The Curious Case of the Misplaced Modifier: How to Solve the Mysteries of Weak Writing

by Bonnie Trenga

Most people think that good grammar leads to good writing. But the truth is that while good writing may be technically correct, it's also strong, concise, and specific. This guide identifies the seven writing weaknesses that editors everywhere must fix again and again; in fact, almost all of an editor's corrections on any piece of writing will come from the material covered in this book's lessons. In an engaging solve-the-mystery format, you'll solve these

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction, Language, Reference, Adult

152 pages, Hardcover

First published April 11, 2006

Reviews

[Wendy Bunnell · Rating 4 out of 5]

never let it be said I don't know how to party on a Saturday night. This was the most entertaining hornbook on grammar I've read all year. it has a nice, light tone, clear rules and helpful examples.

[Tony Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a GREAT tool for anywriter's toolbox.

[Readius Maximus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Those reading my reviews can tell I am not very good at this whole English thing so I found this book very interesting. It is simple and has lots of great examples. My biggest weaknesses are probably run on sentences, and along with that, misplaced modifiers, as well as all the common writing misdemeanors in the appendix.

This book is something I need to review...

Daily...

haha

[Irfan Mirza · Rating 4 out of 5]

Update August 7, 2012: Although the content of the book should allow a largely self taught author to feel satisfied with one's investment, of both time and money, but the most enjoyable part of the book remains the presentation of content. Whosesoever taste, the author or the publisher, in presentation and layout it reflects, the book, with its brilliant formatting, makes the whole process of knowledge acquisition an extremely enjoyable activity. It definitely offers a welcome respite from the general trend, which has become an epidemic in the publishing industry, of not enough line spacing, poor formatting, and general presentation that resembles dumping of whole lot of text on a sheet of paper. If book reading and review communities were to introduce two separate ratings for quality of content and quality of presentation, then this book would get 6 stars in the presentation department: an excellently laid out book.

Having referred to the need to introduce tiered rating system, so to encourage publishers to assign some importance to layout and formatting, I would like to urge the decision makers at GoodReads to take the lead and introduce the aforementioned rating scheme, as, at least on occasions, the formatting of a book can prove decisive in terms of a person's desire to read a book.

[Anita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes, this is a grammar book. Yes, I read it for school. Yes, I liked it. In fact, this is one of the best improve-your-writing books (correctly placed hypens) I've read. It is fun, gives good tips, and even better, has exercises to help you practice what you've learned. Okay, I realize that might not be for everybody, but this was a pleasant surprise for me. We are so impressed at school that we are going to be writing some curriculum for our students using this book. Ms. Trenga not only sold me, but will make a few well-deserved dollars when we buy copies for our students. It is not often that you can get a writing guide that helps you teach for $10. Yippee!

[Dr. T Loves Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a well-written, very accessible guide to overcoming common writing issues. It's written in a very laid-back style with engaging explanations and examples. If I could, I would make this required reading for every middle school (and probably high school) student.

[Kurukka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short but concise and very insightful.

[Scott Appleton · Rating 5 out of 5]

What could be more clever than packing weak sentence exercises into mock-Sherlock Holmes-type mysteries? This small book packs a wallop for strengthening your writing. As it relates to fiction writing this is a hallmark on my shelf.

I highly recommend going through these pages. The exercises in eliminating weak verbs, alone, is worth the purchase. Each case of weak writing feels like a Sherlock Holmes mystery so that it stays entertaining throughout what could otherwise be dry material.

[Lynette · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book! Easy to consume and apply. Easy examples to follow and relate to writing. Short exercises to help you determine whether you're understanding the concepts. Recommend to everyone who writes me emails!!!

[Irishgal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Got this gem from the library, loved the format and the genial tone. Great refresher and helpful tool to tighten up your writing.

[Lucy Seton-watson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really excellent for teaching people clearly, with examples, what's afflicting their writing and how to improve it.

[Tomy Jaya · Rating 3 out of 5]

A handy pocket reference to improve your writing. You will find nothing new if you’ve read “Keys to Great Writing”, though.

[Sonee Singh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short and sweet. Provides 7 points to improve writing, along with exercises to better learn the lessons.

[Tori Tj · Rating 5 out of 5]

A creative way to explain common grammar and writing mistakes in a way that is engaging and makes sense, even to the grammar-challenged writer.

[Gary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some fun guidance on better writing.

Liked it.

[Jing · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book covers one of the most basic tools in learning how to write readable fiction; active voice. The author states that many writers use weak sentence structure and could benefit from her seven guidelines on how to write effective prose.

