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Tables of Contents for Practical English Handbook
Chapter/Section Title
Page #
Page Count
Preface
xviii
Grammar
1
28
The Parts of Speech
2
1
Nouns
3
1
Pronouns
3
3
Verbs
6
2
Adjectives
8
1
Adverbs
9
2
Conjunctions
11
1
Prepositions
12
2
Interjections
14
1
The Parts of Sentences
15
1
Simple subjects, complete subjects, compound subjects
15
2
Simple predicates, complete predicates, compound predicates
17
1
Complements
18
3
Phrases
21
3
Clauses
24
2
The Kinds of Sentences
26
3
Sentence Errors
29
58
Sentence Fragments
30
2
Comma Splices and Fused Sentences
32
6
Verb Forms
38
5
Tense and Sequence of Tenses
43
5
Present tense
43
1
Past tense
44
1
Future tense
44
1
Progressive tenses
44
1
Perfect tenses
45
1
Present infinitive
46
1
Consistency
47
1
Voice
48
3
Subjunctive Mood
51
1
Subject and Verb: Agreement
52
11
Singular verb with a singular subject
53
1
Plural verb with a plural subject
53
1
Compound subject
53
1
Compound subject with or, nor, etc.
54
1
Phrases and clauses that come between a subject and a verb
54
1
Collective nouns
55
1
Nouns plural in form, singular in meaning
55
1
Indefinite pronouns
56
1
All, some, part, etc.
56
1
There, here
57
1
Agreement with subject, not predicate nominative
58
1
After a relative pronoun
58
1
With titles or words used as words
58
1
Expressions of time, money, measurement, etc.
59
4
Pronouns and Antecedents: Agreement, Reference, and Usage
63
8
Singular pronoun with a singular antecedent
63
1
Plural pronoun with a plural antecedent
63
1
Compound antecedent with and
63
1
Compound antecedent with or, nor, etc.
64
1
Collective noun as antecedent
64
1
Each, either, etc.
64
1
Vague and ambiguous antecedents
65
4
Which, who, that
69
1
-Self, -selves
70
1
Case
71
8
Subjects and subjective complements
72
1
Direct objects, indirect objects, objects of prepositions
72
1
Subjects and objects of infinitives
73
1
Appositives
73
1
After than or as
73
1
Who, Whom
74
1
Apostrophe or of phrase for possession
75
1
Words preceding a gerund
75
4
Adjectives and Adverbs
79
8
Adverbs modifying verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs
79
1
After linking verbs be, become, seem, etc.
80
1
After a verb and its object
80
1
Comparative and superlative degrees
81
1
Avoiding double comparatives and superlatives
82
1
Absolute concepts
82
1
Avoiding double negatives
83
4
Sentence Structure
87
36
Choppy Sentences and Excessive Coordination
88
2
Consolidating brief sentences in succession
88
1
Independent clauses
88
2
Subordination
90
3
Subordination of minor thoughts
90
1
Overlapping surbordination
91
2
Completeness
93
2
Omission of verbs and prepositions
94
1
Omission of that
94
1
Comparisons
95
3
Illogical comparisons
95
1
The word other
95
1
Awkward and incomplete
96
2
Consistency
98
6
Shifts in grammatical forms
98
4
Faulty predication
102
1
Avoid constructions is when, is where, or the reason is because
102
2
Position of Modifiers
104
6
Dangling
104
2
Misplaced
106
1
Limiting
107
1
Squinting
107
3
Separation of Elements
110
3
Subject and verb, verb and object
110
1
A sentence with a quotation
111
1
Split infinitives
111
2
Parallelism
113
4
With coordinating conjunctions
113
1
Repetition of function words
114
1
With correlatives
114
1
With and who and and which
115
2
Variety
117
6
Overuse of one kind of sentence structure
118
2
Varying the openings of sentences
120
3
Punctuation
123
50
Commas
124
16
Between two independent clauses
124
1
In a series
124
3
Between coordinate adjectives
127
2
After introductory phrases and clauses
129
1
With nonessential elements
130
2
With sentence modifiers, conjunctive adverbs, elements out of order
132
2
With degrees, titles, dates, places, addresses
134
1
For contrast or emphasis
134
1
With mild interjections and yes or no
135
1
With direct address and salutations
135
1
With expressions like he said, she remarked
135
1
With absolute phrases
135
1
To prevent misreading or to mark omission
136
4
Unnecessary Commas
140
6
Between subject and verb, verb and object
140
1
Before coordinating conjunctions
140
1
Essential clauses, phrases, or appositives
141
1
Between adjectives that are not coordinate, between an adverb and an adjective, or between an adjective and a noun
141
1
After coordinating conjunctions
142
1
Before subordinating conjunctions
142
1
After the opening phrase of an inverted sentence
142
1
Before the first or after the last item in a series
142
1
Before than
143
1
After like and such as
143
1
With period, question mark, dash, exclamation point
143
1
Before parentheses
143
3
Semicolons
146
5
Between independent clauses not connected by a coordinating conjunction
147
1
To separate independent clauses
148
1
In a series between items that have internal punctuation
148
1
Not between elements that are not grammatically equal
