Customer Reviews

The Elements of Grammar

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

 

 

"The Elements of Grammar," intended as a companion for the excellent "The Elements of Style," suffers from a stiff, lifeless presentation that detracts mightily from the grammatical advice. The format of the book itself hinders the reader: the type is too small and relentlessly the same; the examples that follow the rules are set in even smaller type; no visual guides or aids link paired columns of text, making one's eyes climb up and down; and the chapters lack any internal navigational devices to help the reader find his or her way.

The author's explanations lack the authority required for this book to find a spot on my desk. For instance, we are told that a comma may be used to separate the month from the year when the date is omitted, but that current usage permits writing the month and year without a comma between them. I prefer the definitive advice in "The Chicago Manual of Style," which indicates no comma is needed when a month and year appear without the date.

In discussing the use of colons to introduce a list, the author allows a colon to follow a verb, bringing the sentence to a dead stop and interrupting the connection of verb and object or complement.

References to the Government Printing Office Style Manual do not help her case. That style manual is hopelessly outdated and insular

In fairness, Ms. Shertzer delivers a no-frills, somewhat taciturn overview to grammar and usage and one could do much worse than to follow most of the advice here. But this book is not the first choice for a novice editor or young writer unless already thoroughly steeped in the rules and practice of grammar. And in that case, this book's usefulness would be minimal. Seasoned editors and writers would not find this book that useful and many no doubt have nearly new, little used copies of this book wedged into their reference shelves.

This book is not great, but it's not awful. It has useful information that people need to know when writing. I especially like the section on Latin terms in the back of the book. Although I find it odd that it doesn't include "nota bene" or "lingua franca."

Brandon Simpson

It's short, it's quick, it's easy. I have six grammar books in all, some of which offer longer explanations if I truly want to understand something, but I always start with this one first. I've recommended it several times to different writers.

The book was sent as a gift to a friend. It arrived fast and in great condition. The information in this book is invaluable.

This was a horribly boring book. I couldn't even finish it. The biggest flaw, as far as I'm concerned, was that the whole book was written in list form. Who wants to read a gigantic list of admonishments and rules, with no witty, cute comments? The Elements of Style pulled it off. Margaret Shertzer did not.

To be honest, Margaret's book brought to mind my early experiences with cough syrup. You see, it only came in one flavor when I was a child, cherry. And I hated it. When I was sick one day, my mother forced some in my mouth through bribery and trickery, and was much satisfied with her accomplishment. Until, that is, I spit it all over the wall. My mother was very upset by this (as you can well imagine), and told me the syrup wasn't of much use on the walls; I had to drink it if I wanted to get better.

To which I complained, "If I have to drink it, why can't they make it taste better?"

I felt the same over the lessons of grammar I force-fed myself from this book. If I must study it to improve my writing, can't someone make it memorable and fun? Otherwise, I just spit it up all over the wall, or forget it, as it were. And what use is learning it in the first place, if you don't retain it?

Instead of this book, might I recommend the book The Pen Commandments By: Steven Frank? It is written mainly for teenagers in high school, but it is funny and cute and works just fine for an adult audience. It has chapter titles like Thou Shalt Not Pick on the Puncts (for punctuation) in which Mr. Frank brings a fresh perspective to a boring subject. I strongly recommend it to all writers wanting a refresher in grammar that "tastes better" than the stuff you get from the textbooks (FYI this book reads like a textbook).

Hope this helps all you potential buyers! Have a great day and happy reading!

This is a handy, concise reference for everyday grammar. It would benefit everyone if more writers would refer to its rules. With the advent of e-mail, more and more Americans are writing every day, with less and less literacy. As to the "Business Grammar", please note the illustration. The word "business" is not in the actual title, and the book seems to have no special orientation toward business usage. It is, however, quite comprehensive, and should meet the needs of most writers - whether business, professional, or personal.

This book attempts to emulate The Elements of Style by Strunk and White but it doesn't even come close. It is poorly written and organized and is likely to confuse its readers. It fails to provide good examples in many cases. Explanations which should be simple are often quite complex.

I minored in English and am an experienced well published writer but I found this book of little assistance. It is not particularly useful for teachers. I can not think of anyone who would find this book useful.

For anyone trying to improve their grammar or even learn it I would suggest Checking Your Grammar by Marvin Terban which is a superb book.

Lucid, informative, & portable. My 1st edition (1986) is in tatters, so thanks for this update.

This book is a used item, however it looked like it was never used. It was in good condition and it came to me on Sunday just before my class on Monday.

I like this book because it "cuts to the chase." It's a lean book with a lot of instructional power. It simply delivers fact without the fluff.