Prentice Hall Canada Reference Guide to Grammar and Usage

477 Pages·2016·8.19 MB·English

by  Harris M.

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r
How do I find something when I'm not sure what I'm looking
for? r
When you do know the grammatical termsyouwant to look up, you can use r
the indexor table ofcontents. Butwhen you don't, here are two otherways to
look up information:
r
Question and Correct
Ifyou havea specificquestion (such as"Which iscorrect, betweenyou andlor r
between you and me?''), turn to the "Question and Correct" list inside of the
fold-outbackcover.Thislistcontains55questionswritersmostfrequentlyask r
about grammar, punctuation, mechanics, and word usage. Each question
refersyou to the section ofthis bookwhere you'llfind the answer, r
For quick access to the right question(s), you might want to use the list
located on the outside of the fold-out back cover-called "Key Topics in ('
Question and Correct."
Compare and Correct (
Ifyou don't knowwhat to ask butyou knowyour sentence or paragraphjust
(
doesn't seem right, turn to the green-edged section called "Compare and
Correct." Here youwill find 80 examples ofcommon sentence, word, punc
(
tuation, and spelling errors. Find the example or sentence most similar to
your sentence or paragraph and then turn to the section listed next to it to
(
find the solution to your problem.
Informationinboththe"Question andCorrect"and"CompareandCorrect"
(
guides is grouped into the following categories:
• Sentences • Punctuation• MechanicsandSpelling• StyleandWordChoice (
• PaperFormat • Research and Documentation • ESLConcerns
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l
l
l
o Tab Contents e
TheWriting Process MechanicsandSpelling 185
1 PurposesandAudiences 2 34 Capitals 186
2 WritingProcessesandStrategies 4 35 Abbreviations 189
3 Paragraphs 13 36 Numbers 193
e4 Writingwith Computers 20 37 Underlining/Italics 195
38 Spelling 198
I SentenceAccuracy. Clarity. and Cit
Variety 25 StyleandWordChoice 211
5 CommaSplicesandFused 39 SexistLanguage 212
Sentences 26 40 UnnecessaryWords 214
6 Subject-VerbAgreement 29 e41 AppropriateWords 219
7 SentenceFragments 36
8 Danglingand Misplaced Research and
Modifiers 40 Documentation 229
9 ParallelConstructions 43 42 FindingaTopic 230
10 Consistency (AvoidingShifts) 47 43 Searchingfor Information 232
11 FaultyPredication 51 44 TakingNotes 242
12 Coordinationand 45 Documentingin MLAStyle 257
Subordination 53 e46 DocumentinginAPAStyle 284
13 SentenceClarity 57
14 Transitions 61 ESLConcerns 299
15 SentenceVariety 67 47 Verbs 300
8
48 OmittedWords 306
PartsofSentences 71 49 RepeatedWords 307
16 Verbs 71 50 Countand NoncountNouns 308
17 Nounsand Pronouns 87 51 AdjectivesandAdverbs 310
18 PronounCaseand Reference 94 52 Prepositions 316
19 AdjectivesandAdverbs 103 53 Idioms 317
20 Prepositions III
Appendices 319
21 Subjects 113
22 Phrases 115 A Argument 320
23 Clauses 118 B DocumentDesign 331
24 Essentialand NonessentialClauses C Resumes 336
and Phrases 125 GlossaryofUsage 347
25 Sentences 128 GlossaryofGrammaticalTerms 357
G
UsingCompareandCorrectand
Punctuation 133 QuestionandCorrect 413
26 Commas 134 Index 427
27 Apostrophes 151 KeyTopicsinQuestionandCorrect
28 Semicolons 157 out~idefold-outbackcover
29 Colons 161 QuestionandCorrect insidefold-out
30 QuotationMarks 164 backcover
31 Hyphens 170
32 EndPunctuation 173
33 OtherPunctuation 178
Prentice Hall Canada
Reference Guide
to Grammar and
Usage
Second Canadian Edition
MURIEL HARRIS
Purdue University
JOAN PILZ
Humber College
Prentice Hall Allyn and Bacon Canada
Scarborough, Ontario
CanadianCataloguinginPublicationData
Harris, Muriel
Prentice HallCanadaRefeerence Guide to Grammarand Usage
2ndCanadianed.
