Top 10 Best Books On English Grammar To Make You A Stronger Writer
A good grammar book can help you become a better writer. Unfortunately, despite the fact that there are many grammar books on the market, not all of them are ... read more...created equal. So, how can you spend your money wisely and find the best grammar book for you? First, think about what you're looking for. For example, do you want a practice book or a style guide that you can refer to on occasion? Or are you looking for a lighthearted, witty primer on grammar? Again, if you know where to look, you can find books for any purpose. Here's a list of the best books on English grammar to make you a stronger writer that help you narrow down your options. You'll find something that suits your writing objectives, from academic to lighthearted and entertaining. Grammar software may be a better option if you don't have time to read a book.
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Murphy, Raymond Raymond Murphy's legendary titles are known and loved all over the world, and they have provided literally millions of students with the tools they need to tackle English grammar head on. Raymond taught English as a foreign language for 17 years in Germany and the United Kingdom before becoming a full-time writer of ELT materials in 1988. He is the best-selling author of the Cambridge titles Essential Grammar in Use, English Grammar in Use, Basic Grammar in Use (US English), and Grammar in Use (US English)
The first choice for intermediate (B1-B2) learners is Raymond Murphy's English Grammar in Use, which covers all of the grammar you'll need at this level. This answer book contains clear explanations and practice exercises that have helped millions of people worldwide improve their English. It is ideal for self-study and can also be used as a supplement book in classrooms by teachers.
For 35 years, teachers have recommended the 'in Use' family. These reference and practice books, written for complete beginners to advanced learners, are ideal for self-study or as supplementary classroom material. English Grammar in Use was written for intermediate English learners as a self-study reference and practice book. It is among the best books on English grammar to make you a stronger writer. The book is divided into 145 double-page units, each focusing on a different aspect of grammar. Presented in a tried-and-true format, with explanations and grammar points on the left and exercises to test comprehension on the right. It includes revised and updated examples, as well as numerous practice exercises to help you remember what you've learned.
Author: Raymond Murphy
Link to buy: https://www.amazon.com/English-Grammar-Use-Book-Answers/dp/1108457657/
Ratings: 4.7 out of 5 stars (from 2714 reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #42,447 in Books
#20 in Etymology (Books)
#23 in Foreign Language Instruction (Books)
#35 in English as a Second Language Instruction
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William Strunk Jr. (1 July 1869 – 26 September 1946) was a Cornell University English professor and the author of The Elements of Style (1918). After being revised and expanded by his former student E. B. White, it became a highly influential guide to English usage in the late twentieth century, popularly known as Strunk & White.
The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White is an English writing style guide that is often referred to as the "Holy Grail" of grammar by college professors. This grammar book breaks down the English language into rules of usage, composition principles, and formalities.
It's available on Amazon and is required reading for many college grammar classes, as well as a necessary reference for academic papers. This book is useful for both new writers and experienced writers who want to master basic grammar rules.
It also looks at commonly mispronounced and misspelled words in American English. This book was named one of the 100 best and most influential books written in English since 1923 by Time in 2011, making it one of the best grammar books.
Author: William Strunk Jr.
Link to buy: https://www.amazon.com/dp/020530902X?tag=work089-20
Ratings: 4.7 out of 5 stars (from 9817 reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #12,365 in Books
#5 in Grammar Reference (Books)
#11 in Writing Skill Reference (Books)
#20 in Fiction Writing Reference (Books)
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Lynne Truss is a writer and journalist who began her career as a literary editor with a blue pencil before becoming distracted. She is the author of three novels and numerous radio comedy dramas, and she spent six years as The Times of London's television critic, followed by four (rather unusual) years as the newspaper's sports columnist. For her work for Women's Journal, she was named Columnist of the Year. Lynne Truss also hosted Cutting a Dash, a popular BBC Radio 4 punctuation series. She now writes book reviews for the Sunday Times of London and can be heard on BBC Radio 4.
Former editor Lynne Truss, who is deeply concerned about our current grammatical state, boldly defends proper punctuation in Eats, Shoots, and Leaves. She declares, in her delightfully urbane, witty, and very English manner, that it is time to appreciate our commas and semicolons for what they are: wonderful and necessary things. Using examples from literature, history, neighborhood signage, and her own imagination, Truss demonstrates how commas and apostrophes shape meaning, as well as the hilarious consequences of incorrect punctuation.
With a foreword by Frank McCourt and a lively history of punctuation ranging from Charlemagne's invention of the question mark to George Orwell's rejection of the semicolon, Eats, Shoots, and Leaves makes a compelling case for the preservation of proper punctuation.
Author: Lynne Truss
Link to buy: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1592402038?tag=work089-20
Ratings: 4.5 out of 5 stars (from 3195 reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #39,777 in Books
#26 in Grammar Reference (Books)
#49 in Writing Skill Reference (Books)
#163 in Humor Essays (Books)
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Patricia T. O'Conner, a former New York Times Book Review editor, has written for numerous magazines and newspapers. She is also the author of the books Words Fail Me: What Every Writer Should Know About Writing and You Send Me: Getting It Right When You Write Online.
