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4.23 AVERAGE
4.23 AVERAGE
I would recommend this book to everyone. Grammar can be stuffy and dense. Not to mention can bring out the snobs! But she's very accessible and doesn't try to be a replacement for the major style guides. She's giving quick helpful tips to make your writing more betterer (sorrynotsorry).
As Ms. Fogarty says, we're writing more in our daily lives than ever before. After the telephone hit the pause button on correspondence in the traditional sense, it morphed mightily into the digital realm. So we could all use a bit of help when it comes to grammar. Her biggest takeaway? It's all a matter of style.
Depending on which style manual you follow, MLA, Chicago, or a house style, little decisions are made a little differently. Her advice is pick one, if you have the choice. They're all constantly changing as the world changes and language changes to account for new uses and new words. Google wasn't a new word, but now it's used in not one but two new ways; a proper noun describing the company, and a verb describing the act of using the company's product (or any search engine for that matter).
Just because it's a matter of style and a style that changes over time at that, doesn't mean it isn't helpful. Grammar may be made up as we go along but we all subscribe to a certain set of usage rules and if you want to make yourself clear, you've gotta stick to 'em.
As Ms. Fogarty says, we're writing more in our daily lives than ever before. After the telephone hit the pause button on correspondence in the traditional sense, it morphed mightily into the digital realm. So we could all use a bit of help when it comes to grammar. Her biggest takeaway? It's all a matter of style.
Depending on which style manual you follow, MLA, Chicago, or a house style, little decisions are made a little differently. Her advice is pick one, if you have the choice. They're all constantly changing as the world changes and language changes to account for new uses and new words. Google wasn't a new word, but now it's used in not one but two new ways; a proper noun describing the company, and a verb describing the act of using the company's product (or any search engine for that matter).
Just because it's a matter of style and a style that changes over time at that, doesn't mean it isn't helpful. Grammar may be made up as we go along but we all subscribe to a certain set of usage rules and if you want to make yourself clear, you've gotta stick to 'em.
Helpful Reference
Most of this information can be found on the Grammar Girl website. It was helpful for those things you don't know that you don't know.
Most of this information can be found on the Grammar Girl website. It was helpful for those things you don't know that you don't know.
A great read for those who are learning their grammar rules or want to improve what they know. Fogarty provides easy tips to remember and fun examples. I learned a lot with this book. I have other books from Grammar Girl and look forward to reading them.
Everyone should have this book. First, if you're not already a fan of the pod cast, you should be. It's awesome. Second, Mignon Fogarty is so easy to understand, and she does it with a non-snooty demeanor. She makes grammar fun.
In a time where email and texting have become our major mode of discussion, it sometimes feels like proper grammar has slipped out the side door. Fogarty brings entertainment and a spark back to the subject, enticing the readers/listeners to sit up straight and start speaking/writing/texting right.
In a time where email and texting have become our major mode of discussion, it sometimes feels like proper grammar has slipped out the side door. Fogarty brings entertainment and a spark back to the subject, enticing the readers/listeners to sit up straight and start speaking/writing/texting right.
I think for most people, reading a grammar book is right up there on their to-do list with having a colonoscopy - Do I HAVE to?
Or maybe that's just my own association, since I kept my own book in the bathroom and read it in bits and pieces. (It does lend itself well to that.)
Fogarty not only offers the grammar rules, but clear and "sticky" examples that should help anyone but the most boneheaded imprint these rules and guidelines into her brain. Her own writing style in this is light, witty, and thoroughly enjoyable.
I can (and probably will) spend much more time in the bathroom, perusing this book. Maybe some of it will even imprint in MY bonehead.
Or maybe that's just my own association, since I kept my own book in the bathroom and read it in bits and pieces. (It does lend itself well to that.)
Fogarty not only offers the grammar rules, but clear and "sticky" examples that should help anyone but the most boneheaded imprint these rules and guidelines into her brain. Her own writing style in this is light, witty, and thoroughly enjoyable.
I can (and probably will) spend much more time in the bathroom, perusing this book. Maybe some of it will even imprint in MY bonehead.
A more accurate title would probably be "Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Grammar". There weren't a whole lot of actual writing tips, with the exception of a short chapter near the end with advice like "avoid cliches like the plague".
The grammar instruction was a mix of things I already knew (its vs. it's, affect vs. effect) and things I'd never thought about (the difference between e.g. and i.e., the difference between "hanged" and "hung"). So roughly half the time I felt smug and half the time I actually learned something. Both good things.
Overall, informative, but not necessarily what I was looking for. A good reference guide.
The grammar instruction was a mix of things I already knew (its vs. it's, affect vs. effect) and things I'd never thought about (the difference between e.g. and i.e., the difference between "hanged" and "hung"). So roughly half the time I felt smug and half the time I actually learned something. Both good things.
Overall, informative, but not necessarily what I was looking for. A good reference guide.
Great reference book to have on the shelf! I read a good chunk of it straight through. Helps me stay fresh on all the rules as I pass them onto my students. The back has a great guide filled with super-quick tips on the most common errors. I think I'll turn it into a handout for all my future students!
A whole book of easy-to-read and enjoyable language advice from Grammar Girl. This book now has as many flags as some of my go-to reference books. If you're looking for grammar information that doesn't read like a textbook, this is your place.
Informative and engaging! A must-read for writers seeking to better their grammar. Now I'll have to listen to the podcast.