This book seeks to help you improve your writing quickly and thoroughly. As aids to quickness, it offers two special features:
1. It provides a series of pre-tests to reveal which parts of the book you may skip and which you should study. Thus you spend time only on the parts that you need to learn, not on those dealing with what you already know.
2. It provides, near the back of the book, the answers to all the tests contained in the book. You may check your own work quickly, without waiting for somebody else to grade and return your papers. Thus you may move through this book as rapidly as you wish.
As aids to thoroughness, the book offers three other features:
1. It presents, in four different ways, each point to be learned. First, in a pre-test, it asks questions about the point, thus arousing your interest. Second, it explains the point, giving you a general knowledge. Third, it illustrates the point, making your knowledge more precise. And finally, in a post-test, it again asks questions about the point, so that you may check your mastery of that point before moving on to the next section.
2. As a rule, the points to be learned are arranged so that your understanding of the earlier ones will help you to understand the later ones. Thus you are not expected to learn something until you have been prepared to learn it. If you study the book from beginning to end (skipping the portions that you already know), you should not become "lost" or "get beyond your depth."
3. Because you may immediately check your answers on most tests, your new knowledge will be quickly "reinforced" — an important aid, psychologists say, in learning.
With all these aids for quick and thorough learning, the book should enable you to bring about a real improvement in your writing.
How This Book Is Organized
The book is divided into three parts. The first deals with words, one of the smallest components of writing. The second deals with sentences, a larger component. The third deals with the largest components: paragraphs and the whole composition. An appendix contains check lists which you should consult before turning compositions in.
Each of the parts is subdivided into units. The first part, dealing with diction, has a unit on the dictionary as a source of information about words, another unit on the spelling of words, and a third unit on how to choose the most effective words.
Likwise, the second part (sentences) has a series of units on how to build the most effective sentences, and the third part (paragraphs, etc.) has a series of units on how to construct the most effective paragraphs, etc. In all, there are nine units, each dealing with a major problem of writing or each providing information which may be needed in solving a major problem.
The units are further subdivided into sections. Each unit contains a dozen or two sections, and each section deals with a smaller phase of the big problem covered by the unit. For instance, in the unit on punctuation there is a section on the use of the comma in a series, and in the unit on paragraphs is a section on topic sentences. The units are designated by Roman numerals, and the sections by Arabic numerals. Both units and sections have a system of pre-tests and post-tests, explained below. Moreover, the units have previews and reviews as aids to quick and thorough learning.
How to Use This Book
Each of the nine units begins with a pre-test designed to show you whether to skip or to study that unit. If you miss no answer in the pre-test, you may skip the unit; but if you miss even one answer, study the unit. In effect, a perfect score on a pre-test for a unit exempts you from the study of the unit — but only a perfect score.
As you study a unit, read everything until you come to a pre-test at the beginning of a section, A perfect score on that pre-test will exempt you from reading that section. An imperfect score, however, should cause you to study the section and to take the post-test following the section. If you do not make a perfect score on the post-test, you should review the entire section before moving on to a new section, for an understanding of the new section may depend upon an understanding of the earlier one.
At the end of each unit are a review and a post-test. Read the review as an additional way of reinforcing what you have learned in the unit; then, take the post-test.
Note that the length of the blanks in the tests is no clue to the length of the word that fills it. All the blanks are the same length.
If you use the book in the way described here, you should be able to go through it as rapidly as you are really prepared to go; and, when you have finished, you should have a thorough knowledge of what is needed to improve your writing.
Begin now by taking the pre-test for the first unit, on page 2.
To the Instructor
Though this book covers the material normally found in handbooks for courses in composition, it is not a handbook. It is a teaching book. It has been designed, not merely to be consulted as a reference work while a student corrects the errors in his themes, but to teach, the student what he needs to know in order to improve his writing. (How it teaches is explained more fully in the introductory note addressed "To the Student.")
The book may be used either as a basic text or as a supplementary text.
If you use this book as a basic text, you may begin your assignments with any of the major parts of the book - that is, you may begin with diction, in Part I; with sentences, Part II; or with the larger units of writing, Part III. These three parts are not interdependent, with one element built upon another. Within these three parts, however, the assignments will probably be most effective if the student goes through the material in the order in which it is printed.
Also if you use this book as a basic text, you will find that the correction chart inside the back cover will be an aid in marking papers. In addition, the check lists which comprise the Appendix and which your students should consult before turning in their papers, may aid your students in reducing the number of weaknesses in their papers.
