Product Description
Provide your students with the grammar and punctuation practice they need to perform successfully on classroom assignments, in the real world, and on state tests!

25 grammar and punctuation rules are supported by downloadable interactive charts and reproducible practice pages to help students develop important language skills.

Interactive and reproducible activities motivate students as they practice grammar and punctuation skills such as:

parts of a sentence
kinds of
sentences
conjunctions
common and proper nouns
singular, plural, and possessive nouns
pronouns and possessive pronouns
verbs
subject-verb agreement
present and past tenses
adjectives
comparative and superlative adjectives
using I and me correctly
commas in lists, dates, addresses, and with introductory words and names
quotation marks
using can and may correctly ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Good for Extra Help
Even though there is instruction at the front of each section, I don't feel that this book had enough practical reinforcement for each of those sections.Too many rules and not enough practice!Tough to remember the concepts this way (kind of like information overload).Again, this book is a good supplement to another language program (and that's how I use it).I would not recommend it to stand alone as your language arts curriculum.

Grammar & Punctuation 3
It is a wonderful resource.I have used it frequently since I received it.I teach special education students and their level is approximately 2-3 grade.Thank you so much for this wonderful book. ... Read more

Product Description
Provide your students with the grammar and punctuation practice they need to perform successfully on classroom assignments, in the real world, and on state tests!

25 grammar and punctuation rules are supported by downloadable interactive charts and reproducible practice pages to help students develop important language skills.

Interactive and reproducible activities motivate students as they practice grammar and punctuation skills such as:

kinds of sentences
simple and complete subjects and predicates
common, proper, singular, and plural nouns
irregular plurals
using I and me correctly
possessive nouns and pronouns
kinds of verbs
subject-verb agreement
forming verb tenses
irregular verbs
adjectives
comparative and superlative adjectives
adverbs
comma usage
quotation marks
tricky word usage ... Read more

Product Description
No matter how expert, few writers can do without a good guide to the basic mechanics of writing. This book equips users to write first drafts of themes and papers that fulfill the requirements of good style. More than 100 exercises give opportunities for practise. The handy appendix shows current conventions for punctuating footnotes, bibliographies, and personal and business letters, making this a valuable reference for anyone who wants to write clear English. ... Read more

Product Description
This book should be of interest to students taking courses in court reporting; professional court reporters. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Loaded with mistakes
While this book may have some good advice for court reporters, it is rife with errors in stating grammar rules (e.g.: "Most collective nouns take singular nouns..." (should be "verbs"); Commas are thus used to separated the adjectives (separate)); typos (Joe's and Peter's shoe were found in the wooded area. (shoes); You may find the dependent guilty of...(defendant); I thing he's dying! (think); The chairmen is he. (chairman)); and bad examples (None of your hope need to be dashed. (hopes); The boy who spoke to you was my cousin. (is); Stanley said to his father, "I have no intention of paying these bills"! (bills!"); Chung and Kim's restaurants (if they owned a restaurant jointly) (should be "restaurant" if it's joint possession); The thief was a light-skinned boy with blonde hair. (blond)).

She also confuses comma splices with run-ons.

There are so many errors that the reader has to do too much work double-checking the accuracy of the content.

So even though there is advice targeted to court reporters, for grammar and punctuation reference I think you're far better off using the Gregg Reference Manual. It's exhaustive, concise, and error-free.

Focus for Court Reporters
I was so overjoyed when I received this book, I began reading it and have not put it down. From a court reporting student's perspective, this book is a tremendous asset in providing the direction one needs to focus on for grammar and punctuation. Most all English books are written to address a writer or student who is creating the writing, but a court reporter has to compose and punctuate what is spoken.This book has filtered and extracted what is important to focus on for court reporting; however, having a good foundation in English grammar is very helpful.

Excellent for writers as well
Well organized, easy to find information.Of exceptional use for writers are those sections dealing with grammar and punctation for the way people really talk. ... Read more

Product Description
Just because you're not a born writer doesn't mean you should settle for less than perfect business documents. After all, every piece you write reflects directly on the quality of the product or service your business offers. Now, this helpful guide takes the guesswork out of more than 50 commonly used business documents, including: Reports Proposals; Business plans; Presentations; Press releases; Memos; Email Newsletters; Collection letters; and, Sales materials. Arranged alphabetically and cross-referenced for easier use, the book presents clear examples of how to (and how not to) create winning materials every time. The authors' step-by-step instructions begin with an overview of the writing process, from preparation and research right through to final review and publication. Sample documents show you how your pieces should look and read, and close to 300 individual entries cover key points of grammar, style and spelling, and present strategies for writing more clearly, avoiding bias, eliminating cliches, and much more. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Excellent book for everyone
This is a great book for everyone.Lots of information and good writing techniques.I originally bought this for a student in business school but after looking through it - ended up buying one for myself.

