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Penguin Random House

14 Books for Grammar Nerds

by Lorraine Berry

Regardless of whether you’re a stickler who goes around correcting signs with misplaced apostrophes and mangled syntax or you’re a person who enjoys experimenting with the rules to see just how far you can push the language and still get your point across, the following list has something for you. Here are some books that will reacquaint you with precise punctuation, omniscient orthography, and sagacious syntax and turn you into a grammar guru. Others will offer you a nuanced understanding of why the English language drew its grammar from the Greeks and the Latins, of how the brain reacts to sloppy writing, or how to choose the exact word that will convey your meaning.

The Oxford New Essential Dictionary Book Cover Picture

The Oxford New Essential Dictionary

By oxford university press, mass market paperback $11.99, buy from other retailers:.

Dreyer's English Book Cover Picture

Dreyer’s English

By benjamin dreyer, paperback $18.00.

Woe Is I Book Cover Picture

by Patricia T. O'Conner

Eats, Shoots & Leaves Book Cover Picture

Eats, Shoots & Leaves

By lynne truss.

You Are What You Speak Book Cover Picture

You Are What You Speak

By robert lane greene.

Several Short Sentences About Writing Book Cover Picture

Several Short Sentences About Writing

By verlyn klinkenborg.

The Sense of Style Book Cover Picture

The Sense of Style

By steven pinker, paperback $19.00.

Grammar Snobs Are Great Big Meanies Book Cover Picture

Grammar Snobs Are Great Big Meanies

By june casagrande, paperback $24.00.

Write Right! Book Cover Picture

Write Right!

By jan venolia, paperback $13.99.

Word by Word Book Cover Picture

Word by Word

By kory stamper.

Letters to a Young Writer Book Cover Picture

Letters to a Young Writer

By colum mccann, hardcover $25.00.

The Deluxe Transitive Vampire Book Cover Picture

The Deluxe Transitive Vampire

By karen elizabeth gordon, hardcover $30.00.

Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus Book Cover Picture

Roget’s 21st Century Thesaurus

By barbara ann kipfer, paperback $17.00.

A Dictionary of the English Language Book Cover Picture

A Dictionary of the English Language

By samuel johnson.

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14 Best English Grammar Books to Help You Master the Rules Inside and Out [Updated for 2024]

English grammar books are treasure troves of information on punctuation, capitalization, sentence structure , word usage and so much more.

You’ll find plenty that claim to be the “best English grammar book” online, but only a handful actually live up to that promise.

But don’t worry. Whether you’re aiming to pass an English proficiency exam, or you just want to be better understood by your English-speaking friends, we’ve got you covered with these 14 English grammar books to hone your writing and speaking skills to perfection. 

1. Best Overall: The “Grammar in Use” Series

2. most comprehensive reference: “the cambridge grammar of the english language”, 3. best for learning grammar basics: “a student’s introduction to english grammar”, 4. most straightforward english grammar book: “schaum’s outline of english grammar”.

  • 5. Best for Simple Yet In-depth Explanations: “The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation” 
  • 6. Best Supplementary Material for Intermediate and Advanced ESL Students: “ESL Grammar: Intermediate & Advanced” 

7. Best for Structured Grammar Practice: “Focus on Grammar”

  • 8. Best for Real-life Grammar: “Practical English Usage” 
  • 9. Best for Spoken Grammar: “Cambridge Grammar of English” 
  • 10. Best Grammar Dictionary: “The Oxford Dictionary of English Grammar” 
  • 11. Best for Learning Punctuation: “The Best Punctuation Book, Period” 

12. Most Fun Grammar Book: “Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing”

13. best for aspiring writers: “the elements of style”, 14. best for advanced learners: “the linguistic structure of modern english”, how to study with english grammar books, and one more thing....

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

Basic Grammar in Use Student's Book with Answers

Summary: All of the “Grammar in Use” books are able to balance being a reference material and workbook rolled into one.

Search online for the best English grammar book, and there’s a good chance you’ll find someone recommending an entry from the “Grammar in Use” series by Raymond Murphy.

Every book from the series (including the ones for intermediate and advanced students) covers 100 units. Each unit focuses on a specific grammar topic and comes with exercises. Once you’re done with the exercises, you can check them against the answer keys at the back of the book. This makes it easy to use as a self-study guide and as a supplement to your classroom studies.

If you’re at the A1-B1 level and you want more material to work with, you can also purchase Murphy’s “Essential Grammar” books here and here .

The “Grammar in Use” books aren’t the most comprehensive English grammar books (that would be our next entry). But if you’re looking for materials that you can study on your own, use as a supplement to your classroom studies and/or build a strong foundation in the English language, there aren’t a lot of books that can beat Murphy’s works.

The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language

Summary: If you want to really get into the nitty-gritty of the English language, you’ll benefit the most from this comprehensive (though not necessarily ESL-friendly) book.

At a hefty 1,800+ pages, “The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language” is a comprehensive grammar reference book that you should always keep within your reach. It covers all the key grammar topics in detail, and is great for understanding the patterns and structures of the English language.

However, this book doesn’t have any exercises, so it works best as a reference material. For instance, if you get stuck on another grammar resource or need a better explanation, you can look up the topic in this book.

Note that it’s not specifically targeted at students learning English as a second language. As such, you may want to keep a dictionary on hand as you comb through this book.

A Student's Introduction to English Grammar

Summary: “A Student’s Introduction to English Grammar” is a more condensed version of “The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language” aimed at undergraduate-level students.

If “The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language” feels a bit too advanced for you at the moment, but you still want something that’s just as comprehensive yet more accessible, you can get the cheaper and thinner “A Student’s Introduction to English Grammar.”

While it’s not for complete beginners to English, it does provide a solid foundation for grammar. You may find it especially useful if you’re a college or university student who’s not majoring in English, but are still interested in the technical aspects of the language.

Unlike “The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language,” this one has plenty of exercises, as well as links to online resources you can check out to supplement your studies.

Schaum's Outline of English Grammar, Third Edition (Schaum's Outlines)

Summary: “Schaum’s Outline of English Grammar” contains bare-bones (simple and straightforward) discussions of the most essential English grammar concepts, accompanied by several examples and exercises.  

If you like to memorize rules and terminology, “Schaum’s Outline of English Grammar” is for you. The material is presented in a straightforward way with definitions, explanations and practice exercises.

There are no illustrations or out-of-the-box activities to help you learn the grammar concepts, however. So, if you’re looking for a textbook with a less traditional approach to teaching concepts, this might not be for you.

With that said, “Schaum’s Outline of English Grammar” can take any dedicated student from intermediate to advanced, provided you stick to the book’s structured learning program. It even works well for aspiring writers!

5. Best for Simple Yet In-depth Explanations: “The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation”  

The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation: An Easy-to-Use Guide with Clear Rules, Real-World Examples, and Reproducible Quizzes

Summary: “The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation” is a concise grammar book that goes into a bit more detail than similar reference materials. 

“The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation” breaks down the rules of English grammar with short explanations. It’s like a slightly more in-depth version of “Schaum’s Outline of English Grammar.”

The book has plenty of real-world examples, emphasizing common questions like the difference between “your” and “you’re.” There are quizzes for every chapter at the end of the book. Aside from grammar, it also covers punctuation and capitalization rules, which can seem pretty confusing in English.

You can check out their website to get a feel for the book’s style, or try their free grammar quizzes .

6. Best Supplementary Material for Intermediate and Advanced ESL Students: “ESL Grammar: Intermediate & Advanced”  

ESL Grammar: Intermediate & Advanced (English as a Second Language Series)

Summary: This book, which is aimed at ESL learners, explains intermediate and advanced English concepts in a simple and straightforward way, complete with exercises to reinforce what you’ve learned.

