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laurenbastian's review against another edition
5.0
As a complete guide to grammar, this book achieves its goals and more. It is comprehensive, engaging, and interesting (if you appreciate good grammar). I imagine this would be a really good textbook for high-schoolers, especially in preparation for the ACT. I finally know what to do with semicolons and colons!
lyrareadsbooks's review against another edition
4.0
This is a great guide that can serve students from their first foray into grammar, through college and beyond. Recommended for grades 8 and up.
leslielu67's review against another edition
5.0
This is an excellent grammar and writing guide for students. GG is pretty funny too.
lisa_mc's review against another edition
4.0
This review covers Grammar Girl's three recent releases:
Good writing skills are a must in any professional career, and there’s no secret to being a good writer: Learn the tools of English, and practice. And read, of course. A lot.
Students can use a hand learning the basics — and the trickier points — of language, and that’s where three new books come in.
Mignon Fogarty, better known as “Grammar Girl,” has written several books on grammar and produces am award-winning grammar podcast each week. But she wrote her three latest books just for students, to help them learn new words, navigate tricky meanings, and put them all together into clear, coherent English.
“101 Words Every High School Graduate Needs to Know” (St. Martin’s Griffin, 118 pages, $5.99) and “101 Misused Words You’ll Never Confuse Again” (St. Martin’s Griffin, 119 pages, $5.99) are short, handy word guides.
The first is simply a list of good words for students to know, such as “canard,” “ironic” and “rancor.” Each is defined and then illustrated with an example taken from literature, TV shows, politics, movies and journalism. The examples are largely fresh and modern, and do a good job of showing the words in context. There’s not a pronunciation guide, though, so you’ll have to hit the dictionary to find out how to say “schadenfreude.”
The second guide actually contains more than 101 words, as most entries differentiate at least two words that are commonly mixed up. The entries include “affect/effect,” “lay/lie” and “till/’til/until.” Each word is explained and illustrated with the same caliber of examples as the “Graduate” guide, but an added feature in this book are “quick and dirty tips” for most entries — these offer a mnemonic or short sentence to help people remember the differences.
“The Ultimate Writing Guide for Students” (Henry Holt, 284 pages, $19.99 hardcover/$12.99 paperback) is a much meatier reference, going beyond vocabulary into grammar and the structure of writing. But it’s not a dry, boring reference. From its bright orange theme color to its tips sprinkled throughout to its “Grammar Schmammar” intro, this guide is both informative and user-friendly.
The book starts with the basics — parts of speech — then moves on to sentences, punctuation and tips on common pitfalls. It ends up with a great pep-talk chapter that offers tips and examples on how to clarify and streamline writing, getting over writer’s block, and editing and proofing your work.
It’s all done in a light, friendly style with copious examples of what to do, and focuses much more on what to do than on what not to do. The main message — good for anyone who writes, not just students — is: You can write; here are the tools.
Good writing skills are a must in any professional career, and there’s no secret to being a good writer: Learn the tools of English, and practice. And read, of course. A lot.
Students can use a hand learning the basics — and the trickier points — of language, and that’s where three new books come in.
Mignon Fogarty, better known as “Grammar Girl,” has written several books on grammar and produces am award-winning grammar podcast each week. But she wrote her three latest books just for students, to help them learn new words, navigate tricky meanings, and put them all together into clear, coherent English.
“101 Words Every High School Graduate Needs to Know” (St. Martin’s Griffin, 118 pages, $5.99) and “101 Misused Words You’ll Never Confuse Again” (St. Martin’s Griffin, 119 pages, $5.99) are short, handy word guides.
The first is simply a list of good words for students to know, such as “canard,” “ironic” and “rancor.” Each is defined and then illustrated with an example taken from literature, TV shows, politics, movies and journalism. The examples are largely fresh and modern, and do a good job of showing the words in context. There’s not a pronunciation guide, though, so you’ll have to hit the dictionary to find out how to say “schadenfreude.”
The second guide actually contains more than 101 words, as most entries differentiate at least two words that are commonly mixed up. The entries include “affect/effect,” “lay/lie” and “till/’til/until.” Each word is explained and illustrated with the same caliber of examples as the “Graduate” guide, but an added feature in this book are “quick and dirty tips” for most entries — these offer a mnemonic or short sentence to help people remember the differences.
“The Ultimate Writing Guide for Students” (Henry Holt, 284 pages, $19.99 hardcover/$12.99 paperback) is a much meatier reference, going beyond vocabulary into grammar and the structure of writing. But it’s not a dry, boring reference. From its bright orange theme color to its tips sprinkled throughout to its “Grammar Schmammar” intro, this guide is both informative and user-friendly.
