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Little, Brown Handbook, The, 14th edition

Published by Pearson (January 2, 2019) © 2019

  • H Ramsey Fowler St. Edwards University
  • Jane E. Aaron
  • Michael Greer University of Memphis

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For courses in English composition.

The platinum standard of handbooks, unmatched in accuracy, currency and reliability

The Little, Brown Handbook is an essential reference tool designed to help students find the answers they need quickly and easily. While keeping pace with changes in writing and its teaching, this meticulous handbook combines comprehensive research with grammar coverage that is second to none. The text incorporates detailed discussions of critical reading, media literacy, academic writing, argument and much more.

The 14th Edition includes over 90 new student samples, new learning objectives, updates to MLA and Chicago style, a new chapter on writing about literature and more.

Hallmark features of this title

  • A solid foundation in academic and research writing that emphasizes critical analysis and helps students find/evaluate/integrate source material and avoid plagiarism (includes 18 academic writing samples).
  • Writing-as-a-process approach covers idea generation, thesis development and revising.
  • Coverage of 4 documentation styles (APA/CSE/MLA/Chicago), usage, grammar and punctuation includes annotated examples, exercises and explanations of common errors.
  • Develops the visual and Media Literacy skills to process and apply nonverbal information to writing.
  • User-friendly, inclusive, visually clean design provides rhetorical/grammatical help, 160+ key information summary and checklist boxes, and help for writers whose first language/dialect is not standard American English.
  • Free download: The Pearson Guide to the 2021 MLA Handbook.

New and updated features of this title

Comprehensive guide to academic and research writing

  • NEW: All of the 90+ student samples in this edition, from short works in progress to complete papers, are new. These samples include topics and sources that are timely and attuned to student interests.
  • NEW: Coverage and visual examples of database searches are now in Ch. 42.
  • UPDATED: All model papers and sample citations have been updated to align with new MLA and Chicago Manual of Style documentation.

Relevance beyond an academic setting

  • NEW: Composing for social media , in workplace and public situations, is now covered in Ch. 11 with additional coverage of multimodal and online composing in Ch. 5. This content adds to the texts' hallmark usefulness for writing beyond the classroom, including job application writing.

Accessible features for clarity and reference

  • NEW: A list of learning objectives now appears at the start of each chapter to help students understand what's to be learned and accomplished. Each objective's language reflects Bloom's taxonomy of learning and aligns (in many cases) with the WPA Outcomes Statement for First-Year Composition.
  • NEW: An entirely new chapter on writing about literature (Ch. 48) follows a student as she reads, responds to and writes about a novel (The Country of the Pointed Firs by Sarah Orne Jewett).

I: The Process of Writing

  1. Assessing the Writing Situation
    • 1.1 How Writing Happens
    • 1.2 The Writing Situation
    • 1.3 Audience
    • 1.4 Purpose
    • 1.5 Subject
    • 1.6 Genre and Medium
  2. Discovering and Shaping Ideas
    • 2.1 Invention
    • 2.2 Thesis
    • 2.3 Organization
      • Sample Informative Essay
  3. Drafting, Revising, and Editing
    • 3.1 First Draft
      • Sample First Draft
    • 3.2 Revising
    • 3.3 Peer Review
    • 3.4 Sample Revision
      • Sample Revised Draft
    • 3.5 Editing
    • 3.6 Final Draft
      • Sample Final Draft
  4. Writing and Revising Paragraphs
    • 4.1 Flow
    • 4.2 Unity
    • 4.3 Coherence
    • 4.4 Development
    • 4.5 Introductions, Conclusions, and Transitions
  5. Presenting Writing
    • 5.1 Academic Writing
    • 5.2 Visuals and Media
    • 5.3 Writing Online
      • Sample Literacy Narrative Blog Post
    • 5.4 Oral Presentations
      • Sample Presentation Slides
    • 5.5 Portfolios