Tired of learning English from books that don’t understand the unique challenges ESL learners face? Then this book might be for you. It’s written by a bilingual author who knows what it’s like to learn a second language and explains the content in a way that’s perfect for ESL students.

The book is filled with test-taking strategies to help students prepare for the TOEFL exam . It also covers the basics of topics like articles, prepositions and verb structures.

The book even comes with its own glossary (a simplified dictionary that only contains words/phrases and their meanings). This way, you don’t have to worry about not having a dictionary every time you use this book to study.

Since it’s aimed at ESL students, however, some of the topics may not be as thoroughly explained as you might like. In that case, you may want to refer to other resources instead.

Focus on Grammar 1 with MyEnglishLab (4th Edition)

“Focus on Grammar” is a series of grammar books broken up into the following proficiency levels, from beginner to advanced:

The “Focus on Grammar” workbooks are designed for those who benefit from structure and organization. If you’re someone who prefers explanations over context and wants to know the ins and outs of each grammatical rule covered, this is the perfect book is for you.

The books are designed for classroom use as well as self-study, so you can benefit from this versatile workbook that covers definitions, forms and practical grammar knowledge.

Also, there’s a good chance your ESL teacher is using a “Focus on Grammar” book. If that’s the case, don’t hesitate to ask them for tips on how to use this one when you’re studying!

8. Best for Real-life Grammar: “Practical English Usage”  

Practical English Usage, 4th Edition Paperback with Online Access: Michael Swan's guide to problems in English

Summary: True to its name, “Practical English Usage” emphasizes the use of English grammar in practical, authentic contexts.

“Practical English Usage” is a well-known grammar book that’s already on its fourth edition. Geared toward intermediate and advanced learners, it covers more than 600 grammar points that are often tricky, such as the difference between “bring” and “take” and how to use different articles.

Most notably, it tackles the problem of usage. For example, you might know how to form the present perfect tense , but when exactly do you use it? 

Beyond this, the second part of the book talks about common issues with vocabulary. You’ll also find extra information on topics like polite or offensive language and how to write business emails in English . 

9. Best for Spoken Grammar: “Cambridge Grammar of English”  

Cambridge Grammar of English Paperback with CD-ROM: A Comprehensive Guide

Summary: Aside from covering English grammar points in detail, the “Cambridge Grammar of English” also has a CD packed with audio recordings of the lessons.

At almost 1,000 pages, “Cambridge Grammar of English” is one of the thickest grammar books on this list. Even though it dives deep into major English grammar topics, it’s pretty user-friendly. It’s written in clear language, and each grammar concept comes with lots of example sentences that you’ll actually hear in everyday life.

It also comes with a CD-ROM, which makes it much easier and faster to find what you’re looking for in the book. You can also listen to every example being read aloud, too!

10. Best Grammar Dictionary: “The Oxford Dictionary of English Grammar”  

The Oxford Dictionary of English Grammar (Oxford Quick Reference)

Summary: If you’re simply looking for definitions of English grammar terms and nothing else, there are few better resources than “The Oxford Dictionary of English Grammar.”

Have you ever wondered what terms like “appositive” or “gerund” meant? Chances are, you’ll find the answer within the pages of “The Oxford Dictionary of English Grammar.” It’s a grammar reference book that focuses on defining grammar terms instead of explaining grammar rules.

This dictionary has more than 1,600 entries from A to Z. Some entries have examples you’ll regularly encounter in real-world English, making this a bit more practical than your usual garden-variety (ordinary) dictionary.

11. Best for Learning Punctuation: “The Best Punctuation Book, Period”  

The Best Punctuation Book, Period: A Comprehensive Guide for Every Writer, Editor, Student, and Businessperson

Summary: If punctuation is your Achilles’ heel (weakest point), keep this aptly-named book handy.

Grammar isn’t just about the words—you also need to account for punctuation! While some books might only have a small chapter (or section) on punctuation, “The Best Punctuation Book, Period” is a helpful reference that discusses each type of punctuation in the English language , including Oxford commas and apostrophes.

Although it’s not a full grammar reference book, it’s an excellent resource for learning punctuation rules. You’ll learn exactly how to use each punctuation mark in different situations.  

If you’re looking for a funnier (albeit less beginner-friendly) alternative, there’s also “Eats, Shoots & Leaves” by Lynne Truss. This one is peppered with authentic examples, complete with commentaries from the author that will make you laugh out loud.

Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing (Quick & Dirty Tips) (Quick & Dirty Tips)

Summary: “Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing” is perfect for you if you find most grammar books too dry and boring to get through.

Looking for a grammar book that’s fun and witty rather than overly academic? “Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing” might not have as much information as other reference books, but it’s written in a friendlier and more conversational style.

The author is also the owner of the award-winning “Grammar Girl” podcast , which teaches English grammar to help you improve your writing skills. It was so popular that it’s been downloaded over 20 million times to date, and is a five-time winner of the Best Education Podcast in the Podcast Awards.

The Elements of Style , 4th Edition

Summary: “The Elements of Style” by Strunk and White is a classic book that mostly focuses on how to write better in American English, but also has some great grammar pointers.

Are you dreaming of becoming a writer in the English language? Then you should definitely have this book on your to-read list. In fact, many native English writers have it!

While it’s more geared toward writers than learners of English grammar, there are some valuable grammar tips at the beginning of the book. As you progress, you’ll also come across pointers that can help improve your writing in general, such as “Avoid fancy words” and “Use orthodox (standard) spelling.”

Because of its intended readership, however, “The Elements of Style” is best suited for those who are already in the advanced stages of learning English.

The Linguistic Structure of Modern English (Not in series)

Summary: “The Linguistic Structure of Modern English” is one of the best (if not the best) resources for advanced learners interested in the technicalities of the English language.

Speaking of advanced learners, you can’t get any more high-level than this one. If you thought “The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language” was detailed, wait until you open the pages of “The Linguistic Structure of Modern English.”

The book is aimed at linguists, or people who study languages. As such, you should expect a lot of terminology and in-depth analysis of specific grammatical concepts like syntax, phonology, etc.

I definitely wouldn’t recommend this one to beginners or even intermediate learners. But if you have a considerable amount of intellectual curiosity and are relatively comfortable with your command of the English language, reading this book might prove to be a treat.

Regardless of which English grammar book you pick, here’s how you can make the most of them.

  • Find an engaging English grammar book that suits your learning style . Just because mastering grammar takes work doesn’t mean it has to be boring. Some students prefer books filled with creative ways to approach grammar, while others enjoy reading grammar rules and then solving problems.
  • Check if the book you’re buying is the latest edition. Places like Amazon will typically display the newest editions below the description of the product you’re currently looking at, so keep an eye out for those!

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  • If you’re not sure about a grammar rule, look it up. Sometimes, you might feel unsure about how to write something, like where to put an apostrophe or whether to capitalize a certain word. This is where grammar books can come in handy! Seeing the written rule and then applying it can help you remember it better.
  • Use the index. Most grammar books have an index. An index is the part at the end of a book which alphabetically lists every major topic mentioned in the book, as well as which page to find it on. If you’re wondering about the Oxford comma, for example, you can turn to the back of the book and look for “comma” or “Oxford comma.” The numbers in the index show you which pages have the information you need.
  • Read the theory first. Don’t even try to do any exercises unless you’re sure you have the grammar rule down pat. That way, when you finally get around to the exercises, you’re less likely to be stuck.
  • Try to form sentences using the examples given in the book. Most examples in these books use common English vocabulary and phrases. So, try to memorize their formats and apply them to everyday conversations . For example, if you’re studying how to ask for (or give) directions in English , and the example sentence is “Can you tell me where the toilet is?,” you can replace “toilet” with “bank,” “school,” etc.

Remember that learning English is a process that takes time and dedication. These are just a few of the resources that will help you incorporate grammar into your studies and increase your overall fluency.

