Help a Thief!: And Other Misadventures in Punctuation

by Caroline Taggart

Caroline Taggart brings her usual gently humorous approach to punctuation, pointing out what really matters and what doesn't.The trouble with punctuation – well, one of the troubles, anyway – is that too many of the experts suggest leaving it to the writer's judgement. What use is that if you've simply never been taught the difference between a colon and a semicolon, or where those wretched apostrophes go?'Engagingly written, the book is highly readable and will make you think about the way you use punctuation – and that's got to be a good thing' – Parents in Touch ____________________________________ Caroline Taggart, who has made a name for herself expounding on the subjects of grammar, usage and words generally (and who for decades made her living putting in the commas in other people's work), takes her usual gently humorous approach to punctuation. She points out what matters and what doesn't; why using six exclamation marks where one will do is perfectly OK in a text but will lose you marks at school; why hang glider pilots in training really need a hyphen; and how throwing in the odd semicolon will impress your friends. Sometimes opinionated but never dogmatic, she is an ideal guide to the (perceived) minefield that is punctuation. Perfect • Word nerds • Students taking standardized tests • Anyone wanting a fun way to brush up on their grammar

Genres: Nonfiction

192 pages, Paperback

Published June 1, 2022

About the author

I was an editor for 30 years before Michael O’Mara Books asked me to write what became I Used to Know That. I think its success took everyone by surprise – it certainly did me – but it led to my writing a lot of other books and finally, after about three years, feeling able to tell people I was an author. It's a nice feeling.

Until recently the book I was most proud of was The Book of London Place Names (Ebury), partly because I am passionate about London and partly because, having written ten or so books before that, I finally felt I was getting the hang of it.

Now I have to confess I’m really excited by my first venture into continuous narrative. For A Slice of Britain: around the country by cake (AA) I travelled the country investigating, writing about and eating cake. From Cornish Saffron Cake to Aberdeen Butteries, I interviewed about 25 people who are baking cakes, biscuits and buns that are unique to their region, part of their heritage – and pretty darned delicious. The Sunday Times reviewed it and described me as ‘engaging, greedy and droll’, which pleased me enormously.

Reviews

[Leigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Informative and funny in equal measure.

[Caroline Rowan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lighthearted and thoroughly engaging look at grammar. One to read, enjoy, and keep for reference.

[Kaitlyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A light but good reference for English grammar