Style : Lessons in Clarity and Grace (9TH 07 - Old Edition)

Joseph M. Williams

Why have thousands of college writers loved–and learned from–this book? Listen to what Joseph Williams has to say:

“The ninth edition of Style aims at answering the same questions I asked in the earlier ones:

• What is it in a sentence that makes readers judge it as they do?
• How do we diagnose our own prose to anticipate their judgments?
• How do we revise a sentence so that readers will think better of it?

Now even better, Style, Ninth Edition, includes more on:

• How gifted writers manipulate the language of argument and thereby our responses to its logic and substance, and the ethical implications of that manipulation
• How to work quotations into the flow of a sentence gracefully
• Plagiarism–why readers suspect it, and how writers can avoid the mistaken perception of it.

Also new to this edition are “Quick Tips,” short bits of practical advice about how to deal with some common problems.

Engaging and direct, Style: Lessons in Clarity and Grace is the guidebook for anyone who wants to write well.

Williams’ own clear, accessible style models the kind of writing that audiences—both in college and after—will admire. The principles offered here help writers understand what readers expect and encourage writers to revise to meet those expectations more effectively.   This book is all you need to understand the principles of effective writing.

Preface.

I. STYLE AS CHOICE.

Lesson One: Understanding Style.

Lesson Two: Correctness.

II. CLARITY.

Lesson Three: Actions.

Lesson Four: Characters.

Lesson Five: Cohesion and Coherence.

Lesson Six: Emphasis.

III. GRACE.

Lesson Seven: Concision.

Lesson Eight: Shape.

Lesson Nine: Elegance.

IV. FORM

Lesson Ten:       Motivating Coherence

Lesson Eleven:   Global Coherence

V.  ETHICS.

Lesson Twelve: The Ethics of Style

Appendix: Punctuation.

Glossary.

Suggested Answers.

Index.