Preface
Introduction
Part 1. You, the Doer
Ch. 1. Grammar for Being Assertive: The Colon
A Few Basics
Colons... and who you want to be
Having Your Turn
Try This
Ch. 2. Grammar for Being Proactive: Active Voice
A Few Basics
Active Voice... and who you want to be
Living Pro-actively
Writing and Speaking Pro-actively
...Even in the Third Person
Try This
Ch. 3. Grammar for Being Practical: Prepositions
A Few Basics
Prepositions... and who you want to be
Prepositions We Owe to Other People
Those We Owe Ourselves
Try This
Ch. 4. Grammar for Being In Charge: The Imperative
A Few Basics
Imperatives...and who you want to be
Emergencies
Building Up to It
Gentle Imperatives
Try This
Ch. 5. Grammar for Being Organized: Commas
A Few Basics
Commas... and who you want to be
Beyond Doing It By Feeling
Try This
Ch. 6. Grammar for Being Optimistic: “But”
A Few Basics
But... and who you want to be
End-Focus
Alternatives to “But”
Try This
Part 2. You, the Friend
Ch. 7. Grammar for Being Empathetic: Modifiers
A Few Basics
Modifiers... and who you want to be
The Failure to Put Oneself in the Reader’s Place
Examples–Funny and Unfunny
Try This
Ch. 8. Grammar for Being Respectful: Apostrophes
A Few Basics
Apostrophes... and who you want to be
What They’re Good For, Really
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Ch. 9. Grammar for Being Trusting: Cutting Down on Exclamation Points and Intensifiers
A Few Basics
Exclamation Points, Intensifiers... and who you want to be
Earning a Listener’s Trust
Developing Trust in Yourself
Try This
Ch. 10. Grammar for Being “Real”: Contractions, Parentheses, Etc.
A Few Basics
Contradictions, Parentheses, etc.... and who you want to be
Five Ways to Create Voice
A Cautionary Note
Try This
Ch. 11. Grammar for Being Diplomatic: Semicolons
A Few Basics
Semicolons... and who you want to be
What We and the Semicolon Have in Common
A Punctuation Mark for This Age
Doing Without Thanks
Try This
Ch. 12. Grammar for Being Generous: Cumulative Sentences
A Few Basics
Periodic and Cumulative Sentences... and who you want to be
The Generous Writer
Front-Loading and Back-Loading
Try This
Ch. 13. Grammar for Being Intimate: Ellipses
A Few Basics
Ellipses... and who you want to be
Everyday Ellipses
The Secret to the Bonding Power of a Joke
Love Above All
Try This
Ch. 14. Grammar for Being Forgiving: Past Tense
A Few Basics
Past Tense... and who you want to be
The Problem with the Present Tense
The Past Tense Alternative
Try This
Ch. 15. Grammar for Being Expressive: Sentence Length, Etc.
A Few Basics
Sentence Length, Etc.... and who you want to be
The Musical Effect of Placement
The Musical Effect of Repetition
The Musical Effect of Sentence Length
Try This
Part 3. You, the Thinker
Ch. 16. Grammar for Being Open-Minded: Cross-Outs
A Few Basics
Cross-Outs... and who you want to be
Normal Everyday Inquiry
Close-Minded vs. Open-Minded
The Sound of Crossing Out
Try This
Ch. 17. Grammar for Being Adaptable: Adverbial Provisos
A Few Basics
Adverbial Provisos... and who you want to be
“Will” as Straitjacket
A Way Out
Try This
Ch. 18. Grammar for Being Capable of Dealing with Complexity: The Cues of Complication
A Few Basics
Cues of Complication... and who you want to be
Tips for Avoiding Simple-Mindedness
Try This
Ch. 19. Grammar for Being Well-Mentored: A Special Use of the Present Tense
A Few Basics
A Special Use of the Present Tense... and who you want to be
Grammatical Time Warp
Try This
Ch. 20. Grammar for Being Honorable: Quotation Marks
A Few Basics
Quotation Marks... and who you want to be
What They Call It At School
Try This
Ch. 21. Grammar for Being Modest: “I”
A Few Basics
Saying “I”... and who you want to be
“Me, Me, Me”
Striking a Humble Balance
The I in Storytelling
A Final Word on I
Try This
Ch. 22. Grammar for Being Rebellious: Breaking the Rules
A Few Basics
Breaking Rules... and who you want to be
Using Grammar to Climb Kohlberg’s Hierarchy
Caveat
Try This
A Grammarian’s Wish
Appendix A: Uses of the Passive Voice
Appendix B: MLA Citation Style
Common Types of MLA Citation on a Works Cited Page
The Format of a Works Cited Page