Wow! Wish I'd had this by my side since I started in business!
Mr. Wilson has accomplished quite something here. My problem with using "usage" books is that it's always so hard to find the information I need. Sometimes my search takes so long, I just scrap the sentence or paragraph and start over with something else I can find. Not so here. All of the grammar, punctuation, and usage rules are alphabetized and cross referenced, and there are over 50 different document models. I'm an author myself and all I can say is, "Good job!" ... Read more

Product Description
English Grammar in Use Third Edition is a fully updated version of the classic grammar title. It retains the key features of clarity and accessibility which have made the book so popular. This third edition: - has 10 completely new units, including 9 new units on phrasal verbs to more thoroughly cover this important area for intermediate students. - has even more Additional Exercises, to offer more contrastive practice.- is in full colour and has a slightly larger format to look clearer and more inviting for students. The with answers version of the book is packaged with the CD ROM. This exciting and substantial new CD ROM: - has a diagnostic test to help students identify areas to practise. - has extra exercises for all the units in the book. - allows users to make their own tests from a bank of contrastive exercises. - has recordings of all the main exercises so users can practise their pronunciation. - includes a link to Cambridge Dictionaries Online so students can look up any words they need. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (74)

Essential for your learning in English as a Second Language
That's the best book for you learn and consult the English grammar in fast way, cause it is objetive and direct in its form to teach.

Great job!
Thahk you very much for the book. I have got it in a very good shape (almost new) and so fast! I am satisfeid! Thanks again!

Text Book Review
The text book arrived in a timely manner and in the condition stated by the seller. I would use this seller again to purchase the necessary text book(s) required for my masters program.

booklover
I like the book, but I thought that should be a little more explanatory. I need explanation about what an adverb or an article are....etc. the lessons are direct and start with examples. A excellent way to learn, although not really what I was looking for.

Be cautious
The important step you need to know when the item will be dispatched
because sometime it takes longer that you expect.
... Read more

Product Description
Provide your students with the grammar and punctuation practice they need to perform successfully on classroom assignments, in the real world, and on state tests!

25 grammar and punctuation rules are supported by downloadable interactive charts and reproducible practice pages to help students develop important language skills.

Interactive and reproducible activities motivate students as they practice grammar and punctuation skills such as:

kinds of sentences
subjects and predicates
compound sentences
common and proper nouns
singular and plural nouns
verb tenses
types of pronouns
pronouns and antecedents
possessive nouns and pronouns
adjectives
comparative and superlative adjectives
adverbs
prepositions
prepositional phrases
comma usage
quotation marks
tricky word usage ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Another great product from Evan-Moor
I have used the 5th grade edition of this grammar book and found great success with my 6th grade students.5th grade and 6th grade grammar standards are quite similar.I plan on using the 6th grade grammar book for in class work, while using the 5th grade grammar book for homework/review.I have yet to find a poor Evan-Moor product.Amazon also had the cheapest price!

Easy for Students to Read
These grammar books by Evan-Moor are great for introducing new grammatical concepts.They also have a rule page that delineates the grammar before the practice page.The rule pages make great study guides.I highly recommend them for special education students as well.Evan-Moor has created them at several grade levels. ... Read more

Product Description
No one knows grammar like Michael Strumpf. For over a quarter of a century, as creator and proprietor of the National Grammar Hot Line, he helped thousands of callers from every corner of the globe tackle the thorniest issues of English grammar. Now, in The Grammar Bible, he has created an eminently useful guide to better speaking and writing. Unlike other grammar manuals, The Grammar Bible is driven by the actual questions Professor Strumpf encountered during his years of teaching and fielding phone calls from anxious writers, conscientious students, and perplexed editors, including such perennial quandaries as - Where do I put this comma? - What case should this pronoun be in? - How do I form the possessive of Dickens? Professor Strumpf explains these and other language issues with wit and wisdom, showing how to speak more clearly and write more impressively by avoiding common errors and following the principles of good grammar. Whether you need a comprehensive review of the subjunctive mood or simply want to know which form of a verb to use, The Grammar Bible is a practical guide that will enlighten, educate, and entertain. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (19)

It's more valuable than I expected.
In my opinion, this book is better than I expected.
It was a very good purchase.
Na minha opinião, este livro é melhor do que eu esperava.
Foi uma ótima compra.

