Basic English Grammar For Dummies - US, US Edition (For Dummies (Language & Literature)) 1st Edition

13 August 2021BASIC ENGLISH GRAMMARby Geraldine Woods. Reviewed by C J Singh (Berkeley, California).The Best Book on Grammar BasicsI admire Geraldine Woods' books for her lucid expository prose laced with many witty examples.As a long-time volunteer teacher of ESL to immigrants, I found using Basic English Grammar by Geraldine Woods as the textbook more effective than several others I had used in my teaching. My anonymous surveys showed students were pleased with the friendly tone and clarity of explanations.Here’s a sample from the opening chapter titled “Getting a Grip on Grammar: Lots of people groan when they hear the word grammar. They think that grammar is just a long list of picky rules. Who cares if you say ‘had gone’ or ‘went’? …. Yet proper language does matter. Rightly or wrongly, many people judge your intelligence and ability based on the way you speak and write. Better jobs and higher grades often go to those who follow the rules” (page 7).In the next chapter, “Excellent grammar usually gives you an advantage in life. When you speak with friends, though, perfectly proper sentences may sound snobby” (page 23). Right. Outside the classroom setting, in conversations I refrain from correcting people’s grammar.Assuring words from Woods, “I use conversational English in this book. As I write, I imagine that I am speaking with you, the reader. I pretend that I know you and that we are spending some free time together.” She sustains this friendly tone throughout the 364-page book while teaching the Rules of Standard English taught in standard college handbooks.The book includes numerous Quick Quizzes with correct answers immediately below the quiz. The book would be even more useful if all the answers were printed at the end of each chapter as in Woods’ English Grammar WORKBOOK, Third Edition, companion to her English Grammar, Third Edition.(After completing the Basics book, the reader would likely find the two books as excellent intermediate books. Doing all the exercises in the WORKBOOK will be rewarding. The suggestion I give to my students is not to write in the WORKBOOK; instead make notes in a separate composition books and repeat the exercises as needed.)13 people found this amazon-review helpful.English Grammar, Third Editionby Geraldine Woods.Reviewed by C J Singh (Berkeley, California)May 11, 2017.Lucid Expository Prose with Witty Usage ExamplesAs a long-time volunteer teacher of college-writing skills to ESL migrants and immigrants, I found using English Grammar by Geraldine Woods as the textbook more effective than several others I had used in my teaching. The great draw of the book is Woods' wonderful sense of humor in presenting examples of usage. Moreover, for migrants and immigrants to understand and appreciate the humor of their newly adopted country in North America is a faster track toward integration. The new edition (THIRD, 2017) presents many humorous examples. Here are two brief examples from the new edition about omission/inclusion of apostrophes.“Taking a walk recently, I noticed an odd sign: GRANDMAS PUNCH. Interesting, I thought. Grandmas punch whom? Their grandchildren? Surely not! People who refuse to look at one more photo of the adorable tykes? Possibly. I soon realized that the sign was in front of a bar. Ah, I thought. Grandma’s punch – a drink made from a family recipe” (page 168). Recalling this humorous example will bring to active memory the specific underlying grammar rule more likely than the bare rule itself.Professional copyeditors have observed that misuse of it’s/its is among the most frequent errors in manuscripts submitted to them. Woods writes: “It’s an its problem. I’m not talking about how a poison-ivy rash feels. I’m talking about a possessive pronoun ('its') and a contraction ('it’s'). 'Its' shows possession: The computer has exploded, and its screen is now decorating the ceiling. It’s means it is: It’s raining cats and dogs, but I don’t see any alligators. So it’s nice to know that grammar has its own rules. By the way, one of those rules is that no possessive pronoun ever has an apostrophe. Ever. Never. Never ever. Remember: If 'it' owns something, dump the apostrophe” (pages 336-337).The paragraph above opens with an easy-to-remember sentence that illustrates inclusion as well as omission of apostrophe, presents two more examples in the middle, and closes with another easy-to-remember sentence that illustrates inclusion as well as omission of apostrophe.The numerous witty examples in this 400-page book earn it five shiny stars. Its companion Workbook edition 2 is equally good. I look forward to the publication of its (NOT it’s) companion Workbook's third edition.13 people found this review helpful.

Good read

Easy to understand

Good grammar are important. I don't have no bad thing to say about this book - it can learn you lots. If you do not speak clear no one will be understanding.

This is a good book. It is helpful for those wanting to improve English grammer for school and tests and for general use.

Excellent book to refresh my grammar.

14yr 9th grader says its helping

Some of the pages were stuck together but it offers a great variety of content covered so it’s valuable.

Everyrhing about this book was good.

I bought this book to help me with my day to day writing, as my Grammar was holding me back more than I'd have liked. It is excellent for this purpose and now covered in reading marks.Definitely worth investing in, I can only warmly recommend it

Wonderful example & explain by Geraldine woods ,I can't explain everything

I'm a non-native speaker and the book is really helping me out with the grammar.The author is very competent.

Perhaps too simple to learn anything new, but this allowed me to get a little review on what I learned back in elementary school.Having problem with grammars sometimes, I thought of reading this before teaching my own kids about grammars. Dummies gave me a good start since my brain doesn't die on me after a page or two like other dictionary-like grammar books. Fun to read.