Synopses & Reviews
Remarkably accessible and a pleasure to read, Line by Line reveals the techniques used by professional editors to detect and revise flawed prose. Writers learn to catch their errors and to apply practical revision strategies that can be adapted to any sort of exposition. Hundreds of poorly written sentences are corrected step-by-step.
Line by Line concentrates, as no other book does, on specific ways to improve first drafts. It shows writers how to recognize and eliminate the stylistic faults that most often impede reading and obscure meaning.
A popular feature of the book is an appendix that, in glossary form, discusses troublesome usages (e.g., disinterested vs. uninterested, may vs. might, the subjunctive mood, that vs. which, who vs. whom). Another appendix reviews elementary syntax.
Synopsis
The essential guide for all writers. With over 700 examples of original and edited sentences, this book provides information about editing techniques, grammar, and usage for every writer from the student to the published author.
About the Author
After earning her M.A. in English literature, Claire Kehrwald Cook taught English Composition fro three years at a midwestern university before she went into publishing. For the next eight years she worked for a major book company, rewriting problem manuscripts in the trade, business, and college departments. Since 1976 she has worked at the Modern Language Association, where she enjoys styling literary essays considered worthy of painstaking editorial efforts.