It Was the Best of Sentences, It Was the Worst of Sentences: A Writer's Guide to Crafting Killer Sentences 1st Edition

by June Casagrande (Author)

134 customer reviews

ISBN-13: 978-1580087407

ISBN-10: 158008740X

Why is ISBN important?

Have one to sell? Sell on Amazon

Added to

Unable to add item to List. Please try again.

Share <Embed>

Condition: Used - Good

In Stock. Sold by Duncan's Book Supply, Fulfilled by Amazon

Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.

58 Used from $5.48

FREE Shipping

Deliver to France

Turn on 1-Click ordering

In Stock.

Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.

This item ships to France. Want it Monday, Dec. 10? Order within and choose AmazonGlobal Priority Shipping at checkout. Learn more

List Price: $14.00
Save: $1.72 (12%)

53 New from $12.28

Deliver to France

Turn on 1-Click ordering

More Buying Choices

53 New from $12.28 58 Used from $5.48 2 Collectible from $19.00

113 used & new from $5.48

See All Buying Options

Free Two-Day Shipping for College Students with Amazon Student

In this wickedly humorous manual, language columnist June Casagrande uses grammar and syntax to show exactly what makes some sentences great—and other sentences suck.

Great writing isn’t born, it’s built—sentence by sentence. But too many writers—and writing guides—overlook this most important unit. The result? Manuscripts that will never be published and writing careers that will never begin.

With chapters on “Conjunctions That Kill” and “Words Gone Wild,” this lighthearted guide is perfect for anyone who’s dead serious about writing, from aspiring novelists to nonfiction writers, conscientious students to cheeky literati. So roll up your sleeves and prepare to craft one bold, effective sentence after another. Your readers will thank you.

Customers who bought this item also bought

Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1

This shopping feature will continue to load items. In order to navigate out of this carousel please use your heading shortcut key to navigate to the next or previous heading.

Ruth Bell

61

Paperback
$21.93

Editorial Reviews

Review

“an editor and grammar columnist’s funny but no-nonsense guide to better writing.” —St. Petersburg Times

“Great writing starts with strong sentences. This is your guidebook to mastering the art.”
—DONALD MAASS, literary agent and author of The Fire in Fiction

“June mixes sassy fun with practical advice. You’ll laugh all the way to writing better.”
—MIGNON FOGARTY, author of Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing

“It Was the Best of Sentences, It Was the Worst of Sentences is that incredibly rare breed of book: a guide to grammar and style that is simultaneously smart, engaging, and instructive. By tackling prose composition on a sentence-by-sentence level, June Casagrande has found a way to provide intensely practical advice for the novice writer—not to mention unexpected insights for the expert writer. It would make a welcome addition to any language lover’s library.”
—ELIZABETH LITTLE, author of Biting the Wax Tadpole

About the Author

June Casagrande is the author of the weekly syndicated “A Word, Please” grammar column and a copy editor for the custom publishing department of the Los Angeles Times. She has worked as a reporter, features writer, city editor, proofreader, and copyediting instructor for UC San Diego Extension. She is the author of Grammar Snobs Are Great Big Meanies, Mortal Syntax, and It Was the Best of Sentences, It Was the Worst of Sentences. She lives in Pasadena, California, with her husband. Visit www.junecasagrande.com.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product details

Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: Ten Speed Press; 1 edition (July 27, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 158008740X
ISBN-13: 978-1580087407
Product Dimensions: 5 x 0.6 x 7 inches
Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 134 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #126,343 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #133 in Books > Textbooks > Reference > Writing Skills
- #183 in Books > Reference > Words, Language & Grammar > Grammar
- #231 in Books > Textbooks > Humanities > Literature > Creative Writing & Composition

Would you like to tell us about a lower price?
If you are a seller for this product, would you like to suggest updates through seller support?

Be the first video

Your name here

Try the Kindle edition and experience these great reading features:

See Kindle Edition

134 customer reviews

Review this product

Write a customer review

Showing 1-7 of 134 reviews

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Lynda A. Dietz

Get it on your reference shelf ASAP

June 27, 2017

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

I can’t recommend this book strongly enough. Not only is it informative, but it’s presented in such a way that it’s not tedious. Dare I even say . . . fun?

Though I already knew many of the basics that dealt with punctuation and grammar, I bought this book with the intention of honing my editing skills. Sentence structure is something I’m always on the lookout to improve while editing, so I truly enjoyed the chapters that dealt with word-by-word dissection of ad copy, paragraphs, opening lines, and more. I have to admit, I looked at some of those and thought, “Well, that’s not so bad,” and then cringed at how many things had to change to make the clearest sentence possible. As I continued to read, though, the errors became more and more obvious, and I didn’t feel nearly as lacking in my observational skills.

If you’re a writer, you need to read this. Perhaps more than once. It can only help you in making your writing tighter.

If you’re an editor, this little book should be on your reference shelf as one of the handiest guides you’ll ever own. The very end of the book, in fact, is one of my favorite parts: an appendix that lists the most incriminating errors you can make—the ones that will brand you as a hack and tell your readers “the writer is out of her element,” according to Ms. Casagrande. They’re the misused words that drive grammarphiles insane, and the very stuff that will drive an Internet argument off-topic and down the road of personal insults in a heartbeat.

If you’re a homeschooler, you need to get this for yourself and your kids and start them off right, with an instructional book that won’t bore them to tears.

After all, with chapter titles such as “Antique Desk Suitable for Lady with Thick Legs and Large Drawers,” how can you go wrong?

20 people found this helpful

Helpful

Comment

Marquitta Winfree

A great book to just read! A fantastic, fun way for homeschoolers and others to improve their all around writing skills.