II: Reading and Writing in and out of College

  1. Writing in Academic Situations
    • 6.1 Purpose and Audience
    • 6.2 Genre
    • 6.3 Writing with Sources
    • 6.4 Academic Language
    • 6.5 Communication in Academic Settings
  2. Critical Reading and Writing
    • 7.1 Critical Thinking
    • 7.2 Techniques of Critical Reading
    • 7.3 Summarizing
    • 7.4 Critical Response
    • 7.5 Visual Analysis
    • 7.6 Writing a Critical Analysis
    • 7.7 Sample Critical Responses
      • Sample Critical Analysis of a Text
      • Sample Critical Analysis of a Visual
  3. Reading Arguments Critically
    • 8.1 The Elements of Argument
    • 8.2 Claims
    • 8.3 Evidence
    • 8.4 Reliability
    • 8.5 Assumptions
    • 8.6 Language and Tone
    • 8.7 Fallacies
    • 8.8 Visual Arguments
  4. Writing an Argument
    • 9.1 Subject
    • 9.2 Thesis, Purpose, and Audience
    • 9.3 Reasoning
    • 9.4 Evidence
    • 9.5 Engaging Readers
    • 9.6 Organizing and Revising
    • 9.7 Sample Argument
      • Sample Proposal Argument
  5. Taking Essay Exams
    • 10.1 Preparing
    • 10.2 Planning
    • 10.3 Writing
      • Sample Essay Exam Answer
  6. Public Writing
    • 11.1 Social Media
    • 11.2 Letters and Memos
      • Sample Business Letter
      • Sample Memo
    • 11.3 Job Applications
      • Sample Job Application Letter
      • Sample Résumés
    • 11.4 Reports and Proposals
      • Sample Report and Proposal
    • 11.5 Community Service
      • Sample Social-Media Post

III: Grammatical Sentences

  1. Understanding Sentence Grammar
    • 12.1 Sentence Basics
    • 12.2 Sentence Patterns
    • 12.3 Single-Word Modifiers
    • 12.4 Word Groups
    • 12.5 Compound Constructions
    • 12.6 Inverted Order
    • 12.7 Sentence Types
  2. Case of Nouns and Pronouns
    • 13.1 Subjective, Objective, and Possessive Cases
    • 13.2 Compound Subjects and Objects
    • 13.3 Common Questions about Case
  3. Verbs
    • 14.1 Verb Forms
    • 14.2 Easily Confused Verb Forms
    • 14.3 Verb Endings
    • 14.4 Helping Verbs
    • 14.5 Verbs with Gerunds and Infinitives
    • 14.6 Verbs with Particles
    • 14.7 Verb Tenses
    • 14.8 Sequence of Tenses
    • 14.9 Subjunctive Mood
    • 14.10 Active and Passive Voice
  4. Agreement
    • 15.1 Subject-Verb Agreement
    • 15.2 Unusual Word Order
    • 15.3 Subjects Joined by Conjunctions
    • 15.4 Indefinite and Relative Pronouns
    • 15.5 Collective and Plural Nouns
    • 15.6 Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement
  5. Adjectives and Adverbs
    • 16.1 Functions of Adjectives and Adverbs
    • 16.2 Comparative and Superlative Forms
    • 16.3 Double Negatives
    • 16.4 Nouns as Modifiers
    • 16.5 Determiners

IV: Clear Sentences

  1. Sentence Fragments
    • 17.1 Identifying Fragments
    • 17.2 Correcting Fragments
    • 17.3 Common Types of Fragments
    • 17.4 Acceptable Fragments
  2. Comma Splices and Fused Sentences
    • 18.1 Identifying Comma Splices and Fused Sentences
    • 18.2 Correcting Comma Splices and Fused Sentences
  3. Pronoun Reference
    • 19.1 Clear Reference
    • 19.2 Close Reference
    • 19.3 Specific Reference
    • 19.4 Appropriate You, Who, Which, and That
  4. Shifts
    • 20.1 Types of Shifts
    • 20.2 Person and Number
    • 20.3 Tense and Mood
    • 20.4 Subject and Voice
    • 20.5 Direct and Indirect Quotations and Questions
  5. Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers
    • 21.1 Clear Placement
    • 21.2 Limiting Modifiers
    • 21.3 Squinting Modifiers
    • 21.4 Separated Subjects, Verbs, and Objects
    • 21.5 Separated Infinitives and Verb Phrases
    • 21.6 Position of Adverbs
    • 21.7 Order of Adjectives
    • 21.8 Dangling Modifiers
  6. Mixed and Incomplete Sentences
    • 22.1 Mixed Grammar
    • 22.2 Mixed Meaning
    • 22.3 Incomplete Compounds
    • 22.4 Incomplete Comparisons
    • 22.5 Careless Omissions

