The Canadian Writer's Handbook focuses on the specific needs of Canadian writers. Throughout its five chapters, on issues of grammar, punctuation, mechanics, style and composition, the Handbook presents accessible descriptions for all levels of English writers.

Part I. Understanding Sentences Introduction: The Conventions of Language 1. Sentence Patterns and Conventions 1a. Subject and Predicate, Noun and Verb 1b. Articles and Other Modifiers 1c. Sentence Pattern 1: subject + verb 1d. Sentence Pattern 2A: subject + verb + direct object 1e. Sentence Pattern 2B: passive voice 1f. Sentence Pattern 3: subject + verb + indirect object + direct object 1g. Sentence Pattern 4A: subject + linking verb + subjective complement (predicate adjective) 1h. Sentence Pattern 4B: subject + linking verb + subjective complement (predicate noun) 1i. Sentence Pattern 5A: subject + verb + direct object + objective complement (adjective) 1j. Sentence Pattern 5B: subject + verb + direct object + objective complement (noun) 1k. Sentence Pattern 6: expletive 1l. Other Elements: Structure Words 1m. Independent (Main) Clauses 1n. Subordinate (Dependent) Clauses 1o. Functions of Subordinate Clauses 1p. Phrases 1q. Appositives 1r. Absolute Phrases 1s. Order of Elements in Declarative Sentences 1t. Order of Elements in Interrogative Sentences 1u. The Structure of Imperative Sentences 1v. What is a Sentence? 1w. Major Sentences 1x. Minor Sentences 1y. Fragments 1z. Kinds of Major Sentences Part II. Parts of Speech Introduction: The Parts of Speech and How they Work in Sentences 2. Nouns 2a. Inflection of Nouns 2b. Grammatical Function of Nouns 3. Pronouns 3a. Personal Pronouns 3b. Impersonal Pronouns 3c. Interrogative Pronouns 3d. Relative Pronouns 3e. Case 3f. Demonstrative Pronouns 3g. Indefinite Pronouns 3h. Reflexive and Intensive Pronouns 3i. Reciprocal Pronouns 4. Agreement of Pronouns with Their Antecedents 4a. Antecedents Joined by and 4b. Antecedents Joined by or or nor 4c. Indefinite Pronoun as Antecedent 4d. Pronouns and Inclusive Language 4e. Collective Noun as Antecedent 4f. Agreement with Demonstrative Adjectives 5. Reference of Pronouns 5a. Remote Antecedent 5b. Ambiguous Reference 5c. Vague Reference 5d. Missing Antecedent 5e. Indefinite you, they, and it 6. Verbs 6a. Kinds of Verbs: Transitive, Intransitive, and Linking 6b. Inflection of Verbs: Principal Parts 6c. Irregular Verbs 6d. Inflection for Person and Number 6e. Auxiliary Verbs 6f. Inflection of do, be, and have 6g. Time and the Verb: Inflection for Tense 6h. The Functions of the Different Tenses 6i. Sequence of Tenses 6j. Verb Phrases in Compound Predicates 6k. Tenses in Writing about Literature 6l. Mood 6m. Using the Subjunctive 6n. Using Modal Auxiliaries and Infinitives Instead of Subjectives 6o. Voice 6p. The Passive Voice 7. Agreement Between Subject and Verb 7a. Something Intervening Between Subject and Verb 7b. Compound Subject: Singular Nouns Joined by and 7c. Compound Subject: Parts Joined by or or a Correlative 7d. Agreement with Indefinite Pronouns 7e. Subject Following Verb 7f. Agreement with Collective Nouns 7g. Nouns That Are Always Singular or Always Plural 7h. Plurals: criteria, data, media, etc. 7i. Agreement with Relative Pronouns 7j. Titles of Works: Words Referred to as Words 8. Adjectives 8a. Kinds of Adjectives 8b. Comparison of Descriptive Adjectives 8c. Articles: a, an, and the 8d. Placement of Adjectives 8e. Order of Adjectives 8f. Adjectives Functioning as Nouns 9. Adverbs 9a. Kinds of Functions of Adverbs 9b. Forms of Adverbs 9c. Comparison of Adverbs 9d. Placement of Adverbs 10. Verbals: Infinitives, Participles, and Gerunds 10a. Infinitives 10b. Tense and