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Sin and Syntax: How to Craft Wickedly Effective Prose [Paperback]

Constance Hale
4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
List Price: CDN$ 21.00
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Book Description

Mar 20 2001
Today’s writers need more spunk than Strunk: whether it's the Great American e-mail, Madison Avenue advertising, or Grammy Award-winning rap lyrics, memorable writing must jump off the page. Copy veteran Constance Hale is on a mission to make creative communication, both the lyrical and the unlawful, an option for everyone.

With its crisp, witty tone, Sin and Syntax covers grammar’s ground rules while revealing countless unconventional syntax secrets (such as how to use—Gasp!—interjections or when to pepper your prose with slang) that make for sinfully good writing. Discover how to:

*Distinguish between words that are “pearls” and words that are “potatoes”

* Avoid “couch potato thinking” and “commitment phobia” when choosing verbs

* Use literary devices such as onomatopoeia, alliteration, and metaphor (and understand what you're doing)

Everyone needs to know how to write stylish prose—students, professionals, and seasoned writers alike. Whether you’re writing to sell, shock, or just sing, Sin and Syntax is the guide you need to improve your command of the English language.

Frequently Bought Together

Sin and Syntax: How to Craft Wickedly Effective Prose + How To Write A Sentence: And How to Read One + The Elements of Style
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From Amazon

You gotta love a grammar guide that calls verbs "moody little suckers" and adverbs "promiscuous." Constance Hale (Wired Style) relishes prose that is deliberate, beautiful, and bold. Go ahead and break the rules, she says; just know the rules first, and know why you are breaking them. In Sin & Syntax, Hale examines the elements of grammar from four angles: the "bones" (the grammar lesson), the "flesh" (the writing lesson), "cardinal sins" (what she calls "true transgressions"), and "carnal pleasures" (the beauty that results from either "hew[ing] exquisitely to the underlying codes of language," or not).

For illustration, Hale hails Walt Whitman and Roger Angell, and rails upon Alexander Haig and the Gump's catalogue. She hauls in Joan Didion to make a case for writing in the first person, Mark Twain to promote the killing of adjectives, C.S. Lewis to advocate showing rather than telling, and Loudon Wainwright III to lament the abuse of the word like. But Hale has no problem making her own points. "Euphemisms," she says, "are for wimps." She dismisses a particularly heinous example of scholarly prose as "a bunch of big words thrown into an Osterizer." Even other grammarians don't escape her derision: "Get a grip," Hale says. "Hopefully as a sentence adverb is here to stay." But what distinguishes Sin and Syntax most is its enthusiasm for prose that takes risks. "Even if you have to check with a lawyer," says Hale, "isn't a kick-ass piece of writing worth the effort?" --Jane Steinberg --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Hale, editor of the hip Wired Style (LJ 10/1/96), has put together a writing/grammar manual that is fresh and fun. The basic rules are here, and they are well explained. The "sin" from the title is partly advice on when and how to break these rules. The other sins are examples of oft-repeated mistakes. Readers will not be told how to write a novel, a poem, or a newspaper article, but if they are writing one this guide will help them use effective and artful language. The examples range from Dr. Seuss books to John F. Kennedy's speeches to commercials, and a short bibliography of books on writing, grammar, and language is included. Easy to understand and appealing to a broad range of readers, this book is highly recommend for all libraries.ALisa J. Cihlar, Monroe P.L., WI
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Most helpful customer reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars A witty brush-up on effective writing. Dec 28 2003
Format:Paperback
I would recommend this book to anyone wishing to improve their writing. It's funny, to the point, and very informative. Constance Hale delivers the information in a witty and upbeat manner, savoring the idea that you can be free to express your inner creativity without being tethered to the strict grammar tree of old. In the end, it's the story that counts, not how harshly you adhere to the rules. As the book states, not only does she show you how to use the rules, but also when it's in the story's best interest to break them. A must read!
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars A welcome difference Mar 26 2004
By Lefty
Format:Paperback
Most grammar books are dry, able to put you to sleep at 20 paces. This one is not. I found it fun to read. I have recently started graduate school. I found that I had to write a number of papers for each class. Since it has been awhile since I had to worry about commas, semi-colons, and the difference between which and that I needed a good reference book. I picked this one and I use it every time I write a paper.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars The best in the field Jan 24 2003
Format:Hardcover
I searched for a guide to quickly clean up my prose for several days. My search ended with this book and "Elements of Style". It covered the topics that are required with sufficient depth (that's what the "Chicago Manual of Style" is for) and entertained on a bland subject. Well done.
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Most recent customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars A Good Book
This is a good book. I learned a lot. My writing style is better.
Published on July 9 2004 by (.) (.)
5.0 out of 5 stars Wickedly Funny
Sin and Syntax is the most entertaining grammar book you'll ever pick up. [...]
Published on Mar 2 2004 by Betty Wilson Beamguard
5.0 out of 5 stars A clever, and entertaining way to reinforce the concepts
of English grammar. I'm not wizard of grammar, but I aspire to be, and this book is a nice step in that direction. Read more
Published on Feb 11 2004 by Prem Lee Barbosa
5.0 out of 5 stars A Overlooked Book for Writers
Many of the books for writers will repeat what other books about writing have said about point of view and what to do about writer's block--so if you've read one how to write book,... Read more
Published on Feb 2 2003 by wolfk2
5.0 out of 5 stars This precious book...
This book will lure you into thinking like a writer. If you are the type of person who enjoys playing with your food, read a few pages of Hale's gorgeous little book and explore... Read more
Published on Feb 14 2002 by peter whitley
5.0 out of 5 stars Light and Fun Way to Brush up on Grammar
This book is a basic grammar guide for those of us who may have been out of school for a while, but it's as much about writing style as it is about grammar. Read more
Published on Jun 29 2001 by Matthew A. Brown
5.0 out of 5 stars Fun reading even for grammar know-it-alls
Well structured, as it must be, Hale's guide presents both the nuts and bolts of grammar and the considerations of style that cannot exist without a sound grasp of grammar. Read more
Published on May 24 2001 by Andrew Rasanen
5.0 out of 5 stars Create wickedly effective prose embedded with flair & style
Create wickedly effective prose embedded with flair and style with the help of a guide which tells how to learn, then break, the rules. Read more
Published on April 27 2001 by Midwest Book Review
5.0 out of 5 stars For those who hate Grammer....
I have to admit it is a little frightening writing a review for a grammar book, but here goes. I completely agree with the other review that stated this book should be used in... Read more
Published on Aug 21 2000 by "thesulliv"
5.0 out of 5 stars A "Must-Read" for every writer!
This book is probably one of the best grammar books out there, and it is absolutely a "Must-Read" for every writer (fiction and nonfiction, also journalists should read... Read more
Published on May 29 2000 by scherf.com
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