V: Effective Sentences

  1. Emphasizing Ideas
    • 23.1 Subjects and Verbs
    • 23.2 Subject Beginnings and Endings
    • 23.3 Parallel Elements
    • 23.4 Repetition and Separation
    • 23.5 Conciseness
  2. Using Coordination and Subordination
    • 24.1 Coordination
    • 24.2 Subordination
    • 24.3 Connecting Words
  3. Using Parallelism
    • 25.1 Understanding Parallelism
    • 25.2 Equal Elements
    • 25.3 Coherence
  4. Achieving Variety
    • 26.1 Sentence Length and Structure
    • 26.2 Sentence Beginnings
    • 26.3 Word Order

VI: Punctuation

  • Chart: Commas, Semicolons, Colons, Dashes, and Parentheses
  1. End Punctuation
    • 27.1 Period
    • 27.2 Question Mark
    • 27.3 Exclamation Point
  2. The Comma
    • 28.1 Uses of the Comma
    • 28.2 Main Clauses Linked by Conjunctions
    • 28.3 Introductory Elements
    • 28.4 Nonessential Elements
    • 28.5 Series and Coordinate Adjectives
    • 28.6 Quotations and Other Conventional Uses
    • 28.7 Unnecessary Commas
  3. The Semicolon
    • 29.1 Main Clauses without Coordinating Conjunctions
    • 29.2 Main Clauses with Transitional Words
    • 29.3 Main Clauses That Are Long or Contain Commas
    • 29.4 Items in a Series
    • 29.5 Unnecessary Semicolons
  4. The Apostrophe
    • 30.1 Possession
    • 30.2 Contractions and Abbreviations
    • 31 Quotation Marks
    • 31.1 Direct Quotations
    • 31.2 Titles of Works
    • 31.3 Words Used in a Special Sense
    • 31.4 With Other Punctuation
  5. Other Punctuation Marks
    • 32.1 Colon
    • 32.2 Dash
    • 32.3 Parentheses
    • 32.4 Brackets
    • 32.5 Ellipsis Mark
    • 32.6 Slash

VII: Mechanics

  1. Capitals
    • 33.1 Conventions
    • 33.2 First Word of Sentence
    • 33.3 Titles and Subtitles
    • 33.4 Proper Nouns and Proper Adjectives
  2. Italics or Underlining
    • 34.1 Titles of Works
    • 34.2 Foreign Words and for Emphasis
  3. Abbreviations
    • 35.1 Abbreviations in Nontechnical Writing
    • 35.2 Misuses of Abbreviations
  4. Numbers
    • 36.1 Numerals and Words
    • 36.2 Dates and Addresses

VIII: Effective Words

  1. Using Appropriate Language
    • 37.1 Standard English
    • 37.2 Texting and Electronic Shortcuts
    • 37.3 Slang, Colloquialisms, Regionalisms, and Jargon
    • 37.4 Indirect or Pretentious Writing
    • 37.5 Sexist and Biased Language
  2. Using Exact Language
    • 38.1 Dictionary, Thesaurus, and Spelling Checker
    • 38.2 Denotation and Connotation
    • 38.3 Abstract and Concrete Words
    • 38.4 Idioms
    • 38.5 Figurative Language
    • 38.6 Trite Expressions
  3. Writing Concisely
    • 39.1 Achieving Conciseness
    • 39.2 Subjects and Verbs
    • 39.3 Empty Words and Phrases
    • 39.4 Unnecessary Repetition
    • 39.5 Other Strategies
  4. Spelling and the Hyphen
    • 40.1 Common Spelling Problems
    • 40.2 Spelling Rules
    • 40.3 Spelling Skills
    • 40.4 Hyphenating Words