ISBN0-13-240987-9
1.Englishlanguage-Grammar. 2.Englishlanguage-Usage. I. Pilz,Joan.
II. Title.
III
PEllI2.H293 1997 428.2 C9&-93209I-4
© j997 P"o'k,-H,lIC,o'd'JOL,&"oowugh,Oo'''io
_ ADivisionofSimon& Schuster/AViacom Company
ALLRIGHTSRESERVED
No partofthisbookmaybe reproducedinanyform withoutpermissionin
writingfrom the publisher.
Prentice-Hall, Inc., UpperSaddleRiver,NewJersey
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ISBN0-13-240987-9
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CONTENTS
-
ToTHE Il\STRUCTOR Xll
ToTHE STLDE:"T XVlll
1
PART ONE: THE WRITING PROCESS
1 PurposesandAudiences 2
a Purpose 2
b Topic 3
c Thesis 3
2 WritingProcessesandStrategies 4
a Planning 5
b Drafting 9
c Organizing 9
d Revising 10
e Editingand Proofreading II
3 Paragraphs 13
a Unity 13
b Coherence ]3
c Development 13
d Introductions and Conclusions 13
e Patterns ofOrganization 14
4 Writingwith Computers 20
a Planningwith Computers 20
b Draftingwith Computers 21
c Organizingwith Computers 22
d Revisingwith Computers 22
e Editingand Proofreadingwith Computers 23
PART Two: SENTENCE ACCURACY, CLARITY,
25
AND VARIETY
5 CommaSplices andFusedSentences 26
a CommaSplices 27
b FusedorRun-on Sentences 28
6 Subject-VerbAgreement 29
a SingularandPluralSubjects 29
b BuriedSubjects 30
\
c Compound Subjects 31
d Either/Or Subjects 31
vi Contents
e Clausesand Phrasesas Subjects 31
f Indefinitesas Subjects 31
g CollectiveNounsandAmountsas Subjects 32
h PluralWords as Subjects 32
i Titles, CompanyNames, andWordsasSubjects 33
j LinkingVerbs 33
k ThereIs/ThereAre/It 33
I Who/Which/ThatandOneof... Who/Which/
Thatas Subjects 34
7 SentenceFragments 36
a UnintentionalFragments 36
b IntentionalFragments 38
8 DanglingandMisplacedModifiers 40
a DanglingModifiers 40
b MisplacedModifiers 42
9 ParallelConstructions 43
a Parallel Structure 43
b FaultyParallelism 45
10 Consistency (AvoidingShifts) 47
a Shiftsin PersonorNumber 47
b ShiftsinVerbTense 48
c ShiftsinTone 49
d ShiftsinVoice 49
e Shiftsin Discourse 50
11 FaultyPredication 51
12 CoordinationandSubordination 53
a Coordination 53
b Subordination 54
13 SentenceClarity 57
a Movingfrom Known (Old) to Unknown (New)
Information 57
b UsingPositive InsteadofNegative 58
c AvoidingDouble Negatives 58
d UsingVerbs InsteadofNouns 59
e Making the Intended Subjectthe Sentence
Subject 59
f UsingActive InsteadofPassive 60
14 Transitions 61
a Repetition ofa KeyTermorPhrase 61
b Synonyms 61
c Pronouns 61
d TransitionalWordsand Phrases 62
e Transitionsin andBetween Paragraphs 64
~I
Contents vii
15 SentenceVariety 67
a CombiningSentences 67
b AddingWords 67
c ChangingWords, Phrases, and Clauses 69
71
PART THREE: PARTS OF SENTENCES
16 Verbs 72
a VerbPhrases 73
b VerbForms 73
c VerbTense 76
d VerbVoice 84
e Verb Mood 84
f ModalVerbs 86
17 NounsandPronouns 87
a Nouns 87
b Pronouns 89
18 PronounCaseandReference 94
a Pronoun Case 94
b PronounReference 99
19 AdjectivesandAdverbs 103
a Adjectives andAdverbs 103
b A/An/The 105
