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 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
Popular passages
Page 416 - Nazi rule, we shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender...
Page 360 - Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, unless for the punishment of crime, shall ever be tolerated in this state.
Page 395 - We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement ; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us : for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves...
Page 449 - But I will punish home: No, I will weep no more. In such a night To shut me out! Pour on; I will endure. In such a night as this! O Regan, Goneril! Your old kind father, whose frank heart gave all O, that way madness lies; let me shun that; No more of that.
Page 480 - A specter haunts our culture— it is that people will ^eventually be unable to say, "They fell in love and married," let alone understand the language of Romeo and Juliet, but will as a matter of course say, "Their libidinal impulses being reciprocal, they activated their individual erotic drives and integrated them within the same frame of reference.
Page 97 - slithy' means 'lithe and slimy.' 'Lithe' is the same as 'active.' You see it's like a portmanteau— there are two meanings packed up into one word.
Page 228 - all animals are equal but some are more equal than others' is not witty in Orwell's eyes but profoundly disturbing.