Houghton & Houghton Manual of Style (A Guide to Writing Research Papers)

The most common rules of the English language are examined to guide students through the writing process. The emphasis is on the word common. English is undeniably one of the most difficult languages in the world. In typical English grammar text, there are literally hundreds of rules regarding punctuation and grammar . . . and dozens of exceptions to each of these rules. Many of the rules of the English language are so esoteric that the average person never really encounters an occasion where he or she has to make use of them. These seldom-used rules have been eliminated from this book in order to simplify the research paper writing process and help ease the fear and anxiety that make writing such a difficult task. Grammar, punctuation, and spelling are covered . . .but coverage is limited to the most common and ordinary rules. Parts of speech are also discussed, but only from the standpoint of how they can help students construct effective sentences, paragraphs, and a coherent paper. The basic intent of this text is to assist students with writing clear and effective research papers; so all of the rules, examples, outlines, and samples are oriented toward that goal. The authors also realize the need for a simpler reference source documentation system. Existing manuals are complex and cumbersome, focusing on many sources that the typical research paper writer never encounters. In this book, only the most common types of sources are covered. The result is an easy-to-follow system for properly referenced source citations. The premise of the book is to provide a logical, easy-to understand set of rules and examples that will ease student anxiety and aid in writing concise, correct, complete and coherent research papers.