Voice of Infinitives 10c. Split Infinitives 10d. Participles 10e. Tense and Voice of Participles 10f. Gerunds 10g. Tense and Voice of Gerunds 10h. Possessives with Gerunds 10i. Verbals in Absolute Phrases 11. Prepositions 11a. Functions of Prepositions and Prepositional Phrases 11b. Placement of Prepositions 11c. Common Prepositions 11d. Two-part Verbs 11e. Using Two-part Verbs 12. Conjunctions 12a. Coordinating Conjunctions 12b. Correlative Conjunctions 12c. Subordinating Conjunctions 13. Interjections Part III. Writing Strong Sentences Basic Sentence Elements and Their Modifiers 14. Subject, Verb, Object, Complement 14a. Subject 14b. Finite Verb 14c. Direct Object 14d. Subjective Complement 15. Modifiers 15a. Adjectival Modifiers 15b. Adverbial Modifiers 15c. Overlapping Modifiers 15d. Using Modifiers: A Sample Scenario Length, Variety, and Emphasis 16. Sentence Length 16a. Short Sentences 16b. Long Sentences 17. Sentence Variety 17a. Variety of Lengths 17b. Variety of Kinds 17c. Variety of Structures 18. Emphasis in Sentences 18a. Endings and Beginnings 18b. Loose Sentences and Periodic Sentences 18c. The Importance of the Final Position 18d. Changing Word Order 18e. Movable Modifiers 18f. Using the Expletive and the Passive Voice for Emphasis 18g. Emphasis by Repetition 18h. Emphasis by Stylistic Contrast 18i. Emphasis by Syntax 18j. Emphasis by Punctuation 19. Analyzing Sentences 19a. The Chart Method 19b. The Vertical Method 19c. The Diagramming Method Common Sentence Problems 20. Fragments 21. Comma Splices 22. Run-on (Fused) Sentences 23. Misplaced Modifiers 23a. Movability and Poor Placement 23b. Only, almost, etc. 23c. Squinting Modifiers 24. Dangling Modifiers 24a. Dangling Participial Phrases 24b. Dangling Gerund Phrases 24c. Dangling Infinitive Phrases 24d. Dangling Elliptical Clauses 24e. Dangling Prepositional Phrases and Appositives 25. Mixed Constructions 26. Shifts in Perspective-Inconsistent Point of View 26a. Shifts in Tense 26b. Shifts in Mood 26c. Shifts in Voice 26d. Shifts in Person of Pronoun 26e. Shifts in Number of Pronoun 27. Faulty Parallelism 27a. With Coordinate Elements 27b. With Correlative Conjunctions 27c. In a Series 28. Faulty Coordination: Logic, Emphasis, and Unity 29. Faulty Logic 30. Faulty Alignment 31. Sentence Coherence Part IV. Punctuation 32. Internal Punctuation: Comma, Semicolon, Colon, Dash 32a. Comma 32b. Semicolon 32c. Colon 32d. Dash How to Use Commas, Semicolons, Colons, and Dashes 33. Between Independent Clauses 33a. Comma and Coordinating Conjunction 33b. Semicolon and Coordinating Conjunction 33c. Dash and Coordinating Conjunction 33d. Semicolon Without Coordinating Conjunction 33e. Comma Splice 33f. Commas with Short and Parallel Clauses 33g. Commas with Series of Clauses 33h. Semicolons with Conjunctive Adverbs and Transitions 33i. Dashes and Colons Without Coordinating Conjunctions 33j. Run-on (Fused) Sentences 34. To Set Off Adverbial Clauses 34a. Commas with Introductory Clauses 34b. Commas with Concluding Clauses 35. To Set Off Introductory and Concluding Words and Phrases 35a. Adverbs and Adverbial Phrases 35b. Participles and Participial Phrases 35c. Absolute Phrases 36. To Set Off Concluding Summaries and Appositives 37. To Set Off Nonrestrictive Elements 37a. Restrictive and Nonrestrictive Relative Clauses 37b. Restrictive and Nonrestrictive Appositives 37c. Because Clauses and Phrases 37d. Modifiers with such as 38. Between Items in a Series 38a. Commas 38b. Commas Before Final Item in a Series 38c. Semicolons 38d. Dashes 38e. Colons 38f. Series of Adjectives Punctuation Marks that Come in Pairs: Commas, Dashes, and Parentheses 39. Punctuating Sentence Interrupters 