Use these books well, and you’ll be on your way to becoming an English grammar wizard!

If you like learning English through movies and online media, you should also check out FluentU. FluentU lets you learn English from popular talk shows, catchy music videos and funny commercials , as you can see here:

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If you want to watch it, the FluentU app has probably got it.

The FluentU app and website makes it really easy to watch English videos. There are captions that are interactive. That means you can tap on any word to see an image, definition, and useful examples.

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Become a Writer Today

Best 15 Grammar Books To Make You A Stronger Writer

Are you an aspiring writer? Then, check out our round-up of the best grammar books to help you on your next writing project.

If you want to become a better writer , a good grammar book can help. But unfortunately, although many grammar books are on the market, not all are created equal. So, how can you spend your money wisely and find the right book for grammar to meet your needs?

First, consider what you’re looking for. For example, do you want a practice book or a style guide you can occasionally reference? Or are you looking for a fun, witty overview of grammar? Again, you can find books for all needs if you know where to look.

At A Glance: Our Top 3 Picks For Grammar Checker

  • Best Grammar Checker: Grammarly
  • Also Great: ProWritingAid
  • Affordable Alternative: Quillbot

To simplify your search, here’s a run-down of the top 15 books about grammar. You’ll find something that fits your writing goals, from academic to lighthearted and fun if you don’t have time to read a book, grammar software may be the better option for you.

1. The Elements of Style by Strunk And White

2. eats shoots and leaves by lynne truss, 3. woe is i by patricia t. o’conner, 4. several short sentences about writing by verlyn klinkenborg, 5. the sense of style by steven pinker, 6. write right by jan venolia, 7. practical english usage by michael swan, 8. an a-z of english grammar & usage by leech, cruickshank, and ivanic, 9. grammar girl’s quick and dirty tips for better writing by mignon fogarty, 10. the blue book of grammar and punctuation by lester kaufman and jane straus, 11. the english grammar workbook for adults: a self-study guide to improve functional writing by michael digiacomo, 12. basic english grammar for dummies – us by geraldine woods, 13. longman grammar of spoken and written english by prof douglas biber, edward finegan, stig johansson, dr. susan conrad, and geoffrey leech, 14. english grammar: 100 tragically common mistakes (and how to correct them) by sean williams, 15. the english tenses practical grammar guide by phil williams, build your english grammar library, how i chose the best grammar books, what is the best book to improve your grammar, how many english grammar books should i read, what’s the best advanced english grammar book, further reading, best grammar books ranked.

Often called the “Holy Grail” of grammar by college professors, The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White is an English writing style guide. This book on grammar takes the English language and breaks it down into rules of use, principles of composition, and matters of form.

Available on Amazon, it’s required reading for many college grammar classes or a needed reference for academic papers. This book benefits new writers and experts who want to master basic grammar rules .

It also explores commonly misused expressions and misspelled words in American English. In 2011, Time called this book one of the 100 best and most influential books written in English since 1923, so it is one of the best grammar books.

“The mind travels faster than the pen; consequently, writing becomes a question of learning to make occasional wing shots, bringing down the bird of thought as it flashes by. A writer is a gunner, sometimes waiting in the blind for something to come in, sometimes roaming the countryside hoping to scare something up.” Strunk And White

The Elements of Style, Fourth Edition

There’s no denying that grammar books and grammar guides can be a bit dry. Even the most giant grammar nerd may struggle to get through one from cover to cover in a single sitting, but not so with this one.

Written by a former editor who understands grammar, Eats, Shoots & Leaves by Lynne Truss talks about all things punctuation. This English grammar book is quite witty and uses funny examples to explore what makes the humble comma, apostrophe, and semicolon crucial to good writing.

It looks at everything from signs in neighborhoods to historical mistakes in literature to discuss the importance of punctuation. It also has some fascinating history woven into the instruction. This grammar guide will tell you if you’ve ever wondered when the question mark or semicolon entered the scene.

“The rule is: the word ‘it’s’ (with apostrophe) stands for ‘it is’ or ‘it has’. If the word does not stand for ‘it is’ or ‘it has’ then what you require is ‘its’. This is extremely easy to grasp. Getting your itses mixed up is the greatest solecism in the world of punctuation. No matter that you have a PhD and have read all of Henry James twice. If you still persist in writing, ‘Good food at it’s best’, you deserve to be struck by lightning, hacked up on the spot and buried in an unmarked grave.” Lynne Truss

Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation

Another former editor, Patricia T. O’Conner, gives us Woe Is I: The Grammarphobe’s Guide to Better English in Plain English , a national bestseller book. This one explores the grammar problems that plague even great writers. Since it’s written by an editor, who has seen these errors made time and time again, this book gives insight into the tools writers need to polish their craft. Woe Is I doesn’t just list grammar rules. Instead, it does so in a welcoming tone without judgment, then follows the rules with fun examples.

It strives to write in plain English, so anyone can comprehend what they need to become a better writer. This book also explains commonly confused words in the English language, like compliment and complement , and when they should and shouldn’t enter your writing.

“With grammar, it’s always something.” Patricia T. O’Conner

Woe Is I: The Grammarphobe's Guide to Better English in Plain English

Several Short Sentences About Writing is an exciting look at the benefits of communicating by writing solid sentences. This grammar guide focuses on helping people write more creatively, starting with the sentence. Klinkenborg’s philosophy is that if a writer can write a full and complete sentence, then the writer can write strong paragraphs, chapters, and books.

Some readers find this book a little off-putting at first because it focuses on sentence construction entirely. However, the writer weaves these pieces together; the writing becomes stronger and more accurate. That’s the focus of this book. By teaching writers how to write strong, meaningful, and delightful sentences, Klinkenborg teaches them how to write well.

“Writing isn’t a conveyer belt bearing the reader to “the point” at the end of the piece, where the meaning will be revealed. Good writing is significant everywhere, Delightful everywhere.” Verlyn Klinkenborg

Several Short Sentences About Writing

Can bad writing be fatal? Steven Pinker believes it can, and that’s a subject of discussion in his book The Sense of Style . According to Pinker, the wording of standard warning notices can cause fatal mistakes. By not warning directly about lethal dangers, household appliances can turn ordinary, everyday activities into deadly ones.

After making that point, Pinker discusses how manipulating the English language can trick readers. By teaching his readers about style and the structure of sentences, he tries to teach them how to avoid scams due to tricky writing. He also strives to help writers write more clearly and ethically using proper grammar and style. The book also explores the changes to modern writing due to texting and social media platforms.

“We can remind ourselves of the reasons to strive for good style: to enhance the spread of ideas, to exemplify attention to detail, and to add to the beauty of the world.” Steven Pinker

The Sense of Style: The Thinking Person's Guide to Writing in the 21st Century

Write Right! by Jan Venolia explores why good grammar is essential. It’s through understanding why grammar is important that others can understand what we’re saying. This is the driving focus of this grammar guide.

This guide is less an entertaining read and more a well-organized guide for writing. It uses clear explanations and illustrations to help people understand the importance of the language rules it teaches. However, Venolia does throw some humor into the mix when possible.

As reference books go, what makes this book great is that Venolia updates it regularly. The rise of the Internet has caused rules to change quickly, and writers will appreciate that they can pick up the latest edition of this book to keep up with the changes.

“If you decide that semicolons are a pleasure rather than pretentious, here’s how to use them.” Jan Venolia

Write Right!: A Desktop Digest of Punctuation, Grammar, and Style

Practical English Usage by Michael Swan addresses both English speaking and English written grammar. This book’s simple language makes it easy for even new writers to comprehend well.

One of the main focuses of this book is vocabulary. Unfortunately, vocabulary can be confusing since written and spoken vocabularies often don’t match. However, with the help of Swan and his guide, writers can get things straight.

