Grammar Tools for those in need
I hate grammar, I don't think I've hidden that fact from anyone, ever. My high-school English teachers, if they remembered me at all would heartily attest to the fact. My mother ( a PH.D in linguistics, of all things!), were she alive today, would have a few choice words on my hatred of grammar (it was from my very eloquent mother that I learned both male anatomy and how to curse). And every member of my immediate family could probably speak at length on this hatred (as they've all had the misfortune of being asked to proofread my writing and correct it).
It got to the point where they finally rebelled and told me that this was just plain embarrassing (ok, the kids were teenagers, of course they were embarrassed, but my husband agreed with them, this time). I had to do something about it. It also didn't help that I was beginning to teach writing, so I really did have to know proper grammar in order to teach some of the trickier bits that are new writer pitfalls (passive voice, tense the that/which mix-up, etc).
But what is a person who has avoided learning grammar all of her life going to do? I was an adult so I didn't want to read some children's book on the subject. I didn't have the patience to actually read Strunk and White. What I wanted was a book written for adults detailing just what I needed to know (where do I put those damned commas, anyway?) in a fun, or at least semi-interesting way.
I found Eat Shoots and Leaves by Lynne Truss. Fantastic! It told me what I needed to know, threw in a little history (I learn better if I understand where the rule comes from--it makes it less arbitrary and therefore more meaningful) and funny examples. I loved it. I ate it up and actually learned something. I also did a lot of reading on particular topics on the internet—things like passive voice which Lynne Truss' book didn't go into.
I am, however, always on the lookout for new books on the subject because, as everyone who reads this blog regularly can probably attest, my grammar still isn't great.
Last night one of my writing students told me a great book on grammar—really useful and fun to read, he said. So, I bought it and then spent a good deal of time last night reading it.
He was right!
Wow, is this book useful! I'm in love! With a grammar book! And when I tell you the name you're going to say “Oh, yeah, I know that book.” We'll, I'd heard of it too, I'd just never cracked it open. I am so glad I did though!
Woe is I by Patricia O’Conner is fantastic! It's got everything a writer needs to know including a whole long section of sound alike, commonly mixed up words like affect/effect and already/all ready, how to know which to use: that or which, and so many other great things. It was getting late by the time I got to the chapter on commas and I really wanted to be at my clearest mind to read that chapter, so that will be my lunchtime reading today. But I highly recommend this book!
One other new-to-me grammar helper is an app called Hemingway which was highlighted in the Washington Post Magazine last weekend. This is incredibly useful for writers and well worth the $7 it cost (although you can use it free on the Internet, I wanted it installed on my computer so I could have it analyze chapters at a time rather than just a few paragraphs). This program looks at your writing and tells you if your sentences are complicated or very complicated. It finds and highlights all adverbs and instances of passive voice.
Oh, my, God, I'm in love!
This is so much better than doing a search for words that end in "ly" as I used to do in an attempt to find adverbs in my writing. And passive voice can be hard to spot, but this does it for me so that I can just spend my energy fixing these grammatical /writing craft goofs instead of trying to find them.
So what are your favorite tools to help you with grammar and writing craft. Oh, and need I say that none of these tools beat having a real live editor going through your work and reading for consistency, pacing, and the occasional missed word? I hope not!
