Book Review: “The Dictionary of Worthless Words”
Numerous usage handbooks provide general guidelines about how to carefully select the right word or phrase for the right job (or reject one unsuitable for its intended use), but The Dictionary of...
View Article7 Reference Resources for Writers and Editors
What guides and handbooks does a careful writer (or editor) rely on? I’ve consulted many resources, but the ones on this list have pride of place and show the most wear and tear. 1. The Associated...
View Article7 British English Writing Resources
This site is intended primarily for writers of American English, though much of the information is also applicable to people who write English in the United Kingdom and other parts of the world....
View Article5 Types of Specialized Dictionaries
Dictionaries aren’t just for looking up spellings and meanings of a broad selection of terms; you’ll find biographical, geographical, and medical dictionaries, among other specialized volumes. Here are...
View Article5 Other Online Dictionaries
Regular Daily Writing Tips readers know that I often extol Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, the dictionary of record for the American publishing industry. Despite its apparent casual acceptance...
View ArticleBook Review: A Manual for Writers
I was prepared to have to slog through Kate L. Turabian’s Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations — I mean, just read that title again — in order to review it, but to my...
View ArticleBook Review: “Good Prose: The Art of Nonfiction”
You may never work with an editor, but whether you do, or you work only with an internal editor, Good Prose: The Art of Nonfiction will provide insight into the process of developing content. Good...
View Article10 Anthologies About Writing
It is quite possible to spend the rest of your life reading about how to write and never get around to actually writing — especially with so many convenient collections of writers’ ruminations like the...
View ArticleBook Review: “The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation”
No one writing handbook or grammar guide should suffice for careful writers, and though Jane Straus’s The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation is less comprehensive than some other resources, its...
View ArticleClik here to view.
APA and MLA Style Guides
Research is a messy business. Even when the object of the research is as limited as looking for a car or renting a house, materials accumulate: newspaper and magazine clippings, brochures, envelopes...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Language Police
Lovers of language and literature, especially those with children or grandchildren still in Grades K-12, will find The Language Police by education historian Diane Ravitch riveting, revelatory, and...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Book Review: May I Quote You On That?
It has been quite a while since I reviewed a book about usage and grammar on this site. The only thing to set such books apart is the formatting and the title. The content is usually the same. A new...
View ArticleClik here to view.
How English Became English
Here is a book certain to delight, enlighten, or annoy readers of language blogs like this one: How English Became English, Simon Horobin, OUP, 2016. Horobin, professor of English language and...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Top 10 Websites for Book Lovers
There is something magical about reading books. Whether you like fiction or non-fiction, fantasy or sci-fi, there are many books out there. Still, it isn’t always easy to make a trip to the bookstore...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Interview with David Hauser, Author of Unstoppable
Over the coming months we will publish interviews with book authors, focusing on the process of actually writing the book, launching and promoting it. Many of these authors are not professional...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Language Police
Lovers of language and literature, especially those with children or grandchildren still in Grades K-12, will find The Language Police by education historian Diane Ravitch riveting, revelatory, and...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Book Review: May I Quote You On That?
It has been quite a while since I reviewed a book about usage and grammar on this site. The only thing to set such books apart is the formatting and the title. The content is usually the same. A new...
View ArticleClik here to view.
How English Became English
Here is a book certain to delight, enlighten, or annoy readers of language blogs like this one: How English Became English, Simon Horobin, OUP, 2016. Horobin, professor of English language and...
View Article
