Nitty-Gritty Grammar: A Not-So-Serious Guide to Clear Communication

by Edith Hope Fine, Judith Pinkerton Josephson

This is a good, solid guide to basic grammar by two women who claim to be "nutty enough to have liked diagramming in school." Their book is clear. It is not boring. It even compares punctuation marks to traffic signals (a period is a stop sign, a comma a flashing yellow light). But its crowning glory is the nearly 30 cartoons--from Sally Forth, Beetle Bailey, The Far Side, and others--on the subject of grammar that are sure to delight anyone who is nutty enough to have liked diagramming in school. In our favorite, Hobbes tries to persuade Calvin that a pronoun is "a noun that lost its amateur status." Calvin, after pondering for a moment, writes it down. "Maybe I can get a point for originality," he says. --Jane Steinberg

Genres: Nonfiction, Writing, Education, Reference, Language, School

100 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 1, 1998

Reviews

[Maryann Larucci-Troche · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is very informative. I have always had a problem comprehending proper grammar; however, this book serves as a great reference guide. It’s very easy to understand with the many examples given.

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title is true: learning about grammar is broken down and sometimes illustrated with "the funnies" from a Sunday paper. I read it in college for a grammar/ English language class I was required to take. It's pretty helpful. I think I will read it again to refresh.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely a good grammar reference guide.

[sofi · Rating 3 out of 5]

interesting, easy to read, informative. found the misplaced modifiers section a bit silly, and as for always capitalizing after a colon if it’s a complete sentence, not so in Chicago Style, as in most novels. so beware!

still a nice refresher

[Mark Freithaler · Rating 3 out of 5]

A clever refresher for low-level English.
Great for grade-school students or those new to English.

[Cherie Kephart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy to read, terrific reference guide for basic grammar. Useful for those common mistakes. I definitely recommend it for those who are in need of a refresher or aren't clear on the fundamentals.

[Eser · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too basic and slightly outdated.

[Zaya · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really disliked the format.

[Robert Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Light-hearted

This is a good guide for general guidance, but not for grammar geeks. It will be best received by elementary and high school students, as well as those who just don't want to look ignorant. The title says it all. (Minor Kindle note: Some pages are unreadable in landscape mode but are fine in portrait mode. This is probably due to the frequent tables, cartoons and special characters.)

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book I read years ago, but I found it the other day and I was thinking about it. It really helps with understanding grammar, and it makes sense in a funny way. I liked it, and if you are having trouble with grammar, it's a useful book to read.

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book explains the basics of grammar. It was a nice little refresher for me.

[Susan Lingner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great reference guide for upper elementary grade students.

[Mark Woodbury · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can I say, I am a dorky writer type.

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really need to work on my grammar