Doing Grammar

by Max Morenberg

The new edition of this innovative text employs insights from contemporary linguistic theories but builds them into a practical and coherent system that stays firmly rooted within traditional models. Its down-to-earth explanations about how language works are illustrated at every step with
diagrams and other visual models. The examples and exercises consist of provocative and intelligent sentences, not desiccated grammar-book examples. Each chapter includes a sentence-analysis exercise with fifty problems. Answers are provided for ten sentences per chapter.
A new chapter on how grammar functions in literature and how it is used to improve writing extends the applications of Doing Grammar in this second edition, which also includes new introductory chapter outlines and thoroughly revised chapter summaries. The new edition was class tested for over a
year. Every page has been re-thought and redefined to make grammatical analysis clear, understandable, useful, and interesting. It will be an invaluable guide for students in introductory and advanced grammar and composition courses and for all readers seeking to discover how language works.

Genres: Nonfiction, Linguistics, Writing, Language, Reference, Teaching, Academic

304 pages, Paperback

First published March 14, 1991

Reviews

[Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely essential for first year college students, and yes, ignore that voice in the back of your head ("I already know this stuff," quoth the ego). You should read this book. It's the only grammar book you'll ever need to read, then you can let your ego out.

Morenberg builds on each foundation in each chapter, and as he progresses through the chapters, he slowly gives you more complex information, bit by bit, building, but only after laying the foundation on top of less complex terms and structures. Morenberg literally makes grammar easy because he doesn't plunge right into the jargon and platitudes ("write clearly," "don't use passives" (what if someone doesn't know what a passive is? How can that person avoid it?). He avoids that approach, and EXPLAINS everything you will need to know before you can jump into those platitudinous books on writing.

If you are uncomfortable with grammatical terms, jargon, and the like, seriously read this book. You'll feel like a god after. Then move on; because if you think you "know it all" already, you probably don't.

[Jess · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was tormented by this for almost a whole semester... honestly, without regular lectures, it's almost impossible to understand just from jumping into it blindly. But... the subject might just bore me so much that it's impossible for me to pay attention.

[J · Rating 3 out of 5]

Morenberg gets major points for writing a book about grammar that you don't need a doctorate in syntax to understand. He starts with verbs and slowly builds up to complex clausal transformations. The writing is clear and concise, the important ideas clearly set out. Morenberg's example sentances also provide no end of humor with their absurd non-sequiters. After reading it, I started listening much more carefully to how people put sentences together when they speak, to the point where I started to alienate people with my intense, linguistically-tinged stares. A good book for the beginner, or for anyone who feels like humiliating themselves when they realize that they don't actually know what a di-transitive verb is.

[Kpop47661]

i want to study about this book

[Yisselb Ojo]

I want to read

[S.W. Wilcox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Five stars as a reference tool, almost (but nothing is totally) self-contained and self-correcting. A three star though for even English-teachers-in-training in their 3rd, junior college year (1st year one reviewer wrote--no way: that's for basic paragraph and expository essays, 2nd year is for fallacy theory and short argumentative essays, both with MINOR sentence correcting from your prof), as it's info overload for that. Max should make a shorter, non-reference version for 300-400 level college courses. So that's a strong 4 average, far better than most grammar textbooks and 1-sheets available.

[Judith Yolanda]

i Want learn grammar

[Judith Yolanda]

I want to learn grammar

[Tajh Griffin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a very big fan of this book. Read it for a class and even with the help of a professional grammarian some of the concepts, practices, and ideas aren’t given enough insight to make the applicable to life.

[Shang · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book focuses more on upside down tree diagrams of sentences than Kellogg´s fishbone diagramming which has been taught and widely used in middle and high schools since the end of 19th century.

[Paul Peterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed working with and reading this book!

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was helpful for the art of grammar, though it could be confusing at times.

[Scott]

Excellent!

[Cray Allred · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Excellent book on English grammar. A text book to accompany my morphology course, I learned so much about language structure, word order, sentence type, etc. This book is well worth owning.

[Robin Kabir · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very effective training tool for anyone looking to improve his or her grammar. Don't read about grammar... 'do grammar'.

[Raghu]

goog book

[jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a textbook required for my class, but as far as grammar goes I think Morenberg did as well as he could with making it interesting. Some topics were confusing, but it is English grammar, but he did go through and explain things pretty well so after a few practice attempts in the exercises at the ends of the chapter it was pretty to wrap your head around. The only thing I do wish is that there had been more example diagrams in the chapters.

[Catherine Meijer]

That moment when you put textbooks on Goodreads in order to look like someone who actually reads stuff...