Author was on Oprah many years ago.
I've always wanted this book.I saw the author on Oprah years ago.It's always a good idea to brush up on grammar. It's amazing how much you don't know or don't remember from junior high school english grammar classes.

This book is superb for teaching grammar!
There are concepts and ideas that I had not remembered in my grammar class in college.So, this book is superb for teaching grammar.I have new approaches for making lessons plans.

The best grammar book you will ever own - for both native and non-native speakers
As a writer and an ESL teacher, I am always looking for great books on English grammar.

With this book, I have found that. And more.

This book is the most thorough book on English grammar I have ever found. It also includes the most accurate English usage. One might expect all grammar books to include only the 'most accurate English usage', but this is not true. I have other grammar books that include only 'common parlance' and not the 'strictly correct' usage.

Students need to know both - what is correct and what people actually use.

For writers, teachers and interested persons whose native language is English, this book is invaluable - meaning, that its personal value for me is so high I cannot put a price on it. The value of this book extends way beyond its book price. It is a book you will want to keep for years.

In fact, this is the first grammar book I have purchased since college, (a 'few' years ago).

For ESL students (such as those I personally teach), this book is helpful because it is the most thorough reference they will ever need.

I mention ESL students but I want to add a caveat.

A beginner ESL student may find this book too thorough for their current needs. However, a student who is returning to ESL studies OR a student who is a very quick learner OR who has academic English in mind, will find this book a MUST HAVE.

Excellent Reference
If you are looking to improve your grammar or brush up some facets on which you are rusty, this is a great reference. The Grammar Bible is clear and concise. I love the Q&A scenarios that help paint a better picture of the subject it is trying to explain.

I am a grammar fan. I have several references on grammar but this one is the best.

... Read more

Product Description
In this interactive pop-up book, teaching and learning punctuationare transformed into a fun, hands-on activity. Sliding tabs, lift-the-flapfeatures, and fresh, bold illustrations are sure to engage kids and help themunderstand the basic rules of punctuation. Wacky unpunctuated sentenceswill have kids laughing as they learn to recognize the correct use of everypunctuation mark. Playful quizzes—and helpful hints from differentanimals on each page—make this book a perfect learning tool in theclassroom and at home. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Outstanding!
Excellent tool for teaching and self-teaching. Perfect for ADD/ADHD and kinesthetic learners. I've been an author for many years and I learned some new things too!

Perfect Punctuation is a Perfect Pleasure
Who could imagine that a book about punctuation marks and their usage could be fun to read?This book manages to make learning about them entertaining and easy.Not as colorful as its counterpart--The Amazing Geography Pop-Up Book--the creative team behind the Perfect Punctuation Pop-Up Book still deserve kudos for making the book a worthwhile investment.

Pop-up format too juvenile for subject matter
When I purchased this title, I didn't realize it was a pop-up book. My mistake.While the art is cute and the examples clever, the format is not really age appropriate for the topic.Children are in 4th to 5th grade before they are inserting semi-colons and ellipses into their writing.My 11-year old took one glance at this book and deemed it "too babyish."I recommend this book for precocious younger children who are interested in language, not for older elementary students serious about "perfecting punctuation".

LOVE this book
I'm a 20-year-old English major, so when I saw this book I knew I had to have it.It is fantastic!Entertaining, educational... it sits by my bed and every few weeks I pick it up and read it (again!)It never fails to disappoint.Now if only they would get a spelling pop-up book, my life would be complete.

DVD purchased
The order arrived within the specified date range and was in good condition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

English grammer and useage
i found the english punctuation and usage very convenient and usefull as a quick reference guide. i would recommend this and its counter part.it is usefull for adults ,who have been away from formal education for a number of years, since school ,and usfull for children who are looking for guidence whenstuding this subject.

Great for review
I purchased this because it would be great to review info.I found this to be helpful.

English Grammar cheat sheet
This item arrived in a timely manner and is in excellent condition.Great service and I would do business with the vendor again.

English Grammer and Punctuation/ Qick Study
I carry this great writing source with me to all my classes. Short,sweet and to the point.

