Better Writing 101: 5 Fun Grammar Guides to Cure Grammar Woes

Posted by Lima Al-Azzeh Oct 6, 2008

All writers understand the necessity of having a grammar guide in their library. These days not every guide has to be a stiff and boring account of grammar rules. Check out these witty books on the pains of punctuation and the hilarious effects of bad grammar.

Eats, Shoots and Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation by Lynn Truss (Publisher: Gotham Books, Copyright: 2003)

This best selling book put punctuation at the forefront of modern day problems. Truss raises a call to arms against the misuse of such important punctuation marks as apostrophes and commas, sometimes showing how the misuse of either can lead to a life or death situation.

Woe is I: The Grammarphobe’s Guide to Better English in Plain English by Patricia T. O’Connor (Publisher: Riverhead Trade, Copyright: 1998)

Recognizing that English is fast becoming the primary language for global communication, Patricia T. O’Connor sets out to simplify the rules of its usage in a candid and delightful way; heading off each chapter with irresistible titles such as “Therapy for Pronoun Anxiety” and “Comma Sutra: The Joy of Punctuation”.

Sin and Syntax: How to Craft Wickedly Effective Prose by Constance Hale (Publisher: Broadway, Copyright: 2001)

Hale’s wonderful guide reveals how to use “unconventional syntax secrets” in creating beautiful and memorable prose. Taking examples from famous literary authorities such as Walt Whitman and George Orwell, Hale shows that sometimes even the best writers have to learn the rules so that they can break them.

Grammar Girl’s Quick & Dirty Tips for Better Writing by--our very own celebrity writer--Mignon Fogarty (Publisher: Henry Holt and Company, Copyright: 2008)

The adventures of Grammar Girl, Mignon Fogarty’s grammatically superior alter ego, began as a weekly pod cast explaining quick and dirty tricks for remembering and avoiding common grammatical errors. Thanks to this book, communicators everywhere can learn easy ways to “recall and apply those troublesome grammar rules”. <quickanddirtytips.com/static/book.html>

A Grammar Book for You and I…oops, Me! by C. Edward Good (Publisher: Capital Books, Copyright: 2002)

Promising to provide readers and writers with “All the Grammar You Need to Succeed in Life” this book doubles as a reference guide and an all around enjoyable read with a detailed table of contents and index to help you easily lookup the rules you are searching to find.

These fun, creative and witty books are a surefire way to learn a thing or two about the complexities of grammar and have a good laugh while you’re at it. Happy writing!

To learn more about great books every writer should own, check out Belinda Witzenhausen’s article here on Suite101.com