The book starts with the basics — parts of speech — then moves on to sentences, punctuation and tips on common pitfalls. It ends up with a great pep-talk chapter that offers tips and examples on how to clarify and streamline writing, getting over writer’s block, and editing and proofing your work.
It’s all done in a light, friendly style with copious examples of what to do, and focuses much more on what to do than on what not to do. The main message — good for anyone who writes, not just students — is: You can write; here are the tools.
pkgonzales7's review
funny
informative
slow-paced
3.5
Well-written, engaging, clear. Helpful for students.
amandacusx's review against another edition
5.0
This is a great guide for students or anyone looking to improve their grammar knowledge. Split into five sections (parts of speech, sentence types, punctuation, usage errors, and writing), there's great advice written explicitly, and it's easy to understand for newer writers. I'd recommend seventh grade and up! Definitely something I would use with my students.
ubalstecha's review against another edition
4.0
Written in simple language with clear, but humourous examples, this is book is a must for students. Teachers could also buy it for classroom use. Well done.
gamz's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book. It was educational and entertaining.
Mignon Fogarty is amazing for the work she does in educating the masses on how to use proper grammar. I am terrified to write a long review on a book about grammar when my own is so poor, but I just had to try. While this is a beginners guide, it was till quite comprehensive and gave a great starting point for people new to grammar or refreshing skills that we haven't used in a while.
I found it to be an easy read and loved the illustrations of Aardvark and Squiggly. They made the reading even more enjoyable. If you have a teen in your life, or just feel overwhelmed by some of the other grammar boos, this is the perfect book for you. I gives you the basics and helps you understand the proper usage.
Thanks Grammar Girl. I will restrict my semi-colons, be mindful of my comma usage and become friends with the apostrophes. You have set me on the correct path to better grammar.
Mignon Fogarty is amazing for the work she does in educating the masses on how to use proper grammar. I am terrified to write a long review on a book about grammar when my own is so poor, but I just had to try. While this is a beginners guide, it was till quite comprehensive and gave a great starting point for people new to grammar or refreshing skills that we haven't used in a while.
I found it to be an easy read and loved the illustrations of Aardvark and Squiggly. They made the reading even more enjoyable. If you have a teen in your life, or just feel overwhelmed by some of the other grammar boos, this is the perfect book for you. I gives you the basics and helps you understand the proper usage.
Thanks Grammar Girl. I will restrict my semi-colons, be mindful of my comma usage and become friends with the apostrophes. You have set me on the correct path to better grammar.
dark_reader's review against another edition
4.0
No matter how casual or professional your need to write is, you will likely find something here to help you improve. Just flipping through the appendix before reading it in earnest I found a vital correction to make in my own writing; I have been making the error of always capitalizing cardinal directions for who knows how long. I frequently thought it looked weird but thought that was the rule. I read enough sprawling epic fantasy in which directions must be stated aplenty, but never noticed this discrepancy in my own casual writing. "You learn something new every day," said the horse.
I was never taught English grammar in grade school because that stage of my education was in French. The French never stuck, because English was still my primary language at home, and I never in my life made a concerted effort to solidify French fluency. It's pretty much gone now. So although I have always read and conducted my life in English, until now I could not have told you what a gerund is. I am still not sure whether I can quickly identify if a piece of writing contained a lot of adverbs. I can tell you which self-published books I have looked at recently that cry out for the author to read this or other grammar primers, in my search for self-published fantasy that is worth my time to read (hint: SPFBO), and I readily admit that my own writing style can stand some polishing. I drift towards wordiness and the passive voice, occasionally catch myself incorrectly using the possessive "it's", and am often unsure of the order of punctutation around brackets and parentheses. At least I never confuse their, there and they're. I read Grammar Girl both to spruce up my own writing as one step in furthering my appreciation of the written word.
This is a lightly exhaustive textbook directed at teenagers but absolutely useful for all ages. I would hate to use it to learn the parts of speech (boring) but the section on punctuation was very helpful. In Strunk-and-White-ian fashion, there is also a long section on common writing errors. You probably make at least one of these regularly, judging by how often I find myself correcting affect/effect when I read. Sadly, loose/lose is not addressed so we still live with that particular curse.
Now feel free to point out any grammatical errors or sloppy form in this review.
I was never taught English grammar in grade school because that stage of my education was in French. The French never stuck, because English was still my primary language at home, and I never in my life made a concerted effort to solidify French fluency. It's pretty much gone now. So although I have always read and conducted my life in English, until now I could not have told you what a gerund is. I am still not sure whether I can quickly identify if a piece of writing contained a lot of adverbs. I can tell you which self-published books I have looked at recently that cry out for the author to read this or other grammar primers, in my search for self-published fantasy that is worth my time to read (hint: SPFBO), and I readily admit that my own writing style can stand some polishing. I drift towards wordiness and the passive voice, occasionally catch myself incorrectly using the possessive "it's", and am often unsure of the order of punctutation around brackets and parentheses. At least I never confuse their, there and they're. I read Grammar Girl both to spruce up my own writing as one step in furthering my appreciation of the written word.
