Grammar Essentials For Dummies

Introduction

When you’re a grammarian, people react to you in interesting — and sometimes downright strange — ways. An elderly man once asked me about something that had puzzled him for eight decades: Why did his church, St. Paul’s, include an apostrophe in its name? My nephew recently called to inquire whether his company’s sign in Times Square should include a semicolon. (I said no, though the notion of a two-story-tall neon semicolon was tempting.) Lots of people become tongue-tied, sure that I’ll judge their choice of who or whom. (They worry needlessly, because I consider myself off-duty when I’m not teaching or writing.)

Though you may aspire to be something other than a grammarian, knowing how to use proper grammar is always an advantage — especially in the workplace. Most jobs that provide you with a desk (and many jobs that don’t!) demand that you know how to communicate in both speech and writing.

If you haven’t yet reached the workplace, now’s the best time to master good grammar. No matter what subject you’re studying, teachers favor proper English. Also, the SAT includes a writing section that’s heavy on grammar and, ironically, light on writing.

In this book, I show you the tricks of the grammar trade, the strategies that help you make the right decision when you’re facing such grammatical dilemmas as the choice between I and me or was and were. I explain what you need to do in such situations, and I also tell you why a particular word is correct or incorrect. You ...