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3rd out of 10 books
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5 voters
It Was the Best of Sentences, It Was the Worst of Sentences: A Writer's Guide to Crafting Killer Sentences
Great writing isn’t born, it’s built—sentence by sentence. But too many writers—and writing guides—overlook this most important unit. The result? Manuscripts that will never be published and writing careers that will never begin.
In this wickedly humorous manual, language columnist June Casagrande uses grammar and syntax to show exactly what makes some sentences great—and...more
In this wickedly humorous manual, language columnist June Casagrande uses grammar and syntax to show exactly what makes some sentences great—and...more
Paperback, 224 pages
Published
July 27th 2010
by Ten Speed Press
(first published July 14th 2010)
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Honestly, I didn't know what a verb was until studying a foreign language (damned late 1960's "I'm OK, you're OK" elementary educational experiments) so the whole issue of speaking and writing grammatically passed me by when it would have been painless to learn it. Argh. Fortunately, one woman with a good grip on the gnarly weirdness of English and a compassion for the accrued errors in common parlance has weighed in to help. I voluntarily took myself to my college's Center for Academic Assistan...more
Very good. I was slightly put off by the way we jumped right into large and complicated sentences, but it worked. After the first study, I really got into the flow and enjoyed myself. The cases studies were explained well and many of the examples were very funny, especially the Faulty and Funky Parallels.
In addition to entertaining, the book instructs. It provides useful tips on writing better. Casagrande's central thesis is that writers should (mostly) write to serve the Reader. Each of the sen...more
In addition to entertaining, the book instructs. It provides useful tips on writing better. Casagrande's central thesis is that writers should (mostly) write to serve the Reader. Each of the sen...more
I found this book outstanding. It's full of humor, turning what could be a dry subject, into a highly entertaining read. Many examples are packed into each section, making everything clear. Quite a lot of what passes for grammar is actually style, and Ms. Casagrande points this out on numerous occasions. There is a surprising amount of disagreement on how to use punctuation and grammatical phrases, and she points out which camps follow which "rules". I will definitely be trying her other books.
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I picked this book out thinking it might be useful for my college prep writing class. Sentence crafting is a weakness these writers have. While this book is not as sexy as Sin and Syntax, it does do a better job giving examples of both good and bad writing. The explanations for what is good and what isn't, are also well done. I think this would be helpful to my students, but I'm not sure. As with Sin and Syntax, I fear that while it might engender good discussion of writing, it would actually ha...more
I was expecting something different from this book. The back of book blurbs used phrases like "wickedly funny" and "you'll laugh all the way to writing better" (the former is a sentence, I know,) so I was expecting a light, new and easily absorbed, for even the uninitiated, take on the art of the sentence. "It was the best..." is lighter than Strunk and White, certainly, and the sentences that Casagrande corrects in order to instruct were, occasionally, so bad they were amusing but it wasn't lau...more
This book is not for everybody. If you are a writer, a grammar snob, word lover, or picky reader this might be for you. It is a reference book disguised as a fun, self-help writing text.
Before you rush out for this one you should know that I spent my last day before vacation looking up the rule for the following scenario: Why do we say: "Turn the television on," but not "Turn on it."? (There is a rule--I found it--and ESL students are always desperate for the rules. I hope someone else asks me...more
Before you rush out for this one you should know that I spent my last day before vacation looking up the rule for the following scenario: Why do we say: "Turn the television on," but not "Turn on it."? (There is a rule--I found it--and ESL students are always desperate for the rules. I hope someone else asks me...more
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If you want to learn grammar in everyday language with a purpose of helping you write better sentences, this is the book. The author has definite preferences (short sentences, subjects and predicates up front), but her book is all about the Reader, with this central question: what does the Reader need? So sometimes she departs from those preferences because what the Reader needs in a particular situation is something else. Lots of examples. VERY readable.
A writer's guidebook that uses testicular torsion as an example of specific description has balls. Apologies to Ms Casagrande for the poor metaphor - the book is clearly good enough to make me self conscious.
It Was the Best of Sentences, It Was the Work of Sentences has three things that every sentence-writing guide needs:
- an upfront statement of the author's stylistic prejudices,
- frequent acknowledgements that every rule can be broken in the service good writing, and
- a killer description of...more
It Was the Best of Sentences, It Was the Work of Sentences has three things that every sentence-writing guide needs:
- an upfront statement of the author's stylistic prejudices,
- frequent acknowledgements that every rule can be broken in the service good writing, and
- a killer description of...more
Some good points, worth a quick read. I scanned some chapters quickly and skipped others. There are a few chapters, however, that are very interesting and I found useful. Chapters on cutting excess words and proper use of punctuation were the most intriguing. I did not agree with her hatred of semicolons and her championing of short sentences over long ones. Long sentences, in the right hands, are the best.
