Customer Reviews

Doing Grammar

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Morenberg sets out to show you English grammar the way it really works, and not as a bunch of mindless, unconnected rules. Its real strength is that it starts from a fairly basic level (it helps to understand basic parts of speech, but that's all you really need), and by the end gives you the tools to analyze most sentences in the real world with a scheme that sticks generally to traditional terms, although it has been updated with more recent insights from linguistics. The coverage of the more complex structures is, to my mind, invaluable, since syntactic understanding becomes truly useful when it can help real-world writing problems, and that means being able to cope with any structure that might come your way. Morenberg's treatment of tense alone sets it far above traditional grammars without delving into the formidable technical apparatus of linguistic theory. I've used the 2nd edition of this book for several years to teach grammar to future teachers, and it has worked well, but the more I teach it, the more I have problems with some of Morenberg's presentations. One of his major themes in the book, is the importance of constituency (the way words, phrases, etc. work together as units). This is a key concept in syntax, and his stress on this point is one of the book's strengths. But he doesn't always follow his own principles. His treatment of the "main verb," for example follows the (flawed) understanding of traditional grammar, even when some of his own example sentences make it clear that what he treats as a constituent does not, in fact, function as a unit. In a few other places, e.g., his treatment of gerunds, he adds what seem to be needless complexities without fully explaining the motivation. If he had borrowed a few more ideas from contemporary linguistics, his presentation could have been more consistent. The third edition doesn't touch these problems, but does add fuller explanation to many other points, as well as answers to fully half the exercises. Despite my reservations, which are minor, this remains the best book I know of for its purpose. The explanations and exercises suit the book for use in self-study.

To any fellow grammar atheists:

I hated grammar as a kid. I was taught grammar by traditionalists in a manner reminiscent of morality lessons. And I was the grammar atheist. The results were ugly.

And so I expected grade school to end my grammar career.

But then, this summer, I decided to apply to Ph.D. programs in business and this requires taking the GMAT. So I registered for the test, took a pretest, and 80% of my errors were - you guessed it - grammar errors.

So I wandered through my local Border's grammar section and I found one book that looked a little different - blue, and written by a guy named Max. So I sat down with my cappuccino and inside Max's book I found a grammarian with a mathematical mind. He said screw trying to memorize grammar; instead, understand grammar as the system by which the English language operates.

Max said that you know twice the grammar that you think you do. If you are a native speaker, all you really need to add to your current knowledge is the system by which grammar works. And so I have learned Max's system and I recommend it to you.

If that's sufficient for you to add 'Doing Grammar' to your cart, great. But there's more.

Eight weeks after that purchase, I got a perfect 800 score on the GMAT. And I now teach other people how to improve their GMAT scores (if you live in the Palo Alto CA area, email me for details).

But more important than my GMAT score is that I am now cognizant of twice as many options in my writing. It's said that H.L. Mencken learned the English language inside out to be acutely aware of his options. Well, I'm on my way to understanding my options too. Thanks Max.

Shawn Berry
shawn_berry@yahoo.com

*Doing Grammar* is an excellent instructional manual for anyone who already knows the basic differences between nouns, verbs, pronouns, etc., and really wants to understand how sentences are put together (and how to take them apart). Although it's presented in textbook format, with exercises at the end of each chapter, don't let that turn you off. The writing is clear and unpretentious (with a fair number of typos, however), and the learning progresses at a satisfyingly fast rate. Accessible, intelligent, and rewarding.

As an English teacher who used this book in college during my Structures of the English Language class (and an admitted grammar-o-phile), I can assure any prospective buyers that this book is both easy to understand and thoroughly comprehensive. Presented in textbook format, it does require a little audience participation, but for the person wary of grammatical inadequacies, this is the book for you.

Morenberg approaches the diagramming (no! keep reading!) from a different perspective, namely a "bottom up" method, so readers understand the construction of the sentence the way they see contractors build a house... from the foundation to the roof. Beginning with parts of speech (anyone can handle that, right?) and ending with the total sentence, you as a reader will learn all the names and labels and rationales in the language you use so effortlessly... what pitfalls exist, and WHY are they pitfalls? Do you know all the verb tenses? Do you know why it's wrong to end a sentence with a preposition? It really is, too, and Morenberg will show you why.

Maybe you don't care.

But the hallmark of an educated person is the ability to use our language accurately. Others notice grammar weakness even if you don't care (and you must just a little or you wouldn't be reading this review). In my field, I've decided against hiring those who can't even speak properly in an interview, and I never ever patronize businesses with errors in their advertising or business literature. It DOES matter.

This book is very, very simple to understand while, at the same time, tremendously valuable in its information and accuracy.

Go for it! Let me know how you like it.

I first read and worked with this book on my own about 9 years ago and it really clarified grammar in a practical, "real life" way for me.

It has helped me both as a writer and a reader.

As a writer I found more options for expressing myself by having more tools to work with and as a reader it helps me decipher endlessly complex sentences that can resemble a linguistic maze.

By being able to break down those complex sentences to their basic constituents, one can clearly see which parts of the sentence are functioning as core ideas, and which are functioning as embellishment.

This book is very user friendly and is in my opinion an excellent self study guide with an interesting variety of exercises.

Highly recommended

If you want to improve your understanding of English grammer, which will improve your writing skills, which will lead others to understand what you write, get this book. I would also recommend "Style" by Joseph M. Williams and "Oxford English Grammer, by Sidney Greenbaum. I brought this book when I read in the preface, "It is odd we humans hate studying grammer. It is like a dolphin hating to learn how to swim. We are born to love language." He also tells the story of how after he had taken a German language exam, a co-student had misunderstood the story because though he knew the knew the meanings of the words, he minterpreted the story because he did not know the grammer or word order of those words. What I love about the book is how the author ordered each chapter to build upon the previous chapter in a very logical point by point learing process. In short, the author worked hard to help you understand a subject which so many of us do not want to understand, but which we need to understand in this age of emails. For the price of a tank of gas, you will lose nothing by getting the book; but you will improve your writing, a very important life long skill. If you teach English, this book will help you order your presentation of English grammer. I have used it to teach Asians English. If you really want to learn how to write, read as many writing books as possible and then write, everyday!

A concise introduction to English Grammar.
I bought it based on Shawn Berry's recommendation and read it twice. It has improved my understanding of english grammar and my GMAT score as well. Many English grammar books suffer from monstruous verbosity which Doing Grammar has none.
Although the book is very concise and neatly written, I would have liked a wider scope. (e.g. idioms, prepositions)

I've used this text 3 times with mixed results. Most students begin to catch on to, and even enjoy, the exercises. But when all is said and done, there's still some question of "What was the point of all that?" It doesn't help that the most recent edition contains a couple of subject-verb agreement problems in the text and that the paperback cover is one of those that immediately begins to curl up. I await the next edition.

Morenberg provides a straightforward, simple to use guide to grammar. His tone is never academic (and thus obnoxious); many chapters have little tongue-in-cheek jokes, catchy sayings and useful little mnemonic devices. I recommend this book to those who have an elementary understanding of grammar, but would like to fill the gaps that a public education has left.

Excellent. Morenberg is hilarious, and his explanations of the complicated workings of English grammar are lucid and understandable.