The Careful WriterThe definitive writers’ handbook of alphabetized entries that provides answers to questions of use, meaning, grammar, punctuation, precision, logical structure, and color. The Careful Writer is a concise yet thorough handbook, covering in more than 2,000 alphabetized entries the problems that give (or should give) writers pause before they set words to paper. It is perhaps the liveliest and most entertaining reference work for writers of our time—delighting while it instructs and amusing even as it scolds and cajoles the reader into skillful, persuasive, and vivid writing. The Careful Writer, Mr. Bernstein’s major work on usage, is an indispensible desk reference, and a perennial source of continuing reading pleasure. |
Contents
Section 1 | 3 |
Section 2 | 20 |
Section 3 | 63 |
Section 4 | 87 |
Section 5 | 128 |
Section 6 | 154 |
Section 7 | 177 |
Section 8 | 198 |
Section 15 | 286 |
Section 16 | 307 |
Section 17 | 324 |
Section 18 | 377 |
Section 19 | 382 |
Section 20 | 404 |
Section 21 | 439 |
Section 22 | 458 |
Section 9 | 209 |
Section 10 | 221 |
Section 11 | 246 |
Section 12 | 248 |
Section 13 | 252 |
Section 14 | 268 |
Section 23 | 462 |
Section 24 | 470 |
Section 25 | 486 |
Section 26 | 489 |
Other editions - View all
The Careful Writer: A Modern Guide to English Usage Theodore Menline Bernstein No preview available - 1965 |
Common terms and phrases
acceptable adjective adverb American appears applied ATOMIC FLYSWATTERS avoid become better careful writer casual clause cliché colloquial comma common conjunction connotation construction context correct course DANGLERS denotes dictionary distinction doubt DYSPHEMISM ellipsis English error euphemism example expression FAD WORD FIGURES AND FAULTS following sentence Fowler genitive gerund grammatical headline hyphen idea idiom idiomatic incorrect infinitive INSIDE TALK instance intended kind linguistic litotes logic meant merely misuse modify newspaper normal noun parenthetical participle passive voice perhaps persons phrase plural precise present President pronoun proper PUNCTUATION question quoted reader reason redundancy refers relative pronoun RHETORICAL FIGURES seems sense singular situation slang solecism sometimes sound Soviet speak speech split infinitive spoken language suffix suggest syllepsis SYNECHDOCHE synonym Takes preposition takes the preposition tence term thing thought tion tmesis transferred epithet transitive verb usage usually verb wasteful locution Webster word means