In addition, this book covers idioms and common styles. It also addresses spelling issues and common mistakes that can plague the best writers. Practical English Usage is also heavy on examples. Examples help the reader comprehend what the author is teaching practically.

“Grammatical correctness, after all, has a powerful symbolic value: getting your language right implies that you can obey rules and respect authority.” Michael Swan

Practical English Usage, 4th edition: International Edition

Written with teachers and students in mind, An A-Z of English Grammar & Usage is a reference guide to grammar. It uses a dictionary-like format to make it easy for the reader to find what they want. It’s known for being more accessible for English as a second language readers and writers to help guide their writing.

When students have a question, they can use this book to look it up. First, they look up the word or topic alphabetically to find the answer. His guide focuses on the words and phrases of the English language, not its rules. However, grammar rules are worked into its pages. In addition, it has many practical chapters on standard grammar and writing issues.

“Regard to, regards to: Several versions of this phrase are in common use, for example, with regard(s) to, in regard(s) of, in regard(s) with. The general consensus is that with regard to is the more accurate, but when possible, you should preferably use a simpler word such as concerning, about, regarding or in relation to.” Leech, Cruickshank, And Ivanic

An A-Z of English Grammar & Usage

Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing by Mignon Fogarty isn’t just for the ladies. This New York Times bestseller takes a lighthearted approach to the serious topic of grammar. In addition, the author often speaks on significant talk shows, dishing out grammar advice.

Grammar Girl Fogarty turned a weekly grammar podcast into an easy-to-read book. It is witty and fun but also informational. It also has fun ways to help readers remember tricky grammar guidelines. Grammar Girl may be fun, but it is also helpful. The style and tips will improve your writing and help you learn when it’s OK to break standard grammar rules.

“…passive voice is better than writing out a humongous number and taking the risk that your readers’ brains will be numb by the time they get to the verb.” Mignon Fogarty

Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing

The Blue Book of Grammar and Punction is one of the best books worldwide for teaching grammar and punctuation to learners. This bestseller is all you will ever need to level up your writing skills and equip yourself with the tools for writing success.

This guide to grammar is easy to understand and used to assist writing beginners, ESL students, homeschoolers, high school students, college students, and more. The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation includes quizzes, pre and post-tests, and up-to-date English grammar rules.

“This nook is logical, self-paced, and fun to use, with scores of interesting and challenging quizzes that you may photocopy to your heart’s content. Best of all, you can look forward to instant gratification because the answers to the quiz are included” Lester Kaufman and Jane Straus

The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation

The English Grammar Workbook can help you master the English language with ease. This workbook provides clear guidance for adults looking to learn the basics of English grammar. In addition, the workbook includes clear and concise language suitable for ESL and EFL students looking to upgrade their English writing skills.

One of the key selling points of this workbook is its ease of use; with a focus on fun tests and activities, you can find answers easily to pick up new skills quickly. No matter your English grammar level, this workbook will help you learn about essential elements, including nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, tenses, and more.

“A noun is a word that represents a person, place, or thing. Proper nouns, always capitalized, name a specific person or thing, like Maria or Paris Common nouns represent things in general, like, girl or city” Michael DiGiacomo

The English Grammar Workbook for Adults: A Self-Study Guide to Improve Functional Writing

  • DiGiacomo, Michael (Author)
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 208 Pages - 06/02/2020 (Publication Date) - Rockridge Press (Publisher)

The English Grammar Workbook for Adults: A Self-Study Guide

If you’re looking for a reliable and straightforward guide to grammar, Basic English Grammar For Dummies is the perfect textbook for you. This book is designed for easy learning, suitable for all levels of English learners. The concept of this book is to teach you real-world applications for English grammar at a basic level anyone can understand. Inside, you’ll find quizzes, self-tests and answer sheets, and guidance on composing letters, emails, texts, and phone calls.

“Find out how to use grammar correctly in any situation, whether you’re writing in electronic media, making bulleted lists for presentation slides, or complete letters, reports, or school assignments.” Geraldine Woods

Basic English Grammar For Dummies - US

With over 350 tables and graphs, this comprehensive guide to English grammar provides solutions to the written and conversational English language for all situations. This book also draws comparisons between British and American English to learn all variations for multiple circumstances. In addition, this textbook covers basic grammar, simple and complex sentence structure, and lists conversation and fiction used for academic purposes.

“Standard English is not a single, uniform variety, and it is not always obvious whether a form should be considered standard or not.” Prof Douglas Biber, Edward Finegan, Stig Johansson, Dr. Susan Conrad, and Geoffrey Leech

Longman Grammar of Spoken and Written English

English grammar can be tricky, and we often mix up words or make mistakes. This English grammar guide will discuss the most common mistakes and how to correct them, including incomplete sentences, possessive pronouns with gerunds, and dangling modifiers. You can conquer even the most tricky sentences by following this friendly guide to English grammar.

“Get – present tense – seems fairly straightforward: I get paid, I get restless, and I get there on time.” Sean Williams

English Grammar: 100 Tragically Common Mistakes (and How to Correct Them)

Written by Phil Williams – writer and English teacher, this practical guide to English grammar covers all the rules and usage patterns of all 12 aspects of the English language. This book can be used as an accompaniment to core texts or as a standalone study guide for learners. Topics covered include simple, continuous, perfect continuous forms in the past, present, and future, as well as bare infinitives, participles, and time clauses.

“These twelve tenses can be used for many different purposes. Because of these different uses, they are often called aspects rather than tenses. For the sake of simplicity, this guide will discuss these different grammatical forms (aspects) as tenses” Phil Williams

The English Tenses Practical Grammar Guide

Whether you’re looking for a reference guide or need an advanced English grammar guide, stocking your bookshelf with some of the best books on grammar will help you master the written language.

Remember, even the best writers need an occasional grammar check. With these guides (or the correct grammar checker ), you can hone your craft and become an influential, persuasive writer.

If you need help with learning English grammar clauses, using a grammar checker like Grammarly is a good idea. It provides context behind errors mentioned in these grammar books! If you’d like to do that, claim our Grammarly coupon .

My journey started on Goodreads, where I delved into top-rated grammar books and sifted through reader feedback. From I looked at bestseller lists to pinpoint which grammar guides were favorites among students, educators, and writers. I reached out to English writers and editors and linguistic enthusiasts for their personal recommendations. I was particularly interested in books that offered a diverse approach to grammar, catering to different learning styles.

I focused on books that had a lasting impact on learners, providing tools that were timeless and relevant. While the content and teaching methods were my primary focus, I couldn’t overlook sales figures; they provided a hint about grammar books that readers learned the most from. Armed with this information, I’ve crafted a list that represents the best in grammar resources.

FAQs About the Best Grammar Books

If you’re new to learning grammar, start with The Elements of Style by Strunk & White. Eats, Shoots, and Leaves by Lynne Truss is another good choice.

We recommend reading at least 3 English grammar books to level up your grammar skills before beginning your next writing project. Take part in the included study material, English grammar workbooks, quizzes and answer keys, and self-study references to make the most of the content. This is the best way to learn the English language fundamentals, learn about the different tenses of modern English, and be able to write with perfect English grammar.

These grammar guides all hold merit if you want to understand English in grammar use. In some way, they can all earn the title of the best books in grammar .

However, if you’re looking for an English grammar self-study guide for the advanced writer, you may want to add another to the list. Advanced English Grammar with Answers by Hewings is a single-volume book with grammar lessons and practice exercises to teach an advanced look at grammar.

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Nicole Harms has been writing professionally since 2006. She specializes in education content and real estate writing but enjoys a wide gamut of topics. Her goal is to connect with the reader in an engaging, but informative way. Her work has been featured on USA Today, and she ghostwrites for many high-profile companies. As a former teacher, she is passionate about both research and grammar, giving her clients the quality they demand in today's online marketing world.