Love these, very useful, will last forever
Very helpful.I put this in a binder with a lot of other ones (medical) for quick reference in my medical transcription schooling. ... Read more

Product Description
Get some good grammar practice -- and start speaking and writing well!



Good grammar is important, whether you want to advance your career, boost your GPA, or increase your SAT or ACT score. Practice is the key to improving your grammar skills, and that's what this workbook is all about. Open it and you'll find hundreds of fun problems to help build your grammar muscles. Just turn to a topic you need help with -- from punctuation and pronouns to possessives and parallel structure -- and get out your pencil. With just a little practice every day, you'll be speaking correctly, writing confidently, and getting the recognition you deserve at work or at school.

100s of Problems!
* Review grammar rules and exceptions
* Build grammar skills, from sentence mechanics to stylistic fine points
* Convey your ideas clearly and persuasively
* Speak and write with flair and confidence ... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

Great Tutoring Resource
This book works great for tutoring students that need a little extra help with grammar fluency. This is a book with functional grammar--it does not cover specific parts of speech or any of the depths of linguistics but covers things such as subject-verb agreement, pronoun-verb agreement, etc.

I have used this workbook to tutor some of my college peers that are English Language Learners and it seems to have worked pretty well. I would recommend this as a resource to use along side other resources and curriculum when tutoring. The book will also work well for independent study.

Really helpful with the English Grammer for Dummies
Along with the book, English Grammer for Dummies, these two books, have helped me so much with my grammer. I'm really glad I bought the two together.

Excellent Supplement for SAT
This book is excellent whether you are studying for the SATs or refreshing your English grammar. It presents all information from the very basics of punctuation, quotation marks, to harder grammar. In addition, the exercises included are very thorough, with every chapter having an overall review.

The reason for one star missing is that the content of the exercises tries too hard to be funny which is a little distracting from the grammar itself.

Very helpful
I would purchase from this seller again and recommend. The item was delivered promptly and in the condition promised.

Perfect Condition
The book arrived as expected in perfect condition, and will provide a long time of reference service. ... Read more

Product Description
In this age of electronic correspondence and self-produced documents, we need a useful and reliable writing guide more than ever. WRITE RIGHT! covers the essentials of good writing in a concise and easy-to-follow format. The new edition of this classic handbook takes you through the entire writing process, from understanding the parts of speech to constructing a correct sentence to fine-tuning the mechanics. And with clever drawings and amusing quotations to illustrate its points, WRITE RIGHT! shows that language can be fun as well as an effective communication tool. Whether it’s used to find a quick answer to a nagging question or to develop stronger writing skills, this handy reference is the ideal resource for writers of all levels. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

Great desktop reference
A very wise co-worker recommended this book and I say a thank you each time I see or use the book.I went to work for the a government entity after almost 20 years in the private sector and the public sector has its own unique way of doing everything which includes highly unique writing styles, I am sure some of the uniqueness is due to the number of lawyers in the public sector.To the point, I draft pieces for the public and this is a great little reference book that allows me to quickly look-up how to write in a manner the public is accustomed to vs "agency" speak.It is also a good little review book for anyone who has been out of school for a bit and cannot figure out why some of the young new hirers seem to leave commas out in lists among other odd new writing styles.The new accepted grammar just goes to show you your English teacher was not right, "proper" grammar does change over time.

0 stars - never received book - not sure about money back- was not offered to be sent a new book - very unhappy
I ordered this book and never received it.I contacted the company via email they told me the book was mailed, but never gave me any tracking information.Asked me to wait until deadline of 3-02-10, which I did and still did not receive book.I sent another email and was told book had been mailed, not sure why I didn't receive, blamed it on the post office, still offered no tracking info.Sent me an email days later saying Amazon would credit my account.Never explained why they could not send another book.This was very disappointing after waiting over a month for the book.

A Must-Have For Those Who Wish To Write Properly
I purchased this book several years ago, but had misplaced it.I recently purchased it again because it is such a useful reference tool and I found myself time and again wishing that I could pull it out of my desk drawer.I am an attorney and one's ability to write properly elevates his or her credibility with other attorneys, clients, and judges.This book is easy to use so that time is never wasted looking up information.The explanations and examples are very straight forward so that most of the time I am able to recall the examples and don't have to look up the information again.I also bought a copy for home for my kids to use since undoubtedly they will soon realize that they have to "unlearn" their poor habits picked up while text messaging.

