Resources
15- 7
Merriam- Webster’s Collegiate Thesaurus . Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, Inc.; 1994.
You won’t find definitions in a thesaurus, but for each word, you can find related words: common synonyms, related terms, and antonyms (opposite meanings). This is a great reference tool for writers who want to add to their vocab ulary or who can’t quite remember a particular word. But be sure to look up unfamiliar words in a dictionary before using them in your paper — often there are fine distinctions in meaning between words that a thesaurus does not reveal. Sample (numbers denote groups of synonyms): determine vb 1 syn ESTABLISH 6, demonstrate, make out, prove, show rel fix, set; settle 2 syn PREDESTINE 1, destine, doom (to), fate, foreordain, predetermine, perform, preordain 3 syn DEMARCATE 1, bound, delimit, delimitate, limit, mark (out), measure 4 syn DECIDE, conclude, figure, resolve, rule, settle rel bias, dispose, incline, predispose; actuate, drive, impel, move; induce, persuade 5 syn CLOSE 3, complete, conclude, end, finish, halt, terminate, ultimate, wind up, wrap up 6 syn DISCOVER 3, ascertain, catch on, find out, hear, learn, see, tumble, unearth
Ross-Larson B. Edit Yourself: A Manual for Everyone Who Works with Words . New York: W.W. Norton & Company; 1996.
An alphabetically organized list of common errors, a guide on how to avoid using the passive voice, and examples of “lean, mean” writing make this book helpful to writers who want to improve.
Sample: data is
CHANGE TO data are CHANGE TO examine
(examine in) depth
demonstrate
TRY
show
distinctive [individual]
COMPARE
distinct [clear]
Strunk W Jr. & White EB. The Elements of Style . 4th ed. Boston: Allyn & Bacon; 1999.
There has never been a better book about how to write clearly and concisely, and the rules of English grammar are addressed in just 85 pages. Writers should make a point of reading this classic book each year.
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