This streamlined version of Canada's most trusted guide to research, writing, and documentation delivers invaluable advice on every aspect of the writing process, from composing a sentence to producing a full-length research paper. This handbook features descriptions and examples of the entire writing process from basic grammar and punctuation to constructing sentences and paragraphs. It also covers how to quote and paraphrase to avoid plagiarism, and includes updated coverage of MLA, APA, Chicago, CSE, and IEEE styles. This text is suitable for students of all levels of study and includes EAL icons that point to material of particular benefit to students learning English as an additional language.

Important Topics for EAL Students Preface PART I: Principles of Composition 1. Kinds of Paragraphs 1a Functions of Paragraphs 1b Kinds of Paragraphs: Methods of Development Unity, Coherence, and Emphasis in Paragraphs 2. Paragraph Unity 3. Paragraph Coherence 4. Coherence Through Organization: Beginning, Middle, and Ending 4a The Beginning: Topic Sentences 4b The Middle 4c The Ending 5. Structural Coherence 5a Parallelism 5b Repetition 5c Pronouns and Demonstrative Adjectives 5d Transitional Terms 6. Emphasis in Paragraphs 7. Length of Paragraphs 7a Too Many Long Paragraphs 7b Too many Short Paragraphs 7c Variety 7d Review: A Sample Paragraph with an Analysis The Whole Essay 8. The Whole Essay: Unity, Coherence, and Emphasis 8a Unity 8b Coherence 8c Emphasis 9. The Process of Planning, Writing, and Revising the Essay 9a Finding a Subject and Pre-writing 9b Limiting the Subject 9c Considering Audience and Purpose 9d Gathering Evidence 9e Classifying and Organizing the Evidence 9f The Thesis Statement and the Outline 9g The Importance of Outlining 9h Kinds of Outlines 9i Sentence Outlines 9j Constructing Sentence Outlines 9k Writing the First Draft 9-l Notes on Beginnings 9m Revising 9n Preparing the Final Draft 9-o Proofreading 10. Argument: Writing to Convince or Persuade 10a Subject 10b Audience 10c Evidence 10d Organization 10e Being Reasonable 10f Including the Opposition 10g Using Induction and Deduction 10h Detecting and Avoiding Fallacies 11. Writing In-Class Essays and Essay Examinations PART II: Understanding Sentences 12. Sentence Patterns and Conventions 12a Subject and Predicate, Noun and Verb 12b Articles and Other Modifiers 12c Sentence Pattern 1: subject + verb 12d Sentence Pattern 2A: subject + verb + direct object 12e Sentence Pattern 2B (passive voice): subject + passive voice verb 12f Sentence Pattern 3: subject + verb + indirect object + direct object 12g Sentence Pattern 4A: subject + linking verb + subjective complement (predicate adjective) 12h Sentence Pattern 4B: subject + linking verb + subjective complement (predicate noun) 12i Sentence Pattern 5A: subject + verb + direct object + objective complement (adjective) 12j Sentence Pattern 5B: subject + verb + direct object + objective complement (noun) 12k Sentence Pattern 6 (expletive): there or it + linking verb (+ complement) + subject 12-l Other Elements: Structure Words 12m Independent (Main) Clauses 12n Subordinate (Dependent) Clauses 12-o Functions of Subordinate Clauses 12p Phrases 12q Appositives 12r Absolute Phrases 12s Order of Elements in Declarative Sentences 12t Order of Elements in Interrogative Sentences 12u The Structure of Imperative Sentences 12v What Is a Sentence? 12w Minor Sentences 12x Fragments 12y Major Sentences 12z Kinds of Major Sentences PART III: Parts of Speech 13. Nouns 13a Inflection of Nouns 13b Grammatical Function of Nouns 13c Nouns and Inclusive Language 14. Pronouns 14a Personal Pronouns 14b Impersonal Pronouns 14c Interrogative Pronouns 14d Relative Pronouns 14e Case 14f Demonstrative Pronouns 14g Indefinite Pronouns 14h Reflexive and Intensive Pronouns 14i Reciprocal Pronouns 15. Agreement of Pronouns with Their Antecedents 15a Antecedents Joined by and 15b Antecedents Joined by or or nor 15c Indefinite Pronoun as Antecedent 15d Pronouns and Inclusive Language: Avoiding Gender Bias 15e Sensitive Language 15f Collective Noun as Antecedent 15g Agreement with Demonstrative Adjectives 16. Reference of Pronouns 16a Remote Antecedent 16b Ambiguous Reference 16c Vague Reference 16d Missing Antecedent 16e Indefinite you, they, and it 17. Verbs 17a Kinds of Verbs: Transitive, Intransitive, and Linking 17b