A Useful Addition to Your Writing Skills Library
This book by Jan Venolia offers easily understood examples and an index that makes finding the proper topic more simple. Too many technical books make it hard to find the right topic. This book references common problems by the words that are frequently misused.

The companion book to this book --- "Rewrite Right" --- is also very good at helping writers understand that it is the process of "Re-writing" that actually creates a great book or article. All in all, both books are worth the price of admission.

Good reference
I keep this book on my desk for easy reference. Many times people have questions that can be found here in a jiffy. The basics are usually what trip people up. The book contains proper usage of often times miss-used words. Like "further and farther", "lie and lay" as well as verb tense and agreement. I recommend it for anyone who wants to use good grammer. ... Read more

Product Description
Those pesky dangling modifiers, split infinitives, and comma splices, they infect our spoken and written language with such frequency that even native English speakers find it difficult to determine what's right and what's wrong! The McGraw-Hill Handbook of English Grammar and Usage shows you how to fix these everyday English language mistakes.

With commonsense, easy-to-remember usage tips throughout, this handbook features incorrect and correct grammatical examples, a short review of basic grammar, a glossary, and more. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

LATE
My book came in a month after I needed it. I have never had any item ordered off of here be so late. I had to go out and buy the book because it took so long to get here.

shirley's review
This book was in excellent condition.I also like have the opportunity to use prime.

a very clear, useful, and--almost--painless guide to English grammar for everybody
This book contains a great deal of the material that was in Lester's magnum opus, Grammar and Usage in the Classroom (2nd Edition).How I adored that book!, and I have lingering bitterness that it was never reissued in another printing.The previous book casts a long shadow on this one, since it draws so heavily on it with the same format, section material, and even the same example sentences.

A good book review discusses a book's purpose and whether it achieves it, the intended audience, and so forth.The best thing to do is to let this book speak for itself.This is from the Introduction:

"Grammar books are commonplace.What makes this one different?Following are seven features that set this book apart:
*separating grammar and usage: Part I focuses on the grammatical terminology used to describe language.Part II goes a step further by covering the rules and conventions--the "prescriptions" for proper language, or what you should and should not do in formal communication.Rather than conflate these two issues (description versus prescription), this book separates them so readers can pay attention to the parts that matter most to them.
*A nontechnical approach: You do not have to be a grammarian or linguist to use this book.Part I covers the technical aspects of grammar, but we assume our readers do not necessarily have a background in this area.More importantly, Part II does not rely on Part I or on previous knowledge of formal grammar.
*Accessible, bottom-line information:Part II in particular offers bottom-line definitions, hints, and rules that summarize the least you need to know about grammar and usage.
*More than just the bottom line:Most reference books on grammar stop with the bottom-line rules and with maybe an example or two.The problem is that almost every grammar rule is not self-explanatory.If it were, you would not need a book on grammar at this point in your life.Unlike most reference books on grammar, ours gives a thorough explanation so that you can better understand the rules, exceptions, and methods for correcting an error.Our goal is for you to know how to avoid problems so you will not need this or any other grammar book later.Thus, we provide enough informationso you can truly understand and learn.
*A focus on the most important aspects of grammar and usage:To avoid overwhelming our readers, this book focuses on what matters the most.Neither Part I nor Part II covers everyaspect of formal English.Instead, Part I deals with the grammatical terminology and information that are most useful and common.Part II deals with the most serious or most frequent errors in formal English.
*Clearly marked examples of correct and incorrect sentences:People learn more from examples, so we include plenty.But research indicates that many people who are given incorrect examples only rememberhow to create these errors.Often readers do not know that the examples are actually incorrect, or they only remember seeing mistakes, meaning all they learn is how to commit an error.In this book we clearly mark errors (with an X); other examples are correct.We attempt to include at least as many correct examples are errors.
*A focus on traditional grammar with insights from modern approaches:In school the most common approach to grammar is a traditional scheme based on certain parts of speech, functions, and definitions that, as a whole, are standard throughout the English-speaking world.Our book uses this system as a basis.However, along the way we draw on insights from other theories of grammar and language.For example, Part II is largely based on the notion that people use intuitive tips that tell them if they are putting a sentence together properly.This notion builds on modern grammatical theories that assume people learn a language by subconsciously drawing on particular tests and procedures.In other words, our book describes English in ways that might sound familiar to those who studied grammar in school, but we also draw on more recent perspectives of how people naturally learn and improve their language skills."

