Writer's Digest Grammar Desk Reference [Spiral-bound]

Gary Lutz (Author), Diane Stevenson (Author), Diane Stevenson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 15, 2005

The Definitive Source for Clear and Correct Writing

The Writer's Digest Grammar Desk Reference is the comprehensive resource on grammar and usage, a necessity for every writer's desk. It presents balanced instruction and real-world examples that will ensure professional and flawless work on every occasion.

"There are some principles of usage I thought I'd never understand. This book has proven me wrong. Clear, illuminating, and comprehensive–this is a must-have resource for grammarians and laymen, alike."


–Fiona Maazel, managing editor of The Paris Review

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Gary Lutz is the author of two short story collections. He teaches at his local University. Diane Stevenson's work has appeared in many US magazines.

Product Details

• Spiral-bound: 352 pages
• Publisher: Writers Digest Books (June 15, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1582973350
• ISBN-13: 978-1582973357
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 7.6 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #237,025 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Just the facts, ma'am..., February 26, 2006

By 

Chris A. Christopherson "christcr" (Provo, UT USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Writer's Digest Grammar Desk Reference (Spiral-bound)

The title tells all: Grammar Desk Reference

It IS NOT meant to be a casual "how can I improve my writing?" type book. It IS meant to be a book in which one can find needed grammatical information quickly and efficiently. For that it's perfect.

There is a quagmire of casual "how can I improve my writing?" type books on the market. I have a bunch of them, and although most are well written and helpful, they are very hard to use as a reference when I need the information fast (while writing). I've thumbed through these things many times--annoyed--trying to find info. It doesn't work. The alternative is to remember every detail as you read through these books--good luck!

That's where the Grammar Desk Reference comes in. With a quick look, I can find what I need on the spot. And, although it's not really meant to be a read-through-cover-to-cover type of book, it is written in a pleasant enough manner to do so. Because of the ease of use and the completeness of this text, I would have to say it's the best grammar guide/writing tips book I've purchased. If you appreciate to-the-point material with a minimum of fluff, this is your book!

As for the font: Does everyone need glasses? If so, buy them and stop faulting the book. The font seems fine to me, and my eyes aren't the greatest. I never even thought it to be an issue until I read the reviews here.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Good Grammar Reference But that's it., January 8, 2006

By 

Taneka - See all my reviews

This review is from: Writer's Digest Grammar Desk Reference (Spiral-bound)

The Grammar Desk Reference is not really a book that was put together to be read from cover to cover, but if you are a writer working on an essay or novel and want to quickly find out if you need a comma in a sentence or not. Then this book will help.

The Grammar Desk Reference is just what it says. It was written explicitly to be used during the proofreading process. It's not a grammar book that could be read from cover to cover, but once you find information on your comma you may be tempted to keep reading for a bit to get full information on how it should be used. The information is way easier to find in it then in a normal grammar guide though if you need reading glasses to read you will definitely want to wait till writers digest puts out a large print edition.

I gave it four stars because it is wordy and the print in it is small (think 9-10 Point Arial type) and could really be a lot larger it also skims a little on explaining the Grammar in lay terms which I found a bit disappointing. But in most cases you can quickly locate what an "Adverbial Introductory Element" or an "Dangling Modifier" is with very little looking and get an idea of what the authors mean. If you have one grammar book that is hard to use because you can't find anything in it (which is why I bought mine) then this may be for you. My only gripes are the print size and that while the spiral binding may make it possible to lay the book flat while you look at your manuscript, it also makes the pages irritatingly hard to turn at times. But other then these things the book is okay as a quick and easy to use reference. If you want something simple to read cover to cover (or that resembled your college grammar guide) then this is not for you.

16 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great Reference For Grammar Geeks--But Hefty Reading, September 19, 2005

By 

Christopher Kokoski "Author of, '101 Ways To ... (Louisville, KY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Writer's Digest Grammar Desk Reference (Spiral-bound)

Before you purchase this book, ask yourself two questions:


"Do I want/need to learn all the nitty-gritty details of grammar, punctuation and sentence structure?"

and,

"Am I willing to overlook pages crammed with tiny print and few 'breaks' for my eyes?"


If you answered "YES" to both of these questions, then this book may be for you. I added it to my library a few weeks ago. So far, I've found it helpful, insightful and a good review.

The book is broken into four parts:


1. Grammar Overview (For those who forgot what a verb does, a noun is, and who think an indirect object is the title of the new Jennifer Anniston flick).

2. Grammer Rules, Conventions, and Errors to Avoid (Such as agreement of verbs and parallelism).

3. Punctuation: Rules, Conventions, and Errors to Avoid (All the classics: commas, colons, quotation marks and more)

4. Mechanics and Usag (Everything from proper nouns and adjectives to a glossary of commonly missused words).



Bottomline: If you're looking to refresh your grammar skills, this book will help. If you're looking for an easy-to-read book, run. Run now.