Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Sample Book Insights: #1 The Oxford comma is the comma you see before the and in a list. It is highly encouraged by The Chicago Manual of Style, but The Associated Press Stylebook, which governs a lot of what you see in newspapers, doesn’t advocate using it unless it’s necessary for clarity. I believe strongly in The Chicago Manual of Style, and I use it often. It is a great resource, and I think it gets used more often than it should. But the people who write a lot of books in it are not necessarily the most representative of the population. -> The Oxford comma is the comma you see right before the and in a list. #2 The Oxford comma is the comma you see before the and in a list. It is highly encouraged by The Chicago Manual of Style, but The Associated Press Stylebook, which governs a lot of what you see in newspapers, doesn’t advocate using it unless it’s necessary for clarity. #3 There is no consensus on whether to use the Oxford comma. Some people, like Tucker, are Oxford comma purists, while others, like Oxford-Ambivalent Guy, are flexible. #4 The Oxford comma is the comma that comes before the and in a list. It is highly encouraged by The Chicago Manual of Style, but some newspapers don’t use it.

A Funny Gift for Grammar Lovers NATIONAL BESTSELLER "A fresh and democratic take on language by a gifted teacher." —Mary Norris "[Jovin] never hectors, never finger-points; she enlightens and illuminates. This is lovely work." —Benjamin Dreyer An unconventional guide to the English language drawn from the cross-country adventures of an itinerant grammarian. When Ellen Jovin first walked outside her Manhattan apartment building and set up a folding table with a GRAMMAR TABLE sign, it took about thirty seconds to get her first visitor. Everyone had a question for her. Grammar Table was such a hit—attracting the attention of the New York Times, NPR, and CBS Evening News—that Jovin soon took it on the road, traveling across the US to answer questions from writers, lawyers, editors, businesspeople, students, bickering couples, and anyone else who uses words in this world. In Rebel with a Clause, Jovin tackles what is most on people’s minds, grammatically speaking—from the Oxford comma to the places prepositions can go, the likely lifespan of whom, semicolonphobia, and more. Punctuated with linguistic debates from tiny towns to our largest cities, this grammar romp will delight anyone wishing to polish their prose or revel in our age-old, universal fascination with language.

The English language is changing constantly. We invent new words and phrases, we mash up idioms, we mispronounce, misuse, misappropriate. Sue Butler has heard it all and is ready to defend and disagree with common usage. Veering from tolerance to outrage, she examines how the word sheila took a nose-dive after World War II, considers whether we should hunker or bunker down, and bemoans the emptiness of rhetoric. She shouts 'down with closure' as it leaps from the psychoanalyst's couch, explains why we've lost the plot on deceptively, untangles the manuka honey stoush, fathoms why the treatment of famous is infamous, and ponders whether you would, could or should ... Rebel without a Clause is a fascinatingly idiosyncratic romp through the world of words by lexicographer and former Macquarie Dictionary Editor, Sue Butler.

'Any bibliophile will find many enjoyable nuggets in this compendium of book chat' Stephen Poole, Guardian 'An engaging little eye-opener about the publishing business, full of tasty nuggets about books, writers and their editors' Sunday Times 'Enjoyable ... engaging ... insightful' Independent Once upon a time, a writer had an idea. They wrote it down. But what happened next? Join Rebecca Lee, professional text-improver, as she embarks on a fascinating journey to find out how words get from an author's brain to finished, printed books. She'll reveal the dark arts of ghostwriters, explore the secret world of literary agents and uncover the hidden beauty of typesetting. Along the way, her quest will be punctuated by a litany of little-known (but often controversial) considerations that make a big impact: ellipses, indexes, hyphens, esoteric points of grammar and juicy post-publication corrections. After all, the best stories happen when it all goes wrong. From foot-and-note disease to the town of Index, Missouri - turn the page to discover how books get made and words get good.* * Or, at least, better

The authoritative guide to using the English language effectively, from “the greatest writer on grammar and usage that this country has ever produced” (David Yerkes, Columbia University). The author of The Chicago Manual of Style’s popular “Grammar and Usage” chapter, Bryan A. Garner is renowned for explaining the vagaries of English with absolute precision and utmost clarity. With The Chicago Guide to Grammar, Usage, and Punctuation, he has written the definitive guide for writers who want their prose to be both memorable and correct. Garner describes standard literary English—the forms that mark writers and speakers as educated users of the language. He also offers historical context for understanding the development of these forms. The section on grammar explains how the canonical parts of speech came to be identified, while the section on syntax covers the nuances of sentence patterns as well as both traditional sentence diagramming and transformational grammar. The usage section provides an unprecedented trove of empirical evidence in the form of Google Ngrams, diagrams that illustrate the changing prevalence of specific terms over decades and even centuries of English literature. Garner also treats punctuation and word formation, and concludes the book with an exhaustive glossary of grammatical terms and a bibliography of suggested further reading and references. The Chicago Guide to Grammar, Usage, and Punctuation is a magisterial work, the culmination of Garner’s lifelong study of the English language. The result is a landmark resource that will offer clear guidelines to students, writers, and editors alike. “[A manual] for those of us laboring to produce expository prose: nonfiction books, journalistic articles, memorandums, business letters. The conservatism of his advice pushes you to consider audience and occasion, so that you will understand when to follow convention and when you can safely break it.”—John E. McIntyre, Baltimore Sun

This Grammar Guru will solve the world's problems. Or, at least, help you figure out when to use an Oxford comma. - The New York Times Put your English skills to work for you! This book is ideal for intermediate and advanced (CEFR B1-C1) nonnative speakers of English seeking to increase their communication confidence and effectiveness in the workplace. Improve your precision and professionalism so your ideas shine! The book consists of 50 short quizzes which include the most common English errors made by nonnative speakers in professional environments. This fun format allows you to find your own frequent errors and fix them. You will test your skills quickly, daily, and build your language awareness and accuracy in writing and speaking English. Short, clear explanations after each quiz help you improve your knowledge of the grammar rules. Complementing the quizzes are Ellen says boxes with the same practical advice on good communication etiquette and habits that Ellen has been sharing for years with large corporate clients in New York City and beyond. Witty and humorous drawings illustrate confusing language and common misunderstandings. The focus of the exercises is on fixing your grammar and word-choice problems. Examples are pulled from every industry: finance, law, consulting, publishing, real-estate, retail, technology, energy, pharmaceutical, manufacturing, education, advertising, government, insurance, non-profit, and more. Whatever your profession or interest, you will benefit from the exercises contained in this book. If you are just looking to sharpen your English, this book is for you, too. This India-specific edition includes a special section of the most common English errors made in the Indian workplace and their standard equivalents, as well as a downloadable reference guide of frequently confused and misused words and expressions. You will be learning from a professional writer with two decades of experience teaching executives in a business setting. A language-learner herself who has studied some two dozen languages, Ellen Jovin has written this book to help motivated working adults advance their business English on their own time and at their own pace.

Build essential skills and write with confidence at work! Immediately practical guide to better business writing designed to help you develop a clear, direct, natural communication style that supports rather than obscures what you want to say. Writing for Business covers writing principles that are relevant for a wide range of business documents, including email, letters, memos, reports, proposals, and more, while also offering editing tips to ensure you come across as professional and polished. The book features examples and tips straight from the workplace.