While the book uses traditional grammar as a launching point, the usage tests throughout the text are clearly from Chomsky's Transformational Grammar, and they're wonderfully useful.Here's one small example from the book:
The Pair Test: if you can pair up a modifying word with a noun, then that word is an adjective.

example phrase: that absolutely dreadful old man
that man
X absolutely man
dreadful man
old man

By drawing on one's innate sense of what sounds good together and which combinations sound weird, the native speaker of English will know from this test that "absolutely" is not an adjective and it can't be paired with a noun, all without needing the grammatical terminology to describe it.This book (and its predecessor) does a terrific job in helping the reader to determine where the errors are so they can be fixed quickly without getting bogged down in technical jargon.The usage tests rely on native English speakers' subconscious absorption of grammar rules, and because of this, this book, while it may be useful in many regards, isn't intended for ESL students or TOEFL study.Instead, ESL students and tutors should take a look at Lester's McGraw-Hill's Essential ESL Grammar: A Handbook for Intermediate and Advanced ESL Students (McGraw-Hill ESL References) .

The glossary in Part II is VERY useful for defining concepts quickly, and the index is pretty thorough and reliable.You gotta love a good index; it's indispensable.

I try to be aware of what the author intends the book to do versus what I want it to do and not to confuse the two.The authors want Handbook of English Grammar and Usage to be a reference guide that teaches the reader so well that he or she will no longer need the book.That's a laudable goal, but I think in this case the best way to do that is to include exercises for the reader to work his or her way through to test understanding of the concepts (as Grammar and Usage in the Classroom does).Lester wroteEnglish Grammar Drills , and I wonder if it wasn't meant as a companion volume to this one.Yes, this book does omit certain topics such as the subjunctive, but the aim is to cover the most important aspects of grammar.Most high school and college students or business people aren't struggling with that.Be that as it may, I suggest one look elsewhere to learn about using the subjunctive.; - )

McGraw-Hill Handbook of English Grammar and Usage is a very useful, accessible, affordable, insightful (and at times funny) book for the beginner or someone who needs to brush up on grammar skills.It's one of the very best you'll find at this level.

GREAT for GMAT Prep!
I am a math major who recently took the GMAT.After reading this book from cover to cover, I scored better on the verbal section than the math section of the exam.I used the library copy to prepare for the exam and now I am purchasing my own copy.It is a must have for anyone needing a grammar refresher.

Exactly what I was looking for
As someone who managed to avoid learning anything in 12 years of English classes ("I already speak it, why do I need to waste my time in these classes"), I'd been bitten in the butt by my inability to clearly and concisely express myself.This was particularly embarrassing and troublesome at work when sending emails to superiors, or presenting projects to a group.

I needed to learn how to properly write a sentence, and to do this, I needed to learn grammar.My search for the perfect grammar book was tough.Most were meant for readers who already had a moderate understanding of grammar.The rest seemed to be meant for ESL students.NONE seemed to offer what I needed: A foundational review of the basic concepts of grammar, and instructions on how to use these concepts to create clear and concise writings.

Finally I found this book, and it was exactly what I needed.I now have a more in-depth understanding of grammar than most of my coworkers, and though my writing may not be quite as good as theirs, it has improved and continues to do so.

As a final note, I should mention that this booked helped me only because I was very motivated to improve my writing.I have read each chapter multiple times, and practiced what I read by parsing sentences in the newspaper.And though my writing is much improved, I still spend quite a bit of time reviewing everything I write, making sure it follows the rules this book has taught me; however, with continued practice I expect that proper writing will eventually come with ease. ... Read more

Product Description
Freelance editor Kathy Ide highlights the most common mistakes writers make in the areas of Punctuation, Usage, Grammar, and Spelling-"PUGS"-using the industry-standard resources for book and article manuscripts. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Excellent reference book!
I use this book all the time when I am revising and editing my writing. Kathy has broken down the chapters into very user-friendly formats. A definite buy for every writer.

Lifesaver!
Polishing the PUGS is an absolute lifesaver for quick reference, and it's far easier to use than most style books.

But keep in mind: It's not as comprehensive as the style books, either.

Use it as intended. Quick reference.

