Perfect English Grammar: The Indispensable Guide to Excellent Writing and Speaking

by Grant Barrett

Expert linguist Grant Barrett gives you all the tools you need to improve your everyday communication—from perfecting your punctuation to polishing your speaking skills—with his accessible, go-to grammar guide.

Language learners of all levels can turn to this easy-to-navigate grammar guide again and again for quick and authoritative information. From conjugating verbs to crafting sentences to developing your own style, Grant Barrett provides you with the tools and motivation to improve the way you communicate.

Perfect English Grammar helps you clearly say what you want to say—and the best way to say it.

Never Be Wrong: Catchy examples help you remember core grammar rules Sharpen Your Style: Composition guidelines let you express yourself fully Look It Up: Seamless navigation makes it easy to find answers quickly Geek Out: Explore the tricky questions with Grant Barrett’s help

Whether you’re a busy professional or on the job hunt, Perfect English Grammar makes it easier than ever to improve your grasp of grammar.

Genres: Reference, Writing, Nonfiction, Language, Teaching, Personal Development, Self Help

240 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 29, 2016

Reviews

[Coralie · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent reference book. I read it cover to cover (Yes, I am a nerd. I do love my language.). The author displays his knowledge of the English language without seeming snobby or showing a know-it-all attitude. He writes in a style that is inviting and yet knowledgeable, which appeals to several audiences. It could be used by professionals to look up and double check something or by new learners ready to dive a little deeper into the nitty gritty. It's mostly a surface level look at the language, but the book provides several examples to illustrate each point and breaks the language down into individual bits and pieces that are easy to swallow.

[Preetam Chatterjee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mission 2026: Binge reviewing all previous Reads, I was too slothful to review back when I read them

Barrett’s 'Perfect English Grammar: The Indispensable Guide to Excellent Writing and Speaking' occupies an interesting middle ground between prescriptive grammar manuals and reader-friendly language guides, and revisiting it now, I appreciate how deliberately it tries to reconcile authority with approachability.

Unlike exam-oriented grammar books, this one speaks to a broader audience: writers, professionals, and serious users of English who want refinement rather than mere correctness. Barrett’s tone is calm, conversational, and quietly confident, avoiding the scolding voice that often shadows grammar instruction.

What stands out is the book’s emphasis on choice and context. Rules are explained, but they are rarely absolute; instead, Barrett shows how grammar operates differently across formal writing, spoken English, journalism, and creative prose. This makes the book feel modern and humane, especially in its acknowledgement that language is alive, contested, and adaptive.

The explanations are clear without being simplistic, and examples are drawn from real usage rather than artificial textbook sentences, which helps demystify common confusions around punctuation, agreement, modifiers, and idiom.

I found its treatment of style particularly valuable: grammar here is not just about avoiding mistakes but about shaping meaning, tone, and credibility. At the same time, this is not a book for those seeking drill-heavy practice or exam-specific formats; its strength lies in conceptual clarity rather than repetitive exercises. It works best as a reference you return to when uncertain, or as a guide that sharpens intuition over time.

In contrast to more rigid handbooks, Barrett allows the reader to grow into confidence rather than obedience. Reading it again, I realised how much it encourages responsibility: you are taught the rules, but also trusted to decide when to bend them. That balance makes the book especially useful for advanced learners and teachers who want to explain not just what is correct, but why alternatives exist.

It may not replace classroom grammars in institutional settings, but as a companion for lifelong English users, it remains both reassuring and intellectually honest.

Most recommended for teachers and students alike.

[Lauren Wegner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so good! It teaches you all about grammar! So awesome! You should totally read it! I had a change in my life by this big book! So many pages with good details!❤

[Erin Brenner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like most mainstream grammar books, Perfect English Grammar contains explanations and advice beyond grammar, also covering usage, spelling, style, and writing. It’s written for a wide variety of writers and speakers to help improve their communication.

Unlike some grammar handbooks, this one is empowering. It isn’t a list of don’ts. It doesn’t oversimplify rules to the point of being wrong. And it doesn’t pretend that the advice between its covers is the only way to write and speak.

Says Barrett in the introductory materials, “My goal is to help you make the best choice for your situation without having to fear somebody will hunt you down and make fun of you because you did it your way instead of their way.”

Is it a worthwhile book for copyeditors, especially more experienced editors?

Read the full review at Copyediting.