IX: Research Writing

  1. Planning a Research Project
    • 41.1 The Process of Research Writing
    • 41.2 Research Questions
    • 41.3 Research Strategies
    • 41.4 Working Bibliographies
      • Sample Annotated Bibliography Entry
  2. Finding Sources
    • 42.1 Search Strategies
    • 42.2 Reference Works
    • 42.3 Books and Periodicals
    • 42.4 Web Search Strategies
    • 42.5 Social Media
    • 42.6 Government Publications
    • 42.7 Visuals and Media
    • 42.8 Primary Research
  3. Working with Sources
    • 43.1 Interacting with Sources
      • Sample Annotated Source
    • 43.2 Evaluating Sources
    • 43.3 Synthesizing Sources
    • 43.4 Summary, Paraphrase, and Quotation
    • 43.5 Integrating Sources
  4. Avoiding Plagiarism
    • 44.1 Defining Plagiarism
    • 44.2 Information You Do Not Need to Cite
    • 44.3 Information You Must Cite
    • 44.4 Documenting Sources
    • 44.5 Copyright and Permissions
  5. Writing the Paper
    • 45.1 Developing a Thesis
    • 45.2 Organizing Your Ideas
    • 45.3 Drafting a Research Paper
    • 45.4 Revising and Editing
    • 45.5 Preparing a Final Draft
  6. Using MLA Documentation and Format
    • 46.1 In-text Citations
    • 46.2 List of Works Cited
    • 46.3 MLA Paper Format
  7. Two Research Papers in MLA Style
    • 47.1 Sample Research Paper in MLA Style
      • “The Dream of Sustainable Agriculture”
    • 47.2 Sample Literary Research Paper in MLA Style
      • “Intersecting Race and Gender in Angelia Weld Grimké’s Rachel”

X: Writing in the Academic Disciplines

  1. Reading and Writing about Literature
    • 48.1 The Methods of Literary Analysis
    • 48.2 Writing Assignments in Literature
    • 48.3 The Tools and Language of Literary Analysis
    • 48.4 Citing Sources When Writing about Literature
    • 48.5 Writing a Literary Analysis
      • Sample Literary Analysis
  2. Writing in Other Humanities
    • 49.1 Methods and Evidence
    • 49.2 Common Writing Assignments
    • 49.3 Tools and Language
    • 49.4 Documenting Sources
    • 49.5 Paper Format
  3. Writing in the Social Sciences
    • 50.1 Common Genres in the Social Sciences
    • 50.2 Research Conventions in the Social Sciences
    • 50.3 In-text Citations in APA Style
    • 50.4 References in APA Style
    • 50.5 Research Paper Format in APA Style
    • 50.6 Sample Research Paper in APA Style
      • “Perceptions of Mental Illness on College Campuses”
  4. Writing in the Natural and Applied Sciences
    • 51.1 Methods and Evidence
    • 51.2 Common Writing Assignments
    • 51.3 Tools and Language
    • 51.4 CSE Style
    • 51.5 Paper Format
    • 51.6 Sample Paper
      • “Caterpillar Defense Mechanisms”

About our authors

Dr. H. Ramsey Fowler served from 1980 to 1999 as dean of University College at The University of Memphis and from 1968 to 1980 as a faculty member in the English Department. From 1970 to 1978 he directed the freshman and sophomore English program and from 1978 to 1980, The Greater Memphis Writing Project, funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Currently, he directs the Master of Liberal Arts program and the Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies at St. Edward's University and teaches in both these programs. In addition, he is joint, and was the original, author of The Little, Brown Handbook.

Jane E. Aaron has taught writing at New York University and several other schools. She is the author of 8 successful and long-lived composition textbooks, including The Little, Brown Handbook and The Little, Brown Compact Handbook.

Michael Greer teaches writing, editing and publishing in the Department of Rhetoric and Writing at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. He also teaches courses in multimedia, online course design and assessment for the Graduate Certificate in Online Writing Instruction at UA, Little Rock. Michael edits the journal Research in Online Literacy Education and is a founding member of the Global Society of Online Literacy Educators. He publishes and presents on topics including user-centered design, interactive media, and digital publishing. Michael serves as a faculty advisor and author for Gadget Software, where he is helping to design and develop a mobile learning platform. He lives in Boulder, Colorado.

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