The complete idiot guide part 1 pdf

Contents
Parti:
No
Uncertain
Terms
I
1
Are
You Grammarphobic?
3
How
Can
You Tell
If
You're
Grammarphobic?
4
Word
Power
5
War of the
Words
5
The
Force
Be
with
You
6
Term Limits
7

What
Is
Grammar?
7
What
Is
Usage?
7
What
Is
Mechanics?
10
What
Is
Style?
10
A
Civil Tongue: Standards
for
Effective Communication
11
2
(onan
the
Grammarian
13
Sweet Dreams Aren't Made
of
These
13

Puppy
Love
14
Has
It
Come
to
This?
14
Perversity
Rules
15
Let
Me
'Splain
It
to
You,
Lucy
18
Personal
Writing Inventory
20
Damage
Control
23
Mission
Possible
23
Part

2:
Under
the Grammar
Hammer
25
3
Parts
of
Speech:
Coming
to
Terms
27
Nouns: Prime-Time
Players
27
Possessive
Nouns:
9
/w
of the
Law
29
Possess
It! 29
Plural
Nouns:
Two's
Company,
Threes

a
Crowd
31
Too
Much
of a
Good
Thing?
31
Combo
Platter
34
A
Note
on
Nouns
for
Non-Native
Speakers
35
Verbs:
All the
Right Moves
36
Action
Verbs:
Jumping
Jack
Flash
36

Chain
Gang:
Linking
Verbs
31
viii The Complete Idiot's Guide to Grammar and Style,
Second
Edition
Mothers
Little
Helper:
Helping
Verbs
31
Verb-O-Rama
31
Conjunctions:
The Ties That
Bind
39
All
Tied
Up
39
Fit to Be
Tied
41
Prepositions:
Good Things Come in
Small

Packages
42
Joined
at
the Hip
43
A
Note
on
Prepositions
for
Non
-Native
Speakers
44
4
Terms
of Endearment:
More
Parts
of
Speech
U
Adjectives:
Happy Little Clouds 47
Spice
Up
Your
Sentences
with

Adjectives
48
A
Note
on
Adjectives
for
Non-Native
Speakers
49
Have
Fun
with
Adjectives
49
And
in
This
Corner
49
Adverbs:
Who
Ya
Gonna
Call?
50
Have
Fun
with
Adverbs

51
Conjunctive
Adverbs:
An
Adverb
Disguised
as a
Conjunction
51
Hunt
and
Peck
52
Pronouns:
Pinch Hitters 53
Face
the
Music
55
Interjections:
Zap! Pow! Wow! 56
Just
When
You Thought It Was
Safe
to Take a Shower 56
Seventh-Inning
Stretch
51
5

Altered
States:
Verbs
59
Shape
Shifters 60
Verb
Tense:
Nothing a Little
Prozac
Wouldn't Cure 60
I
Feel
Your
Pain:
Principal
Parts
of
Verbs
61
A
Class
Act:
Forming
Past
Tenses
61
Now
Ihayhh
Lay

Me
Down
to
Sleep
64
Party
Pooper:
Test
Time
65
All
Tensed Up:
Using
Verb
Tense Correctly 66
Past
Tense
61
Back
to the
Future
68
A
Note
on
Verbs
for
Non-Native
Speakers
68

It
s
All
in
the Timing 10
Person,
Number,
and Mood 71
Person
12
Number 12
Mood
12
Active and
Passive
Voice: A Mistake Has
Been
Made 73
Not
So
Fast
14
6
Woe
Is
I:
Pronouns
and
Case
77

Why Can't a Pronoun
Be
More Like a Noun? 77
Head
Case:
The
Three
Cases
78
The Rules 79
Sorry,
Wrong
Number
83
Seventh-Inning
Stretch
84
Who Versus
Whom
(or Should I Just Shoot
Myself
Now?)
85
This
Hurts
You
More
Than
It
Hurts

Me 86
I
Dare
You
86
Seventh-Inning
Stretch
81
7
Multiple-Vehicle
Wrecks:
Pronoun Reference
89
How's
That
Again?
90
It Just Proves There's Someone for Everyone 91
The
Numbers
Game
91
Tag,
You're
It 92
Location,
Location, Location: Placement of Pronouns 93
A
Match Made in
Writer's