[Alan Briggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

He explains each point clearly and with examples. Well worth reading

[SOMDReigel · Rating 5 out of 5]

The title of the book leads you believe that this is a book on grammar. This book is so much more. It’s an informative guide on writing well, spelling, usage, and more. The Table of Contents is clear and you can find your answers easily. There are example sentences, charts, lists, and a glossary. I like the size of the book and the font used. Overall, a very nice reference book to have on hand to improve your punctuation and communication skills.
I received this product for free in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

[Giorgi Chkheidze · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read this book to the last page and although I have not used it as a reference, I understand that it may be used in such a way too. To be frank, I did not expect that this book would be such an easy and comfortable read with grammatical concepts explained in an orderly, concise and precise manner. As a non-native speaker of English, I am very surprised by the result and I'd recommend this book to anyone interested in gaining confidence in their English language skills.

[Chris Kemper · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book as a refresher, and found myself wanting and needing more. I needed more examples for practice, with explanations as to why the examples are right or wrong. And,yes, this is a reference book-but I read it. So I’m counting it toward my books read in 2021.

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a native English speaker, there are a lot of things about English you don't really think about--namely, everything. Since beginning my journey in learning other languages, I've incidentally also learned things about English. Things I never knew or thought about, and found wildly interesting to learn about from the perspective of non-native speakers.

Thus, my interest piqued for learning more about my own native language, and subsequently, I purchased this book. And wow, was it so entirely worth it! I can't recommend this book enough to both native and non-native speakers. (But like, especially native speakers! English, in my opinion, is the most difficult language to learn, and this book really explains in detail why!)

You'd think an English grammar book would be boring, but I found this book to be completely the opposite. Although I read through it slowly, I was entirely engaged every time I picked it up. Nearly every page I exclaimed out loud things along the lines of, "What?!", "That's why?!", "OMG!", "This explains everything!" Any time anyone was around me, I had to mention something from this book to them. (Or text spam people, if no one was there.)

As a native English speaker, I've never had to think about any of this stuff. But since learning other languages, and being asked questions by non-native speakers, and my best answers always being, "I don't know, that's just the way it is," this book blew my mind several times with /actual/ answers as to why things are the way that they are!

This book could very easily be read cover to cover straight through, or used as a reference. The author seemed very grounded and knowledgeable about this topic, clearly they have a passion. I appreciated times where they pointed out what is grammatically correct versus colloquially correct, different rules for styles, differences between British and American English, and how language grows and evolves. If you're worried about this feeling like school all over again, I promise it's not like that. I definitely felt this book was more engaging and smarter about capturing my attention than what I recall of my school days. (But maybe I've just grown more curious about this stuff, I could be biased, who knows, haha.)

If anything, this book just lead me wanting more! It does a great job at covering the basics of English grammar though. And it's a fairly fast read if you sit down and just go through it, but I found myself wanting to write things down, or reread parts. It definitely got me itching to learn more about linguistics.

I will absolutely be coming back to this book. It's an invaluable resource. Even if you don't plan to write or speak, it's otherwise wildly interesting and I'd still say to go pick up a copy!

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

The main reason I wanted to read this book is that I really enjoy Grant Barrett's podcast, A Way With Words. I also feel terribly rusty about the fine points of grammar, and since I work as an editor I thought this book would patch those chinks. Honestly, I was disappointed even thought that was unfair; the book is pointedly intended for language learners, and he does a great job of providing clear explanations. I ended up zooming through sections (fine!) and taking a gloss, but with notes marked throughout for reference.

[David Kellogg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite good

This is a straightforward, no-nonsense guide to grammar and usage. There is nothing idiosyncratic: it comes at you right down the middle. It's not as exhaustive as some guides and approaches every topic as though you know nothing, but in today's world that might be needed.

[Liz VanDerwerken · Rating 4 out of 5]

A straightforward no-nonsense guide to English grammar basics. A good refresher in a more digestible format than a lengthy/in-depth style guide. The book is organized well for quick reference uses or to read cover to cover.

[Nila MK · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have you heard "the only person you shouldn't learn English from is an American"? This book is written by an American who knows what is missing in your grammar skills. I finally found the answers to all my questions.

[Catherine Puma · Rating 3 out of 5]

This grammar resource is good to have on hand for those who write often and want a refresher on key concepts. I worked in publishing for years and did well because mostly good grammar comes naturally to me since I am a native English speaker.