Excellent little book on applied grammar. Humorous, clear, and not at all pedantic. Casagrande is comfortable admitting the "rules" are really guidelines and not laws which is a refreshing attitude to find in a grammar book. There is less focus on "style" than I expected, but that's okay, as style is, in the end, largely a matter of taste. This one is a definite keeper, and a handy book to review before tackling line edits.
For a book on grammar it's was shocking difficult to set down. At first I had my doubts whether it would be interesting, but I was pleasantly surprised. The author use of voice and humor was fantastic, making it educational while at the same time amusing to read.
a book about all things grammar. this is pitched as a book to improve writing, but it is more of a primer for grammar.
it did help me to better understand points in grammar so that's good. i just felt that many points made were tedious.
it did help me to better understand points in grammar so that's good. i just felt that many points made were tedious.
I think it was very helpful as far as I could read it. It's quite analytical so if you were never good at remembering the jargon, it's going to be hard to keep up.
A funny book about sentence structure. It made me rethink the way I write individual sentences, and the way they work together as a whole.
Probably the most entertaining book on grammar since Eats, Shoots, and Leaves. Highly recommended for the language nerd in you.
Very, very informative. I learned lots of things from this book. Because of the writer's voice and expression, the book was never boring. I was entertained the whole read. Multiple times I laughed out loud at some of the things the writer said. This book is a must-read for all the writers out there.
A writer's guide to the grammar behind sentence construction. This book made me think about the most basic level of writing - the sentence - in a way I hadn't really analysed before. There's a lot of helpful advice on creating sentences that will keep your reader engaged and informed. Best of all, it's presented in a lighthearted entertaining fashion - this is not your dull school grammar guide. Recommended for all writers, whether you write fiction or non.
May 05, 2011
David
is currently reading it
Never thought a book about grammar and prose could be a delightful read! I can't put it down.
If you want to brush up on your grammar and sentence structure get this book. She adds in humor to make the lesson easy to digest.
I read this book hoping to find an easy-to-read guide for some of my students who need to improve their writing skills. The author makes some excellent points, particularly in editing down flabby sentences, and I think most readers will enjoy her witty style. I disagree with some of the punctuation guidelines she has in one of the appendices, but otherwise this is a book that I think would be helpful to adult writers who need to brush up on their grammar.
good review of the rules for building sentences people will enjoy reading!
This gal had a much more endearing approach that that Fish guy in my opinion. If you're going to read a book about grammar and usage, I would definitely recommend. It was informative and certainly made me laugh.
I've read, and will read, many grammar books. This one was particularly useful. Cassagrande has a direct, no-nonsense style, and she looks at grammar as a practical tool that writers use to serve the reader. The goal is to know the rules so that you can write clear prose, not just for the sake of the rules themselves. It was refreshing and I learned a couple things too!
Yes! YES! I had a gift certificate! I got the latest June Casagrande romp! If you haven't read her, she's a goddess! If you have read her, she's still a goddess -- you just didn't need me to tell you! Don't let the title put you off. Even if you're not a writer, READ THIS BOOK.
Excellent! I was lucky enough to score a free copy of this book. My favorite chapter was "Taking the Punk out of Punctuation". Casagrande makes some valid, humorous points about the misuse and overuse of semi-colons. A must read for writers hoping to improve their craft.
Good book for writers or aspiring writers as the author takes a subject that is often very pedantic and makes it approachable and humorous. Very insightful and helpful to those who make a living, or want to, writing sentences.
An average book on grammar and punctuation. The author has a good voice and style. Nothing about it really popped out at me but it would be useful for a classroom, or in giving assistance on student essays.
Great reference for writers. Some of this I'd learned, some of it was new, all of it was worth reading over. I'm glad I bought this one. I can see reading several of the chapters again in the near future.
Explanations of common grammar mistakes and tips on how to fix them. Would be a great book for any aspiring writer; it is entertaining enough that I think even high school-age writers will enjoy it.
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“If you want to master the art of the sentence, you must first accept a somewhat unpleasant truth--something a lot of writers would rather deny: The Reader is king. You are his servant. You serve the Reader information. You serve the Reader entertainment. You serve the Reader details of your company's recent merger or details of your experiences in drug rehab. In each case, as a writer you're working for the man (or the woman). Only by knowing your place can you do your job well.”
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2 people liked it
“If Readers have prejudices, that's the writing world we live in. We must decide how to navigate it. We can't please all the Readers all the time and we shouldn't try. but we don't get to create our Readers in our own image, either. We don't get to tell them what to value or enjoy. We can write in a way true to our own voice and our own ideas of beauty and substance, and we can hope that some readers appreciate it. But, even when we aim to serve the narrowest cross section of Readers, we're still working for the Readers we have. We should be grateful that we have them.”
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1 person liked it
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