Free Custom «Writing Well and Clean, Well-Lighted Sentences» Essay Paper

Introduction

This essay is a study work of the books on writing well and clean, well-lighted sentences by two great writers William Zinsser and Janis Bell. The history of the writers has been well covered in this essay by highlighting on their achievements on their careers. Also included is the summary of the two books which entails the contents of information that are in the two books. The focus is to improve the writers' level of writing by giving them the guidelines on good writing practices and the general knowledge on writing any material. For anybody to prosper in what he does, the secret lies in how we master the rules and adhere to the required instructions. What differentiates the quality of a book writer is the standard of the writing.

William Zinsser, a writer, editor, and teacher, is a fourth-generation New Yorker, born in 1922. His 18 books, which range in subject from music to baseball to American travel, include several widely read books about writing.
Mr. Zinsser began his career in 1946 at the New York Herald Tribune, where he was a writer, editor, and critic. In 1959 he left to become a freelance writer and has since written regularly for leading magazines. From 1968 to 1972 he was a columnist for Life. During the 1970s he was at Yale, where, besides teaching nonfiction writing and humor writing, he was master of Branford College. In 1979 he returned to New York and was a senior editor at the Book-of-the-Month Club until 1987, when he went back to freelance writing. He teaches at the New School and at Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. He is an adviser on writing to schools, colleges, and other organizations. He holds honorary degrees from Wesleyan University, Rollins College, and the University of Southern Indian and is a Literary Lion of the New York Public Library.
Mr. Zinsser lives in his home town with his wife, the educator and historian Caroline Zinsser. They have two children, Amy Zinsser, a business executive, and John Zinsser, a painter and teacher.

Janis was born in San Francisco on August 1, 1948, and is living there still.

Clean, Well-lighted Sentences is a small, engaging book for people who know what they want to write but who aren't entirely confident in their use of grammar and punctuation.  This concise, respectful, entertaining guide targets only the most common errors in American sentences.

Janis Bell has been teaching writing, in many settings and diverse formats, since 1973.  She began her career as a composition and business writing instructor at San Francisco State University, where she had earned her Master's degree in English with an emphasis in teaching writing.

This book, 'On Writing Well has been praised for its sound advice, its clarity and the warmth of its style. It is a book for everybody who wants to learn how to write or who needs to do some writing to get through the day, as almost everybody does in the age of Information Technology. It depends on whether you want to write about people or places, science and technology, business, sports, the arts or about yourself in the increasingly popular memoir genre. Further, On Writing Well offers you fundamental principles as well as the insights of a distinguished writer and teacher. This volume has stood the test of time and remains a valuable resource for writers and those aspiring to be writers in the future.

Ross and Collier (pg. 314) on their book also quoted that, 'the term "bestseller" is a fickle as a lover with several sweethearts'. This confirms the fact that On Writing Well has sold more copies on the market.

This small, engaging book is for people who know what they want to write and who know English-all they need to hear is what Bell has to say about the errors that have crept into their sentences. Equally useful to a ninth-grader and a senior-level manager, Clean, Well-Lighted Sentences is a sweet and timely uncovered. This is the best guide because it answers grammar questions like "Should I use affect or effect?"  "What will I appreciate you attending the meeting or you're attending the meeting?"  "Am I wishing I was or wishing I were?" "Is the reason why really because ...?"

It answers punctuation questions like "What belongs in this spot, a comma or nothing? A colon or semicolon?  Does a period go inside or outside a quotation mark?  Should the quotation mark be single or double?"

Janis Bell, after teaching writing for many years in a wide variety of academic and business settings, she knows the questions that people usually ask.  Therefore, she knows how to answer in words that make sense, invite a smile, and remain memorable.

The chapters on grammar are easy to understand and comprehend.  Each maps out the area of a problem, discusses the wrong turns that writers tend to make, and explains how to get back on track with a compass in hand. She does all of this in surprisingly plain English.  Moreover, there are many examples of sentences gone wrong and sentences going right.  Also at the end of each chapter is a question, followed by answers, so that readers can see what they learned and what they still need to work on.

The chapter on punctuation describes what each of the marks does for a living, as well as the jobs it won't even apply for.  Several sample sentences show the marks well employed.  And, as in the rest of the book, the most common questions are answered in satisfying detail.

This book, 'Clean, Well-lighted Sentences' is useful to a person in high school, college, or business; it is an extremely best guide and a welcome relief to them.

This is a focused, respectful, entertaining guide to getting our sentences into good shape. After thirty-five years of teaching writing, Janis Bell knows which sentences those are and precisely what ails them. She describes grammar and usage problems in ways that make immediate sense. She explains precisely what our punctuation marks do and won't do. She also answers the very questions that readers are likely to have. Besides being extremely readable and relevant, each chapter offers a challenging quiz followed by answers that leave no doubt.

The essay paper has explained on the immense importance that both legendary writers has inspired to scholars who are keen writers. Both William Zinsser and Janis Bell are outstanding icons on the field of writing for all generations. For them they confirm the saying that writing is a passion which develops when one shows interest on it.