Working with Words: A Handbook for Media Writers and Editors / Edition 8

by Brian S. Brooks, James L. Pinson, Jean Gaddy Wilson

Overview

This practical, informative handbook synthesizes information from more than 40 reference sources to help writers master both the essentials & the more sophisticated rules necessary for clear, effective communication in print. Reviews the basics of grammar & answers common questions. Covers the fundamentals of usage, with sound advice on issues of particular concern to writers & editors. Includes time-saving lists of commonly misspelled & misused words, clichs & other problems with usage, diction, style & spelling, along with a summary of wire service style, & a useful appendix that lists the most common mistakes.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781457604935
Publisher:	Bedford/St. Martin's
Publication date:	12/07/2012
Edition description:	Eighth Edition
Pages:	406
Product dimensions:	6.42(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.72(d)

About the Author

Brian S. Brooks is associate dean for undergraduate studies and administration at the University of Missouri School of Journalism. In addition to coauthoring News Reporting and Writing for Bedford/St. Martin’s, he is coauthor of Telling the Story, Third Edition (2007), Working with Words, Sixth Edition (2006), and The Art of Editing (2009).
 
James L. Pinson has taught journalism for about twenty-five years at the Missouri School of Journalism and at Eastern Michigan University,and has addressed various press groups on the subjects of grammar and other editing skills. He has also worked for newspapers in Colorado, Missouri, and Michigan, and has a doctorate in journalism and a master's in creative writing.
 
Jean Gaddy Wilson leads executives worldwide in creating successful strategies for the future. While on the Missouri School of Journalism faculty, she founded three national journalism organizations: New Directions for News, Journalism and Women's Symposium, and the National Women and Media Collection. She was a founding member of the Council of Presidents, an organization of the leading editorial organizations in newspapers, and of the International Women's Media Foundation. She has served as a Pulitzer Prize Nominating Juror for Journalism and currently serves as a consultant to international organizations.

Table of Contents

Preface

Brief Contents

Introduction for Students

 

[Part One] Grammar and Usage

Chapter 1: Grammar Basics

Using Standard English

  Why Don't We Write How We Talk?