However, I am aware of my shortcomings. I know from helping my younger brother edit high school papers that I wouldn't be able to teach English grammar; I could line edit his work but I was poor at explaining why certain things needed to be corrected. Ever since being introduced to nuanced grammatical concepts in junior year AP English Language & Composition, I remain insecure in the definitions of different parts of a sentence, types of words, and cases, etc.

Linguist & dictionary editor Grant Barrett's book touches upon many of these grammar definitions and rules. Topics include: parts of speech, determiners, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, interjections, and many more.

Regardless, this is much more of a quick reference than a teaching guide, for there is only 2-3 sentences explaining each topic and then a few examples. I cannot say I am any more confident in my grammar after reading this, and I do not think any non-native English speaker would be able to use this to teach themselves proper grammar. So no, I do not think this book would give you the powers of "perfect English grammar" or make sure you can "never be wrong" again.

Overall, this is a small, short guide that could make a cute Christmas present for your favorite high school teacher. This guide did a good job of pointing out what is technically good grammar, but noting that writers should follow the expected style guides of their company/university/audience etc. I can imagine those working in a writing profession having this on their shelf next to their dictionaries, thesauruses, and other books on writing advice. I got this for $9 in the Barnes & Noble Bargained Books section, and it's probably been work the money.

[Matthew Rosa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't have experience with other 'guides', but I did read this book from cover to cover and enjoyed it lol even though a lot of these might seem like 'common sense' for any scholastic, insightful, or perceptive persons; I recommend reading it and just checking to see if your skills are good or need improvement. I actually got this at a discount, as Barnes and Nobles had it on clearance I think, but the content of the book has been as valuable to a college text book in my opinion with how valuable the content was for me.

Along with reviewing and training my intelligence with English grammar, I felt the book taught me a lot of specific things I didn't know or think about. Something really random; I didn't know that the rules of grammar were different for the UK and US for example lol I'm in my thirties and didn't realize that til just last year when I got this book. It doesn't go into much detail about it, but things have been making more sense to me since reading this 😂 which doesn't mean I haven't noticed while reading other fictional works from abroad, coming from the US, but I just haven't thought about it too much til it was explained to an extent and with good examples too. I feel like a new person entirely 😇

Would recommend to anybody that wants to have proper grammar and learn all the rules any professional would be competent in. Not all the time though, but for the most part, as people do catch others making mistakes all the time, and even with established works or people 👀

[Theresa]

If you want a grammar book that briefly explains the guidelines, I suggest reading this book. It does not lay out a strict grammar rule, but it serves as a guide to writing and speaking well in English. It also provides added information on the present trends and practices surrounding the language. Here are some important notes I've taken from the book:

1. The purpose of writing is to be understood. The use of fancy words and complex sentences does not always equate to good writing.
2. When writing an essay, make sure to structure them in this order: topic sentence, body, and conclusion.
3. Use transition devices.
4. Note that the written language does not always represent the spoken language. Make sure to familiarize the spellings of words.
5. Take note of homophones - words that sound alike but are spelled differently (ex. too and two)
6. Numbers at the beginning of sentences should always be written as words.
7. Subordinators introduce dependent clause.
8. Active voice is used when the subject performs the verb and appears in front of the verb. On the other hand, passive voice places the direct object before the verb, and the subject after the verb. Both are essential in everyday writing and speaking.
9. Modal verbs are auxiliary verbs that help main verbs in suggesting ability, possibility, potential,
expectation, permission, and obligation.
10. Reflexive pronouns redirect a clause or sentence back to the subject. They also act as direct objects (ex. I gave myself a headache by eating ice cream too fast.)
11. Intensive pronouns are very common in spoken language. They add emphasis in the sentence but do not act as the object of the verb unlike reflexive pronouns (ex. I myself am a great cook.)
12. Use commas when adding vocatives and nonessential ideas or facts. Note that you don't need to use comma when inserting extra clause beginning with "that."
13. Semicolons join two independent clauses as alternative to conjunctions (ex. The cats eat their meals on the counter; the dogs eat their meals on the floor.)
14. You can also use semicolons when indicating transitions (ex. We love camping; however, it is too cold this time of the year.)
15. Endash is used for the numbers and dates while emdash is used to connect secondary interest texts. Emdash can also be used when writing a condition or conclusion.
16. The modal "can" is used when talking about mental and physical activity while the modal "may" is used to ask for permission.
17. Avoid dangling modifiers. They don't make it clear what is being modified. For example, in the sentence "Outraged, a refund was demanded." This is incorrect because the sentence lack item that is being modified. The correct writing is: Outraged, the customers demanded a refund.