There are seven chapters plus an appendix of "writing misdemeanors". I found most of the value in the chapters and it touched on things I forgot or only use a little. Each chapter has an exercise that's helps you understand the topic. There is an answer key in the back of the book but the author says that they are only suggestions and not to be considered the only right way. This book gives you the freedom to learn as you go.

Topics covered in the book include: avoiding passive voice, avoiding weak verbs, using specific actions to describe a scene, removing excess verbiage, and writing concise paragraphs of complete thoughts.

I think this is a good book for those who want a short to-the-point review or beginners who want a good foothold in their future as writers.

[Guido Henkel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bonnie Trenga's book was a nice little refresher and also offers up very helpful tips for your everyday writing.

In her introduction she says that as a professional book editor she keep encountering the same errors and problems over and over again and decided to write this book in response. I am glad she did, because it gave me the chance to examine my own writing a little more critically and see if I have been falling into the same pitfalls as the countless writers she's been dealing with.

The style of the book is slightly humorous but always right to the point. There is no dry wasteland of textbook grammar to be found here, but instead concise examples that you can directly apply and/or compare to your own writing. It is a book of guidance rather than a sterile grammar primer. That alone makes in invaluable, because it makes it so much more accessible.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Trenga uses detective stories throughout this book to illustrate common mistakes people make that weakens their writing. The detective stories drag somewhat because they are all poorly written to illustrate her point, and the reader is supposed to rewrite them after learning how to improve them. Her advice is accurate and nuanced enough to prevent students from overfixing in their attempts to improve their writing. I would recommend this highly to be used as part of a writing class. Trenga's advice is clear and moderately interesting to read.

[Angie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was expecting this book to be better written. The lesson to learn here is this: just because someone is a great editor it doesn't necessarily make them a great writer. Sometimes your writing is too concise, Bonnie, and sometimes your sentences don't even connect to one another. I suspect what happened here is that after the writer, who is also an editor, edited her own work, she then had another editor come in and reduce it down even further. What remains after all this editing is a bunch of loosely coupled sentences.

[Sweetp-1 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm doing Nano and I wanted to grab a book about writing from the library today. Everything looked incredibly daunting! This one caught my eye and it was exactly what I was looking for - quick read, unpretentious style, good use of examples, interesting format (loved the detective stories and the rap sheet). Nice timely reminder on how to keep your writing interesting (though probably not as useful if you are looking for a grammar guide.)

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a high school English teacher, I found this book incredibly helpful! It gave me a different perspective and refreshing view on something that is normally quite bland and boring. I immediately took notes and turned them into a PowerPoint list of reminders for students who are repeat offenders to the common writing errors discussed in the book. An excellent tool for writers, teachers, and editors.

[Justin Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

I checked out this book from the library, but have decided to purchase a copy for my own bookshelf. This book is useful and enjoyable. At work I started rewriting the Unit Rules. Someday I'm going to dig out my old Pinkerton Officer's Book and see if they did any better than Detective Pinkersolve. The Curious Case is enjoyable because the stories and examples are consistently crime solving in nature, yet never patronizing.

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book for learning how to vary your sentences when writing. She advises against using passive voice to the point of being vague. However, she does advise that it is ok to use passive voice sometimes, you just have to determine when it's appropriate. I wish this book had been longer with better examples.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a good idea, but maybe the task of making a English stylebook interesting is too big a task. The Curious Case of the Misplaced Modifier is a safe wade back into improving your writing for one long out of school and, when you decide to get serious, an ease into the perennial standard Strunk & White's Elements of Style.

[Katherine · Rating 1 out of 5]

I kept trying, but just could not enjoy this book. Maybe for someone who is more grammar-focused, this book would be a delight. But for me it was a drudgery. I finally made it through the whole thing. Whew! I think I'll stick to fiction.

[Brent · Rating 2 out of 5]

I agree with most of what the author says in the book, but found it way too elementary. I would recommend this only to anyone who struggled through junior high school language arts or who has at best a poor to non-native grasp of English grammar and composition.

[d · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is great! Each chapter explains a writing guideline and suggestions for stronger writing, along with a poorly written mini-mystery for the student to re-write. It really helps them understand the concepts.

[Yvonne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Strengthen your writing and have an enjoyable read while learning grammar and word usage.

[C.O. Bonham · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's the entertaining way to learn all of those boring grammar rules that your English teacher kept hit you over the head with.

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really great book that covers all the grammatical mistakes that we commonly make, it was extremely helpful.