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Language » English Grammar & Usage

The best grammar and punctuation books, recommended by mark nichol.

In the age of the internet, we are all writers. Correct grammar and punctuation are key to making a good impression. Grammar geek Mark Nichol , a writer at Daily Writing Tips , picks five of the best grammar and punctuation books, and tells us why bad grammar leads to anarchy.

Interview by Sophie Roell , Editor

The Best Grammar and Punctuation Books - Garner's Modern English Usage (5th edition) by Bryan A. Garner

Garner's Modern English Usage (5th edition) by Bryan A. Garner

The Best Grammar and Punctuation Books - Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary by Merriam-Webster

Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary by Merriam-Webster

The Best Grammar and Punctuation Books - Spunk & Bite: A Writer's Guide to Bold, Contemporary Style by Arthur Plotnik

Spunk & Bite: A Writer's Guide to Bold, Contemporary Style by Arthur Plotnik

The Best Grammar and Punctuation Books - The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation by Jane Straus

The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation by Jane Straus

The Best Grammar and Punctuation Books - The Copyeditor's Handbook: A Guide for Book Publishing and Corporate Communications by Amy Einsohn

The Copyeditor's Handbook: A Guide for Book Publishing and Corporate Communications by Amy Einsohn

books com grammar

1 Garner's Modern English Usage (5th edition) by Bryan A. Garner

2 merriam-webster's collegiate dictionary by merriam-webster, 3 spunk & bite: a writer's guide to bold, contemporary style by arthur plotnik, 4 the blue book of grammar and punctuation by jane straus, 5 the copyeditor's handbook: a guide for book publishing and corporate communications by amy einsohn.

We’re talking about grammar books today, but I originally got in touch with you because I was editing the word ‘Pitmaston Pineapple apple tree’ in one of our interviews . That led me to your post, on Daily Writing Tips , about when to capitalise animal and plant names. I gathered from the post that people generally capitalise too often. Taking a step back, does it actually matter, getting that kind of detail right?

It’s interesting because I am very conservative in some respects, as far as language and usage is concerned in writing, but I also tend to welcome linguistic innovation. I just wrote a post about the fact that the word ‘hella’ has been added to  Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary . I’m not sure if you are familiar with this term in England?

I’m not.

A lot of people in the United States aren’t either. It’s a sub-cultural term. It’s basically an intensifier based on ‘hell of a’ and it is used in phrases like, ‘Oh, that was hella cool.’ I wrote about how I was interested because I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, near where that word was born. That was an interesting experience, being near the epicentre or birthplace of a neologism.

But my feeling is that language is alive and we don’t really have any control over it. Even if we had an Académie française for English—some governing body for what you should and should not do in English—it would rebel against any authority. It is a living creature. That said, we need to maintain some degree of standards if we are to communicate effectively with each other. It is a slippery slope. My job, as an editor, is to maintain those standards. Otherwise, anarchy prevails.

Bad grammar could lead to anarchy?

Yes. I welcome breaking rules if you have a good reason to do so, but if you break rules prepare for the consequences. The consequences for a writer are that people may not understand you, and your message will not be communicated, and then you fail. So you’re taking a risk.

What’s the difference between the evolution of language and a mistake? For example, a word like ‘disinterested.’ At school I was taught that this meant ‘unbiased’ and that to use it to mean ‘uninterested’ was a mistake. But many people do now use it to mean ‘uninterested.’ When do we accept a word as having acquired a new meaning?

There’s an awkward transitional stage for some changes, at least in the timescale of one’s lifetime. Words like ‘disinterested’ or ‘fulsome’ can now mean two things. There’s a term for these words, which is ‘polyseme.’ The problem is that people may not understand which meaning you’re using, so why use it? At best, you can provide context in the sentence so that it is obvious which one you mean, but if you are trying too hard to provide a context, then you are just getting bogged down. It might be better just to use another word.

Let’s look at some of these issues in more detail as we go through the grammar books you’ve chosen. The first book on your list is Garner’s Modern American Usage by Bryan A. Garner.   Tell me about this book. Why is it interesting?

This grammar book is the closest thing Americans have to a national authority. There’s an array of books that fill this niche; in England the O xford English Dictionary  might be the equivalent. Garner’s Modern American Usage  just has this weight of authority to it. It is very carefully organised and prepared. It is very well written. The author is very well respected as a kind of arbiter of effective written communication. I just find it a great resource for making decisions about which word is most effective in conveying what I want to communicate to my audience.

Give me an example of what I can learn from the book.

There’s a habit, in American English at least, of using the word ‘bicep’ as if biceps is a plural and bicep is the singular. But ‘biceps’ is actually a singular noun, it just happens to have an ‘s’ at the end because it is based on the Latin , and Latin does that sometimes. So Garner will tell you that if you want to be considered a careful writer, if you want people to respect you as an authority when you are writing, then you are not going to talk about your left ‘bicep,’ you are going to talk about your left ‘biceps.’ It gets into that laser-like level of detail about the right thing to do if you want people to feel that they can trust you.

Which matters. If I’m applying for a job and my grammar is wrong, that will not make a good impression.

There is a concept called ‘linguistic register,’ which is a fancy way of saying how formally you write (or speak). When you are preparing a business report or writing for a scientific journal, the way you write is intrinsic to how well you are perceived as an authority and how persuasive your argument is. If you are writing a blog, and you write about how something is ‘hella’ cool, if your blog is engaging with people on a conversational level, that’s an appropriate linguistic register. Or if you use the word ‘phat.’ Are you familiar with that? It’s from rap culture, and it means ‘great!’ ‘That’s phat, man, that’s phat!’ It’s a dated term, but if your audience knows what that means, then you can be ‘sloppy’ because you are still communicating effectively.

Yes, but whether you’re being formal or informal if you use it’s (with an apostrophe) when you are supposed to use ‘its’ (without an apostrophe), that looks bad across the board, doesn’t it?

Do you know the term for that? It’s called the ‘greengrocer’s apostrophe,’ and actually originates in the United Kingdom. It’s called that because the mistake is so ubiquitous in storefront signs, where it’ll say ‘Apple’s for Sale’ because the person who wrote it doesn’t know the function of the apostrophe. Unfortunately, that error is also common in other contexts, and it’s hella bad.

While we’re on the subject of apostrophes, what about if you are talking about an object belonging to Mr Jones. Should it be Mr Jones’s or Mr Jones’?

It depends on who I am writing or editing for because they are both correct. They’re just alternative forms — just like American English and British English are both valid in their own contexts. Some publications prefer the terminal s and some publications prefer to omit it. It depends on which style you are using. But it’s confusing because a layperson will be reading a newspaper and they’ll see Jones’ with just an apostrophe. Then they’ll read a book and see Jones’s with apostrophe s. They’ll wonder which one is wrong because they don’t know the distinction. They don’t know that it can be either.

Are there huge variations in English between countries? I’m always quite surprised at the difference between American English and British English, for example.

The best way to think about it is as two separate languages. It’s almost like French and Italian, or maybe it would be more accurate to say the difference between two French dialects —Provençal or Occitan. Or between Portuguese in Portugal and Portuguese in Brazil.

Five Books interviews are a bit of a mishmash. If I like the American style on something—like italicizing book titles—I’ll adopt that. If I prefer the British, then I’ll adopt that.

I’ve actually edited British English and it can be quite confusing. For example, the use of ‘ise’ or ‘ize’ or the use of ‘ise’ or ‘ice’ at the end of a word like ‘practice.’ It can get confusing for an American because we just do it the same way every time. The British don’t. A similar case is whether you place terminal punctuation inside or outside of a quotation mark. In British English, it varies and not only that, but some British publications follow American style and some follow British style. So you just have to know which rulebook you are supposed to use, when you work, as I do, as an editor.