End Note: I think it's not easy to master all the grammar rules. Language is very complex and is constantly changing; however, it is still important to know the acceptable ways of conveying our messages, and that is why grammar books are essential references.

[Eileen Peng · Rating 2 out of 5]

The editors appear not to have thoroughly checked the included examples meant to illustrate the grammatical concepts being explained. Often, though, the italicized portions do not fully correspond to the concept at hand (i.e., a noun phrase might be missing one or two words, or the italics meant to indicate a prepositional phrase might catch an extraneous word as well); at least one example, which may have been meant for another portion of the book, is entirely unrelated to the topic discussed in its printed location. In addition to these distracting errors, Barrett supplies very limited discussion of connections or subtle differences between terms, even when there is a clear overlap that could cause confusion for readers.

Though this book seems like a decent choice if one is in the market for a concise usage guide, it is certainly more for utility than pleasure reading: the content is aimed for the everyman (even though many of the concepts discussed wouldn't be useful to most readers), so the explanations are likely to seem superficial to those already interested in grammar, and Barrett's style lacks any particular charm.

[Chip (C.A.) Printup · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a native English speaker, who sometimes forgets basic English. I especially struggle with possessives, matching tenses and active vs. passive voice (mostly because I spent a lot of time learning French and sometimes try to use their rules for English, which doesn't exactly work).

You can either skip ahead to what you need or read it cover to cover like I did. Who knows, you might just learn a few tidbits about English you didn't know.

Also I really like how the author doesn't want to shame you for not knowing certain English rules and even acknowledges that English is an evolving language (one rule he even said both are permissible and anyone who says otherwise, he will debate).

It's a very chill book that wants you to feel at ease with grammar.

[Mackenzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I use this book almost every day. I, in fact, have it on my desk right now as I type this and I finished reading it almost a year ago. This is the best grammar resource that I have found since The Elements of Style by EB White and William Strunk. Not to discredit The Elements of Style, but this book needs to be used as an addition as it's chalk full of updated information and a personal sense of writing for a resource book.
Grant Barrett is also very personal on Twitter and I feel if you have any questions, he'd be happy to answer them for you.

[Linda Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy to use and a fun read

The book is well organized and easy to look up parts of speech and other grammar topics. The author says it is meant as a reference and not to sit down and read, but I found it a great review as well as learned a lot in reading through it. Each section is short and written in a casual manner, not pedantic like many grammar books. I recommend the book and the podcast that he co-hosts, A Way With Words.

[Mr. Bohemian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Had all the good stuff

Contained many grammar rules I needed to double check and make sure I didn't dream up. It didn't contain fundamental ABCs for someone just starting the language. Only thing that was lacking was the colon and semicolon section. Makes me wonder if anything else was lacking.

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recommend this book!

If you think grammar is hard to learn, try this book. It’s not complicated as most grammar books do. The author explains each section clear and concise with simple definitions and examples.

My friend recommended to me and it worth to read so I would recommend to those who wish to improve their English grammar, too. 😊

[Anne Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a nice little concise book that discusses the proper use of the English language. Probably more useful to those who write formal documents, it's nonetheless also a good guide for those like me who write fiction. If you want a quick guide to things like the order of adjectives or want to know just where in the U.S. "y'all" is common, then this is the book for you.

[Audra Gayle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Grant Barrett and A Way with Words! It's been a long time since I've read a decent style guide. If you're looking for a great refresher on the basics or your kids/students need a good reference guide to keep on hand, I highly recommend this book.

[Eliza · Rating 1 out of 5]

The explanations throughout this book (and even the definitions in the glossary) are awkwardly stated and/or are too vague and leave loopholes that shouldn't be there. They left me confused so I ended up looking up definitions on Google and dictionary.com, which did a much better job.

[John Irvin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Review and Refresh!

As a freelance proofreader, it’s not always easy to keep all the rules straight because I’m human. Books like this one make it a little easier. Thank you for this great review and refresher, I learned some up-to-date tips also!

[Hiếu Thi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy to understand and concise, so you can casually read it from start to finish.

It helps clear up a lot of doubts and mistakes that I don't even know how to look them up as a non-native English speaker.

[Stanley · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent reference book. I am sure I will visit often.

[alex1986 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not interesting

Not recommended. Brief description and lack of examples. 2 out of 5 Rating. Author should have elaborate more details and not provide an overview.

[Nicola Neil · Rating 4 out of 5]

A useful compendium of basic English grammar rules.