Watch Your Words: The Rowman & Littlefield Language-Skills Handbook for Journalists

By Marda Dunsky

A newer edition of this book is available for ordering at the following web address: https: //rowman.com/ISBN/9781442253421/Watch-Your-Words-A-Writing-and-Editing-Handbook-for-the-Multimedia-Age-Fourth-Edition

Journalists trade in words. Using language accurately, clearly and consistently is part of their job--and this skill is equally important for writers and editors. The second edition of Watch Your Words--now updated according to changes in AP style--is a handbook for quick and accessible classroom and newsroom use. Consistent with The Associated Press Stylebook, it establishes a baseline for language-skills knowledge in the areas of punctuation, grammar and usage, as well as AP style. This handy book also contains self-tests, answer keys and sections on spelling and copy-editing symbols. The second edition includes a new section of supplementary self-tests for additional practice. Mastery of the material in Watch Your Words can equip the student or professional with the basic tools for producing clean copy.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0742553914
• ISBN13: 9780742553910
• Release Date: June 2006
• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
• Length: 98 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 10.1" x 0.3" x 7.1"

Customer Reviews

Covers stuff not in AP Style Guide, good grammar resource

The first edition of this book was required reading for a graduate level writing/editing class I took at Northwestern. I loved the book so much that I ordered the second edition after it came out-- even though I'm done with school. This REALLY helped me learn some of the most pesky writing, editing and grammar rules I could never quite get right. I am not a trained journalist, but I am a working writer. This guide includes simple quizzes and easy-to-understand lessons. I've got the Chicago Manual of Style, the AP Stylebook, Strunk & White and many other guides, but Watch Your Words does a better job of explaining a lot of things not adequately covered in those biggies. My professor at the time described it as a guide written to fill in the gaps for the AP Stylebook, and it does just that. If you're new to journalism, PR, marketing communications or corporate writing, this is a must read. Even if you're seasoned like me, this book is a truly valuable brush-up tool. I highly recommend it.

A journalist's guide to developing language skills

Reviewed by Richard R. Blake for Reader Views (10/07) "Watch Your Words" is a language-skills guidebook designed specifically for the journalist. Marda Dunsky provides a manual that serves as a baseline for language skills knowledge for the journalist. The handbook is also a compact, quick and accessible resource for the classroom or the newsroom. It is consistent with "The Associated Press Stylebook." Dunsky includes rules and guidelines for punctuation, and basic terms and concepts of grammar. She also introduces rules, guidelines, and tips for detecting common errors in word usage. I found the exercises stimulating, helpful and entertaining. I received great satisfaction when I recognized terms, concepts and styles, and when I chose the right selection or answer on the self-test. The exercises are designed to help the journalist to insure the words chosen, the grammar used and the punctuation are accurate, clear and consistent. The "Associated Press Stylebook" study guide and self tests were especially helpful and add to the importance of the book as a resource for frequent future reference. The spelling helps with common homonyms and spelltraps are invaluable as an additional ready reference guide. Marda Dunsky is well qualified to author this handbook. She has been teaching editing and international journalism courses at Northwestern University for over ten years. Marda conducts editing seminars and presentations, has served as an editor at the Chicago Tribune, and as an Arab-affairs reporter for the Jerusalem Post. "Watch Your Words" is a masterful language-skills handbook for the journalist. This is a book that should be on the on the reference shelf of every serious journalist. It should be included on the reading list of English, speech and communications classes at the college and university level -- an important resource tool.

EVERYONE should have this book!

Seriously. If you write anything from an e-mail to an article in the New Yorker, pick this up. This book goes over lots of word use and grammar issues in a clear, organized way. GET IT!!!!!