All of us-even professionals-occasionally get tangled up in our terms, especially when we're in a hurry-when we're thinking hard, writing quickly, talking fast. Do you want to amend your vocabulary, or emend it? Will you refer to this book, or allude to it? Do you take the reigns of control, or the reins? Do you demur when asked to do something you dislike, or are you too demure? This easy-to-read and entertaining book will give you clear answers to these questions, and many others, and includes self-paced exercises for practice.

Whether we like it or not, people judge us by the words we use. And misuse. The Dirty Thirty is a self-paced workbook that homes in on (not hones in on) the worst offenders, word-pairs that even professional writers and editors sometimes find confusing. It explains the differences between the two words, gives tips for using them correctly, and provides some good memory hooks to keep them locked in place when you use them next month - or next year. Some of the pairs are imply-infer, who-whom, compliment-complement, ingenious-ingenuous, and affect-effect.

Improving your vocabulary can help you get ahead, whether you're in school or on the job. But a good vocabulary is more than knowing a lot of words; it's using the words that express your meaning precisely and appropriately One of the best ways to improve word-choice skills is to learn groups of words that are related to a core topic, but that differ in some important way. This book leads you through many important word clusters, including forms of government, attitudes toward other people, approaches to money, and more.

This books approach includes the thinking part of writing and provides logical steps that answer questions every writer faces: How do I get organized? What to do first? How to evaluate drafts? What about word choice? When have I said enough? It is an invaluable tool for everyday writers and teachers.