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Read Ebook: The Century Handbook of Writing by Greever Garland Jones Easley S Easley Stephen
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Ebook has 1162 lines and 74013 words, and 24 pages
SENTENCE STRUCTURE
COMPLETENESS OF THOUGHT
UNITY OF THOUGHT
CLEARNESS OF THOUGHT
REFERENCE 20. Divided reference 21. Weak reference 22. Broad reference 23. Dangling participle or gerund
COHERENCE 24. General incoherence 25. Logical sequence 26. Squinting modifier 27. Misplaced word 28. Split construction 29. EXERCISE A. Reference of pronouns B. Dangling modifiers C. Coherence
PARALLEL STRUCTURE 30. Parallel structure for parallel thoughts 31. Correlatives
CONSISTENCY 32. Shift in subject or voice 33. Shift in number, person, or tense 34. Mixed constructions 35. Mixed imagery
USE OF CONNECTIVES 36. The exact connective 37. Repetition of connective with gain in clearness 38. Repetition of connective with loss in clearness 39. EXERCISE A. Parallel structure B. Shift in subject or voice C. Shift in number, person, or tense D. The exact connective E. Repetition of connectives
EMPHASIS
GRAMMAR
DICTION
SPELLING
MISCELLANEOUS
PUNCTUATION
TO THE STUDENT
Try to grasp the principle which underlies the rule. In many places in this book the reason for the existence of the rule is clearly stated. Thus under 20, the reason for the rule on parallel structure is explained in a prologue. In other instances, as in the rule on divided reference , the reason becomes clear the moment you read the examples. In certain other instances the rule may appear arbitrary and without a basis in reason. But there is a basis in reason, as you will observe in the following illustration.
THE CENTURY HANDBOOK OF WRITING SENTENCE STRUCTURE
COMPLETENESS OF THOUGHT
The first thing to make certain is that the thought of a sentence is complete. A fragment which has no meaning when read alone, or a sentence from which is omitted a necessary word, phrase, or idea, violates an elementary principle of writing.
Wrong: He stopped short. Hearing some one approach.
Right: He stopped short, hearing some one approach. Hearing some one approach, he stopped short.
Wrong: The winters are cold. Although the summers are pleasant.
Right: Although the summers are pleasant, the winters are cold.
Wrong: The hunter tried to move the stone. Which he found very heavy.
Right: The hunter tried to move the stone, which he found very heavy. The hunter tried to move the stone. He found it very heavy.
Exercise:
Wrong: You remember that in his speech in which he said he would oppose the bill.
Right: You remember that in his speech he said he would oppose the bill. You remember the speech in which he said he would oppose the bill.
Wrong: He was a young man who, coming from the country, with ignorance of city ways, but with plenty of determination to succeed.
Right: He was a young man who, coming from the country, was ignorant of city ways, but had plenty of determination to succeed.
Wrong: From the window of the train I perceived one of those unsightly structures.
Right: From the window of the train I perceived one of those unsightly structures which are always to be seen near a station.
Exercise:
Ambiguous: I consulted the secretary and president.
Right: I consulted the secretary and the president. I consulted the man who was president and secretary.
Ambiguous: Water passes through the cement as well as the bricks.
Right: Water passes through the cement as well as through the bricks.
Wrong: I have had experience in every phase of the automobile.
Right: I have had experience in every phase of automobile driving and repairing.
Wrong: About him were men whom he could not tell whether they were friends or foes.
Right: About him were men regarding whom he could not tell whether they were friends or foes. About him were men who might have been either friends or foes.
Exercise:
Wrong: His speed was equal to a racehorse.
Wrong: Of course my opinion is worth less than a lawyer.
Wrong: The shells which are used in quail hunting are different than in rabbit hunting.
Compare a thing with another thing, an abstraction with another abstraction. Do not carelessly compare a thing with a part or quality of another thing. Always ask yourself: What is compared with what?
Right: His speed was equal to that of a racehorse.
Right: Of course my opinion is worth less than a lawyer's.
Right: The shells used in quail hunting are different from those used in rabbit hunting.
Self-contradictory: Chicago is larger than any city in Illinois.
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