This pocket-sized, inexpensive, elegant little handbook addresses the most prevalent writing problems people face. Clear and easy to understand, The Little English Handbook will help you solve any grammar, style, punctuation or research problem you may have.

Table of Contents

Preface Legend Format of Manuscript 1. Writing on one side of the paper 2. Double-spacing the paper 3. Leaving margins 4. Putting title on the paper 5. Numbering the pages 6. Using paper clip to fasten pages 7. Using proper paper Clear Effective Paragraphs 8. Developing a single topic (unity) 9. Developing ideas fully (completeness) 10. Making ideas easy to follow (coherence) Grammatical Sentences 11. Complete sentences (fragments) 12. Confusing sentences 13. Comma splices, fused sentences, and run-ons 14. Subject / verb agreement 15. Noun / pronoun agreement 16. Pronoun / antecedent agreement 17. Verb forms 18. Placement of modifiers 19. Subordinate conjunction that 20. Relative pronouns that, which, and who Stylistic Choices: Sentences and Words 21. Concise Sentences (wordy sentences) 22. Awkward sentences 23. Varying sentences 24. Coordination and subordination 25. Parallel construction 26. Repetition 27. Active and passive verbs 28. Correct, exact, and appropriate words 29. Correct idioms 30. Trite or overused expressions 31. Mixed metaphors 32. Biased or sexist language Punctuation and Mechanics 33. Apostrophe shows possession 34. Possessive pronoun its and contraction it's 35. Comma in compound sentences 36. Commas with introductory words, phrases, or clauses 37. Don't use commas to join pairs 38. Commas separate items in a series 39. Commas set off nonrestrictive clauses 40. Don't use commas in restrictive clauses 41. Semicolons in compound sentences 42. Colon to complete a lead-in sentence 43. Dash before summations 44. Enclose parenthetical elements with dashes, parentheses, or commas 45. Quotation marks with period and comma 46. Quotation marks with colon and semicolon 47. Quotation marks with the question mark 48. Italicizing (underlining) titles 49. Titles in quotation marks 50. Italicizing (underlining) words used as words 51. Italicizing (underlining) foreign words 52. Hyphens in compound words 53. Hyphen to divide words 54. Numbers 55. Capitalization Research Writing and Documentation 56. Selecting an appropriate subject 57. Using the library 58. Incorporating sources 59. Evaluating sources 60. Documentary systems 61. The MLA system 62. Documenting electronic sources in the MLA Style 63. The APA system 64. The CBE system 65. The Chicago system 66. Other documentation systems Forms for Letters 67. Format of familiar letter 68. Format of business letter 69. Business letter, semiblock 70. Addressed, typed business--size envelope 71. Business letter, full block on letterhead 72. Addressed letterhead envelope 73. Two-letter postal abbreviations Resumes 74. Resume writing 75. Resume format Glossary of Usage Glossary of Grammatical Terms Commonly Misspelled Words Index