The Only Grammar Book You'll Ever Need: A One-Stop Source for Every Writing Assignment
ISBN:9781580628556 read summary

This book is a pleasure to read, employing a lively style while injecting just enough humor to keep the sector of the populace who are not grammar nerds attentive long enough to absorb valuable information. It is simultaneously clear without being simplistic and substantive without being pedantic, a neat trick in this day of watered-down everything. It also adheres to traditional grammar categories, which are typically more precise and generally to be preferred to modern reorganizing frameworks. In short, it reads like a "for dummies" book without oversimplifying anything or leaving anything out. I looked for omissions in content, and could find none of significance. The book is surprisingly comprehensive, but avoids the type of overly technical style which inhibits usefulness. I found only one error: in the example given for the noun version of objective complement, which is actually an example of a close appositive, not an object complement. Are you listening, Ms. Thurman? The relationship between a direct object and an object complement in a sentence must involve the action of the verb. It is not sufficient to make it an object complement simply for a subsequent noun to give more information about a direct object or rename it. The action of the verb must "flow through" the direct object to the object complement in order to satisfy the definition and distinguish it from an appositive. A correct example of an object complement would be: "Given his extensive experience in debate, I regarded Dan the more likely winner." In this example, "Dan" is the direct object and "winner" the object complement. By the way, the same mistake is found in the author's other book on grammar, The Only Grammar Book You'll Ever Need. Correct that, and, given its purpose, as far as I am concerned, you have a nearly perfect book! Thank you!

This is my second order and, just like the first, it came promptly and in perfect condition.

I give this book to all my Composition I students when they graduate high school. It's just the right size to keep handy when writing college papers, etc.

This book is well organized and written. It covers the very basics, but not adequate for a serious writer or perhaps even for many college graduates. I'm giving my book to my 10 year old grand-son, who I hope will use it through at least junior high school. Perhaps even through high school. It deserves 5 stars for that purpose.

The title says it all. It hasn't failed me yet. Easy to use, easy to understand. Why did high school composition have to make it so hard?