Understanding Style: Practical Ways to Improve Your Writing - Softcover

Glaser, Joe

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0195119320 ISBN 13: 9780195119329

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 1998

Synopsis

Style is often the most difficult issue for writers to deal with. Most people feel helpless and confused when asked to improve something they have written. In fact, key secrets to improving style often remain concealed because even the authors who write on style may not be able to explain them clearly.
An ideal text for courses in advanced composition, Understanding Style uncovers some of the inherent mystery of style and explains how to craft good sentences and combine them into writing that is clear and readable. While similar books often fail to address the relationship between written style and spoken voices or to discuss the ways that writers control rhythm and emphasis--precisely the kind of issues that give style its reputation as a difficult topic--this unique book adapts the findings of modern linguistic research into detailed writing advice seldom found elsewhere.
Though it emphasizes the "sound" of the written voice throughout, the text also covers diction, coherence, and sentence variety. Glaser includes numerous open-ended exercises drawn from such areas as business, history, and popular science to encourage students to practice as they learn. Each chapter concludes with a boxed summary for quick reference and a "Your Writing" prompt, asking students to apply these principles directly to their own work.
The book also features a glossary of writing terms, a brief dictionary of usage, a guide to punctuation, and a detailed index. Downloadable exercises, useful writing links, and other help may be found at the author's website at http://www.wku.edu/~joe.glaser/mainpage.htm.

About this title

About the Author

Joe Glaser is at Western Kentucky University.

Review

"This is one of the most progressive, readable, and lively books on style I have ever read. The author is clearly informed by current theories of text linguistics; he's done a remarkable job of translating often highly sophisticated concepts into language and examples that students will
immediately understand." --Chris M. Anson, North Carolina State University

"An excellent book with clear, direct explanations of difficult topics. I especially like the exercises for students. Glaser's discussion of 'deadwood' in student writing is one of my favorite parts of the book."--Mason Smith, Eastern Kentucky University

Edition details

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication date: 1998
• ISBN 10: 0195119320
• ISBN 13: 9780195119329
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 256