Vex, Hex, Smash, Smooch: Let Verbs Power Your Writing (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9780393081169)

Writers know it instinctively: Verbs make a sentence zing. Grammar gurus agree: Drama in writing emerges from the interplay of a subject (noun) and a predicate (verb). Constance Hale, the best-selling author of Sin and Syntax, zooms in on the colorful world of verbs. Synthesizing the pedagogical and the popular, the scholarly and the scandalous, Hale combines the wit of Bill Bryson with the practical wisdom of William Zinsser. She marches through linguistic history to paint a layered picture of our language--from before it really existed to the quirky usages we see online today. She warns about habits to avoid and inspires with samples of brilliant writing. A veteran teacher, Hale gives writing prompts along the way, helping readers "try, do, write, play." Vex, Hex, Smash, Smooch guides us to more powerful writing by demonstrating how to use great verbs with style.

Author: Constance Hale
ISBN-10: 0393081168
ISBN-13: 9780393081169
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Language: English
Published: 10/15/2012
Pages: 400
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 1.27lbs
Size: 8.48h x 5.85w x 1.21d

Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 09/01/2012
Library Journal 11/01/2012 pg. 74