Going back to the grammar books you’re recommending and Garner’s Modern American Usage. The tone is quite interesting, isn’t it? One of the reviewers on Amazon said he can be quite snarky. 

He comes across as a bit stuffy, but he is one of those people who is stuffy and yet witty — droll, I guess you would say. Sometimes, his humour is droll or dry, but his writing style is basically do-what-you’re-told. He is confident in his writing: ‘If you are opening up this book, you are in my grasp and I am telling you what to do. Do it.’ It’s a great approach because the reason I’m opening this book is because I’m confused or uncertain about something and I want authoritative advice.

Bryan Garner is a lawyer, isn’t he? How did he get to this position as the American equivalent of the Académie française?

Just as with any authority, you accumulate authority. You start out being just another person casting about in the darkness, and then you become the light yourself. He was editor in chief of a law dictionary,  Black’s Law Dictionary , and then he started branching out to general-purpose language usage.

Is he the ultimate arbiter, would you say, if you had a point of uncertainty?

He is  an  ultimate arbiter. His is one brand of many that are possible. I just happen to prefer him, which is the case for all the books that I chose for this exercise.

Tell me about the second of the grammar books you’re recommending, Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary . Why is this an essential book?

In the United States it is considered, among publishing companies, to be the dictionary of record. What I mean by that is that if you go into the offices of a publishing company, you are not going to see various dictionaries on people’s bookshelves as you take a tour. Everybody is just going to have  Merriam-Webster’s.  I chose it because I felt there needs to be a dictionary on this list of five books because dictionaries are fundamental.

A lot of people criticise  Merriam-Webster’s  because it is not necessarily clear – just because a word is in the dictionary, it doesn’t mean you should use it. For example,  Merriam-Webster’s  includes the word ‘irregardless.’ You might come back to me and say: ‘Irregardless is not a word. It is a duplicative of regardless. It is a ridiculous word.’ But I will respond, ‘Yes, it is a word. I just used it.’ It doesn’t mean that it is a good word, but it exists. There are a lot of things in this world that we wish didn’t exist but they do, and ‘irregardless’ is one of them.

What people should realise—and this is a point a lot of editors and writers don’t realise, as well as laypeople—is that dictionaries are descriptive and not prescriptive. They describe the way things are, not the way things should be. A dictionary includes every word that is used including our ‘hella.’ It is not saying you should use this word. It is saying this word exists, and if you are going to use it, this is how it is spelled and this is what it means and this is how it is pronounced. I’m not sure if everybody would agree that  Merriam-Webster’s  does a better job of that than any other dictionary, but it happens to be my preference just because it is the dominant resource among publishing companies, who have traditionally been the arbiters of the best of language and written communication.

Does the fact that it’s ‘collegiate’ mean anything?

No, I think it’s just a marketing term. It’s like, ‘Hey kids, this is what you should buy if you want to pass your midterms.’ I think it was distinguished from the general  Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary  because it was more compact; it didn’t have as many words in it as the general edition. It was marketed as a smaller, cheaper alternative for college students. But it superseded the previous version of the dictionary, and is now the prevalent version.

Can dictionaries contradict each other?

They do, but it’s insignificant. Except if you are supposed to spell something the same way every time, which is, you know, the idea. One of them might close a two-word compound, the other might hyphenate it. For example, the word ‘mindset’ has traditionally been hyphenated, but a lot of people are treating it as closed now, so you’ll find it that way in some dictionaries because dictionaries, as I said, are descriptive.

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The interesting thing is, why do dictionaries contradict each other? One dictionary says it’s ‘mind-set’ with a hyphen, and another one says it’s closed. They are both citing sources; they’ll cite a book or a magazine or some other printed content or even a website that that spelling appeared in, and say, ‘Look at all these resources — they’re saying you don’t hyphenate ‘mindset’ any more.’ Another dictionary will say ‘Yes, you hyphenate “mind-set,” and look at all this evidence that we have accumulated.’ Again, they are both right because the word is in transition and you’ll see it treated both ways. They’ve just made different decisions about what the prevailing form is for a word.

If your publication uses  Merriam-Webster’s  to resolve any issues of spelling or style, then you’re going to do what  Merriam-Webster’s  says. And if somebody says, ‘Our dictionary of record is  Random House ’ and  Random House  closes ‘mindset,’ you’re going to do it that way. There’s also the house style. A lot of publications have their own resource. They might want to generally follow a resource like  Merriam-Webster’s  or the  Chicago Manual of Style  or the  Oxford Style Guide,  but they will say, ‘Except in this case, when we are going to do it this way instead.’ So they’ll have a separate guide, which is a separate document that will say, ‘These are the exceptions to the dictionary or the style guide that we want you to use.’

On to the next of the grammar books. Tell me about Spunk & Bite: A Writer’s Guide to Bold, Contemporary Style.

This book, as you might have figured out, is a rebuttal to   Strunk & White . We just call it Strunk & White  here, us editor types, and everybody knows what you’re talking about. I don’t even remember what the real title is [ The Elements of Style ].  Strunk & White  is widely respected as a very handy little resource for basic rules about writing clearly: be concise, don’t overload your sentences with adjectives and these kinds of prescriptions. Dictionaries are descriptive, but things like  Garner’s Modern American Usage  and  Strunk & White are  prescriptive: they say, ‘This is what you should do.’ I recognise the value of  Strunk & White , but as I alluded to earlier, I’m all about being open to breaking rules. I really admire the author of  Spunk & Bite  for basically turning  Strunk & White  upside down and saying: yes, but no. If you want to load your sentences with adjectives, lots of great writers do that. OK, Hemingway doesn’t, but somebody else does. So if you want to sound like  Hemingway , then no adjectives are allowed. If you want to sound like somebody else, then dump the wheelbarrow full of adjectives into every sentence, and go for it. I just appreciate that sense of ‘Know the rules, but then break them, if it works for you.’

There is a writer named Bill Bryson . You might be familiar with him. He is an American but he has spent a lot of time in the UK. He was actually chancellor of Durham University. He just writes about whatever he wants to write about. He uses these very long and involved, convoluted sentences, full of adjectives, full of whimsy, and it’s brilliant. Not everybody loves him, but I do. Anybody who likes him will probably like  Spunk & Bite .

Is  Strunk & White  a bit dated?

It’s hasn’t been updated in quite a long time. I don’t know when the last edition came out. It was originally written in the early 1900s. A fellow named William Strunk Jr. started it, and then E. B. White, a student of Strunk and a writer best known as the author of the children’s classic  Charlotte’s Web ,  took on the task of revising. I think he did that more than once, but it was a long time ago.

Let’s go on to The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation, which is a very popular grammar book. I noticed this was available online as well, which is quite useful. I went online and read an entry about the semicolon, which has always intrigued me because at school we were told that it was so hard to use correctly that it was better not to use it at all.

The semicolon is one of those tiny things that people are just terrified about. Just think of it as having two roles — it’s either a strong comma, clarifying the organization of a sentence that contains a list when one or more parts of the list already include a comma, or it’s a weak period, separating two closely related statements. I consider myself a word nerd and a grammar guru, but I’m still learning all the time. And I’m wrong sometimes: I’m a human being. But when I was in school, I remember having instruction in proper English grammar and punctuation. It was basically worksheets. It was very dry, very boring. I was generally pretty good at it, but well into my adulthood I still didn’t know the difference between an adjective and an adverb. That is, I didn’t know which label referred to which, but I knew how to use them. If someone had given me a mnemonic — think of the -verb in adverb , and adjective goes with -ject , as in object —  I would have been on more solid ground. The way language is taught is just so formulaic and laboratory-driven. It’s not organic; it’s not holistic. And so we acquire these fears of semicolons. We have advertising agencies just refusing to use hyphens, because ‘They confuse people.’ When you see billboards or advertisements, nobody ever uses a hyphen, or if they do, they use it incorrectly. It flummoxes me, as an editor, because I know when and how to use it. I just don’t understand phobias about punctuation marks, though I do appreciate that somebody might know how to use some tool or some procedures for their work which I would be utterly confused about.

