English at Hand is a concise, easy-to-use reference tool for first-year college writers and researchers as well
as for more advanced students needing quick answers to writing questions.
Key Features
1. It is compact.
This 72-page booklet can be easily carried in a notebook or three-ring binder, in a folder of essay drafts,
or in a backpack.
2. It is accessible.
The booklet lies open flat during use. Its clear organization and headings, enhanced by use of a second color,
and its thorough index, including a detailed table of contents on the inside back cover, help students quickly
find answers to their questions.
3. It is thorough.
English at Hand reviews the basics of traditional English grammar and the conventions of academic and professional
punctuation, mechanics, spelling, and usage. In addition, it offers the following: explanations of the most common
sentence errors and how to correct them; advice on constructing clear, effective sentences; valuable ESL pointers
for nonnative speakers; advice for writing effective paragraphs, essays, and research papers; and MLA and APA guidelines
for documentation, including on-line sources. Throughout the explanations are always brief, clear, and fully illustrated.
4. It is versatile.
The book can be used as a handbook of basic English skills for students in beginning writing courses or as a
comprehensive review for more advanced students. It also functions as a reference book for anyone needing quick
answers to writing questions. Since each rule in the book has its own number and letter (shown in detail in the
index on the inside back cover), instructors can use it as a correction guide, writing in the margin of the student's
paper the "code" for each rule the student has broken or needs to review. The student can then use the
index to look up and study the appropriate piece of writing information.
5. It is inexpensive.
Selling to bookstores for a low net price of only six dollars, English at Hand is a modestly-priced resource
that all students can afford.
Table of Contents
GRAMMAR
1 Parts of Speech
a Nouns
b Pronouns
c Verbs
d Prepositions
e Adjectives
f Adverbs
g Conjunctions
h Interjections
i Words as more than one part of speech
2 Sentence Basics
a Subjects and their modifiers
b Verbs and their modifiers, complements, and objects
3 Phrases
a Prepositional
b Verbal
c Absolute
4 Clauses
a Independent
b Dependent
5 Sentence Types
a Based on purpose
b Based on structure
6 Verbs
a Tenses
b Mood and voice
c Irregular verbs
d Subject-verb agreement
7 Pronouns
a Case
b Usage
c Agreement
d Clear reference
8 Adjectives and Adverbs
a In comparisons
b Good and well; bad and badly
c Avoiding double negatives
EFFECTIVE SENTENCES
9 Fragments
a Dependent-clause
b Without a subject
c Without a subject and a verb
d For emphasis and dialogue
10 Fused Sentences and Comma Splices
a Fused sentences
b Comma splices
c Correction methods
11 Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers
a Misplaced modifiers
b Dangling modifiers
12 Parallelism
a Uses
b Effects
13 Sentence Variety and Style
a Coordination and subordination
b Sentence types and elements
14 Word Choice
a Slang
b Jargon
c Clichés
d Wordiness
e Showy language
f Sexist language
PUNCTUATION
15 End Marks
a The period
b The question mark
c The exclamation point
16 The Comma
a Independent clauses with a coordinating conjunction
b Introductory material
c Items in a series
d Coordinate adjectives
e Parenthetical expressions and absolute phrases
f Nonessential clauses and phrases
g Direct address, yes and no, mild interjections, expressions of contrast, and tag questions
h Direct quotations
i Dates, addresses, letters, and titles
j Preventing misreading
k Misuses
17 The Semicolon
a Independent clauses with no coordinating conjunction
b Independent clauses with a transitional word or phrase
c Items in a series when the items contain commas
d Misuses
18 The Colon
a To direct attention
b Conventional uses
c Misuses
19 The Apostrophe
a Possession
b Contractions
c Certain plurals
d Misuses
20 Quotation Marks
a Direct quotations
b Titles of short works
c Words used in a special sense
d Definitions
e With other punctuation
f Misuses
21 Other Punctuation Marks
a The hyphen
b The dash
c Parentheses
d Brackets
e The ellipsis
f The slash
MECHANICS
22 Manuscript Format
a Materials and general methods
b Text layout
c Proofreading and correcting
23 Capital Letters
a First word in a sentence or direct quotation
b First word of an independent clause that follows a colon
c The word I
d Titles
e Opening and closing of a letter
f Abbreviations
g Proper nouns and adjectives
24 Italics (Underlining)
a Titles; names; foreign words; words, letters, and numbers referred to as such
b For emphasis
c Misuses
25 Numbers
a Words versus numerals
b A number beginning a sentence
c Conventional uses of numerals
d Commas to indicate thousands
26 Abbreviations
a Appropriate uses in formal writing
b Inappropriate uses in formal writing
27 Spelling Improvement
a The dictionary
b Electronic spelling checker
c Personal spelling list
d Commonly confused words
e Spelling rules
f Commonly misspelled words
USAGE
28 Glossary of Usage
ESL POINTERS
29 Articles with Count and Noncount Nouns
a A or an with nonspecific count nouns
b The with specific nouns
c Omitting articles
d The with proper nouns
30 Subjects and Verbs
a Avoiding repeated subjects
b Pronoun subjects and linking verbs
c There and here at beginning of clauses
d Not using the progressive tense of certain verbs
e Transitive verbs for passive voice
f Gerunds and infinitives after verbs
31 Adjectives
a Adjective order
b Present and past participles
32 Prepositions Used for Time and Place
EFFECTIVE WRITING
33 Writing a Paragraph
a Two elements of effective writing
b Steps to effective writing
34 Writing an Essay
a A sample essay
b The parts of an essay
35 Writing a Research Paper
a Finding a topic to research
b Researching
c Taking notes
d Outlining
e Drafting, revising, and proofreading
DOCUMENTATION
36 An Overview of Documentation
a Citations within the text
b List of sources
c Styles of documentation
37 MLA Style
a Citations within the text
b List of works cited
c Endnotes or footnotes