Heaven 94
Possession
and
Pronouns
94
Its
a
Lock
94
It
and
They
95
It
Mania
96
Who's
on
First?
91
8 How to
Write
and Speak Good: Adjectives
Versus
Adverbs
99
They Walk
Alike,
They Talk
Alike:

You Could
Lose
Your
Mind 100
Graphic
Proof
100
Fm
Ready
for
My
Close-Up
Now,
Mr.
DeMille
101
Three
Degrees of Separation 102
Size
Does Matter 103
Good,
Gooder,
Goodest:
Irregular
Adjectives
and
Adverbs
104
Keep
Your

Balance
105
Other
and
Else
105
X
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Grammar and Style,
Second
Edition
Tough
Sledding:
Using Adjectives After
Linking
Verbs 106
The
Badlands
106
Good
News;
Well
News
106
Once
More
into
the
Breach,
Dear
Friends

107
A
Note
on Adjectives and Adverbs for Non-Native
Speakers
108
Don't
Use No Double Negatives 108
Don't
Be
Making
No
Mistakes
109
9
Reaching
an
Agreement:
Matching
Sentence
Parts
III
Anyone Got a Match? 112
Singular
Subjects
and
Verbs
112
Plural
Subjects

and
Verbs
113
Seventh-Inning
Stretch
114
Collective Nouns 115
Indefinite Pronouns
116
The
Pause
That
Refreshes
118
Walk
This
Way 119
Hide
and
Seek
119
Playing
the
Numbers
120
Matchmaker, Matchmaker,
Make
Me a
Match
120

Mix
and
Match
121
Agree
to
Disagree
122
Nose to the Grindstone 124
10
Dazed
and
Confused:
Common
Usage
Dilemmas
125
Dangling
Modifiers:
Counterintelligence 126
Help
Is
on
the
Way
126
Man
the
Battle
Stations

121
Misplaced
Modifiers: Lost and Found 128
It
Says
What? 129
Quiz
Show
130
Mixed Metaphors: A Dollar Late and a Day Short
131
Split
Infinitives: To
Boldly
Go
Where
Everyone
Else
Goes
133
The Good, the
Bad,
the
Ugly
134
Hopefully
134
Like/As 134
Ending
with

a
Preposition
135
Contents
xi
Usage and Abusaqe
137
Phrases:
Prime-Time
Players
139
Phrases
of the Moon 139
Prepositional
Phrases:
The
Big
Daddy of
Phrases
140
Offspring
1
:
Adjectival
Phrases
141
Offspring
2:
Adverbial
Phrases

142
Appositives: Something More for Your Money 142
Appositive
Phrases
143
The
Moment
of
Truth 144
Verbal
Phrases:
Talk Soup 145
Part
and
Participle
146
Gerund
Phrases
141
Infinitive
Phrases:
The
Final
Frontier
148
Clauses:
Kickin'It
Up a Notch
151
Clauses:

Phrases
on Steroids 151
Independent
Clauses:
Top
Dogs
152
Dependent
Clauses:
I
Get by
with a Little Help
from
My
Friends
153
I
Know
'Em
When
I
See
'Em
153
Subordinating Conjunctions
Link
'Em Together
153
Looking
for

Love
in
All
the
Right
Places
154
Adverb
Clauses:
Hot Shots 156
Follow
the
Leader
156
Shape
Up
Your
Sentences
151
Adjective
Clauses:
Paint by Numbers 157
Relative
Clauses:
Its
All
Relative
158
Clauses
Make

the
Sentence
159
Noun
Clauses:
What's in a Name? 159
Connect the Dots 160
Getting
Down
and
Dirty 160
Sentence and Sensibility
165
I
Know It
When
I See It: The Sentence 166
Seek
and
Ye
Shall
Find
166
Hidden
Treasures
161
Sentence Structure: The Fab Four 167
Simple
Sentences:
Simple

