THE EVERYTHING GRAMMAR AND STYLE BOOK
Susan Thurman
2nd Edition
Dear Reader,
I've been an English teacher for more than thirty years, so I've encountered thousands of students. When I run into former students, many say something along the lines of You know, Mrs. Thurman, I really wish I'd paid more attention in your class, but then I didn't realize how important correct grammar and good writing skills would be in my adult years.
My hope in writing this book is to make grammar and writing easier to learn and more engaging for all students whether they're still in school or have already graduated.
In the years since the first edition of The Everything Grammar and Style Book was published, a number of people have been gracious enough to contact me to tell me they have enjoyed and benefited from the book. Readers have said the book has helped in writing for their jobs, in creating screenplays and novels, even in understanding the rules of Chinese grammar (now that's a use for my book that I never dreamed of!).
Whatever your reason for reading this book, I hope it helps you become a grammar guru and writing wizard.
Sincerely,
Susan Thurman
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All you need to master the rules of great writing
Susan Thurman
Avon, Massachusetts
Copyright 2008, 2002, Simon and Schuster. All rights reserved.
This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher; exceptions are made for brief excerpts used in published reviews.
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Published by Adams Media, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, Inc. 57 Littlefield Street, Avon, MA 02322 U.S.A.
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eISBN-13: 978-1-60550-210-6
Printed in the United States of America.
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data available from the publisher.
This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information with regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional advice. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought.
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As always, for my husband Mike
Acknowledgments
The author gratefully acknowledges the inspiration of:
Paula Fowler, who never failed to know just the right word or phrase to use, and whose interest and encouragement spurred me on countless times
The generous folks on Copyediting-L, busy people who nevertheless tirelessly share their ideas, suggestions, and wit
Peter Niblo, whose compliments and kindness began a friendship that sprang from his reading of the first edition of this book
Lisa Laing, the Adams Media editor whose So, what's new in the world of grammar? question was the springboard for this second edition
Top Ten Reasons for Using this Book
You understand the necessity of overcoming your grammar phobia.
You want people at your class reunion to think you weren't really sleeping in English class.
You yearn for a badge in the grammar police.
You wonder about the difference between What's going on, Bob? and What's going on Bob?
You recognize the importance of knowing for whom the bell tolls.
You know the embarrassment of misplacing your modifier.
You speculate about how to suitably split an infinitive.
You don't except what you meant to accept.
You realize that a misplaced comma might cost your company millions (see tinyurl.com/ympf2v ).
You are itching to bring out your inner grammar guru.
Introduction
ARE YOU SOMEONE who gripes that English was always your worst subject in school? Do you say that even today, you can't tell a clause from a conjunction from a colon; you always write their when you should have written there ; you're never sure if that thing that goes in words like don't and we're is an apostrophe or a comma; and you get shivers just thinking about when to use who and when to use whom ?
And your writing well, forget about it! Your papers were covered in so much red ink that your instructors should have had stock in companies that manufactured it. What did not parallel or dangling modifier mean, for heaven's sake? And what exactly were those transitional words you were supposed to add, not to mention the clichs you were to delete and the fragments you were to fix? Grrr!.
If any of this rings true, The Everything Grammar and Style Book, 2nd Edition is just what the (grammar and writing) doctor ordered.
First, let's have a little history. In Western culture, the study of grammar goes back many years to the days of the ancient Greeks. As time passed, Greek influenced Latin, and Latin in turn influenced the Romance languages that sprang from it. English developed separately from Latin but was influenced in some ways by it. Even after it ceased to be an everyday language, Latin was considered the language of the learned because it was still used in churches and scientific circles.
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