In short, possibly the most helpful books that I have found on grammar are those that help me with exercises and do not pander but are too the point. They are also clear and illustrative with topical and easy-to-understand examples.
There are numerous books on grammar -- though, in my estimation, not enough. Some of these books are juvenile, parodying the field and sprinkling it with witticisms and childish jokes. I find this irrelevant to helping me and, at worst, distracting.
There are also some useful sites on the web that sometimes sprinkle grammar with games and exercises. Two of these sites are the following:
Guide to grammar and writing (http://grammar.ccc.comment.edu/grammar/)
OWL. Purdue online writing lab (http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/738/01/)
In browsing for some of these sites, I came across the following reminiscence:
I remember when I was training to teach English as a Foreign Language and I encountered plenty of items of grammar...
Grammar In his post entitled 99.9% of proper grammar is obsolete, David Wertheimer makes a number of claims to support his hypothesis proper grammar is obsolete. His argument rests primarily on the use of anecdotal evidence from current digital usage. The first argument is that outside of mainstream publications, things like capital letters, subject-verb agreement and full-length the necessity of such things is "already starting to decay." As a fundamental underlying philosophy,
Grammar Presentation The Hook: The following sentence made it through the grammar checker in Microsoft Word: Having designed software all my life, Microsoft Windows continues to trouble me. What is wrong with that sentence? The problem is not apparent enough to warrant attention from the built-in grammar checker in the word processing software. At first glance, the sentence seems to work: it contains two clauses, one dependent, introductory clause and another independent
The aroma of garlic permeates the air as it bakes. A first bite yields a warm blend of sweet full-fat cheese complemented by the acidity of the tomato, carried by the neutral crunch of the stable crust. Katy Jones and I are best friends. We spent every Christmas together at both her house and mine, because our families used to live right around the corner from each other in Elgin,
To this end, it requires them to give primary attention to meaning and to make use of their own linguistic resources, although the design of the task may predispose them to choose particular forms. A task is intended to result in language use that bears a resemblance, direct or indirect, to the way language issued in the real world. Like other language activities, a task can engage productive or
David preferred the freedom of traveling by train. Coordination: Suzanne liked the control that driving her own car gave her, and David preferred the freedom of traveling by train. Subordination: Suzanne liked control, which driving her own car gave her; David preferred freedom, which traveling by train gave him. 2) Cuba is a popular holiday destination. Canadians flock to the south when harsh winter winds blow. Coordination: Cuba is a popular holiday destination,
Part a: Commas Fortunately, Albert's determination has not been erased. He knows that yes, his work experience is of questionable value in the real world, but that won't stop him! The voice of his mother, who died recently, seems to be urging him forward: "Don't be pessimistic, Al. Whenever the going gets rough we have to put our noses to the grindstone!" That voice, its enthusiasm never waning, shields Albert from
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