Essentials of English (BARRON'S ESSENTIALS OF ENGLISH)

Updated and expanded, this popular writer's style manual covers the basics of effective communication. It includes rules of English grammar and sentence structure, punctuation, word usage in correct contexts, and advice on adapting one's writing style to different assignments, both for classroom and business use. In classrooms the program contained in this book can constitute a course, proceeding from easy to more complex ideas. More advanced instruction covers topics that include logic, clarity, emphasis, consistency, and punctuation, and ends with advice on handling larger elements of language, such as paragraphs and full essays.

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This new and expanded edition fills a double purpose as both a useful classroom text and a practical style manual for writers. You'll find a review of English grammar, sentence structure, punctuation, and correct word usage, as well as advice on how to adapt your writing style to different formats, from classroom assignments to business documents and electronic communication. You will also find detailed instruction on essay writing--outlining your subject, writing a rough draft, and editing and polishing it into a finished composition. New in this edition is a sample research paper that uses online sources and follows the popular MLA style for footnotes.