39a. Interrupters Set Off with Commas 39b. Interrupters Set Off with Dashes 39c. Interrupters Set Off with Parentheses 40. Parentheses 41. Brackets 42. End Punctuation: Period, Question Mark, Exclamation Point 42a. Period 42b. Question Mark 42c. Exclamation Point 43. Punctuation with Quotations: Using Quotation Marks 43a. Direct Speech 43b. Direct Quotation from a Source 43c. Single Quotation Marks: Quotation Within Quotation 43d. With Verbs of Speaking Before Quotations 43e. With Verbs of Speaking After Quotations 43f. With Quotations Set Off by Indention 43g. Words Used in a Special Sense 43h. Other Marks with Quotation Marks 43i. Ellipses for Omissions 43j. Brackets for Additions, Changes, and Comments 44. Avoiding Common Errors in Punctuation 44a. Unwanted Comma Between Subject and Verb 44b. Unwanted Comma Between Verb and Object or Complement 44c. Unwanted Comma After Last Adjective of a Series 44d. Unwanted Comma Between Coordinated Words and Phrases 44e. Commas with Emphatic Repetition 44f. Unwanted Comma with Short Introductory or Parenthetical Element 44g. Unwanted Comma with Restrictive Appositive 44h. Unwanted Comma with Indirect Quotation 44i. Unwanted Question Mark After Indirect Question 44j. Unwanted Semicolon with Subordinate Element 44k. Unwanted Colon After Incomplete Construction 44l. Unwanted Double Punctuation: Comma or Semicolon with Dash Part V. Mechanics and Spelling 45. Formatting and Essay 45a. Format 45b. Syllabication and Word Division 46. Abbreviations 46a. Titles before Proper Names 46b. Titles before Proper Names with Initials or Given Names 46c. Titles and Degrees after Proper Names 46d. Standard Words Used with Dates and Numerals 46e. Agencies and Organizations Known by Their Initials 46f. Scientific and Technical Terms Known by Their Initials 46g. Latin Expressions Commonly Used in English 46h. Terms in Official Titles 47. Capitalization 47a. Names and Nicknames 47b. Professional and Honorific Titles 47c. Words Designating Family Relationships 47d. Place Names 47e. Months, Days, Holidays 47f. Religious Names 47g. Names of Nationalities and Organizations 47h. Names of Institutions and Government, Historical Events, and Buildings 47i. Academic Courses and Languages 47j. Derivatives of Proper Nouns 47k. Abbreviations of Proper Nouns 47l. I and O 47m. Titles of Written and Other Words 47n. First Words of Sentences 47o. First Words of Quotations That Are Sentences 47p. First Words of Sentences Following Colons 47q. First Words of Sentences Following Colons 47r. With Personification and For Emphasis 48. Titles 48a. Quotation Marks for Short Works and Parts of Longer Works 48b. Italics for Whole or Major Works 48c. Titles Within Titles 49. Italics 49a. Names of Ships and Planes 49b. Non-English Words and Phrases 49c. Words Referred to as Words 49d. For Emphasis 50. Numerals 50a. Time of Day 50b. Dates 50c. Addresses 50d. Technical and Mathematical Numbers 50e. Pages and Chapters 50f. Parts of a Play 50g. Statistics and Numbers of More than Two Words 50h. Not at the Beginning of a Sentence 50i. Commas with Numerals 51. Spelling Rules and Causes of Error 51a. ie or ei 51b. Prefixes 51c. Suffixes 51d. Final e Before a Suffix 51e. Final y after a Consonant and Before a Suffix 51f. Doubling of a Final Consonant Before a Suffix 51g. The Suffix ly 51h. Troublesome Word Endings 51i. cede, ceed, or sede 51j. Changes in Spelling of Roots 51k. Faulty Pronunciation 51l. Confusion with Other Words 51m. Homophones and Other Words Sometimes Confused 51n. One Word or Two? 51o. Hyphenation 51p. Compound Nouns 51q. Compound Modifiers 51r. Hyphenated Verbs 51s. Suspension Hyphens 51t. Plurals 51u. Third-Person-Singular