January 09, 2017

The Grammar Bible / Books for Writers



Welcome to one of my new features for 2017! I will be highlighting 10 great books for writers. Each one will be different. And I highly recommend them all.


The Grammar Bible by Michael Strumpf is the best grammar book I have found, and I have read many. The Grammar Bible is simple and easy to understand with great examples. It will especially help you with the ever-complex comma. If you hate text books, no need to worry because The Grammar Bible doesn’t resemble one, but you will find more grammar advice and examples than in any other grammar book. That’s why this is called the “Bible.” On the cover, it says: “Everything you always wanted to know but didn’t know whom to ask.” And that’s an accurate statement.

Each chapter is divided into sections to help you learn. Part One consists of parts of speech: nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, pronouns, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections.

Part Two is all about dissecting sentences. Part Three is for spelling, vocabulary, and punctuation. The punctuation covers periods, commas, colons, semicolons, apostrophes, question marks, exclamation points, parentheses, brackets, hyphens, dashes, and quotation marks.



Michael Stumpf also answers questions that he’s received from “anxious writers, conscientious students, and perplexed editors.” No question is stupid or silly. He answers them all with respect.

Some things you can find/learn:

- Place a comma between adjectives that describe the same now. Ex: a damp, gray day.

- Use a comma for two simple sentences that are joined. Meaning they have a noun and a verb. Ex: Sam loves to cook, but he loves to eat more.

You’ll also learn the differences between words such as bare/bear, sight/site, anyway/any way, affect/effect, all ready/already, awhile/ a while, born/borne, continual/continuous, whoever/whomever.



If you need grammar help, look for this book.


QUESTION: What grammar book(s) do you like?



59 comments:

  1. Sure sounds like a great one to get your grammar up to snuff. Always something to learn grammar wise.

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  2. That sounds cool! Usually when I have to look something up, I just end up googling it. It would be nice to have a book like that handy.

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  3. Hi Chrys - I'm sure I need one ... your/you're and there/their annoy the 'hell' out of me - so often they are incorrectly used ... I have grammar books here - but not this one. Cheers Hilary

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  4. I definitely need to pick that one up!

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    1. You should check it out and see what you think.

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  5. I usually turn to Strunk and White's THE ELEMENTS OF STYLE or Patricia T. O'Connor's WOE IS I, both on my bookshelf. Or I Google the issue and find a reputable site to help me. :)

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    1. Google is a popular choice. I confess to using it, too, for these reasons. ;)

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  6. A good idea and a good read Chrys.


    Yvonne.

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  7. Fantastic book! I usually end up Googling something if I'm really stumped.

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    1. I still do that from time to time, too. No shame. :P

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  8. Sounds like a great book. I wonder if I read it if I'd finally get comma usage through my thick skull.

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  9. Definitely a book I should grab. Thanks Chrys!

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  10. I love my Chicago Manual of Style, but it can be difficult to interpret sometimes. This one sounds more user-friendly.

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    1. This one is definitely user-friendly and easy to understand.

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  11. I have a dozen books on grammar and style, tools and essentials, but I don't have this one. Thanks for the tip!
    The book I grab first depends on what I'm working on, but this Bible sounds like one-stop assistance.
    I love your new page look :-)

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    1. The Grammar Bible has it all. It's very useful, especially for people who are confused about grammar.

      Thanks!

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  12. I might could use this... I do have a copy of the Chicago Manual of Style at home, but it is bulky to use. My two favorite grammar books are "Eats, Shoots & Leaves" and "Sin and Syntax"

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    1. I haven't checked out Sin and Syntax yet. I'll have to view that one sometime.

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  13. I did buy Eat, Shoots and Leaves but I don't think I ever finished it. I'm terrible when it comes to finishing "how to" books. They feel too much like homework to me.

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  14. I love the title. Makes me want to find a quiet spot to read and contemplate.

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  15. I have CMS in hardcover as well as on my ipad...which makes searching easier. I also have Eat, Shoots and Leaves.
    Young Writer's Guide by R Martin
    The Only Grammar Book You'll Ever Need by Thurman
    Grammar Girls Quick and Easy Tips by Mignan Fogarty

    Ohhh...there are more. Too many to list!

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    1. I love Mignan Fogarty. I have to get her grammar book.

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  16. I keep two style manuals by my desk and usually can find everything. The one you name sounds like a winner.

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    1. Having style manuals close by is always smart.

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  17. I definitely have some grammar sticking points - I may have to check this one out.

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    1. You have nothing to lose by checking it out. :)

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  18. Hi Chrys.

    Great idea to talk how-to books. Don't we all have a library full!

    I was lucky in that I was taught 'proper' grammar at school and have been teaching it for years, but still, different publication houses have their own style guides which may contradict some of these 'rules'. But it is true, many writers struggle with where to put a comma, and they're not alone. I read recently that JD Salinger of Catcher in the Rye fame, once spent a whole day writing. What he'd achieved that day, was the correct placement of a comma!! He thought that was productive. How times have changed...

    Hope your new year is chugging along well, Chrys. :-)

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    1. Properly placing a comma is a victory! LOL

      My new year is good so far. I hope the same can be said for you, Denise. :)

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  19. The other women in the small critique group within my local writers' group love how detailed and nit-picky I am with my comments about grammar and formatting. I'll recommend this book to them, since they really appreciate the attention to grammar. I like to attribute my sharp eye for this to the fact that I'm over half German, and thus pre-disposed to an exact attention to detail.

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  20. I've never really referred to grammar books. My 10th & 11th grade English teacher really drilled us on grammar. Most of that drilling stuck. I only have to look up the really tricky things.

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    1. That's good. I had a hard time learning grammar in school.

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  21. Those commas are what get me. Even though my minor in college was English, I still have trouble with them. The book sounds like a good one. Thanks.

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  22. Mostly I look online at places like uToronto Writing Center and Purdue Owl Grammar. They're free and I know exactly where to find them. hehehe

    Anna from elements of emaginette

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  23. This sounds like the perfect reference book, Chrys. Thanks for sharing it! Whom and who or whomever and whoever---always get me. I tend to google these questions but it would be better to have the physical book in hand at my desk. Thanks for the recommendation!

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    1. An easy way to remember whether to use who or who is this: Whom (him, her, them), who (he, she, they). Try substituting these words for who/whom to see which version reads correctly. :)

      You're welcome for the recommendation. I have more coming. ;)

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  24. We can all use a little help now and then. Thanks for sharing, Chrys.
    sherry @ fundinmental

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  25. I downloaded a sample and saw it was full of good examples as you said. Now to get the paperback of Kindle version...

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    1. Awesome! I hope it proves helpful to you as it was to me. :)

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  26. I sometimes get confused with grammar the more i try to fix a sentence. Even the spelling the longer I stare at the word. This looks like a great help for writing.

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    1. It's kind of like when you repeat a word over and over again it doesn't sound like a word anymore. :P

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  27. Thanks for the tip. Looking forward to seeing the other books you recommend over the course of the year.

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    1. I can't wait to share the other books with you. :)

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