Inflection of Verbs: Principal Parts 17c Irregular Verbs 17d Inflection for Person and Number 17e Auxiliary Verbs 17f Inflection of do, be, and have 17g Time and the Verb: Inflection for Tense 17h Sequence of Tenses 17i Verb Phrases in Compound Predicates 17j Tenses in Writing about Literature 17k Mood 17-l Voice: Active and Passive 18. Agreement Between Subject and Verb 18a Words Intervening Between Subject and Verb 18b Compound Subject: Singular Nouns Joined by and 18c Compound Subject: Parts Joined by or or a Correlative 18d Agreement with Indefinite Pronouns 18e Subject Following Verb 18f Agreement with Collective Nouns 18g Nouns That Are Always Singular or Always Plural 18h Plurals: criteria, data, media, etc. 18i Agreement with Relative Pronouns 18j Titles of Works: Words Referred to as Words 19. Adjectives 19a Kind of Adjectives 19b Comparison of Descriptive Adjectives 19c Articles: a, an, and the 19d Placement of Adjectives 19e Order of Adjectives 19f Adjectives Functioning as Nouns 20. Adverbs 20a Kinds and Functions of Adverbs 20b Forms of Adverbs 20c Comparison of Adverbs 20d Placement of Adverbs 21. Verbals: Infinitives, Participles, and Gerunds 21a Infinitives 21b Tense and Voice of Infinitives 21c Split Infinitives 21d Participles 21e Tense and Voice of Participles 21f Gerunds 21g Tense and Voice of Gerunds 21h Possessives with Gerunds 21i Verbals in Absolute Phrases 22. Prepositions 22a Functions of Prepositions and Prepositional Phrases 22b Placement of Prepositions 22c Common Prepositions 22d Two-Part Verbs; Verb Idioms 23. Conjunctions 23a Coordinating Conjunctions 23b Correlative Conjunctions 23c Subordinating Conjunctions 24. Interjections PART IV: Writing Effective Sentences Basic Sentence Elements and Their Modifiers 25. Basic Sentence Elements: Subject, Verb, Object, Complement 25a Subject 25b Finite Verb 25c Direct Object 25d Subjective Complement 26. Modifiers 26a Adjectival Modifiers 26b Adverbial Modifiers 26c Overlapping Modifiers 26d Using Modifiers: A Sample Scenario Sentence Length, Variety, and Emphasis 27. Sentence Length 27a Short Sentences 27b Long Sentences 28. Sentence Variety 28a Variety of Lengths 28b Variety of Kinds 28c Variety of Structures 29. Emphasis in Sentences 29a Endings and Beginnings 29b Loose Sentences and Periodic Sentences 29c The Importance of the Final Position 29d Changing Word Order 29e Movable Modifiers 29f Using the Expletive and the Passive Voice for Emphasis 29g Emphasis by Repetition 29h Emphasis by Stylistic Contrast 29i Emphasis by Syntax 29j Emphasis by Punctuation 30. Analyzing Sentences 30a The Chart Method 30b The Vertical Method Common Sentence Problems 31. Sentence Coherence 32. Fragments 33. Comma Splices 34. Run-on (Fused) Sentences 35. Misplaced Modifiers 35a Movability and Poor Placement 35b Only, almost, etc. 35c Squinting Modifiers 36. Dangling Modifiers 36a Dangling Participial Phrases 36b Dangling Gerund Phrases 36c Dangling Infinitive Phrases 36d Dangling Elliptical Clauses 36e Dangling Prepositional Phrases and Appositives 37. Mixed Constructions 38. Faulty Alignment 39. Shifts in Perspective: Inconsistent Point of View 39a Shifts in Tense 39b Shifts in Mood 39c Shifts in Voice 39d Shifts in Person of Pronoun 39e Shifts in Number of Pronoun 40. Faulty Parallelism 40a With Coordinate Elements 40b With Correlative Conjunctions 40c In a Series 41. Faulty Coordination: Logic, Emphasis, and Unity 42. Faulty Logic PART V: Punctuation 43. Internal Punctuation: The Comma 43a The Comma with Independent Clauses Joined by a Coordinating Conjunction 43b The Comma with Short Independent Clauses Not Joined by a Coordinating Conjunction 43c The Comma Between Items in a Series 43d The Comma Between Parallel Adjectives 43e The Comma with Introductory or Concluding Words, Phrases, and Clauses 43f The Comma with Nonrestrictive Elements 43g The Comma with Sentence Interrupters 44. Internal Punctuation: The Semicolon 44a The Semicolon Between Independent Clauses 44b The Semicolon Between Items in a Series 45. Internal Punctuation: The Colon 46. Internal Punctuation: The Dash 47. Parentheses 48. Brackets 49. End Punctuation: The Period 50. End Punctuation: The Question Mark 51. End Punctuation: The Exclamation Point 52. Quotation Marks 52a Direct Speech 52b Direct Quotation from a Source 52c Quotation Within Quotation 52d Words Used in a Special