Great resource for writers!
This is a fabulous resource for writers--sort of a "best of" everything The Chicago Manual of Style, Strunk's Elements of Style and other standard manuals on writing, all compiled into one easy reference spot. My favorite feature is the blank space at the end of each section for you to make notes about your own pet PUG peeves. I just got my copy and I've already added several spelling words to the blank space in the "commonly misspelled words" section: squat, squash, parallel, peeve, prejudice, weirdand misspelled, for starters. Those words always seem to trick me to the point I can't even find them in the dictionary. With this book, everything is at your fingertips in a well-organized fashion. I predict I'll wear out this copy within the year. ... Read more

Product Description
Provide your students with the grammar and punctuation practice they need to perform successfully on classroom assignments, in the real world, and on state tests!

25 grammar and punctuation rules are supported by downloadable interactive charts and reproducible practice pages to help students develop important language skills.

Interactive and reproducible activities motivate students as they practice grammar and punctuation skills such as:

recognizing sentences
telling and asking sentences
capitalizing proper nouns
nouns (words that name)
verbs (action words)
pronouns (words that take the place of a name)
contractions
compound words
using I, me, we, us, they, and them correctly
adding s and es
using is and are correctly
possessives
adding ed
irregular verbs ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Good , could have been better
The book is good in the sense that it explains clearly about verbs/contractions etc but the kids can kind of cheat stuff because if the book talks about verbs , it just talks about verbs for couple of pages. It would have been nice if there were some exercises where they can mix stuff as they build from previous lessons. But I still like the rule based approach and recommend it as starting point.

Excellent Workbook
This series is great for homeschoolers and for those parents who just want to reinforce what there child is learning in school. The book is broken up into rules and each rule has worksheets to practice and reinforce the rule.It comes with a CD that allows you to print the lessons and/or worksheets out or use the lessons directly from the computer. You don't ever have to use the workbook itself if you don't want to. We have a big computer screen in our home classroom and I display the rule on the screen, discuss it and then print out a workshhet to practice the rule we just learned. This is an excellent resource in our household and I highly recommend it. ... Read more

Product Description
Give students the targeted, skill-building practice they need with these standards-based books! Each workbook includes more than 40 ready-to-reproduce practice pages. Easy-to-follow directions and fun exercises motivate students to work on their own. Every activity in each book is correlated to state standards. For use with Grade 3. ... Read more

Product Description
An extraordinary handbook: with clarity and humor, it tells the story that even good writers have been longing to hear.This is not a comprehensive tracking of every nut and bolt that ever came loose within an English sentence; it is a focused discussion of the narrow range of problems that American writers typically face. From confusion over grammar to tangles with usage, to questions about punctuation, Janis Bell addresses them with transparency and grace. She discusses the issues, gives plenty of examples, provides quizzes and answers, and makes sure that readers are engaged throughout. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

Very useful and enjoyable book
This is a very useful, humorous, and readable book.I keep it on my desk and use it frequently.I bought copies for my daughter (a young writer)and for my two business partners.Thank you Janis!

great for quick grammar lessons
Well honestly the only reason I bought this book was because I had to for my English class, but I think it is a really helpful guide for writing. The book breaks everything down and provides lots of examples of what to do and what not to do, so its simple to understand. Unless you need help writing or you love to read books on grammar then I wouldn't recommend it, I tried to read it for fun but I didn't get far.

incorrect grammar designations
I had to put this book down on page 6 when the author called words such as "my,""our," and "their" "possessive pronouns" when in fact they are "possessive adjectives."

It made me mistrust her knowledge in general.

very useful
when we started the topic about writing in my english class the book answer many questions me and my peers had.

Offers thoroughly 'user friendly' information on how punctuation marks work to make the written word truly effective
They used to teach grammar in elementary school. Judging by so much of what crosses a book reviewer's desk these days it's clear that there's a lot of defective instruction in the basics of English grammar going on in the school systems of today. That's why such remedial publications as Janis Bell's "Clean, Well-Lighted Sentences: A Guide To Avoiding The Most Common Errors In Grammar And Punctuation" is so timely and so necessary. "Clean, Well-Lighted Sentences" offers thoroughly 'user friendly' information on how punctuation marks work to make the written word truly effective, replete with illustrative examples. Of special note is that at the conclusion of each chapter, quizzes followed by their answers are provided to insure that the material covered has been understood. Written in a decidedly non-professorial and thoroughly conversational style, "Clean, Well-Lighted Sentences" is especially commended to the attention of authors who are not otherwise well schooled or grounded in the grammatical and punctuation norms of written English. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (2)

