Woe Is I: The Grammarphobe's Guide to Better English in Plain English, Second Edition [Hardcover]

Patricia T. O'Conner (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1573222526 | ISBN-13: 978-1573222525 | Publication Date: July 24, 2003 | Edition: 2nd

The witty, bestselling grammar book that taught a nation better English is revised, updated, and e x p a n d e d for the new millennium, with fresh dos and don'ts in every chapter. Plus a word to the wired-a whole new chapter on language in the age of e-mail.

Unlike, say, Latin, English is a living language-and, like all living things, it grows, it changes, and it can be messy and confusing. And now Woe Is I has grown and changed too. Here's the latest and greatest on the basics and subtleties of the language from America's beloved grammar guru Patricia T. O'Conner. She's renovated her classic, using plain English to un-tangle the knottiest of problems, skipping the kind of jargon that tempted you to cut your high school English class. Run, don't walk, to your local bookstore.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The second edition of O'Connor's delightful guide to good English offers a new chapter on e-mail etiquette that ought to make many people-even grammar snobs-feel a tad guilty: "E-mail," she writes, "is no excuse for lousy English." Let your audience determine your attention to tone and mechanics; use salutations and signatures; resist the urge to indiscriminately forward mail; and leave those emoticons and abbreviations at home, she says. Commonsense stuff-but every once in a while, it's nice to be reminded. The rest of the volume is similar to the first: witty, economical and fun to read, it explains the secrets to grammar in refreshingly jargon-free sentences illustrated by numerous examples ("'I assure you,' said the grieving widow, 'I ensured he was insured to the hilt'"). When is "majority" plural, and when singular? How does saying "Trixie loves spaghetti more than I?" mean something completely different than "Trixie loves spaghetti more than me?" While the volume is certainly handy to someone struggling with grammar basics-there are few style guides so breezy-the "Verbal Abuse" section will appeal to language experts and purists, especially those who decry the use of partner as a verb, or grow with a direct object (as in "grow the business"). As for those who like to use dialogue as a verb, "Don't talk to them," O'Connor says.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

Woe Is I is great fun. (Susan Isaacs) Woe Is I is the best primer on English usage to come along since Strunk and White's The Elements of Style. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution) --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Riverhead Hardcover; 2nd edition (July 24, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1573222526
• ISBN-13: 978-1573222525
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (56 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #468,626 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Patricia T. O'Conner, a former editor at The New York Times Book Review, has written five books about the English language--the bestselling Woe Is I: The Grammarphobe's Guide to Better English in Plain English; Origins of the Specious: Myths and Misconceptions of the English Language (with Stewart Kellerman); Words Fail Me: What Everyone Who Writes Should Know About Writing; Woe Is I Jr.: The Younger Grammarphobe's Guide to Better English in Plain English; and You Send Me: Getting It Right When You Write Online (with Stewart Kellerman).

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Woe to anyone who bypasses this one!, March 24, 2004

By 

Daniel L Edelen (Mt. Orab, OH USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Woe Is I: The Grammarphobe's Guide to Better English in Plain English, Second Edition (Hardcover)

Do you suffer from dangling modifiers? Does fretting over knowing where to place your commas give you a rash? Do "farther" and "further" throw you for a loop? Do you run screaming at the mere thought of using a semicolon? If so, then Patricia T. O'Conner's "Woe Is I" is your best medicine.

Writing in a pun-filled style that uses sentence examples ripped right out of such pop culture staples as "The Simpsons" and "The Honeymooners", O'Conner covers everything from punctuation perfidy to vexing vocabulary. Best of all, once she tells you the correct usage, she lets you know that rules truly are made to be broken, giving us the scoop on just how (and when) to break them--while still maintaining some sense of grammatical decorum.

If the mere thought of cracking open "The Chicago Manual of Style" causes palpitations, then you'll reach for this one knowing that the author does a wonderful job of simply getting to the point. With only 230 pages of text in an easy to handle trade paperback size (and set with an easy-on-the-eyes typeface), this is not an imposing tome. You don't have to be an Oxford-educated English Department chairman to appreciate this one.

"Woe is I" is a book everyone can use. No matter what your profession or station in life, if you speak English, you'll want this as a reference. Six stars, if that were possible.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Woe is You....if you don't read this book, July 9, 2004

By 

Westley (Stuck in my head) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Woe Is I: The Grammarphobe's Guide to Better English in Plain English, Second Edition (Hardcover)

With "Woe is I," O'Connor has created a modern masterpiece. A broad range of grammar topics are covered, including pronouns, punctuation, split infinitives, clichés to avoid, easily confused words (e.g., anxious versus eager), words that are frequently misspelled, and "words" that really aren't words (e.g., irregardless). You also will find a helpful section on email in this new expanded edition.

Fortunately, the guide isn't a stuffy schoolbook; it's actually pretty witty. The most enjoyable section concerns "rules" of grammar that can be bent in all but the most formal writing, such as ending a sentence with a preposition. In addition, examples touch upon great literature (e.g., Shakespeare) as well as popular culture (e.g., Harry Potter), making the book quite entertaining. I actually laughed out loud several times, not something one usually does when reading about grammar! O'Connor also strikes a good balance between being a strict grammarian and being pragmatic - she clearly understands her audience. Some sections aren't as detailed as some readers might like, perhaps the only debit.

I read "Woe is I" in a few hours, and I plan on rereading it every year as a refresher. I will keep this book by my computer - I know I'll be using it often. Most highly recommended for writers of all types.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exceptional book. Highly recommended! 10 stars!!!, March 13, 2004

By 

MikeKDidIt "Have a great one!" (Logan, IA USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Woe Is I: The Grammarphobe's Guide to Better English in Plain English, Second Edition (Hardcover)

I'll keep this short and sweet. I manage a group of technical writers at work. For consistency in the professional world of writing, they use the Chicago Manual of Style as the definitive source. Secretly, our lead writer told me she likes "Woe is I" better. I know why: It is much easier to use, has a great index, is fun to read (no one will ever say that about the Chicago Manual of Style), and covers all the essentials.

I highly recommend "Woe Is I" to everyone that cares about grammar. For those people, like me, that just want a quick reference to help them write well enough, this is perfect. If you are a professional, buy "Woe Is I" to complement your Chicago Manual of Style. I bet you will use "Woe Is I" more often :)