So is this a good grammar book to go to for that kind of specific query?

This book is good for beginners, but I also find it helpful for people who might consider themselves experts. Just, you know, for those moments when I think I remember what I’m supposed to do, but I want to look it up just in case.’ I find it useful for that. It’s very clean, and it’s in a workbook format with many exercises in it, which is a good thing. You read a short, simple lesson about adjectives and adverbs, or about when you use ‘that’ or ‘which’ in a sentence, and then you can practise with the exercises.

When do you use ‘that’ and when do you use ‘which’?

In British English, you always seem to use ‘which.’ I don’t think ‘that’ exists in British English, does it? Just kidding. But in American English, we make a distinction between restrictive or non-restrictive usage. So, for instance, I might say, ‘The book that is on the table is mine.’ I wouldn’t say, ‘The book which is on the table is mine,’ unless I was being parenthetical in saying, ‘The book, which is on the table, is mine,’ and setting that off with commas. Those two sentences have different intentions. ‘The book that is on the table is mine,’ kind of sounds as if there might be more than one book, and I’m specifying which book it is. The second sentence, ‘The book, which is on the table, is mine,’ doesn’t require any other books to exist. I am merely providing additional information about the book.

And people get that wrong a lot?

Yes, they do, with distressing frequency.

And you are saying British English is different?

My understanding of British English is that—and this happens in American English too—people will say, ‘The book which is on the table is mine,’ and they are not using the middle of that sentence as a parenthetical. The argument that a lot of grammar gurus make, myself included, is that it helps make a distinction, especially when you are speaking. When you are reading, the use of the commas to set off that parenthetical helps clarify what you mean, but when you are speaking it helps to use ‘that’ in specific cases and to use ‘which’ in specific cases, to help a listener distinguish what you mean by the sentence. That’s what careful writing is all about: making distinctions as part of your mission to provide clarity to your reader.

I noticed that you haven’t got  Eats, Shoots & Leaves on this list, even though we’re covering punctuation as well as grammar more generally. Is that book looked down on by grammar gurus?

We don’t have secret meetings in caves or anything, but I remember reading a scathing condemnation of that book. I had read the book previously and had a vague unease about it. Then I realised there were some things in it that I disagreed with and that it is actually not very helpful. I found it to be a little bit careless or inconsistent, or I just disagreed with some of her advice. So I can’t recommend it. I love the title. That’s where my admiration ends.

Finally of the grammar books you’re recommending, shall we talk about The Copyeditor’s Handbook?  Why is this on the list?

I’ve saved the best for last. Let me give you a little background. The   Copyeditor’s Handbook  was originally intended as a companion piece to The   Chicago Manual of Style . Are you familiar with  Chicago ?

I’ve heard of it.

I talked about  Merriam-Webster’s  being the dictionary of record for American publishers.  The Chicago Manual of Style  is the style guide of record for American publishers and many other companies too. Pretty much anybody who publishes—and basically every company is a publisher, even if they only put out business cards. The Chicago Manual of Style  is eminently useful in terms of rules about how to punctuate, when to spell out a word and when to abbreviate, when to spell out a number and when to use a numeral, how to be consistent. But it is a compendium of information about how to create a book, and there is a lot of information in there that is not applicable to an editor. I used to assign it as a textbook in my editing classes, but ended up only using a portion of the book in class. The last copy I bought cost $65, so it’s a bit of an investment. I felt kind of bad about making people spend so much money, and I wished that the University of Chicago Press , the publisher, would create an abridged version that is useful primarily for editors and leave all the technical book making material aside.

Then, somebody came along and suggested creating a companion book. It was going to be published as a companion book for  Chicago , but, for some reason, the deal fell through and the  University of California Press  published it. I met the author. She actually was a guest speaker in my class a couple of times, because she is local. I was very glad about that because if you’re going to have just one book on a desert island and you are a writer, I would say this is the book to have.

Why is it such a key grammar book?

It basically does what I thought  Chicago  should do, and distils all the basic information, like when you capitalise a word and when you lowercase it. Technical details like this that, when you use them correctly, mark you as a careful writer. Like the Jane Straus book, it’s a workbook. It has chapters on specific topics and then there are exercises after each chapter. It’s very well organised, very clearly written — and in an engaging way. It’s not intimidating. The Chicago Manual of Style is intimidating. This is just very accessible.  Even though it’s called The   Copyeditor’s Handbook,  I find it useful for anybody who writes or edits.

And everyone is a writer now, whatever they do — if you’re a carpenter you still have to send out texts and reply to emails. And even highly educated people commit so many mistakes. Basically, everyone would benefit from reading this grammar book, wouldn’t they?

Yes, every single person who writes in English, or at least American English, should be required to own this book and read it, and demonstrate that they’ve read it. It should be like getting a driver’s license. Before you can post a blog, before you can write an email, you need to have a writer’s license! And this is the test. This book is the test.

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The great thing about the internet and technology is that everybody gets to be a writer, and the awful thing about the internet and technology is that everybody gets to be a writer. People think that just because they know how to type they know how to write, but, again, go ahead and type away all you want, but if people can’t understand what you’re writing, then you’ve failed and you need to work on your craft, just as with any other endeavour.

In terms of the order in which to read these grammar books, say you’ve read The Copyeditor’s Handbook and are using the upper case and lower case correctly — a stage some of us have not got to just yet. Should we then read Spunk & Bite: A Writer’s Guide to Bold, Contemporary Style to learn about how to write in a very lively and engaging way? To write like Hemingway, or not like Hemingway, depending on what you prefer?

Every writing style is correct, if that’s the way that you intend to communicate. Whether it succeeds, that’s another matter. I chose all these books carefully. They represent an array of different types of resources, but they need not be read, or consulted, in any particular order. I included a dictionary, a usage book and a grammar book and I included a stylebook—plus Spunk & Bite for kicks—because those are different issues, and writers need to attend to them all.

July 14, 2016

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Mark Nichol

Mark Nichol

Mark Nichol is a writer for Daily Writing Tips . He has worked on editing projects ranging from blog posts and other website content to manuscripts for college textbooks and articles for scholarly journals. A former editing instructor with the Extension program at the University of California, Berkeley, and a onetime schoolteacher, he enjoys reading and writing about language.

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Best Books on English Grammar

Master the nuances of english grammar with this definitive list of books. compiled from top linguistic resources, these titles are celebrated for making grammar accessible, engaging, and practical to learners of all levels..

English Grammar in Use book cover

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20 Best English Grammar Books (2022 Review)

September 7, 2020 by James Wilson

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English is a universal language. The benefits of learning English are many. It gives you a boost no matter what your profession might be. The language can be a little tricky to learn for some, but not to worry. The sentence structure and the use of the grammar rules might take you a little while to learn but as always books are always there to help you.

Grammar can be difficult to learn even for those that are native speakers of the language, so you do not need to worry. The process can seem daunting, but it is one you can easily undertake. It will require a lot of dedication and challenging work on your part, but success will be at your feet soon and you will become a master of the language. Before you know it, you will be able to speak English, write English, listen to English songs and read English books.

What are the Best English Grammar Books to read?

English Grammar in Use: A Self-Study Reference and Practice Book for Intermediate Learners of English - with Answers

We have compiled for you a list of the best books on grammar of the English Language. These cater to British and American language both. They can cater to the learners of any learning level.