Verbs in the Present Tense 51v. Apostrophes 51w. Possessives 51x. Spelling List Part VI. Diction 52. About Dictionaries 52a. Kinds of Dictionaries 52b. Features of Dictionaries 52c. Three Sample Dictionary Entries 53. Level 53a. Slang 53b. Informal, Colloquial 53c. Inflated, Pretentious Diction 54. Figurative Language 54a. Inappropriate Metaphors 54b. Overextended Metaphors 54c. Dead Metaphors 54d. Mixed Metaphors 55. Concrete and Abstract Diction; Weak Generalizations 55a. Concreteness and Specificity 55b. Weak Generalizations 56. Connotation and Denotation 57. Euphemism 58. Wrong Word 59. Idiom 60. Wordiness, Jargon, and Associated Problems 60a. Wordiness 60b. Repetitiousness 60c. Redundancy 60d. Ready-made Phrases 60e. Triteness, Cliche's 60f. Overuse of Nouns 60g. Nouns Used as Adjectives 60h. Jargon 61. Usage: A Checklist of Current Issues in Diction Part VII. Principles of Composition 62. Kinds of Paragraphs 62a. Functions of Paragraphs: Substantive and Non- substantive Paragraphs 62b. Kinds of Substantive Paragraphs: Methods of Development 63. Paragraph Unity 64. Paragraph Coherence 65. Coherence Through Organization 65a. The Beginning 65b. The Middle 65c. The Ending 66. Structural Coherence 66a. Parallelism 66b. Repetition 66c. Pronouns and Demonstrative Adjectives 66d. Transitional Terms 67. Emphasis in Paragraphs 68. Length of Paragraphs 68a. Too Many Long Paragraphs 68b. The Importance of Adequate Development 68c. Variety 69. Essays: Unity, Coherence, and Emphasis 69a. Unity 69b. Coherence 69c. Emphasis 70. The Process of Planning, Writing, and Revising an Essay 70a. Finding a Subject and Pre-Writing 70b. Limiting the Subject 70c. Considering Audience and Purpose 70d. Gathering Data 70e. Classifying and Organizing the Data 70f. The Thesis Statement and the Outline 70g. The Importance of Outlining 70h. Kinds of Outlines 70i. Sentence Outlines 70j. Constructing Sentence Outlines 70k. Writing the First Draft 70l. Notes on Beginnings 70m. Revising 70n. Preparing the Final Draft 70o. Editing and Proofreading 71. Argument: Writing to Convince or Persuade 71a. Subject 71b. Audience 71c. Evidence 71d. Arrangement 71e. Being Reasonable 71f. Considering the Opposition 71g. Using Induction and Deduction 71 h. Avoiding Fallacies 72. Writing In-Class Essays and Essay Examinations 72a. Strategies for Time-limited Writing 72b. Avoiding Plot Summary 72c. Maintaining Conventions for Verb Tense in Textual Analysis Part VIII. Research and Writing 73. The Library and the Internet 73a. The Catalogues 73b. Reference Sources 74. The Research Plan: Collecting Data: Source 74a. The Preliminary Bibliography 74b. Producing a Working Bibliography 75. Taking Notes 75a. The Note Itself 75b. The Source 75c. The Slug 75d. Cross-Referencing: Numbering the Cards 75e. Recording Your Own Ideas 76. Writing the Essay 76a. Keeping Track of Notes in Your Drafts 77. Acknowledging Sources 77a. "Common Knowledge" 78. Quotation, Paraphrase, Summary, and Plagiarism 78a. Legitimate Paraphrase 78b. Illegitimate Paraphrase 78c. Paraphrase and Quotation Mixed 78d. Summary 78e. Plagiarism 78f. Altering Quotations to Fit Your Context 79. Documentation 79a. The Name-Page Method (MLA Style) 79b. Some Abbreviations Commonly Used in Documentation and Notes 80. Sample Research Essay in MLA Style 81. Other Methods of Documentation 81a. The Name-Date Method (APA Style) 81b. The Number Method (CBE Style) 81c. The Note Method (Chicago Style) Appendices A1. Appendix 1: Sample Student Essays with Comments and Grades A2. Appendix 2: Marking Symbols Explained A3. Appendix 3: Checklists for Use in Revising, Editing, and Proofreading A4. Appendix 4: Reference Sources List of Exercises