September 28, 2014

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

You need to buy this book just to read it; you'll learn to write better without studying. I bought a slew of books on punctuation and writing for my two homeschooled children, advanced 7th and 8th graders. This is our favorite! It's not just about writing concisely (technical) or creatively (fiction); it's real-life communication. I did try to give it 4.5 stars for her one slight problem. In a past life I was a tech writer for Nuclear Power Experience; you talk about not changing the meaning of a sentence! A few of her rewrites do "technically" change the meaning of her examples, but 99% of readers would never notice. I say, " Buy the book!" You and your children 6th grade and up will laugh your way to learning.

8 people found this helpful

Helpful

Comment

hsteetcher

This book is a no-nonsense guide to writing. But ...

June 24, 2018

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

This book is a no-nonsense guide to writing. But, I believe it missed dealing with a couple of grammar problems, including the people's attaching of "at" to the end of sentences and the big lack of pronoun/antecedent agreement in number.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Comment

globe trotter

Who knew grammar could be so entertaining!

February 16, 2015

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

For the first time in my life I am thoroughly entertained by and appreciative of grammar rules. Go figure! I have enjoyed this author's weekly column in my Sunday newspaper so much that I sought out this book. It did not disappoint. If you would like to improve your writing, but have always found the rules of grammar tedious and boring, give casagrande a chance- she finds a way to make it amusing, interesting and fun. I also plan to give this as a gift to a family member in college who is a budding editor...

4 people found this helpful

Helpful

Comment

Amazon Customer

Helpful, funny, easy to read.

December 30, 2015

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

I have worked as a copywriter, translator and writer in different non-english native media. This book has made my work a lot easier by not only providing to-the-point grammar, but also by helping me "shed the fat" from sentences. Sometimes it's a little hard to go back and forth between two or three languages and this book has made life a lot easier for my brain.

My favorite aspect of the book are the funny examples - I had never before chuckled while reading a grammar book!

3 people found this helpful

Helpful

Comment

john johnson

Great teaching pedagogy for this kind of thing

August 10, 2015

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

This book is a gem.

Buy it. Read it. Immerse yourself in it.

I've bought several books on writing; this is the only one I've finished reading. In fact, I'm reading it a second time. And when I'm done, I'll read it a third time.

In this book, June shows us how a basic knowledge of grammar can improve our writing. Appendix A on the formation of sentences complements the book proper. Each chapter abounds with cogent instruction--examples are provided, errors are pointed out and suggestions given on how to fix them. Great teaching pedagogy for this kind of thing.

I do have a quibble, though. For some reason, Miss Casagrande despises the semicolon. So much so, that she omits it from Appendix B--on punctuation. Sure, she does state that a lot of people having trouble using the semicolon. But isn't that all the more reason to explain it? So that we don't continue to misuse it? Furthermore, I have seen deft uses of the semicolon by expert writers; surely, the semicolon has its place.

One qualification: I am a novice writer (and I use the term "writer" loosely); therefore, the great benefit that I have gained from reading this book--is because there is much I don't know. However, I suspect that writers who are more skillful than I, can still pick up a thing or two. Regardless, it's always good to review the fundamentals.

Overall: Great book. Full of humor. Marvelous read.

19 people found this helpful

Helpful

Comment

M. Dynarski

Useful, sometimes enlightening, consistently entertaining

April 6, 2014

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

I liked Verlyn Klingenborg's book 'Several Short Sentences about Writing' more, for its unusual format and its clear messages about the writer's craft and the challenge of sentences. On the other hand, 'It was the best of sentences..' has more about grammar and placement of words and clauses. Examples of how the author parses a draft sentence and makes it a better sentence are interesting and ultimately may be what I take away most from the book.

6 people found this helpful

Helpful

Comment

Set up an Amazon Giveaway

Amazon Giveaway allows you to run promotional giveaways in order to create buzz, reward your audience, and attract new followers and customers. Learn more about Amazon Giveaway

This item: It Was the Best of Sentences, It Was the Worst of Sentences: A Writer's Guide to Crafting Killer Sentences

Set up a giveaway

Pages with related products. See and discover other items: grammar help, books for writers, writing guide, self publishing editing, best exercises

It Was the Best of Sentences, It Was the Worst of Sentences: A Writer's Guide to Crafting Killer Sentences 1st Edition

Turn on 1-Click ordering

Turn on 1-Click ordering

Customers who bought this item also bought

Sponsored products related to this item (What's this?)

Editorial Reviews

Review

About the Author

Product details

Related Video Shorts (0)

Be the first video

Sponsored products related to this item (What's this?)

Try the Kindle edition and experience these great reading features:

134 customer reviews

Review this product

Customer images

Read reviews that mention

Showing 1-7 of 134 reviews

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Set up an Amazon Giveaway

It Was the Best of Sentences, It Was the Worst of Sentences: A Writer's Guide to Crafting Killer Sentences 1st Edition

Sorry, there was a problem.

Sorry, there was a problem.

Buy used On clicking this link, a new layer will be open $10.94 On clicking this link, a new layer will be open

Turn on 1-Click ordering

Buy new On clicking this link, a new layer will be open $12.28 On clicking this link, a new layer will be open

Turn on 1-Click ordering

Customers who bought this item also bought

Sponsored products related to this item (What's this?)

Editorial Reviews

Review

About the Author

Product details

Related Video Shorts (0)

Be the first video

Sponsored products related to this item (What's this?)

Try the Kindle edition and experience these great reading features:

134 customer reviews

Review this product

Customer images

Read reviews that mention

Showing 1-7 of 134 reviews

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Set up an Amazon Giveaway

Buy used On clicking this link, a new layer will be open

$10.94 On clicking this link, a new layer will be open

Buy new On clicking this link, a new layer will be open

$12.28 On clicking this link, a new layer will be open