This is a lightly exhaustive textbook directed at teenagers but absolutely useful for all ages. I would hate to use it to learn the parts of speech (boring) but the section on punctuation was very helpful. In Strunk-and-White-ian fashion, there is also a long section on common writing errors. You probably make at least one of these regularly, judging by how often I find myself correcting affect/effect when I read. Sadly, loose/lose is not addressed so we still live with that particular curse.
Now feel free to point out any grammatical errors or sloppy form in this review.
dan1066's review against another edition
4.0
Honestly, I don't think there is a perfect solution, and I would like to avoid the question because I know that no matter what I say, I'm going to make someone angry. Many grammarians have a hard time agreeing on this as well.
Sometimes things aren't technically wrong or wordy; they're just painfully awkward.
Mignon Fogarty created the persona of "Grammar Girl" to voice a podcast tackling the ambiguities and misunderstandings of oral and written communication. With self-deprecating humor, Fogarty outlines a problem inherent in grammar or usage and then, based on a close study of the subject, provides sage suggestions to avoid the problem in the future. This background prepared her to author a writing guide for students.
I have taught high school English and have used examples and concepts from this book. Fogarty's approach bears fruit; however, her forays into silliness tend to be awkward. Because she tries hard to be hip, her intended audience, the youth of America, often read her attempts with, if not outright contempt, exasperated eye-rolling. For the teacher, however, the concepts and examples are useful and, with a modicum of work, engaging in the classroom. In a sense, Fogarty recognizes her true audience: She continually advises students to, when faced with a grammatical ambiguity standard rules do not clarify, practice the rule in the manner prescribed by the teacher.
Finally, as with her podcast, Fogarty disarms Grammar Nazis by examining the source of many of their sacred rules:
Blame Latin for the logic behind the 19th-century rule about not splitting infinitives. In Latin there are no two-word infinitives, so it's impossible to split one. Early on, many English teachers decided that because infinitives couldn't be split in Latin, they shouldn't be split in English either.
While this book provides a better understanding of the writing process, it does not inspire any zeal to brow-beat the grammatically ignorant. Fogarty seldom admonishes; she deconstructs grammar myths and demonstrates correct usage without snarkiness or condescension. Her conclusion sums up her book concisely:
I hope I've given you the tools you need to write with confidence. I think of grammar and usage as the rules to the game of writing, and the rules are just the building blocks of creativity. Writing proper sentences doesn't ensure that your work will be inspiring, but it can keep errors from marring your brilliance.
Sometimes things aren't technically wrong or wordy; they're just painfully awkward.
Mignon Fogarty created the persona of "Grammar Girl" to voice a podcast tackling the ambiguities and misunderstandings of oral and written communication. With self-deprecating humor, Fogarty outlines a problem inherent in grammar or usage and then, based on a close study of the subject, provides sage suggestions to avoid the problem in the future. This background prepared her to author a writing guide for students.
I have taught high school English and have used examples and concepts from this book. Fogarty's approach bears fruit; however, her forays into silliness tend to be awkward. Because she tries hard to be hip, her intended audience, the youth of America, often read her attempts with, if not outright contempt, exasperated eye-rolling. For the teacher, however, the concepts and examples are useful and, with a modicum of work, engaging in the classroom. In a sense, Fogarty recognizes her true audience: She continually advises students to, when faced with a grammatical ambiguity standard rules do not clarify, practice the rule in the manner prescribed by the teacher.
Finally, as with her podcast, Fogarty disarms Grammar Nazis by examining the source of many of their sacred rules:
Blame Latin for the logic behind the 19th-century rule about not splitting infinitives. In Latin there are no two-word infinitives, so it's impossible to split one. Early on, many English teachers decided that because infinitives couldn't be split in Latin, they shouldn't be split in English either.
While this book provides a better understanding of the writing process, it does not inspire any zeal to brow-beat the grammatically ignorant. Fogarty seldom admonishes; she deconstructs grammar myths and demonstrates correct usage without snarkiness or condescension. Her conclusion sums up her book concisely:
I hope I've given you the tools you need to write with confidence. I think of grammar and usage as the rules to the game of writing, and the rules are just the building blocks of creativity. Writing proper sentences doesn't ensure that your work will be inspiring, but it can keep errors from marring your brilliance.
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