Rules Of Thumb: A Guide For Writers

Md. Dalim #875978 10/20/06 Cyan Mag Yelo Black sil3319X_fm_i-xx.qxp 10/27/06 9:14 AM Page i PRAISE FOR RULES OF THUMB “This streamlined volume has practically everything our students need in one place.” —Kenneth Wishnia, Suffolk Community College “Rules of Thumb is the finest example of a compact handbook/ rhetoric that I have ever seen . . . for writers of all skill levels.” —Suzanne Crawford, Saddleback College “. . . [I] liked its brevity, clarity, and spirit.” —Jane Mushabac, NYC College of Technology, CUNY “This is the only handbook I suggest to writing instructors . . . thorough, yet concise and accessible. Rules of Thumb skips the gimmicks, skips the inflated teacher talk, and establishes its difference by being a truly student-friendly reference tool.” —Georgina Hill, Western Michigan University “Readable, affordable, focused, and a great reference source.” —Melany S. Fedor, Keystone College “This book fills a need in a way no other text I’ve seen has, based on its brevity, clear prose, and sensible format . . . I would recommend this book to colleagues who are teaching writing-intensive courses in any discipline.” —Gwendolyn James, Columbia Basin College “Rules is by far the most accessible grammar handbook that I’ve found so far, and this statement is made after many years of teaching freshman composition.” —Janet K. Stadulis, Lakeland Community College “Rules of Thumb is direct, unpretentious, and student-friendly. Its virtues are its brevity and its attempt to reach out to writers in accessible, helpful language.” —Deborah Mutnick, Long Island University “I appreciate its brevity, its lack of gimmicks . . .” —Mary Carroll, Lehman College, CUNY sil3319X_fm_i-xx.qxp 10/27/06 9:14 AM Page ii BY THE SAME AUTHORS Good Measures: A Practice Book to Accompany Rules of Thumb (Exercises keyed to the pages of Rules of Thumb) Rules of Thumb for Business Writers Rules of Thumb for Research Shortcuts for the Student Writer Rules of Thumb for Online Research (by Diana Roberts Wienbroer) Writing from the Inner Self (by Elaine Hughes) sil3319X_fm_i-xx.qxp 10/27/06 9:14 AM Page iii RULES OF THUMB A GUIDE FOR WRITERS sil3319X_fm_i-xx.qxp 10/27/06 9:14 AM Page iv sil3319X_fm_i-xx.qxp 10/27/06 9:14 AM Page v RULES OF THUMB A GUIDE FOR WRITERS Seventh Edition JAY SILVERMAN Nassau Community College ELAINE HUGHES late of Nassau Community College DIANA ROBERTS WIENBROER Nassau Community College, emerita Boston Burr Ridge, IL Dubuque, IA Madison, WI New York San Francisco St. Louis Bangkok Bogotá Caracas Kuala Lumpur Lisbon London Madrid Mexico City Milan Montreal New Delhi Santiago Seoul Singapore Sydney Taipei Toronto sil3319X_fm_i-xx.qxp 10/27/06 9:14 AM Page i PRAISE FOR RULES OF THUMB “This streamlined volume has practically everything our students need in one place.” —Kenneth Wishnia, Suffolk Community College “Rules of Thumb is the finest example of a compact handbook/ rhetoric that I have ever seen . . . for writers of all skill levels.” —Suzanne Crawford, Saddleback College “. . . [I] liked its brevity, clarity, and spirit.” —Jane Mushabac, NYC College of Technology, CUNY “This is the only handbook I suggest to writing instructors . . . thorough, yet concise and accessible. Rules of Thumb skips the gimmicks, skips the inflated teacher