Isn
k
as
Simple
Does
168
Compound
Sentences:
Compound
Interest
169
Complex
Sentences:
Not
So
Complex
at All 169
xii The Complete Idiot's Guide to Grammar and Style,
Second
Edition
Compound-Complex
Sentences:
The Big
Kahuna
110
The
Choice
Is
Yours
110

Face
the
Music
Ill
Sentence Functions: The Four Tops 172
Alley
Oops 172
Fragments:
Lost
in
Place
113
Run-Ons
and
Comma
Splices:
It
Could
Be
a
Stretch
114
Seventh-Inning
Stretch
115
\k
Coordination and Subordination:
What
to
Say

When
the
Cops
Come
177
Coordination: All the Right Moves 178
Mix
and
Match
119
Dancing
Cheek-to-Cheek
119
Don't
String
Me
Along
180
Why Not
Give
It a
Shot?
181
Subordination:
What
I Did for
Love
182
Follow
the

Leader
183
Dice
V
Slice
184
Double
Dare
184
Duke It Out: Coordination Versus Subordination
185
Parallel
Structure: Trod the Straight and Narrow
186
Make
It
So
181
Time
to
Face
Old
Sparky
181
Parft:
Tools
of
the Trade
191
15

The
Writer's
Tools:
Round
Up
the
Usual
Suspects
193
Pencil
Pusher 193
Using
the Dictionary: You Could
Look
It Up 194
Who
You
Gonna
Call?
195
Read
the
Labels
196
Shop
Till
You
Drop
196
Specialized

Dictionaries:
Everyone
s
an
Expert
198
Computer
Spell
Checkers:
Marvels
of
Technology
199
Electronic Grammar
Software:
Help Is Only a Button
Away 200
The Thesaurus: War of the Words 201
Lets
Go
Shopping
202
Whiz-Bang
Thesaurus
Programs
202
Contents xiii
16
Punctuation:
Commas

Are Our
Friends
203
Punctuation Matters 203
Show
Me the Money 204
Period,
Question Mark, Exclamation Mark: The End of
the
Line
205
The
Period:
Do
Not
Pass
Go, Do
Not
Collect
$200
206
The
Question
Mark:
Inquiring
Minds
Want
to
Know
206

Exclamation
Marks:
Gosh
and
Golly!
201
The
Pause
That
Refreshes
201
The Comma: A Major
Player
209
First
Impressions
Count
209
Sentence
Interruptus
210
In
Media
Res
211
Dazed
and
Confused
211
Bean

Counters
211
Constant Commas
212
The Semicolon:
Love
Child of the Comma and the Period
213
The Colon:
What
a Party Animal 213
Semi-Tough
214
Quotation
Marks:
Quote/Unquote
215
A Little
Dabba
Do Ya
216
Not Separated at Birth: The Dash and the Hyphen
(and Let's Add the
Ellipsis
for Fun) 217
The
Dash:
Long
and
Lean

211
The
Hyphen:
Short
and
Sweet
218
The
Ellipsis:
Dot,
Dot, Dot 218
Parentheses and
Brackets:
Bosom
Buddies
218
(Parentheses)
219
[Brackets]
219
Slash
and Burn
219
Apostrophes 220
Once
More,
Dear
Friends
221
17

Capitalization and Abbreviations:
Go
to the Head of the
Class
223
Capitalization: A Capital Idea 223
Capital
Punishment
224
Rules
to
Capitalize
By 225
Capital
Investment
228
Abbreviations: Good Things Come in
Small
Packages
229
xiv
The
Complete Idiot's Guide
to
Grammar and Style,
Second
Edition
18
Guide
to

Spelling:
(looked on
Phonics
23}
Bee
a
Good
Speller
234
If
U Cn
Reed This
235
Quick
and
Dirty Tricks
of the
Trade
235
Attaching Prefixes
and
Suffixes:
Bits
and
Pieces
237
Attaching
Prefixes:
Front-End
Collision

257
Attaching
Suffixes:
Rear-End
Collision
231
Go
for the
Gusto
241
Contractions: Suck
It In 241
Follow
the
Rules!
Spelling Rules
242
ieeeeeeeeeeeee!
244
See
and
Say
244
Silent
Letters
245
Tricky-Dickie
Word
Endings
245

