Writing Research Guide: Construction, Grammar, and Style

Many resources can help with the nuts and bolts of writing papers, essays, memos, letters and more.  Learn about:

• Grammar - how to construct sentences, covering all the parts of speech.
• Punctuation - apostrophes, commas, semicolons, dashes and so on.
• Usage - correct word choice, such as "lie" vs. lay" or "effect" vs. "affect" or "fewer" vs. "less." 
• Spelling
• Citation formats - APA, MLA, etc.
• Writing for particular purposes - such as business or technical writing.

General Guides

The Elements of Style 4th ed.

PE 1408 .S772 2000

2 copies:  Ready Reference and Circulating Collection

The (short) bible on writing.  Has selected rules about usage and construction, punctuation, composition, commonly-misused words, and style suggestions.

The Elements of Grammar

PE 1112 .S54 1986

A short, user-friendly guide with rules and examples.

The Chicago Manual of Style, 15th ed.

READY REFERENCE Z 253 .U69 2003

Professional-level guidance in all aspects of writing, editing, and publishing.

A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, 6th ed., Turabian, Kate L.

READY REFERENCE LB 2369 .T8 1996.

Interprets The Chicago Manual of Style.  Covers all aspects of paper writing, including title pages, illustration lists, acknowledgements, abstracts, text, appendices, bibloigraphy; spelling and punctuation; quotations; tables; and more.

A Handbook of English Grammar, 3rd ed.

PE 1112 .Z3 1965.

A comprehensive guide to using every part of speech, plus sentence structure, word order, and usage. Has many examples and covers rare questions.

The Bedford Handbook

REF PE 1408 .H277 1998

Very user-friendly, with focus on specific writing rules and tips to take your writing to another level.  All examples show the correct and incorrect approach.

Harbrace College Handbook, 11th ed.

PE 1112 .H6 1990

A big handbook on grammar, format, punctuation, spelling, usage, sentence and phrase formation, paragraph formation, logical thinking and research.  Extremely user-friendly, with lots of examples for each rule.

Dictionary of Problem Words and Expressions, rev. ed.

PE 1460 .S 5158 1987.

Covers and many other words and phrases that cause writers headaches.

Essays

Short Essays: Models for Composition, 3rd ed.

PE 1417 .S44 1983

Guidelines for and examples of good essays.

Writing Argumentative Essays, 2nd ed.

PE 1431 .W67 2001

Suggestions for writing logical, organized, evidence-based research papers and essays.  Includes examples and exercises.

Substance, Style, and Strategy.

PE 1408 .J625 1998

Pointers on writing personal, biographical, argumentative, familiar and critical essays.

Bias Free/Multicultural Writing

Guidelines for Bias-Free Writing.

PE 1460 .S474 1995

Suggestions for avoiding bias in writing based on gender, racial, nationality, religious, disability, sexual orientation, and age.

Writing in Multicultural Settings

PE 1405 .U6 W75 1997

Essays on cultural and linguistic diversity, the role of the teacher and the text, ESL issues, and tensions in multicultural writing as a discipline.

The Non-Sexist Word Finder

REF PE .1689 .M23 1987

Specialized Guides

Writing Between the Lines: Composition in the Social Sciences

PE 1479 .S62 F58 1988

General advice, with an emphasis on writing papers and articles in social science disciplines.

Technical Writing: A Practical Approach, 2nd ed.

PE 1475 .P47 1994

A general guide, which also has chapters on writing in groups, formal reports, process descriptions and instructions, feasibility studies, proposals, plus working with graphics and presenting your work in public.

Write to the Point: How to Communicate in Business with Style and Purpose

HF 5718.3 .I236 2003

Useful suggestions and examples.

Business Writing for Results: How to Create a Sense of Urgency and Increase Response to All of Your Business Communications

A CLIC e-book you can read online.   Go to CLICnet and type in title, then follow the directions.  Also, see the online Guide to Netlibrary.

The Gregg Reference Manual, 10th ed.

REF PE 1479 .B87 S23 2005

Comprehensive guide to grammar, usage, style, and document types.  Uses many examples.  Geared toward business writing.

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Terrific Business Writing

A CLIC e-book you can read online.   Go to CLICnet and type in title, then follow the directions.  Also, see the online Guide to Netlibrary.

Web Resources

Online Technical Writing: Common Grammar, Usage, and Spelling Problems.

http://www.io.com/~hcexres/tcm1603/acchtml/gramov.html

Short entries with examples.

Guide to Grammar and Writing.

http://www.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/
A guide to the effective use of the English Language, from word use to standard research paper formats. Includes lessons and quizzes.

The Writer's Handbook from the Writing Center at the University of Wisconsin - Madison. http://www.wisc.edu/writing/Handbook/index.html