If you use the book as a supplementary text, your students may work their way through it, learning as they go, with a minimum of effort on your part. Because the book contains answers for all tests, the student may check his own work immediately, without any help from you. Thus you will not have to go through such time-consuming tasks as taking up papers, alphabetizing them, marking them, recording the grades, and finally returning the papers to the students.
Experience with a preliminary mimeographed edition of the book showed, though, that the teacher should check the work of students at least every two weeks, merely to make sure that the assigned work is being done properly. This check may consist of no more than a glance at the books in the classroom to verify the fact that the student has done the pages assigned. A mere glance at the assigned pages is often enough to show whether or not the student is doing his part in the process.
In brief, this book has been designed in an attempt to enable the teacher, as well as the student, to accomplish the most with the least expenditure of effort.
Contents:
I . Getting the Most Out of Your Dictionary 2
Pre-Test 2
Preview of Unit I 3
1. Owning a Good Dictionary 4
2. Information About Words 6
3. Spelling 8
4. Prononciation 10
5. Grammatical Forms 12
6. History 13
7. Meaning 15
8. Synonyms and Antonyms 17
9. Restrictive Labels 19
10. Factual Information 21
11. Biographical Information 23
12. Geographical Information 24
13. Educational Information 26
14. Other Information 27
Review of Unit I 29
Post-Test 30
II. Choosing the Most Effective Words 31
Pre-Test 31
Preview of Unit II 33
15. Your Mind as a Source for Words 34
16. The Thesaurus 35
17. The Dictionary 38
18. The Intuitive Method 40
19. The Analytical Method 42
20. Appropriateness 43
21. Formality 45
22. Technicality 47
23.Personalization 48
24. Standardness 50
25. Plainness 51
26. Impact 53
27. Concreteness 55
28. Emotionality 57
29. Freshness 60
30. Figurativeness 62
31. Figurative Comparisons 66
32. Other Figures of Speech 69
33. Repetition 71
34. Tautology 72
Review of Unit II 75
Post-Test 76
III. Achieving Correctness in Spelling 78
Pre-Test 78
Preview of Unit III 79
35. Proofreading: Why It Is Needed 80
36 Proofreading: Its Speed 82
37. Proofreading: Its Accuracy 84
38. Proofreading: Its Thoroughness 85
39. Doubting: How It Can Help 87
40. Measuring Doubt 89
41. Increasing Doubt 91
42. Silent Letters as Trouble Spots 94
43. Unstressed Vowels 95
44. Added Suffixes 96
45. IE or El? 97
46. Apostrophes 99
47. Hyphens 100
48. Troublesome Combinations of Words 102
49. Capitalization 104
50. Abbreviations 105
51. Numbers 106
Review of Unit III 107
Post-Test 107
PART TWO • IMPROVING YOUR SENTENCES
IV. Building Better Sentences 110
IV-A. Building Simple Sentences 111
Pre-Test 111
Preview of Unit IV-A 112
52. Verbs, Regular 113
53. Verbs, Irregular 115
54. Nouns, Regular 116
55. Nouns, Irregular 117
56. The NV Pattern 119
57. The NVN Pattern 121
58. The NVNN Pattern 123
59. Pronouns 125
60. Modifiers 126
61. Modifiers as Changers of Meaning 129
62. Adjectives and Adverbs as Modifiers 130
63. Linking Verbs 132
64. The NLVN Pattern 134
65. The NLVAdj Pattern 136
66. The THERE LV N Pattern 137
67. Connectives: Prepositions 139
68. Co-ordinate Conjunctions 141
69. Correlative Conjunctions 143
Review of Unit IV-A 144
Post-Test 145
IV-B. Building Sentences with "Tricky" Constructions 147
Pre-Test 147
Preview of Unit IV-B 148
70. Nouns as Adjectives 149
71. Nouns as Adverbs 152
72. Pronouns as Adjectives 154
73. Adjectives as Nouns 156
74. Verbs as Other Parts of Speech 157
75. Verbals as Nouns 159
76. Verbals as Adjectives 160
77. Verbals as Adverbs 162
78. Verbals and Voices 164
79. Patterns of Verbal Phrases 165
80. Phrases as Nouns 168
81. Phrases as Adjectives 170
82. Phrases as Adverbs 172
83. Appositives 174
84. Compounding 175
85. Series 177
Review of Unit IV-B 179
Post-Test 181
