Writing with Clarity and Style

A Guide to Rhetorical Devices for Contemporary Writers

Second Edition

Robert A. Harris

Second edition published 2018

by Routledge

711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017

and by Routledge

2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 4RN

Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business

© 2018 Taylor & Francis

The right of Robert A. Harris to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.

Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe.

First edition published by Pyrczak Publishing 2001

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Harris, Robert A. (Robert Alan), 1950– author.

Title: Writing with clarity and style: a guide to rhetorical devices for contemporary writers / Robert A. Harris. Other titles: Guide to rhetorical devices for contemporary writers

Description: Second edition. | New York, NY: Routledge, [2018] | Previous edition published in 2003. | Includes index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2017036072| ISBN 9781138560109 (Hardback) | ISBN 9781138560093 (Paperback) | ISBN 9780203712047 (eBook)

Subjects: LCSH: English language—Style. | English language—Rhetoric.

Classification: LCC PE1421.H37 2017 | DDC 808/.042—dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017036072

ISBN: 978-1-138-56010-9 (hbk)

ISBN: 978-1-138-56009-3 (pbk)

ISBN: 978-0-203-71204-7 (ebk)

Writing with Clarity and Style

Writing with Clarity and Style, second edition, will help you to improve your writing dramatically. The book shows you how to use dozens of classical rhetorical devices to bring power, clarity, and effectiveness to your writing. You will also learn about writing styles, authorial personas, and sentence syntax as tools to make your writing interesting and persuasive. If you want to improve the appeal and persuasion of your speeches, this is also the book for you.

From strategic techniques for keeping your readers engaged as you change focus, down to the choice of just the right words and phrases for maximum impact, this book will help you develop a flexible, adaptable style for all the audiences you need to address.

Each Chapter Now Includes These Sections

• Style Check, discussing many elements of style, including some enhanced and revised sections.

• Define Your Terms, asking students to use their own words and examples in their definitions.

• It’s in the Cloud, directing students to the Web to locate and respond to various rhetorically focused items, including biographies ...