148
3
Colons
151
4
After an independent clause that introduces a quotation
151
1
After an independent clause that introduces a series of items
152
1
After an independent clause that introduces an appositive
152
1
Between two independent clauses
152
1
In times, saluations, bibliographical entries
152
1
Not after linking verbs or prepositions
153
2
Dashes
155
1
Parentheses
156
1
Brackets
157
1
Quotation Marks
158
8
Direct quotations and dialogue
158
1
Titles of short works
159
1
Quotation within a quotation
159
1
Not with titles of your own papers
160
1
Not for slang, irony, humor
160
1
Not with block quotations
160
1
With other punctuation
161
5
End Punctuation
166
7
Period at end of sentence
167
1
Period after abbreviations
167
1
Ellipsis points for omissions
167
1
Punctuation of titles
168
1
Question mark after direct question
169
1
Not a question mark within parentheses for humor
169
1
Exclamation point
169
4
Mechanics
173
38
Manuscript Forms, Business Letters, and Resumes
174
9
Manuscripts
174
4
Business letters
178
1
Resumes
178
5
Italics
183
4
Titles
183
1
Names of ships and trains
184
1
Foreign words
184
1
Words, letters, figures
185
1
Rarely for emphasis
185
1
Not for titles of your own papers
185
2
Spelling
187
8
Spell-checking
187
1
Proofreading
188
1
Distinguishing homonyms
188
1
Spelling strategies
189
6
Hyphenation and Syllabication
195
2
Compound words
195
1
Compound adjectives
195
1
Compound numbers
196
1
Dividing a word at end of line
196
1
Apostrophes
197
3
For possessive of nouns not ending in s
198
1
For possessive of singular nouns ending in s
198
1
Without s for possessive of plural nouns ending in s
198
1
For possessive of indefinite pronouns
198
1
For joint possession
199
1
For omissions and contractions
199
1
For acronyms and words being named
199
1
Capital Letters
200
5
First word of sentence, I, O
200
1
In titles
200
1
First word of quotations
201
1
Titles used with names
201
1
Title of head of nation
201
1
Proper nouns
202
1
Family names
202
1
The pronoun I and the interjection O
202
1
Months, days of the week, holidays
202
91
B.C., A.D., deities, religions, sacred books
293
Specific courses
203
2
Abbreviations and Symbols
205
1
Days, months, measurement, states, countries
205
1
Acceptable abbreviations
205
1
Acceptable symbols
206
1
Numbers
206
5
Spelled out
207
1
Consistency
207
1
For complete dates, addresses, page and chapter references, percentages, hours
207
4
Diction and Style
211
36
Diction
212
21
Frequent use of a dictionary
212
2
Precision
214
4
Connotation
218
1
Colloquialisms and contractions in formal writing
219
2
Slang
221
1
Dialect
221
1
Words used as the wrong part of speech
222
1
Idioms
222
3
Specialized vocabulary
225
1
Building a vocabulary
226
7
Style
233
14
Wordiness
233
3
Repetition
236
4
Flowery language
240
1
Clarity
240
2
Triteness and cliches
242
1
Figures of speech
243
4
Accurate Thinking and Writing
247
12
Accuracy and Logic
248
11
Reliable sources
249
1
Accurate information
250
1
Sweeping generalizations
251
1
Exaggeration
252
1
Circular reasoning
252
1
False comparisons
252
1
Sticking to the point
253
1
Appeals to prejudice
254
1
Cause and effect
255
1
The either ... or fallacy
255
1
Illogicalities and careless wording
256
3
Paragraphs
259
24
Writing Paragraphs
260
23
Topic sentence
263
2
Unifying paragraphs
265
2
Developing paragraphs
267
3
Trimming, tightening, dividing paragraphs
270
1
Appropriate methods
270
9
Transitional devices
279
4
Papers
283
42
Writing Papers
284
41
Generating ideas
284
4
Thesis statement
288
1
Effective organization
289
3
Audience
292
1
Appropriate tone
293
1
Rough draft
294
7
Unfinished draft
301
1
Revising
302
10
Model paper: ``Conduct and the Inner Self''
312
3
Writing about yourself
315
5
Learning from your mistakes
320
1
Writing on a computer
321
4
Literature
325
28
Writing About Literature
326
27
Choosing a subject
327
1
Kinds of literary papers
328
3
Titling the paper
331
1
Not beginning with broad philosophical statements
331
1
Appropriate development
332
1
Paraphrasing and summary
333
1
Originality
333
1
Not writing about yourself or the reader
333
1
Sufficient evidence
334
1
Quotations
335
1
Not moralizing
336
1
Acknowledging sources
336
17
Research
353
172
Writing a Research Paper
354
133
Selecting a subject
354
3
Following a search strategy in the library
357
12
Primary and secondary sources
369
1
Taking notes
370
8
Producing an outline
378
1
Acknowledging sources
379
4
Following a system of documentation
383
2
MLA Style of Documentation
385
15
Model research paper, MLA style: ``Illusions in the Mail: Magazine Sweepstakes''
400
54
APA Style of Documentation
454
8
Model research paper, APA style: ``Spring Break''
462
25
Glossary of Usage
487
18
English as a Second Language
505
8
ESL checklist
506
3
ESL lists
509
4
Glossary of Terms
513
12
Index
525