Features more than one thousand primary entries, along with more than two thousand examples of questionable style and the misuse of language, providing valuable lessons for students, writers, and speakers.

Features more than one thousand primary entries, along with more than two thousand examples of questionable style and the misuse of language, providing valuable lessons for students, writers, and speakers.

Covers basic grammar, punctuation, spelling, and idiomatic phrases of American English.

With more than a thousand new entries and more than 2,300 word-frequency ratios, the magisterial fourth edition of this book-now renamed Garner's Modern English Usage (GMEU)-reflects usage lexicography at its finest. Garner explains the nuances of grammar and vocabulary with thoroughness, finesse, and wit. He discourages whatever is slovenly, pretentious, or pedantic. GMEU is the liveliest and most compulsively readable reference work for writers of our time. It delights while providing instruction on skillful, persuasive, and vivid writing. Garner liberates English from two extremes: both from the hidebound "purists" who mistakenly believe that split infinitives and sentence-ending prepositions are malfeasances and from the linguistic relativists who believe that whatever people say or write must necessarily be accepted. The judgments here are backed up not just by a lifetime of study but also by an empirical grounding in the largest linguistic corpus ever available. In this fourth edition, Garner has made extensive use of corpus linguistics to include ratios of standard terms as compared against variants in modern print sources. No other resource provides as comprehensive, reliable, and empirical a guide to current English usage. For all concerned with writing and editing, GMEU will prove invaluable as a desk reference. Garner illustrates with actual examples, cited with chapter and verse, all the linguistic blunders that modern writers and speakers are prone to, whether in word choice, syntax, phrasing, punctuation, or pronunciation. No matter how knowledgeable you may already be, you're sure to learn from every single page of this book.

This book is a detailed examination of social connections to language evaluation with a specific focus on the values associated with both prescriptivism and descriptivism. The chapters, written by authors from many different linguistic and national backgrounds, use a variety of approaches and methods to discuss values in linguistic prescriptivism. In particular, the chapters break down the traditional binary approaches that characterize prescriptive discourse to create a view of the complex phenomena associated with prescriptivism and the values of those who practice it. Most importantly, this volume continues serious academic conversations about prescriptivism and lays the foundation for continued exploration.

The bestselling guide to reporting writing, updated and reworked for today's practice Essentials of Assessment Report Writing offers effective solutions to the creation of reader-friendly, yet targeted, psychological, and educational assessment reports. Parents, clinicians, clients, and other readers need more than test-by-test descriptions—they need an accessible analysis of the entire situation to determine their next steps. This book provides clear guidance for busy practitioners seeking ways to improve their report writing skills. With a focus on current practice, this new second edition covers DSM-5 updates and the latest assessment instruments including the WJ IV, WISC-V, WAIS-IV, KTEA-3, and the CAS2. New discussion includes advice on tailoring the report to the audience, and annotated case reports provide illustrative models of effective report styles, interpretation, and analysis. Key concepts are highlighted for quick reference throughout, and end-of-chapter questions help reinforce understanding. Reporting styles vary widely within the field, in both content and style; there is no definitive "standard," but many reports fail to reflect best practices and therefore prove less than useful to the reader. This book provides expert guidance throughout the reporting process to help practitioners provide high-quality, accessible reports. Integrate assessment results to provide a person-centered report Identify and navigate critical decision points in the interpretive process Write efficiently yet effectively while enhancing the reader's experience Provide an accurate, informative, and readable assessment report Incorporate practical recommendations to address the referral concerns Expertly-conducted assessments should culminate with a carefully constructed analysis that provides direction via clear communication. Because this report will be used to inform treatment, intervention, and ultimately, the client's quality of life—it is critical that it provides clear, informative guidance in a way that readers can understand. Essentials of Assessment Report Writing provides comprehensive guidelines for navigating through the report writing process.