LibGuides: Writing Basics: Books & eBooks

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Academic Writing How do I improve my essay writing skills? Where can I learn quickly how to improve my speech writing? How does writing for the web differ from conventional writing? Are there some categories of mistakes that people commonly make in attempting to write good prose? How can I be persuasive in my writing style? How did language evolve? What is 'genre theory'? How do I become creative in my prose writing? These and other curious and relevant questions are answered in Academic Writing. Writing is about communication with words, and academic writing is about choosing words carefully to communicate complex ideas. The purpose of the fourteen chapters of this monograph is to provide an introduction to the practice of academic writing with an emphasis on prose writing in particular, for both print-based and online media. Each of the fourteen chapters explores different aspects of academic writing from practical, professional and theoretical perspectives. The book is written for students, teachers and educators at tertiary organisations. Word connoisseurs, debaters, writers and readers may also enjoy its argumentations and analyses.
College Writing for Dummies Transform your next college essay into an A+ masterpiece Taking a 100-level English composition course? Just doing your best to get ready for the rigors of college-level writing? Then it's probably time you picked up College Writing For Dummies, the single greatest roadmap to writing high-quality essays, reports, and more! This book is the ideal companion for any introductory college writing course and tracks the curriculum of a typical English Composition, College Writing, English 101, or Writing & Rhetoric course. You'll learn composition techniques, style, language, and grammar tips, and discover how to plan, write, and revise your material. You'll also get: Ten can't-miss resources for improving your college writing Strategies for revising and repairing inadequate essays on your own Techniques to help non-native English speakers master the challenging world of English essay writing Full of real-world examples, lessons in essay structure, grammar, and everything in between, this book is a must-read for every incoming college freshman looking for a head start in one of the most important skills you'll need over the next few years. Grab a copy of College Writing For Dummies today.
How to Write How to Write is an introductory guide to writing, aimed at people who think they can't write, or for whom writing is an ordeal. Broken down into short topic-based chapters on everything from beginning to revising, it demystifies the writing process by taking the reader through each stagenecessary to bring a piece of writing to a decent finish. The book also offers a wealth of invaluable practical considerations, including when and where to write, when to printout and when to edit onscreen, what type of pen works well for revisions, and the hazards of the paperclip.The author is a seasoned writer whose encouraging but uncompromising guidance will delight as well as instruct. Offering practical advice in a lucid, no-nonsense style, How to Write will be ideal for both students and professional people who need to write during the course of their work.
How to Write a Thesis Umberto Eco's wise and witty guide to researching and writing a thesis, published in English for the first time. By the time Umberto Eco published his best-selling novel The Name of the Rose, he was one of Italy's most celebrated intellectuals, a distinguished academic and the author of influential works on semiotics. Some years before that, in 1977, Eco published a little book for his students, How to Write a Thesis, in which he offered useful advice on all the steps involved in researching and writing a thesis--from choosing a topic to organizing a work schedule to writing the final draft. Now in its twenty-third edition in Italy and translated into seventeen languages, How to Write a Thesis has become a classic. Remarkably, this is its first, long overdue publication in English. Eco's approach is anything but dry and academic. He not only offers practical advice but also considers larger questions about the value of the thesis-writing exercise. How to Write a Thesis is unlike any other writing manual. It reads like a novel. It is opinionated. It is frequently irreverent, sometimes polemical, and often hilarious. Eco advises students how to avoid "thesis neurosis" and he answers the important question "Must You Read Books?" He reminds students "You are not Proust" and "Write everything that comes into your head, but only in the first draft." Of course, there was no Internet in 1977, but Eco's index card research system offers important lessons about critical thinking and information curating for students of today who may be burdened by Big Data. How to Write a Thesis belongs on the bookshelves of students, teachers, writers, and Eco fans everywhere. Already a classic, it would fit nicely between two other classics: Strunk and White and The Name of the Rose. Contents The Definition and Purpose of a Thesis * Choosing the Topic * Conducting Research * The Work Plan and the Index Cards * Writing the Thesis * The Final Draft
Webster's New World Student Writing Handbook Now more portable and easier to navigate! Webster's New World Student Writing Handbook, Fifth Edition has been refreshed and updated to give you a more portable and efficient reference for all of your high school and college writing needs! From essays to feature articles, from book reports to scripts, you'll get coverage of all thirty-seven types of student writing, good writing principles, subject-specific writing samples, and important considerations for writing and the Internet. You'll enjoy updated coverage and improvements including: All-new sections on term papersA sleek interior design that makes content easier to navigateBrand-new coverage of specific considerations when writing for various subjects, including English, social sciences, science, business, and technical subjectsExpanded content on job applications, college application essays, special program admission essays, and scholarship essaysA companion Web site features concrete examples of the topics covered in each core subject areaAcclaimed by fellow students, educators, and parents, Webster's New World Student Writing Handbook is your one-stop reference for writing top-quality essays, term papers, and reports—on any school subject.
