THE
CENTURY HANDBOOK OF
WRITING

This handbook treats essential matters of grammar, diction, spelling,mechanics; and develops with thoroughness the principles of sentencestructure. Larger units of composition it leaves to the texts in formalrhetoric.

The book is built on a decimal plan, the material being simplified andreduced to one hundred articles. Headings of these articles aresummarized on two opposite pages by a chart. Here the student can see ata glance the resources of the volume, and the instructor can findimmediately the number he wishes to write in the margin of a theme. Thechart and the decimal scheme together make the rules accessible forinstant reference.

By a device equally efficient, the book throws upon the student theresponsibility of teaching himself. Each article begins with a conciserule, which is illustrated by examples; then follows a short "parallelexercise" which the instructor may assign by adding an x to the numberhe writes in the margin of a theme. While correcting this exercise, thestudent will give attention to the rule, and will acquire theory andpractice at the same time. Moreover, every group of ten articles isfollowed by mixed exercises; these may be used for review, or imposed inthe margin of a theme as a penalty for flagrant or repeated error. Thusfriendly counsel is backed by discipline, and the instructor has themeans of compelling the student to make rapid progress toward goodEnglish.

Although a handbook of this nature is in some ways arbitrary, thearbitrariness is always in the interest of simplicity. The book doeshave simplicity, permits instant reference, and provides an adequatedrill which may be assigned at the stroke of a pen.