Patricia T. O'Conner, former editor of The New York Times Book Review, untangles the knottiest grammar tangles in this expanded and updated edition of Woe Is I with the same insight and humor that has charmed and enlightened readers of previous editions for years. O'Conner offers down-to-earth explanations and plain-English solutions to the language mysteries that befuddle all of us in Woe Is I, with fresh insights into the rights, wrongs, and maybes of English grammar and usage.
O'Conner explains how the usage of a variety of words has evolved in this fourth edition. For example, for an unknown somebody, the once-rejected "they," "them," and "their" are now acceptable. And, according to O'Conner, the battle between "who" and "whom" is almost over (hint: it wasn't won by "whom"). Then there's the use of "taller than me" instead of the ramrod-stiff "taller than I" in simple comparisons. "May" and "might," "use to" and "used to," abbreviations with and without periods, and the evolving definition of "unique" are all explained by O'Conner here. As a result, the book is an engaging, up-to-date, and jargon-free answer to every reader's questions about grammar, style, and usage in the twenty-first century.
Author: Patricia T. O'Conner
Link to buy: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0525533052
Ratings: 4.6 out of 5 stars (from 334 reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #86,543 in Books
#58 in Grammar Reference (Books)
#89 in Words, Language & Grammar Reference
#234 in Fiction Writing Reference (Books)
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Verlyn Klinkenborg is a member of The New York Times editorial board, to which he also contributes meditations on his farm in upstate New York, which are collected in The Rural Life. Making Hay, The Last Fine Time, and Timothy; or, Notes of an Abject Reptile are among his other works. Princeton University awarded Klinkenborg a Ph.D. in English literature.
An indispensable and distinctive book from widely admired writer and teacher Verlyn Klinkenborg that will help anyone who wants to write, write better, or have a clearer understanding of what it means to be writing.
Klinkenborg believes that most of our conventional wisdom about how writing works is not only incorrect, but also a hindrance to our ability to write. In Several Short Sentences About Writing, he aims to help us unlearn that "wisdom"—about genius, creativity, writer's block, topic sentences, and outline—and understand that writing is as much about thinking, noticing, and learning what it means to be involved in the act of writing as it is about writing itself. This book contains no gospel, orthodoxy, or dogma. Instead, it is a collection of starting points on a journey toward vibrant, clear, and satisfying self-expression.
Author: Verlyn Klinkenborg
Link to buy: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0307279413
Ratings: 4.5 out of 5 stars (from 589 reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #51,288 in Books
#58 in Words, Language & Grammar Reference
#73 in Writing Skill Reference (Books)
#143 in Fiction Writing Reference (Books)
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Harvard University's Johnstone Professor of Psychology is Steven Pinker. He was named one of Foreign Policy magazine's "Top 100 Public Intellectuals" and one of Time magazine's "100 Most Influential People in the World." He is currently the chair of The American Heritage Dictionary's Usage Panel.
Why is so much writing so poor, and how can we improve it? Is texting and social media tainting the English language? Do today's kids care about good writing—and why should we? The Better Angels of Our Nature and Enlightenment Now author.
Steven Pinker, cognitive scientist, dictionary consultant, and New York Times bestselling author, rethinks the usage guide for the twenty-first century in this entertaining and eminently practical book. He demonstrates how the art of writing can be a form of pleasurable mastery and a fascinating intellectual topic in its own right by using examples of great and gruesome modern prose while avoiding the scolding tone and Spartan tastes of the classic manuals. The Sense of Style is intended for writers of all genres, as well as readers interested in letters and literature and curious about how the sciences of mind can illuminate how language works at its best. It is among the best books on English grammar to make you a stronger writer.
Author: Steven Pinker
Link to buy: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0143127799
Ratings: 4.5 out of 5 stars (from 1479 reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #29,056 in Books
#22 in Grammar Reference (Books)
#33 in Words, Language & Grammar Reference
#71 in Fiction Writing Reference (Books)
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Jan Venolia has been assisting people in improving their writing for over 30 years. Jan, a seasoned writer and editor, contributes her knowledge to workshops and conferences. The newest edition of Jan Venolia's best-selling guide, Write Right!, is an indispensable resource for writers, having sold over 500,000 copies since its initial publication.
We need a useful and dependable writing guide now more than ever in this age of electronic correspondence and self-produced documents. Write Right! covers the fundamentals of good writing in a concise and simple format. This classic handbook's new edition walks you through the entire writing process, from understanding the parts of speech to constructing a proper sentence to fine-tuning the mechanics. And, using clever illustrations and amusing quotations to illustrate its points, Write Right! demonstrates that language can be both fun and an effective communication tool. This handy reference is the ideal resource for writers of all levels, whether it's used to find a quick answer to a nagging question or to develop stronger writing skills. A resource section with a list of useful websites and a glossary to quickly define difficult terms is included.
