William E. Messenger - The Canadian Writer’s Handbook

The CANADIAN
Writers Handbook

The CANADIAN
Writers Handbook

Second Essentials Edition

William E.Messenger
Jan de Bruyn
Judy Brown
Ramona Monatagnes

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First Edition published in 2012

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Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication

Messenger, William E., 1931-2003, author The Canadian writers handbook / William E. Messenger, Jan de Bruyn, Judy Brown, and Ramona Montagnes. Second essentials edition.

Includes index. ISBN 978-0-19-902557-2 (spiral bound)

1. English languageComposition and exercises.

2. English languageGrammar. 3. Report writing.

I. De Bruyn, Jan, 1918, author II. Brown, Judy, 19542013, author III. Montagnes, Ramona, author IV. Title.

PE1408.M583 2017 808.042 C2016-907796-9

Cover graphics: iStock/ma_rish and iStock/Nadzeya_DzivakovaComposition: Laurie McGregor Composition: Laurie McGregor

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1 2 3 4 20 19 18 17

Contents

Several sections throughout this handbook provide information of particular importance to students who are studying English as an additional language (EAL). The following list is a quick and convenient guide to those sections. Whether you are relatively new to writing in English or are more experienced and looking to master the finer points of the written language, these sections of the textin combination with a learners dictionarywill help you improve your writing skills. Note that the entries in this list correspond to the EAL symbols found through-out the text: .

The second essentials edition of The Canadian Writers Handbook is designed to help you work on your writing skills. Improving written communication is an ongoingeven lifelongproject. Whether you are a long-time writer of English seeking to refine your abilities or a writer who is approaching English as an additional language, the suggestions, examples, and guidelines in this new edition will help you to write with greater confidence and communicate with greater clarity.

Overview

Each of the six parts in this book addresses an essential aspect of the writing process. Part I provides practical guidance on planning and composing two larger units of communication, the essay and the paragraph. We start here because we have found that students who are beginning a written assignment usually want help with the broad strokes of composition before they move on to consider the narrower concerns of sentence structure or word choice. In Part II and Part III, we explore the essentials of grammar and style, first by examining how sentences work, then by looking at how the parts of speech come together to form meaning. In Part IV we discuss the importance of punctuation, and in Part V we address issues of mechanics and spelling. Part VI offers valuable information on conducting research and citing sources in an essay. Appendix A provides a checklist that will help you revise, edit, and proofread your work, while Appendix B offers a sample research paper in MLA style.

How to Use This Handbook

We encourage you to use this handbook as a reference tool that you can consult on particular issues arising from everyday writing activities. We suggest that you begin by familiarizing yourself with it by seeing what each part has to offer. Browse through the table of contents and the index. Look up some sections that arouse your interest. Flip through the pages, pausing now and then for a closer look.

You may want to start at the beginning of Part I and proceed carefully through each section in sequence. Note that some points in later sections might not be clear to you unless you understand the material in the early sections. Or, if you are struggling with a particular problem, you may want to skip to the relevant section and then consult other sections as your needs change.

The book is subdivided into sections and subsections that are numbered consecutively throughout. Note how the running heads and the coloured tabs on each pagetogether with the part index that follows the acknowledgementscan help you find things quickly.

Help with Polishing Your Work

When you finish a piece of writing, go through the checklist in Appendix A. If you find youre not sure about something, follow the cross-references to the sections that will give you the help you need.

Help with Correcting and Revising Your Work

When you get a piece of writing back with marks and comments, look it over alongside the list of marking symbolsand abbreviations on this handbooks inside back cover. The information there may be enough to help you make the appropriate changes. But if you need more than a reminder about a specific issue or pattern, look up the relevant topic and study the sections that discuss and illustrate those principles in greater detail. You should then be able to edit and revise your work with understanding and confidence.

Key Terms

Throughout the text, you will find important terms set in boldface. Pay attention to these terms, for they make up the basic vocabulary necessary for the discussion of grammar, syntax, and style.

For Readers and Writers of English as an Additional Language

Our experience as university instructors has given us the opportunity to work with a number of writers engaged in the challenging project of reading and writing in English as an additional language (EAL). At several points in this handbook, we offer information and direction of particular importance to those of you who are approaching English as a relatively new language, and we have designated those relevant sections with the symbol .