Y/IUse
246
Spelling
Demons
246
Ten
Tough
Spelling
Words—and
Ways
to
Make
Them
Tender
246
Part
5:
Style:
All
the Write Stuff
2W
19
What
Is
Style,
and
How
Do
I
Get

Some?
2SI
Style:
Write On! 251
The 3C's: Consistency, Coherence, Clarity
253
Consistency
253
Coherence
255
Clarity
251
I'll
Have
What's
on His
Plate
258
Lie
Like
a Rug 261
20
In Style
263
Audience: People
Who
Need
People
263
Inquiring

Minds
Want
to
Know
264
I
Share
Your
Tain
264
Who's
Who
266
Culture
Vulture
268
Model Behavior
269
Live
and
Learn
210
Make
It
Your
Own
210
Contents
xv
Four

Play
270
Exposition:
Writing
That
Explains
271
Narration:
Writing
That
Tells
a
Story
272
Argumentation:
Writing
That
Persuades
272
Description:
Writing
That
Describes
275
21
Stylish Sentences
27S
Flexible
Flyers
276

Vary
Sentence
Types
216
Vary
Sentence
Lengths
277
Add
Questions
and
Commands
219
Focus
on the
Subject
219
Add
Details
280
Use
Vivid
Verbs
283
Invert
Word
Order
283
Play
with

Pronouns
283
Between
a
Rock
and a
Hard
Place
284
Punctuation
and
Style:
Little Things
Matter
a Lot 284
22 Conciseness:
The
Department
of
Redundancy
Department
287
Slash
and
Burn
287
Thrift, Thrift,
Thrift
290
Eliminate

Unneeded
Words
and
Phrases
291
Revise
Sentences
That
Begin
with
Expletives
294
Combine
Sentences
That
Repeat
Information
295
Don't
Say the
Same
Thing
Twice
296
Make
Passive
Sentences
Active
291
23

Diction:
Find
the
Right
Word,
Not
Its
First
Cousin
299
Diction: Proper
Words
in
Proper
Places
300
Elevated
Diction
301
Edited
American
English
301
Colloquial
Language
301
Slang
301
Vernacular
302

Tone-on-Tone
302
Ten Distinctions
Worth
Making
(or at
Least
Worth
Being
Able
to
Make!)
303
Twenty-Five Headaches
305
¥mr
You're
On
301
Homophones:
Give Piece
a
Chance
308
Grin
and
Bare
Bear
It 309
xvi The Complete Idiot's Guide to Grammar and Style,

Second
Edition
Z*t
Don't
Go
There:
Words and
Expressions
to Avoid
311
Sexist
Language:
Political Roadkill 312
On
Thin
Ice
313
Nonsexist
Language:
Level
the
Playing
Field
314
Top of
Your
Game 316
Spin
Doctors
317

Jargon:
u
Phasers
on
Stun,
Cap'n"
318
Bureaucratic
Language:
Piled
Higher
and
Deeper
319
Inflated
Language:
Full
of Hot
Air 320
Euphemisms:
Sleeping
with
the
Fishes
320
Search
and
Destroy
321
The

Cliché
Expert
321
Gorgeous
George
323
A
Note
on
Words
and
Expressions
to
Avoid
for
Non-Native
Speakers
324
Part
6:
In
Your
Write
Mind
32S
25
Business
Writing:
Write
Angles

327
Letter Perfect 328
Form
and
Function
328
Kissing
Cousins
330
Resumes
and Cover Letters: Get on the Fast Track 330
Resumes
331
Shooting
Yourself
in
the
Foot
332
Chronological
Resume
332
Skills
Resume
333
Cover
Letters
336
Bread-and-Butter
Notes 338

Good News, Bad News 339
Good
News
340
Bad
News
340
26 Personal
Writing: In Your
Write
Mind
3ti
Friendly
Letters: My
Baby,
She
Wrote
Me a Letter 346
Signed,
Sealed,
Delivered:
Vm
Yours
346
Model
Letter
341
B
& B Revisited 348
I

Feel
Your
Pain:
Letters
of
Condolence
348