Writing at University Writing at University offers guidance on how to develop the writing you have to do at university along with a greater understanding of what is involved in this complex activity. Writing is seen as a tool for learning as well as a product to be assessed. The importance of what you yourself can bring as a writer to your academic writing is stressed throughout the book. The book looks at an array of writing projects, including essays, reports and dissertations, and analyzes what is expected of each form of assignment. The authors provide examples of student writing and reflections on writing by both tutors and students. This edition includes new sections on: Making an argument and persuading your reader Using sources creatively Avoiding plagiarism Writing online Further sources of information about academic writing Writing at University is an essential resource for all college and university students, including postgraduates, who wish to develop their academic writing. It will also be an invaluable aid for tutors in supporting their students.
Writing Clearly : A Self Teaching Guide mprove your writing skills at your own pace How do you target a specific audience in writing? What makes up a strong thesis statement? Is there a trick to maintaining clear communication in cyberspace? How do you achieve unity and coherence in a final draft? With Writing Clearly: A Self-Teaching Guide, you'll discover the answers to these questions and many more about the basics of communicating effectively through the written word. Each chapter in this hands-on guide focuses on key steps in the writing process, identifying the shared and differing skills demanded by each type of writing, be it a persuasive essay, a business letter, or a scientific report. The straightforward, structured format of Writing Clearly makes it fully accessible, providing an easy-to-understand, comprehensive overview for everyone-from students beginning to build skills, to adults looking to improve their writing, to the experienced writer hoping to further hone skills in a certain area. Like all Self-Teaching Guides, Writing Clearly allows you to build gradually on what you have learned-at your own pace. Questions and self-tests reinforce the information in each chapter and allow you to skip ahead or focus on specific areas of concern. Packed with useful, up-to-date information, this clear, concise volume is a valuable learning tool and reference source for anyone who wants to develop or improve his or her basic writing skills.
Writing Skills Success in 20 Minutes a Day Writing Skills Success: In 20 Minutes a Day teaches the reader that writing is a skill that can be acquired by mastering a few basic, yet vital steps. Readers learn about capitalization, problem verbs, pronoun agreement, as well as the essentials of style. Everyday examples help fine-tune writing skills as they relate to work, school, and in personal correspondence, and this book is an indispensable preparation for proficiency exams, school/placement exams, job readiness tests, civil service exams, and law enforcement exams.

Featured Print Books

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The Curious Case of the Misplaced Modifier : How to Solve the Seven Mysteries of Weak Writing Most people think that good grammar leads to good writing. But the truth is that while good writing may be technically correct, it's also strong, concise, and specific. This guide identifies the seven writing weaknesses that editors everywhere must fix again and again; in fact, almost all of an editor's corrections on any piece of writing will come from the material covered in this book's lessons. In an engaging solve-the-mystery format, you'll solve these cases: The Tantalizing Tale of Passive Voice The Peculiar Puzzle of the Vague -ing Word The Confusing Caper Concerning the Super-Long Sentence You don't have to wade through hundreds of pages of dry grammar references to improve your writing. Rather than memorize the picky details that very few people care about, learn what really leads to good writing in this easy-to-use and friendly book.
The Elements of Style Every English-language writer knows Strunk and White's famous little writing manual, The Elements of Style. Many people between the ages of seventeen and seventy can recite the book's mantra--make every word tell--and still refer to their tattered grade school copy when in need of a hint on how to make a turn of phrase clearer, or a reminder on how to enliven prose with the active voice. Considering that millions of copies have been sold to millions of devotees, you might not think to ask what could enhance this (almost) perfect classic. In fact, the addition of illustrations allows readers to experience the book's contents in a completely new way, making the whole learning experience more colorful and clear, as well as adding a whimsical element that compliments the subtly humorous tone of the prose. The Elements of Style Illustrated will come to be known as the definitive, must-have edition. Maira Kalman is the offbeat and wildly talented illustrator of twelve children's books, numerous covers for The New Yorker magazine, fabrics for the fashion designers Isaac Mizrahi and Kate Spade, watches and accessories for the Museum of Modern Art, and a mural at the elegant Wavehill estate in Riverdale, among other projects. Her sophisticated and witty images that are yet bright and fanciful have won her a devoted following, especially among young urbanites. Maira Kalman is acknowledged by the E. B. White estate as the single artist trusted to illustrate the revered The Elements of Style. The Elements of Style Illustrated brings a fresh immediacy to the well-loved, much-valued, and still on-point work that has become an institution. While giving the classic work a jolt of new energy to appeal to contemporary readers, Kalman's illustrations are themselves timeless, designed to sit alongside the ever-enduring manual for another fifty years and more.