  Conventional Wisdom

  Competing Grammars and Stylebooks

  Grammar and Confidence

  Communicating Well

Talking Shop

Key Principles Of Grammar

Web Resources: Grammar Help

Chapter 2: Phrases, Clauses, and Sentences

Phrases

  Phrases as Subjects, Objects and Predicate Nominatives

  Phrases as Verbs

  Phrases as Modifiers

  Phrases as Connecting Words

Clauses

  Independent Clauses

  Dependent Clauses

Restrictive Versus Nonrestrictive

Journalism Tip: Punctuating Nonrestrictive Phrases and Clauses

Sentences

Journalism Tip: Using Different Types of Sentences

Sentence Errors

  Fragments

  Fused Sentences

  Comma-Splice Sentences

  Run-On Sentences

Chapter 3: Subjects and Objects

Kinds of Subjects

Kinds of Objects

Common Nouns Versus Proper Nouns

Journalism Tip: Using Trademarks

The Forms Nouns Take

  Forming Singulars and Plurals Of Nouns

  Forming Possessives of Nouns

Pronoun Person, Number and Gender

Pronoun Cases

  Nominative Case With Pronouns

Journalism Tip: Predicate Nominatives in Formal Writing Versus Broadcast

  Objective Case With Pronouns

  Possessive Case With Pronouns

Relative Pronouns

  Whose Versus Who's

Pronouns Ending In Self or Selves

Verbal Nouns: Gerunds and Infinitives

Chapter 4: Verbs

Helping Verbs Versus Main Verbs

Transitive Verbs Versus Intransitive Verbs

Tenses

  Using the Simple Tenses

  Using the Perfect Tenses

  Using the Progressive Tenses

  Shall Versus Will

  Regular Verbs Versus Irregular Verbs

Sequence of Tenses

  Past Tenses

  Present Tenses

Journalism Tip: Journalism and Sequence Of Tenses

  Future Tenses

Keeping Verb Tenses Consistent

Active Voice Versus Passive Voice

Journalism Tip: When Not To Change Passive Voice to Active

Mood

  Indicative Mood

  Imperative Mood

  Conditional Mood

  Subjunctive Mood

Journalism Tip: Verb Moods

Nouns Used As Verbs

Verbals

  Gerunds

  Participles

  Infinitives

Chapter 5: Making the Parts Agree

SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT

Conjunctions

Collective and Uncountable Nouns

Journalism Tip: Groups of People in the News

Names of Teams and Musical Groups

Other Confusing Nouns

Indefinite Pronouns

Intervening Nouns and Pronouns

Prepositional Phrases

Subject and Predicate Nominative Disagreement

Inverted Order

MAKING PRONOUNS AND ANTECEDENTS AGREE

Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

Clear Pronoun Reference

MAKING SENTENCES PARALLEL

Make Items in A Series Parallel

Make Verbs Parallel

Chapter 6: Modifiers and Connecting Words

MODIFIERS

Forms of Adjectives and Adverbs

Adjectives Versus Adverbs

Coordinate Adjectives Versus Compound Modifiers

Journalism Tip: Compound Modifiers Without Hyphens

Articles

Sentence Adverbs

Participles

Double Negatives

Interjections

CONNECTING WORDS

Prepositions

Conjunctions

  Coordinating Conjunctions

  Correlative Conjunctions

  Subordinating Conjunctions

Conjunctive Adverbs

Chapter 7: Getting Words in the Right Order

Misplaced Modifiers

Adverb Placement

Less Confusing Jumbled Word Orders

Chapter 8: Usage: Finding the Right Word

Journalism Tip: Conservative Stylebook Rules

Misused and Confused Words and Phrases

 

[Part Two]: Mechanics

Chapter 9: Punctuation

Commas

  Always Use a Comma

  Never Use a Comma

  Possibly Use a Comma

Quotation Marks and Other Problems of Quoting

  What to Quote

  Attribution of Quotations

  Paraphrases

  Quotations Across Paragraphs

  Other Issues With Quotes

Semicolons

Colons

Dashes

Parentheses

Hyphens

Apostrophes

Slashes

Periods, Exclamation Points and Question Marks

Chapter 10: Spelling Relief

Spelling Rules

  Prefixes

  Suffixes

Journalism Tip: Spelling and Your Career

  The Silent E

  Other Spelling Rules

Words Often Misspelled

Hyphenation as a Spelling Problem

  Looking Up Words for Hyphenation

  One Word, Two Words, or Hyphenated?

American Versus British Spelling

Web Resources: Spelling

 

[Part Three] Style

Chapter 11: Writing as a Journalist

Keys to Good Journalistic Writing

Clarity

  A Clarity Checklist

  Writing Levels

  Unanswered Questions

  Specifics

  Math and Clarity

Correctness

  Objectivity

  Rules of Objective Writing

Web Resources: Writing Help

Chapter 12: Conciseness

Tightening

  Use Fewer Words

  Use Simpler Words

  Use Exact Words

  Be Fresh, Not Stale

What to Tighten, A to Z

Web Resources: Concise Writing

Chapter 13: Sexism, Racism, and Other "Isms"

Don

Language Turns To the Future

New Players in the New Millennium

A Brief History of "Isms"

Future Realities: More Language Transformation Coming

Dealing With Current Reality

  Sexism

  Racism

  Ageism

  Other Stereotyping

The Nonbias Rule

Symbolic Annihilation

Dumping Today

Web Resources: Competent Language

 

[Part Four] Writing Methods for Different Media

Chapter 14: Writing News That

News Leads

Pick the Best Angle

Hard-News Leads

  Who Was Involved?

  What Happened?

  When Did It Happen?

  Where Did It Happen?

Problems With Hard-News Leads

Soft-News Leads

Soft-News Cliches

What Comes After The Lead?

Web Resources: Journalism Reviews

Chapter 15: Writing News for Broadcast

Print Versus Broadcast News

  Use a Conventional Style

  Personalize the News

  Make It Easy To Understand

  Keep It Short

  Keep It Timely

  Make It Clear

Broadcasters Must Know Grammar

Broadcast Hard-News Leads

  Start With the Who

  What Happened?

  Other Points to Remember

Broadcast Story Structure

Broadcast Style Summary

  Preparing Your Manuscript for Radio

  Preparing Your Manuscript for Television

  Editing and Other Symbols

  Pronunciation

  Abbreviations

  Numbers

  Punctuation

  Names

  Spelling

Web Resources: Broadcasting

Chapter 16: Writing and Editing for the Web

Online Media Are Unique

  Correctness (Or Credibility)

  Conciseness

  Consistency

  Completeness

  The Fifth C

Writing and Presenting News Online

  Writing With Search Engines In Mind

  Legal and Ethical Concerns

  Corrections

  Hyperlinks to External Sites

  Tomorrow's Readers

Web Resources: Online Media

 

Appendix: Wire-Service Style Summary

Abbreviations and Acronyms

  Punctuation

  Symbols

  Dates

  People and Titles

  Organizations

  Places

  Miscellaneous

Capitalization

  Proper Nouns

  Geographic Regions

  Government And College Terms

  Religious Terms

  Titles

  Miscellaneous

Numbers

  Cardinal Numbers

  Numerals With Suffixes

  Numbers as Words

  Other Rules for Numbers

Web Resources: Associated Press Style

 

Bibliography

Index

Web Resources: Additional Sources