The essential guide for all writers. With over 700 examples of original and edited sentences, this book provides information about editing techniqu...
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Jul 21, 2011
Who
rated it: 
Here comes the contrarian review: this book is one of the best on style that you will find--and trust me, I've read many. The only stipulation, which others have rightly pointed out, is that this book is often tough going. The negative reviews are understandable given the difficulty of this "introductory" book, but so long as you have a modicum of grammatical competence, you'll discover Cook's advice to be of greater depth than that found in most other style books. Simply put, this
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Jan 29, 2012
Jaycruz
rated it: 
For a book on editing your own writing, I found it a very difficult read. It can be a useful reference -it has more than enough examples- but its dense pace, again, for a book about editing, is inexcusable. Here's one example so you can see what I mean:
"Although the correlative conjunctions must precede parallel parts of the sentence, the terms that make up these pairs do not invariably function together. Each can operate alone. In particular, you can use not only without More...
"Although the correlative conjunctions must precede parallel parts of the sentence, the terms that make up these pairs do not invariably function together. Each can operate alone. In particular, you can use not only without More...
Aug 24, 2011
Jae
rated it: 
"Line by Line" teaches you how to (copy)edit your own work--or that of others. It covers tightening wordy sentences, turning weak verbs into strong ones, achieving parallel structure, and making sure subject/verb and pronoun/antecedent match. The book also has a chapter on punctuation, an explanation of sentence parts, and a list of words that are often misused.
It's a good book on copyediting and grammar. Not always easy to read, but it provides plenty of examples, most of t More...
It's a good book on copyediting and grammar. Not always easy to read, but it provides plenty of examples, most of t More...
Nov 04, 2009
Meg
rated it: 
Useful examples and very comprehensive...to a fault at times. I appreciated the level of detail, but I couldn't read more than one or two sections at a time before feeling overwhelmed. Still, it's practical and has plenty of tips on how to make your writing easier to understand.
Consider using it as a tip of the day book that you jump into every morning, though. It's certainly not something you can read cover to cover in a sitting.
Consider using it as a tip of the day book that you jump into every morning, though. It's certainly not something you can read cover to cover in a sitting.
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Nov 13, 2011
Holly
rated it:
Useful. MLA style. I appreciated the logic and "wordiness." Intended audience: scholars submitting nonfiction manuscripts to university presses. I'll return to the Glossary of Questionable Usage when I have usage questions.
Mar 26, 2008
An old Houghton Mifflin title that has been sitting on my shelves for 20 years -- and I have yet to read it. I must fear clear writing since it reads well and appears to offer constructive, helpful advice.
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