Recommendations - Books on Grammar

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marccolbourne
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Recommendations - Books on Grammar

Post by marccolbourne » March 2nd, 2010, 11:21 pm

Hello all,

Just wondering if someone can recommend a good book or two on grammar, punctuation, etc?

I am particularly interested in concise, easy to understand, practical books...

Any ideas?

Marc

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polymath
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Re: Recommendations - Books on Grammar

Post by polymath » March 2nd, 2010, 11:35 pm

For the basics, Strunk and White will serve many purposes. The Vest Pocket Writer's Guide is a little more in-depth and handy at 3 by 5 by 1/2 inches. The Little Brown Handbook is a thorough and well-organized manual of prescriptive grammar standards for routine composition writing. Words Into Type is a relatively straightforward style manual useful for all writers and some publishers. The Chicago Manual of Style is the gold standard for many prose publishers. It's a big orange brick of a doorstop though.
Spread the love of written word.

bcomet
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Re: Recommendations - Books on Grammar

Post by bcomet » March 3rd, 2010, 1:55 pm

I LOVE: THE EVERYDAY WRITER by Andrea Lunsford.

I have a wonderful older edition that has an especially great binding––way strong, wide (roomy), plastic spiral binding––and tabs and is designed so you can refer around the book easily.
I'm not sure what the newer edition binding is like, (because I've only seen pictures of it on Amazon) but I plan to add the newer edition––with the exercises included––to my library in the future.
And the MLA section is needed reference for me professionally.

bcomet

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JustineDell
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Re: Recommendations - Books on Grammar

Post by JustineDell » March 3rd, 2010, 2:41 pm

Hmmm...grammar....maybe I should pay attention to this thread ;-) I could use a litte more info in this department.

~JD

http://www.justine-dell.blogspot.com/

"Three things in life that, once gone, never return; Time, Words, & Opportunity"

kristi
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Re: Recommendations - Books on Grammar

Post by kristi » March 4th, 2010, 10:29 pm

I second the Strunk and White Elements of Style.

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eringayles
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Re: Recommendations - Books on Grammar

Post by eringayles » March 5th, 2010, 10:21 am

kristi wrote:I second the Strunk and White Elements of Style.
Me too - and it's Steven King's favourite. King's 'On Writing' is worth a look, too, although the last half is autobiography. Very interesting, though.

Kniki
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Re: Recommendations - Books on Grammar

Post by Kniki » March 5th, 2010, 2:23 pm

Another vote for Strunk and White. Because of this book, I am one of the only people I know who knows how to use a semi-colon correctly! Similarly apostrophes for plurals, etc. It's an excellent book.

kristi
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Re: Recommendations - Books on Grammar

Post by kristi » March 5th, 2010, 2:36 pm

And if you get the anniversary edition, it looks really pretty on your bookshelf - I love mine! :)

marccolbourne
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Re: Recommendations - Books on Grammar

Post by marccolbourne » March 6th, 2010, 4:13 pm

Thanks everyone!

I just ordered my anniversary edition of Strunk and White online. I am looking forward to its arrival.

Happy writing (and perfect grammar),
Marc

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Re: Recommendations - Books on Grammar

Post by Kurto » March 8th, 2010, 8:43 pm

Elements of Style is a great place to start, but for a more in-depth and thoughtful look at the effects grammar can have on meaning (and simply the best possible way to way to construct sentences), take a look at Martha Kolln's Rhetorical Grammar. It is a textbook commonly used in graduate writing programs, and it's a must for anyone serious about getting the most from his/her prose. I can't recommend it highly enough, and all editions aside from the most recent are quite cheap on Amazon.

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