Sense 52e Other Marks with Quotation Marks 53. Ellipses for Omissions 54. Avoiding Common Errors in Punctuation 54a Run-on (Fused) Sentences 54b Comma Splice 54c Unwanted Comma Between Subject and Verb 54d Unwanted Comma Between Verb and Object or Complement 54e Unwanted Comma After Last Adjective of a Series 54f Unwanted Comma Between Coordinated Words and Phrases 54g Commas with Emphatic Repetition 54h Unwanted Comma with Short Introductory or Parenthetical Element 54i Unwanted Comma with Restrictive Appositive 54j Unwanted Comma with Indirect Quotation 54k Unwanted Question Mark After Indirect Question 54-l Unwanted Semicolon with Subordinate Element 54m Unwanted Colon After Incomplete Construction 54n Unwanted Double Punctuation: Comma or Semicolon with a Dash PART VI: Mechanics and Spelling 55. Abbreviations 55a Titles Before Proper Names 55b Titles and Degrees After Proper Names 55c Standard Words Used with Dates and Numerals 55d Agencies and Organizations Known by Their Initials 55e Scientific and Technical Terms Known by Their Initials 55f Latin Expressions Commonly Used in English 55g Terms in Official Titles 56. Capitalization 56a Names and Nicknames 56b Professional and Honorific Titles 56c Words Designating Family Relationships 56d Place Names 56e Months, Days, and Holidays 56f Religious Names 56g Names of Nationalities and Organizations 56h Names of Institutions, Sections of Government, Historical Events, and Buildings 56i Academic Courses and Languages 56j Derivatives of Proper Nouns 56k Abbreviations of Proper Nouns 56-l I and O 56m Titles of Written and Other Works 56n First Words 56-o With Personification and for Emphasis 57. Titles 57a Italics for Whole or Major Works 57b Quotation Marks for Short Works and Parts of Longer Works 57c Titles Within Titles 58. Italics 58a Names of Ships, Trains, and Planes 58b Non-English Words and Phrases 58c Words Referred to as Words 58d For Emphasis 59. Numerals 59a Time of Day 59b Dates 59c Addresses 59d Technical and Mathematical Numbers 59e Parts of a Written Work 59f Numbers of More Than Two Words 59g Commas with Numerals 60. Spelling Rules and Common Causes of Error 60a ie or ei 60b Prefixes 60c Suffixes 60d Final e Before a Suffix 60e Final y after a Consonant and Before a Suffix 60f Doubling of a Final Consonant Before a Suffix 60g Changes in Spelling of Roots 60h Confusion with Other Words 60i Homophones and Other Words Sometimes Confused 60j One Word or Two? 60k Hyphenation 60-l Plurals 60m Apostrophes to Indicate Omissions 60n Possessives 61. Spelling List PART VII: Diction Introduction: Style and the Larger Elements of Composition 62. About Dictionaries 62a Kinds of Dictionaries 62b Features of Dictionaries 62c Three Sample Dictionary Entries 63. Level 63a Slang 63b Informal, Colloquial 63c \"Fine Writing\" 64. Figurative Language 64a Inappropriate Metaphors 64b Overextended Metaphors 64c Dead Metaphors 64d Mixed Metaphors 65. Concrete and Abstract Diction; Weak Generalizations 65a Concreteness and Specificity 65b Weak Generalizations 66. Connotation and Denotation 67. Euphemism 68. Wrong Word 69. Idiom 70. Wordiness, Jargon, and Associated Problems 70a Wordiness 70b Repetition 70c Redundancy 70d Ready-Made Phrases 70e Triteness, Cliches 70f Overuse of Nouns 70g Nouns Used as Adjectives 70h Jargon 71. Usage: A Checklist of Troublesome Words and Phrases PART VIII: Research, Writing, and Documentation 72. Finding Resources 72a Libraries 72b The Internet 73. The Research Plan 73a Academic Proposals 73b A Preliminary Bibliography 73c A Working Bibliography 74. Taking Notes 74a The Note Itself 74b The Source 74c The Slug 74d Recording Your Own Ideas 75. Writing the Essay 75a Keeping Track of Notes in Your Drafts 76. Acknowledging Sources 76a \"Common Knowledge\" 77. Quotation, Paraphrase, Summary, and Plagiarism 77a Legitimate Paraphrase 77b Illegitimate Paraphrase 77c Paraphrase and Quotation Mixed 77d Summary 77e Maintaining Academic Integrity and Avoiding Plagiarism 77f Integrating and Contextualizing Quotations 78. Documentation 78a The Name-Page Method (MLA Style) 78b The Name-Date Method (APA Style) 78c The Note Method (Chicago Style) 78d The Number Method Appendix: Checklist for Use in Revising, Editing, and Proofreading Omnibus Checklist for Planning and Revising Specialized Checklist for Writers with English as an Additional Language Index