Author: Jan Venolia
Link to buy: https://www.amazon.com/Write-Right-Desktop-Punctuation-Grammar/dp/1580083285/
Ratings: 4.6 out of 5 stars (from 166 reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #471,742 in Books
#473 in Grammar Reference (Books)
#1,057 in Writing Skill Reference (Books)
#1,570 in Fiction Writing Reference (Books)
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Michael Swan is an English language teacher and reference material writer. He has published a number of articles on pedagogic grammar, mother-tongue influence in second language acquisition, and the relationship between applied linguistic theory and classroom language-teaching practice.
Among the best books on English grammar to make you a stronger writer, Practical English Usage is recommended for any teacher, trainee teacher, or advanced-level student seeking answers to English language questions. The material is now divided into two sections (grammar and vocabulary), making it easier than ever to find answers online or in print.
Part 1 is a comprehensive practical learner's grammar with 28 sections that covers all of the structural points that cause learners problems. Part 2 is a guide to vocabulary problems that includes: word formation and spelling rules, as well as a survey of high-priority vocabulary areas and an alphabetical listing of over 250 common word problems
The 600+ entries provide answers to frequently asked questions by students, such as:
- Tenses used
- The reality of conditionals
- Issues with the article
- They get singular as a passive auxiliary.
- Should I bring or take?
- Can, could, might, or might not?
- Classical or traditional?
- Email language rules for word formation and spelling
Also included are:
- Speech grammar and formal writing.
- Differences between the United Kingdom and the United States
- Style and idiom changes in English politeness avoid offensive language
- Asurvey of important vocabulary areas
- A resource for over 250 common vocabulary issues
- Lists of the most common mistakes made by students
Author: Michael Swan
Link to buy: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0194202429/
Ratings: 4.6 out of 5 stars (from 1547 reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #854,370 in Books
#360 in Etymology (Books)
#1,665 in Foreign Language Instruction (Books)
#1,796 in English as a Second Language Instruction
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Mignon Fogarty created Grammar Girl and is the founder of the Quick and Dirty Tips Network. She has worked as an editor and producer for a number of health and science Web sites as a technical writer and entrepreneur. She holds a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Washington in Seattle and a master's degree in biology from Stanford University.
Split infinitives have you stumped? Are you afraid of using "who" when "whom" is required? Do you avoid using the words "affect" and "effect"? Grammar Girl will assist you!
Mignon Fogarty, a.k.a. Grammar Girl, is determined to eradicate bad grammar, but she also wants the process to be as painless as possible. She started a weekly podcast a few years ago to address some of the most common communication mistakes. Mignon has appeared on Oprah and in the pages of The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and USA Today, and her podcasts have been downloaded over twenty million times.
Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing, written with the wit, warmth, and accessibility that the podcasts are known for, covers the grammar rules and word-choice guidelines that can confound even the best writers. Mignon offers memory tricks and clear explanations that will help readers recall and apply those troublesome grammar rules, such as "between vs. among" and "although vs. while." Grammar Girl's print debut, packed with advice on style, business writing, and effective e-mailing, should be on every communicator's desk.
Author: Mignon Fogarty
Link to buy: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0805088318?tag=work089-20
Ratings: 4.6 out of 5 stars (from 755 reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #285,942 in Books
#259 in Grammar Reference (Books)
#628 in Writing Skill Reference (Books)
#909 in Fiction Writing Reference (Books)
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Jane Straus (1954-2011) was a best-selling author and educator with extensive experience teaching English to adults. She wrote The Blue Book after discovering a lack of resources that explained English rules "in plain English." Straus also founded the well-known website GrammarBook.com.
Lester Kaufman is publisher of GrammarBook.com. He married Jane Straus in 1987 and eventually left his government job to help her with her website.
Tom Stern is a seasoned journalist and columnist. His bimonthly newspaper column on English grammar and usage won first place in the Better Newspapers Contest of the California Newspaper Publishers Association in 2012.
The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation is a brief, entertaining guide to English grammar, punctuation, and usage. This user-friendly resource includes simple explanations of grammar, punctuation, and usage; a plethora of useful examples; dozens of reproducible worksheets; and pre- and post-tests to assist in the teaching of grammar to students of all ages. This authoritative guide makes learning English grammar and usage simple and enjoyable for students of all ages. This updated Eleventh Edition incorporates the most recent changes to English usage and grammar, as well as a completely revised two-color design and lay-flat binding for easy photocopying. The book is considered one of the best books on English grammar to make you a stronger writer.
- Clear and concise, easy to understand, and providing "just the facts"
- Completely revised to reflect the most recent grammar and usage rules, as well as new quizzes
- Ideal for students from seventh grade to adulthood in the United States and abroad.
The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation provides comprehensive, straightforward instruction for anyone who wants to understand the major rules and subtle guidelines of English grammar and usage.
Author: Jane Straus, Lester Kaufman and Tom Stern
Link to buy: https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Book-Grammar-Punctuation-Easy/dp/1118785568/
Ratings: 4.6 out of 5 stars (from 4708 reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #107,800 in Books
#77 in Grammar Reference (Books)
#230 in Reading & Phonics Teaching Materials
#757 in Education Workbooks (Books)