A helpful resource
It will be a nice, quick resource.The spelling component is questionable as far as how helpful it will be.They ask you to find 10 misspelled words on some pages.Depending on what stage your child is in with his/her spelling will depend on how well they do with it.

review
This is a great product to use when creating a Fairy Tale unit for your students. ... Read more

Product Description
Focus on Grammar, Second Edition, is a four-level grammar series written by practicing professionals. The series focuses on English grammar through lively listening, speaking, reading, and writing activities. In order to learn the formal rules of a language, students need to practice new structures in a variety of contexts to help them internalize and master them. To This end, Focus On Grammar provides an abundance of both controlled and communicative exercises so students can bridge the gap between knowing grammatical structures and using them. The many communicative activities in each unit enable students to personalize what they have learned. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

very good
The book was better than I expected, I was lucky to get the right one because they did not show the picture and they should.

foggy on grammar
I'm agreeing with one of the reviews posted previously here.While FOG does give an in depth view into the grammar aspects of English, it does not do so in a concise manner, and I am surprised that no one has written this before.The presentation of the grammar aspects is done so in a confusing setting that, while it does present the material at least, does not do so in a manner beneficial to someone learning the language.There are tremendous amounts of errors in the book itself as well; this includes not only the editing itself but also the answer keys.I find I am often forced to skip exercises because they present contradictory material to the presentation given in the beginning of a chapter.Students who have studied English grammar intensively previous to using this book will find that they have a lot of questions that are difficult at best to answer.If you are stuck using only this series of books, good luck to you; you will be pulling your hair out time and time again if you, as well as your students, are paying attention to what is actually in the book and not just writing what "feels" right as a native speaker.There is a lot of confusing and almost false material presented.It seems as though the language was manipulated for publishing purposes, as opposed to using realistic language for organizing a lesson.And as far as communicative grammar goes, I find this is by far a "workbook" type of grammar book; though there are opportunities presented for communicative work, it is often not done so in a realistic setting.

Good overall but more than a few errors
I am writing about the 2000 edition: This series and text is good overall but considering this is the 2nd or 3rd edition, I am disappointed that there are so many mistakes between the questions, correct answers and answer key.It's hard enough for people to learn English as it is without them beating their heads trying to find why an answer is such-and-such only to learn that the given answer is wrong or that the question itself doesn't give all needed information.

Impressed
Well, what more can I say.I teach English in Mexico and bought this book here.It's a bit more expensive here, but it was well worth the wait.Inaddition to the book, I bought the workbook, the teacher's manual and thecassettes.The level of the book itself is about 4th to 7th grade.It isa very impressive book and intend on buying the newest series, when or ifthey become available.I would recommend this series to anyone who wouldbe interested in teaching ESL or EFL.

Content-based and with lots communicative tasks
This series provides well-designed grammar books in real Communicative-language-teaching approach. This course book has both clear and user-friendly grammar reference and a lot of interesting skill-buildingpractices. It helps learners to practice grammar in controlled exercisesand communicative tasks.The tasks are similar to what learners mayencounters in real life, and some of them require oral negotiation duringthe problem-solving process.Thus, this material help learners to useEnglish in carrying out tasks in real life.Unlike traditionalstructural-based and drill-focused grammar books, this material allowslearners to practice and use grammar in a social context, so it is verysuitable for EFL or ESL classrooms, but not for individual learning. Theoutstanding features of this grammar series are as follows: 1. Themethodological emphasis on retrospective approach to grammar. For example,learners encounter the focused grammar structure (usually highlighted) in areading passage or a dialogue in the first section. Then, they will readthe explanation of that grammar usage in the second section.Examples arealways included in the explanation, so it is easy to understand and remeberthe grammar usage. 2. Instruction-friendly design: model dialogues orpassage, explicit explanation of grammar, and ready-for-use tasks areprovided 3.A good grammar companion to any other course book: units arearranged according to grammar categories, so learners can practice whatthey need. 4.Well-designed and interesting skill-building exercises.Someare task-based exercises and allow learners to practice grammar in realcommunication. 5. Focus on content.Wide-range of interesting subjectmatters in the presentation and practices.Usually, all oftheexercises/tasks within one unit deal with the same grammar structure (e.g.passive voices)through the same content topic (e.g.naming)Sometimes, thetopics of several units are related when these units deal with relatedgrammar structures. ... Read more