title: The Birds and Bees of Words: A Guide to the Most Common Errors in Usage, Spelling, and Grammar
author:  Mary Embree 
description: <b>Mary Embree</b> is an author, literary consultant, editor, book doctor, and writers workshop leader. She is the founder of Small Publishers, Artists &amp; Writers Network (SPAWN). A former film and television writer and researcher, she became a published author in the 1990s. Her most recent books are <i>The Authors Toolkit: A Step-by-Step Guide to Writing and Publishing Your Book</i>, a Writers Digest Book Club selection now in its third edition, and <i>Starting Your Career as a Freelance Editor</i>, both published by Allworth Press.
zlib_text: **HOW TO**  
   **SPEAK AND WRITE**  
   **CORRECTLY**
  
  By  
  JOSEPH DEVLIN, M.A.  
  
  Edited by  
  THEODORE WATERS  
  
    
  
  THE CHRISTIAN HERALD  
  BIBLE HOUSE  
  NEW YORK
  
    
  
  Copyright, 1910, by  
  THE CHRISTIAN HERALD  
  NEW YORK
  
    
  
   **CONTENTS**
  
  CHAPTER I  
  REQUIREMENTS OF SPEECH  
  Vocabulary. Parts of speech. Requisites
  
  CHAPTER II  
  ESSENTIALS OF ENGLISH GRAMMAR  
  Divisions of grammar. Definitions. Etymology.
  
  CHAPTER III  
  THE SENTENCE  
  Different kinds. Arrangement of words. Paragraph.
  
  CHAPTER IV  
  FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE  
  Figures of speech. Definitions and examples. Use of figures.
  
  CHAPTER V  
  PUNCTUATION  
  Principal points. Illustrations. Capital letters.
  
  CHAPTER VI  
  LETTER WRITING  
  Principles of letter writing. Forms. Notes.
  
  CHAPTER VII  
  ERRORS  
  Mistakes. Slips of authors. Examples and corrections.  
  Errors of redundancy.
  
  CHAPTER VIII  
  PITFALLS TO AVOID  
  Common stumbling blocks. Peculiar constructions. Misused forms.
  
  CHAPTER IX  
  STYLE  
  Diction. Purity. Propriety. Precision.