In many professional settings, "correctness" is the first
thing people react to. If a document is full of errors (spelling, punctuation,
grammar, etc.), readers assume the writer is either dumb or careless
(or both), and dismiss the contents.
If grammar, mechanics, and spelling have never been your strong point,
now is the time to work on these areas. The books listed below and the
links at right can help answer basic (and not-so-basic) questions.
If you want more help, consider making an appointment at the English
Department's Writing Center.
If English is your second language, the English Language Institute
can also help.
Desk Dictionaries
Merriam Webster's Collegiate
Concise Oxford English
American Heritage College
Random House Webster's
More Comprehensive Dictionaries
American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language
The New Shorter Oxford English Dictionary
Style Manuals
The Chicago Manual of Style - The standard reference in technical
and engineering writing
Scientific Style and Format: The CBE Manual for Writers, Editors
and Publishers - The standard in the life and natural sciences
The Associated Press Stylebook and Manual - The standard for
many newspapers and magazines
The MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing - The
standard for the humanities
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association -
The standard for the social sciences
United States Government Printing Office Style Manual - The
standard for government writing
Usage Manuals
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of English Usage - The most complete
guide to usage and the American language.
A Dictionary of Modern English Usage (H. W. Fowler and Sir
Ernest Gowers) - Long the standard in English, it is still useful
(with some practice).
The New Fowler's Modern English Usage (R. W. Burchfield) -
The current edition of Fowler's work listed above.
Modern American Usage: A Guide (Wilson Follett) - Remains
the standard for American English, but see below
A Dictionary of Modern American Usage (Bryan A. Garner) -
Oxford's most recent addition to the heavy duty guides
The Copyeditor's Handbook (Amy Einsohn) - An excellent guide
for book publishing and corporate communications
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