A Writer's Reference: With MLA's and APA's 1999 Guidelines [Plastic Comb]

Diana Hacker (Author)

Product Details

• Plastic Comb
• Publisher: Bedford/St Martins; 4th edition (January 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312260377
• ISBN-13: 978-0312260378
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,370,255 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

61 of 64 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a "must have" writer or editor's tool., April 30, 2002

By 

Victoria Tarrani "writer, editor, artist, des... (Florida, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Writer's Reference (Paperback)

Describing the contents of one of the most beneficial grammar books I study is difficult, though it is easy to read, research, check, verify, and use. Diana Hacker has written many books to help people understand and use the English language in the correct way. This is a heritage that also protects the language for future generations, just as dictionaries do.

The Main Menu is divided into topics and the sections that relate to it. Within each of these is a category breakdown, as follows:

Composition/Style:
(C) Composing and revising, (D) Document Design, (E) Effective sentences, and (W) Word Choices.
Correctness:
(G) Grammatical sentences, (T) ESL Trouble spots, (P) Punctuation, and (S) Spelling and mechanics.
Research/ Basic Grammar:
(R) Research Writing, (M) MLA documentation, (A) Alternative styles of documentation, and (B) Basic grammar.

The index is also helpful. I selected a topic at random--adjective phrases: (1) Infinite, 350, (2) participle, 349, (3) prepositional, 348-349, (4) punctuation of, 198, 205.

The format displays what type of information is on that page. (1) Page 350 is B for basic grammar information, as are 348 and 349. Pages 98 and 205 are P or punctuation.

This book is on my desk, and is one of the most useful tools I own. I cannot recommend it enough. Any serious writer, editor, or student needs it. 5 stars.

Victoria Tarrani

30 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An APA or Mla must have!, November 21, 2001

By 

Annie B. "IndigoGrl" (Royal Palm Beach, Florida United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A Writer's Reference: With MLA's and APA's 1999 Guidelines (Plastic Comb)

Don't listen to anything else you've heard; this is THE must-have guide for any undergrad or grad student who is tasked with writing any kind of research or term paper. The author provides easily understandable examples and explanations of APA and Mla formats with helpful grammar tips. This guide is a must have for any serious student or writer. Kudos to Ms. Hacker!

41 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great reference, May 2, 2003

By 

jif101 (Oak Hill, VA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Writer's Reference: With MLA's and APA's 1999 Guidelines (Plastic Comb)

I purchased this book as a requirement for a college course -- and this is the only college "textbook" I haven't disposed of in some way. Its labeled tabs make it easy to access information with the flick of a finger, and the front and back menus make it somewhat easy to find the information you're looking for. My only complaint about this book is the lack of a comprehensive index. For instance, if I wanted to find information about comma usage, I cannot simply look up "comma". I must utilize the menu and think in a heirarchal way -- Punctiation --> The comma. There have also been times I was unable to find information because I was unable to categorize what I was looking for.

Another aspect of this book is the online help. The book provides a URL where you can find supplemental information about the book and take interactive quizzes to test your grammar knowledge.

Despite some of its quirks, I would highly recommend this book as a good reference.