How to Write a Sentence : and How to Read One New York Times Bestseller "Both deeper and more democratic than The Elements of Style" - Adam Haslett, Financial Times "A guided tour through some of the most beautiful, arresting sentences in the English language." - Slate "Like a long periodic sentence, this book rumbles along, gathers steam, shifts gears, and packs a wallop."  --Roy Blount Jr. In this entertaining and erudite New York Times bestseller, beloved professor Stanley Fish offers both sentence craft and sentence pleasure. Drawing on a wide range of  great writers, from Philip Roth to Antonin Scalia to Jane Austen, How to Write a Sentence is much more than a writing manual--it is a spirited love letter to the written word, and a key to understanding how great writing works.  
Ready to Write 1 : A First Composition Text Ready to Write 1 , Third Edition, is a revision of Get Ready to Write, the first book in the highly-successful three-book Ready to Write series. The book teaches beginning students the composition skills they need to be successful writers in and out of the classroom. A fresh new design, updated content throughout, and a host of new activities reinforce the approach that has made the Ready to Write series a classroom favorite for more than two decades. Features: Updated examples and model paragraphs illustrate organizing elements such as topic sentences, supporting details, and signal words. Step-by-step activities guide students in comparing and contrasting, describing, analyzing data, writing test answers, and summarizing. Varied, contextualized writing tasks help students with real-life tasks. Editing and proofreading exercises encourage students to refine their writing skills. New Grammar Guide section presents important grammar points and practice items to boost accuracy. Ready to Write also includes: Ready to Write 2 Ready to Write 3
Ready to Write 2 : Perfecting Paragraphs Ready to Write nbsp;marks 25 years of this easy-to-teach series, which provides basic writing instruction, dependable strategies, and many opportunities for students to use the composition skills they need to be successful writers in and out of the classroom. nbsp; A fresh new design, updated content throughout, and a host of new activities reinforce the approach that has made the Ready to Write series a classroom favorite for more than two decades. nbsp; Features: Updated examples and model paragraphs illustrate organizing elements such as topic sentences, supporting details, and signal words. Step-by-step activities guide students in comparing and contrasting, describing, analyzing data, writing test answers, and summarizing. Varied, contextualized writing tasks help students with real-life tasks. Editing and proofreading exercises encourage students to refine their writing skills. New! Grammar Guide section presents important grammar points and practice items to boost accuracy. Ready to Write also includes: nbsp; Ready to Write 1 Ready to Write 3 nbsp; nbsp;
Ready to Write 3 : From Paragraph to Essay A fresh new design, updated content throughout, and a host of new activities reinforce the approach that has made the Ready to Write series a classroom favorite for more than two decades. nbsp; Features: Updated examples and model paragraphs illustrate organizing elements such as topic sentences, supporting details, and signal words. Step-by-step activities guide students in comparing and contrasting, describing, analyzing data, writing test answers, and summarizing. Varied, contextualized writing tasks help students with real-life tasks. Editing and proofreading exercises encourage students to refine their writing skills. New Grammar Guide section presents important grammar points and practice items to boost accuracy. Ready to Write also includes: nbsp; Ready to Write 1 Ready to Write 2 nbsp; nbsp;
Writing From A to Z : The Easy-to-Use Reference Handbook Composing processes : Rhetorical situation ; Prewriting ; Drafting ; Revising ; Editing ; Proofreading -- Research processes : Research writer's responsibilities ; Integrating sources ; Avoiding plagiarism ; Gathering information from sources ; Evaluating sources ; Internet searches ; Documenting sources and formatting papers -- Types of writing : Abstracts ; Academic writing ; Argument ; Dialogue ; Essay tests ; Expository writing ; Expressive writing ; Letters ; Literary analysis ; Memorandums ; Persuasive writing ; Research papers/source-based writing ; Résumés ; Web pages -- Paragraphs/elements of writing : Coherence ; Conclusions ; Introductions ; Topic sentences ; Transitions ; Unity