IV-C. Building Other Kinds of Sentences 183
Pre-Test 183
Preview of Unit IV-C 184
86. Clauses: Independent and Dependent 186
87. Co-ordinate Conjunctions as Connectors of Clauses 188
88. Conjunctive Adverbs 190
89. Subordinate Conjunctions 191
90. Relative Pronouns 193
91. Dependent Clauses as Nouns 195
92. Dependent Clauses as Adjectives 196
93. Dependent Clauses as Adverbs 198
94. Clauses: Complete and Elliptical 200
95. Compound Sentences 202
96. Complex Sentences 204
97. Compound-Complex Sentences 205
98. Sentences That State and Those That Command 207
99. Sentences That Question 210
100. Sentences That Exclaim 212
Review of Unit IV-C 213
Post-Test 214
V. Punctuating Correctly 216
Pre-Test 216
Preview of Unit V 217
101. Units of Writing to be Punctuated 218
102. Classes of Punctuation Marks 220
103. Intonations Helpful in Punctuating 221
104. Intonation and Grammar as Aids in Punctuating 224
105. Periods as Heavy Marks 226
106. Question Marks 228
107. Exclamation Points 230
108. Commas as Light Marks 232
109. Commas For Series 234
110. Commas For Non-Restrictive Elements 237
111. Commas for Clarity 241
112. Commas for Custom 245
113. Other Light Marks: Parentheses and Brackets 246
114. Semicolons as Intermediate Marks 248
115. Colons 250
116. Dashes 252
117. Quotation Marks as "Extras" 254
118. Ellipsis Marks 256
119. Underlining 257
120. Combinations of Marks 258
Review of Unit V 262
Post-Test 263
VI. Avoiding Errors in Sentences 264
Pre-Test 264
Preview of Unit VI 265
121. Fragmentary Sentences 267
122. "Spliced" Sentences 269
123. Run-Together Sentences 272
124. "Buried" Subjects and Verbs 273
125. "Delayed" Subjects and Verbs 275
126. "Double" Subjects and Verbs 277
127. Reference of Pronouns 279
128. Agreement of Pronouns 281
129. Case of Pronouns 283
130. Forms of Modifiers 286
131. Misplaced Modifying Words 288
132. Misplaced Modifying Phrases 289
133. Misplaced Modifying Clauses 292
134. Adverbial Clauses Used as Nouns 294
135. Parallelism and Co-ordinate Conjunctions 296
136. Parallelism and Correlative Conjunctions 298
137. Parallelism and Comparisons 299
138. False Parallelism 301
139. Shifts in Tense 302
140. Shifts in Person 303
141. Shifts in Voice 305
Review of Unit VI 307
Post-Test 308
VI/. Increasing the Effectiveness of Your Sentences 310
Pre-Test 310
Preview of Unit VII 311
142. Monotony in the Length of Sentences 312
143. Monotony in the Order of Parts of Sentences 315
144. Monotony in the Pattern of Sentences 317
145. Monotony in the "Mode" of Sentences 320
146. Development of Ideas by Expansion 321
147. Development of Ideas by Oblique Repetition 323
148. Methods of Emphasizing in Sentences 325
149. Emphasis by Pattern 326
150. Emphasis by Position 329
151. Emphasis by Mechanical Devices 330
Review of Unit VII 332
Post-Test 332
PART THREE • IMPROVING YOUR PARAGRAPHS AND COMPOSITIONS
VIII. Constructing Better Paragraphs 336
Pre-Test 336
Preview of Unit VIII 338
152. The Parts of the Paragraph 338
153. Transitions 341
154. Topic Sentences 344
155. Developing Sentences 345
156. Punch Lines 347
157. The Lengths of Paragraphs 349
158. The Unity of Paragraphs 350
Review of Unit VIII 351
Post-Test 352
IX. Planning Better Compositions 354
Pre-Test 354
Preview of Unit IX 356
159. The Parts of a Composition 357
160. The Introduction of a Composition 360
161. Getting Attention 362
162. Announcing the Subject 365
163. Previewing the Topics 366
164. Orienting the Reader 368
165. The Body of a Composition - Its Parts 370
166. Relation of the Parts 373
167. Progression From One Part to Another 374
168. The Conclusion of a Composition 376
169. Interaction of Introduction, Body, and Conclusion 378
Review of Unit IX 379
Post-Test 380
APPENDIX
Check Lists 383
Spelling 384
Punctuation 384
Most Common Errors 384
Effectiveness of Sentences 385
Paragraphs 386
Compositions as a Whole 386
Form of the Manuscript 387
Answers 388
Index
Index to Errors and Weaknesses (Inside back cover)
