules of the English language, including tips for mastering some of the more confusing spelling, punctuation, grammar, capitalization, and conjugation rules.
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Genres
- Handbooks, manuals, etc
- Humor
Other Editions
- The elephants of style
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