Feature: The fifth edition addresses a special challenge in a new chapter (7), “Excising the Excessive,” concentrating on obvious and not-so-obvious ways to save space and time by reducing wordiness. Starting with a “Don’t-Ever-Even-Think-About-Using-Again List,” it progresses to more subtle examples that commonly clutter the writing of experienced mass communicators.
Feature: “Excising the Excessive” complements the six other chapters in Part 1, Improving Immediately: "25 Ways to Improve Writing Immediately," "Are these Distinctions Worth Making?" "Language Lapses," "It's Nobody's Guess," "The Trouble with 'Only,'" and "One Potato, Two Potatoes (Forming Plurals and Possessives with Words Ending in ch, sh, x, sis, ss, zz, and o)." Together, these seven chapters provide opportunities for rapid and dramatic improvement in both writing and speaking skills, explaining why Part 1 is rated so highly among all audiences.
Feature: 33 Writing and Editing Traps for the Unaware, 16 of which are featured on the front inside cover and 17 others on the back inside cover. They highlight some of the most common errors made by both student and professional mass communicators, and each examples directs readers to the textbook page(s) that explains the error and how to avoid repeating it.
Feature: The contents have been steamlined to accommodate students pressed for time and professionals under deadline pressure. Speed and convenience are enhanced by the comprehensive table of contents and appendix, as well as the book's spiral binding which frees both hands for keyboarding.
Feature: This text covers all the building blocks of good writing, from adjectives to apostrophes, with examples that will speak to journalism students and media professionals alike.
Feature: Media Writer's Handbook can be used as a quick-reference guide for grammar, punctuation, spelling and vocabulary; it can be used, along with its companion workbook and Instructor's Resource CD-ROM (now online), for a complete language skills course; or it can be used as a supplement in other writing, reporting, or editing courses.
Feature: Chapter 1, "25 Ways to Improve Writing Immediately," addresses commonly made yet easily corrected errors. The listed explanations and corrections allow students to jump immediately into writing.
Feature: Parts 2 and 3 provide a thorough review of grammar and punctuation, the tools of a communicator’s trade. These 22 chapters are filled with detailed explanations, examples and advice on parts of speech, punctuation, sentence functions and structures, and syntax.
Feature: Part IV, "Quick Reference," is divided into five easy-to-use sections to help students solve problems in word confusion, misspelling, irregular verbs, wordiness, and word choice.
Feature: The supplementary workbook offers 30 daily lessons and 63 exercises. The workbook is available FREE to students on the Online Learning Center, joining the "Test Yourself" exercises at the end of each related chapter from the textbook.
Feature: The Instructor's Manual, available online contains answers and explanations for the workbook materials, as well as 30 quizzes and tests that can be graded in part by computer.
To obtain an instructor login for this Online Learning Center, ask your local sales representative.
If you're an instructor thinking about adopting this textbook, request a free copy for review.
2009 McGraw-Hill Higher Education