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Words Fail Me: What Everyone Who Writes Should Know About Writing (Hardcover)

by Patricia O'Conner (Author) "Let's face it ..." (more)
4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)

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Product details

  • Hardcover: 224 pages
  • Publisher: Harcourt Brace International; 1st edition (Sep 1999)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0151003718
  • ISBN-13: 978-0151003716
  • Product Dimensions: 21.2 x 13.8 x 2.1 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 1,442,099 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Product Description

Synopsis

A practical guide to good writing takes readers step by step through the process, offering advice on how to cut through the purple prose, put the subject where the action is, and extricate weak words, among other topics.
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Let's face it. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Words Fail Me: What Everyone Who Writes Should Know About Writing
41% buy the item featured on this page:
Words Fail Me: What Everyone Who Writes Should Know About Writing 4.8 out of 5 stars (11)
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Customer Reviews

11 Reviews
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4 star:    (0)
3 star:
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2 star:    (0)
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Average Customer Review
4.8 out of 5 stars (11 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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10 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining and informative, 22 Aug 1999
By A Customer
Both Woe Is I and Words Fail Me would make fine gifts for your E-mail correspondents this year. I know; I have received them both. I can guess it is because I am one of those people who cannot help how badly I write. Or how bad. Whatever. When faced with a computer keyboard I simply go on and on, although my run on sentences when I am writing by hand are limited because my hand cramps up. These books are helpful to me beacuse they cover the rudiments of self-editing. As a student I did not always recognize the run on sentences, dangling modifiers, etc. my instructors noticed. Sometimes I still do not. But, I do a better job of editing my own writing after reviewing Woe Is I and Words Fail Me. Both books are entertaining, informative, and should be in your library.
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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Laugh and Learn Again With O'Conner, 13 Aug 1999
By A Customer
It's not often you encounter "how-to" books sprinkled throughout every page with humor and wit, but O'Conner has done it again. Having enjoyed her punny grammar book,Woe is I,I dove into this writing guide just for the amusement, but as with the former book, I found the substance of this book every bit as helpful and informational. With subtitles like "Taking Leave of your Tenses," "Comma Sense," and "No Assembly Required," it's a joy to absorb O'Conner's advice on writing. The fire-engine chartreuse cover looks good on the bookshelf too.
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11 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars Nothing new, 14 Mar 2000
I was surprised and disappointed by the lack of detail in this book. I was hoping to pick up new skills, but learned very little. It is well-written, a little corny - and truly only for people with horrible writing skills.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book
Patricia T. O'Connor knows words in and out. Like Sin and Syntax, she steers aspiring writers away from the waste basket with lessons on grammar and this need-to-know book for... Read more
Published on 22 Aug 1999

5.0 out of 5 stars I wish my English teachers had been this entertaining!
This is a fun and readable book that is packed with lots of tips and ideas for writing a good report, story, or even a letter to your friend. Read more
Published on 19 Aug 1999

5.0 out of 5 stars A funny book about writing well.
My mom gave me Pat O'Conner's last book, Woe Is I, and I have used it a lot in my high school English classes. This year I am a junior and will be taking English composition. Read more
Published on 19 Aug 1999

5.0 out of 5 stars Useful information in a fun read.
Ms. O'Conner has done it again! She is such a clever writer, and so much fun to read, one hardly notices that there's a lot of useful information being taken in along with the... Read more
Published on 13 Aug 1999

5.0 out of 5 stars fantastic book on writing and style
It's the first book on writing that doesn't put me to sleep. I recommend it highly!
Published on 13 Aug 1999

5.0 out of 5 stars Once again....
Once again, Patricia O'Conner writes a great reference book. With similar style, (humor included), it creates a world for the reader, that many authors cannot do. Great job!
Published on 12 Aug 1999

5.0 out of 5 stars Clever and useful: a spoon full of sugar helps ....
Pat O'Conner is my language guru. I read her books for amusement, only to stop and consider how I really did need to brush up (if I ever knew completely) on verb... Read more
Published on 12 Aug 1999

5.0 out of 5 stars Another useful AND entertaining book from Ms. O'Conner!
I bought a personal copy of this author's last book, WOE IS I. After reading it and realizing how clevely it was written and how useful the content was, I went out and got 5 more... Read more
Published on 12 Aug 1999

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