c Comparisons 107
20 Prepositions III
a CommonPrepositions III
b IdiomaticPrepositions 112
c OtherPrepositions 112
21 Subjects 113
22 Phrases 115
23 Clauses 118
a IndependentClauses 118
b DependentClauses 120
24 EssentialandNonessentialClausesandPhrases 125
a Essential Clauses andPhrases 125
b Nonessential ClausesandPhrases 126
25 Sentences 128
a Sentence Purposes 130
b SentenceStructures 130
133
PART FOUR: PUNCTUATION
26 Commas 134
a Commasin Compound Sentences 135
b CommasafterIntroductoryWords, Phrases, and Clauses
138
viii Contents
c Commaswith Essential and Nonessential Words, Phrases,
and Clauses 140
d Commas in Series and Lists 142
e CommaswithAdjectives 144
f Commas with Dates,Addresses, Geographical Names, and
Numbers 145
g OtherUsesfor Commas 147
h UnnecessaryCommas 149
27 Apostrophes 151
a ApostropheswithPossessives 151
b Apostropheswith Contractions 152
c Apostropheswith Plurals 153
d UnnecessaryApostrophes 153
28 Semicolons 157
a Semicolons in CompoundSentences 157
b Semicolons in aSeries 159
c Semicolonswith Quotation Marks 159
d UnnecessarySemicolons 159
29 Colons 161
a Colons toAnnounce Elements at the End ofaSentence
161
b Colons toSeparateIndependentClauses 162
c Colons toAnnounce Long Quotations 162
d Colons in Salutations and Between Elements 162
e Colons with Quotation Marks 163
f UnnecessaryColons 163
30 QuotationMarks 164
a Quotation Markswith Directand Indirect Quotations
164
b Quotation Marksfor MinorTitlesand PartsofWholes
167
c Quotation MarksforWords 167
d Use ofOtherPunctuationwith Quotation Marks 167
e UnnecessaryQuotation Marks 168
31 Flyphens 170
a Hyphens to DivideWords 170
b Hyphens toForm CompoundWords 170
c Hyphens toJoin Two-Word Units 171
d Hyphens toJoin Prefixes, Suffixes, and Letters to a Word
171
e Hyphens toAvoidAmbiguity 172
32 EndPunctuation 173
a Periods 173
b Question Marks 175
c Exclamation Points 177
Contents ix
33 OtherPunctuation 178
a Dashes 178
b Slashes 180
c Parentheses 181
d Brackets 182
e OmittedWords/Ellipses 183
PART FIVE: MECHANICS AND SPELLING 185
34 Capitals 186
35 Abbreviations 189
a AbbreviatingNumbers 189
b AbbreviatingTitles 190
c AbbreviatingPlaces 190
d AbbreviatingMeasurements 191
e AbbreviatingDates 191
f AbbreviatingInitials Usedas Names 191
g AbbreviatingLatin Expressions 191
h AbbreviatingDocumentation 192
36 Numbers 193
37 Underlining/Italics 195
a UnderliningforTitles 196
b OtherUses ofUnderlining 196
38 Spelling 198
a Proofreading 198
b UsingSpell Checkers 200
c Some SpellingGuidelines 200
d Plurals 205
e Sound-AlikeWords (Homonyms) 206
PART SIX: STYLE AND WORD CHOICE 211
39 SexistLanguage 212
a Alternatives to Man 212
b AlternativeJob Titles 212
c Alternatives to the MasculinePronoun 212
40 UnnecessaryWords 214
a Conciseness 214
b Cliches 217
c PretentiousLanguage 218
41 AppropriateWords 219
a StandardEnglish 219
b Colloquialisms, Slang, andRegionalisms 219
c LevelsofFonnality 221
d Jargon and TechnicalTerms 224
e GeneralandSpecificWords 225