Rules of Thumb 9e MLA 2016 UPDATE, 9th Edition

ISBN10: 1259988651 | ISBN13: 9781259988653

By Jay Silverman, Elaine Hughes and Diana Wienbroer

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ISBN10: 1259988651 | ISBN13: 9781259988653

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Complete text bound in hardcover or softcover

* The estimated amount of time this product will be on the market is based on a number of factors, including faculty input to instructional design and the prior revision cycle and updates to academic research-which typically results in a revision cycle ranging from every two to four years for this product. Pricing subject to change at any time.

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Overview

Rules of Thumb is a concise, user-friendly, and affordable handbook developed around students' real writing needs. An invaluable companion for writers at all levels, it gives students the advice they need on writing, research, grammar, and style in a clear and engaging voice. Reflecting the most current APA documentation styles, the eighth edition remains the ideal handbook for improving grammar without overwhelming student writers with specialized terminology.

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Table of Contents

Acknowledgements

The Meaning of "Rule of Thumb"

How to Use Rules of Thumb

PART 1: THE BASICS: SPELLING, PUNCTUATION, AND GRAMMAR

A Word about Correctness

Commonly Confused Words

One Word or Two?

Spelling

Capitalization

Abbreviations and Numbers

Apostrophes

Consistent Pronouns

I vs. Me, She vs. Her, He vs. Him, Who vs. Whom

Vague Pronouns

Recognizing Complete Sentences

Run-on Sentences and Sentence Fragments

Feature: Using but, however, although

Commas

Semicolons

Colons

Dashes and Parentheses

Quotation Marks

Titles: Underlines, Italics, or Quotation Marks

Shifting Verb Tenses

Verb Agreement

Word Endings: -s and -ed

Parallel Structure

Dangling COnstructions

Mixed Sentence Patterns

PART 2: PUTTING A PAPER TOGETHER

What to Do When You're Stuck

Addressing Your Audience

Writing with a Thesis

Arguing for Your Position

Finding an Organization for Your Essay

Introductions

Paragraphs--Long and Short

Transitions

Incorporating Quotations

Conclusions

How to Make a Paper Longer (and When to Make It Shorter)

How to Work on a Second Draft

Shortcuts for "Word"

Proofreading Tips

Format of College Papers

Special Case: Writing an Essay in Class

Special Case: Writing about Literature

PART 3: THE RESEARCH PAPER

Seven Steps to a Research Paper

How to Conduct Research

Feature: Tips for Fact-Checking

Going Beyond Google and Wikipedia

Feature: When You Find Too Few or Too Many Sources

Writing the Research Paper

Feature: PowerPoint Presentations

Plagiarism (Cheating)

What Is Documentation?

Feature: Where to Find Specific Entries for Works Cited, References, and Bibliography

Documentation: The MLA Style

Documentation: The APA Style

Documentation: Endnotes and Bibliography

PART 4: STYLE

Finding Your Voice

Adding Details

Repetition: Bad, Not-So-Bad, and Good

Recognizing Cliches

Eliminating Offensive Language

Trimming Wordiness

Using Strong Verbs

Varying Your Sentences

Keeping a Journal

Postscript

A List of Valuable Sources

About the Authors

Index

Troubleshooting Guide, inside back cover

Author Bios

About the Author

Jay Silverman

A graduate of Amherst College and the University of Virginia, Jay Silverman has received fellowhsips from the Fulbright-Hayes Foundation, the Andrew Mellon Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Humanities. He has taught at Vriginia Highlands Community College and at Nassau Community College where he received the Honors Program award for Excellence in Teaching.

Elaine Hughes

Elaine Hughes came to New York City from Mississippi in 1979 to attend a National Endowment for the Humanities seminar at Columbia Uniersity. She has taught writing for more than 25 years--primarily at Hinds Community College in Raymond, Mississippi, and at Nassau Community College--and has conducted writing workshops for many organizations. She is the author of WRITING FROM THE INNER SELF.

Diana Wienbroer

As Chair of the English Department of Nassau Community College for six years, Diana Roberts Wienbroer coordinated a department of 150 faculty members and served on the Executive Council of the Association of Departments of English. Besides teaching writing for over thirty years, both in Texas and New York, she has studied and taught film criticism. She is also the author of THE McGRAW-HILL GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC RESEARCH AND DOCUMENTATION, 1997.

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