Best English Grammar Books: Our Top 20 Picks

Here are some of the best english grammar books that you can consider to expand your knowledge on the subject:

1. English Grammar in Use: A Self-Study Reference and Practice Book for Intermediate Students of English- with Answers, 4th Edition

English Grammar in Use

English Grammar in Use: A Self-Study Reference and Practice Book for Intermediate Students of English- with Answers  is written by Raymond Murphy. This reference textbook is for students of Intermediate B1 and B2. If you are looking for an excellent teaching guide for learners, this book is perfect for you. It includes the grammar skills required to excel for the students of this level.

Can be considered amazing for self-study and group study. The incorporation of practice exercises with explanations and review questions makes this an excellent read. Millions have used Raymond Murphy’s guide worldwide to learn the basics of the English language. It can also be used as an added book by teachers on an academic level as well.

  • Authors : Raymond Murphy (Author)
  • Publisher : Cambridge University Press; 4th Edition (April 23, 2012)
  • Pages : 390 pages

2. The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation: An Easy-to Use Guide with Clear Rules, Real-World Examples, and Reproducible Quizzes, 11th Edition

The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation

The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation: An Easy-to Use Guide with Clear Rules, Real-World Examples, and Reproducible Quizzes  is an eleventh edition by Tom Stern, Jane Straus and Lester Kaufman. It is an extremely helpful workbook for beginners who want to learn the English Language.

Can guide you all the basics of grammar by teaching how to learn the rules and how to apply them. You will find lots of examples, worksheets and quizzes that can be easily reproduced, tests etc. to aid your learning. This work by Tom Stern will provide you an updated version of grammar with easy to follow guidelines. It is suitable for children and adults alike in their academic and professional life.

  • Authors : Jane Straus (Author), Lester Kaufman (Author), Tom Stern (Author)
  • Publisher : Wiley; 11th Edition (February 10, 2014)
  • Pages : 224 pages

3. The Only Grammar Book You Will Ever Need: A One-Stop Source for Every Writing Assignment

The Only Grammar Book You'll Ever Need

The Only Grammar Book You Will Ever Need: A One-Stop Source for Every Writing  Assignment has been put to writing by Susan Thurman. It is perfect for every person who wants to write well in English language but struggles with it. It will cater to all your writing needs whether that is technical writing, persuasive writing or academic writing.

The author lends her ability as an English teacher to guide you to improve your grammar. The package comes with guidelines for improving your vocabulary to punctuation, etc. The author gives you the tricks of the trade to translate your thoughts into words on a paper.

  • Authors : Susan Thurman (Author), Larry Shea (Author)
  • Publisher : Adams Media; First Edition (May 1, 2003)
  • Pages : 192 pages

4. Perfect English Grammar: The Indispensable Guide to Excellent Writing and Speaking

Perfect English Grammar

Perfect English Grammar: The Indispensable Guide to Excellent Writing and Speaking  is the penmanship of Grant Barrett. If you think you need to brush up your language skills, this will be perfect for you. Once you read this manual on how to polish your language skills, your communication will be 100 times better through exceptional writing and speaking skills.

Perfect English Grammar makes it extremely easy for you to improve your English through effortless steps. This language guide can be your navigation guide to better grasp over the language. If you read this book, you will never be wrong again, you will never make foolish mistakes in your communication.

  • Authors : Grant Barrett (Author)
  • Publisher : Zephyros Press; 1st Edition (March 29, 2016)
  • Pages : 238 pages

5. Grammar for English Language Teachers, 2nd Edition

Grammar for English Language Teachers

Grammar for English Language Teachers  is the second edition of the book by Martin Parrott. It is a practical guide and offers a realistic approach for the teachers who will be teaching students the language of English. It is also a reference book and is extremely helpful for all language coaches of English. The content gives ideas for lesson plans, along with justification for every idea and also includes easy to follow exercises that enable the teachers to understand the key concepts so masterfully so that they can efficiently pass on that knowledge to their students. It further exemplifies common mistakes new students make and teaches teachers how to tackle them effectively.

  • Authors : Martin Parrott (Author)
  • Publisher : Cambridge University Press; 2nd Edition (January 29, 2010)
  • Pages : 479 pages

6. The Perfect English Grammar Workbook: Simple Rules and Quizzes to Master Today’s English

The Perfect English Grammar Workbook

Lisa McLendon is the author of  The Perfect English Grammar Workbook: Simple Rules and Quizzes to Master Today’s English . This publication is a key guide to mastering the grammar of the English language. The text refers to the standard American English. This is an adequate learning source for ESL learners and people who want to improve their language skills for personal or professional reasons.

This self help guide covers all the basics like punctuation, sentence structure, adverbs, adjectives, etc. The structure is very straightforward in its layout. The chapters explain every concept in a comprehensive manner first and then allow you to review your learning to get an evaluation of your skills as well.

  • Authors : Lisa McLendon (Author)
  • Publisher : Zephyros Press; Workbook Edition (January 10, 2017)
  • Pages : 214 pages

7. English for Everyone: English Grammar Guide: A Comprehensive Visual Reference

English for Everyone

English for Everyone: English Grammar Guide: A Comprehensive Visual Reference  is a book by DK. The text is for self-study and for group study as well. The exceptional thing about the book is its innovative and unique visual teaching methods. It supplies an understanding of even the most complex concept.

The manual can be helpful to the language learners of any level. It uses an illustrative approach to explain its points and to make sure the reader keeps the information. It breaks down grammar so that anyone could understand it. This is suitable for any purpose, leisure, casual learning, exams or travel, etc.

  • Authors : DK (Author)
  • Publisher : DK; Reprint Edition (December 13, 2016)
  • Pages : 360 pages

8. The English Grammar Workbook for Grades 6, 7 and 8: 125+ Simple Exercises to Improve Grammar, Punctuation and Word Usage

The English Grammar Workbook for Grades 6, 7, and 8

The English Grammar Workbook for Grades 6, 7 and 8: 125+ Simple Exercises to Improve Grammar, Punctuation and Word Usage  is a book by Lauralee Moss. This book will be your gateway to better report cards, targeted for younger students of lower classes.

Through this guide, students will have a strong and sturdy understanding of the basics of grammar. They will be able to write, speak and read well. It has lessons that move in an organic manner from simple to complex, review exercises that make the content engaging and quizzes with answer keys to further clarify your concepts.

  • Authors : Lauralee Moss (Author)
  • Publisher : Zephyros Press; Workbook Edition (September 18, 2018)
  • Pages : 268 pages

9. Complete English Grammar Rules: Examples, Exceptions, Exercises, and Everything You Need to Master Proper Grammar (The Farlex Grammar Book 1)

Complete English Grammar Rules

Complete English Grammar Rules: Examples, Exceptions, Exercises, and Everything You Need to Master Proper Grammar is a book by Farlex International. This exceptional handbook brings you a comprehensive knowledge of English Grammar in one place. It brings you content that is guaranteed for its authenticity by sources like Farlex International and TheFreeDictionary.com.

The sourcebook includes all the rules of grammar in easy to follow text. It has examples to make it easier for you to grab the subject. You will give get a fluency that will make others jealous of your ability.

  • Authors : Farlex International (Author)
  • Publisher : Farlex International (July 14, 2016)
  • Pages : 518 pages

10. Oxford Modern English Grammar, 1st Edition

Oxford Modern English Grammar

Oxford Modern English Grammar  is the first edition of the book by Bas Aarts. Oxfords renowned language guide is an essential handbook for all your grammar problems. The text features the American as well as the British language. The publication features diagrams, tables, charts, examples which can be easily understood by everyone even those with the most beginner level knowledge of the English language.

The text is divided into three parts. It tackles even the most complex and confusing intricacies of the language deftly. This little handbook is invaluable to all students who want to improve their language skills.

  • Authors : Bas Aarts (Author)
  • Publisher : Oxford University Press; Illustrated Edition (May 22, 2011)
  • Pages : 448 pages

11. Understanding and Using English Grammar with Essential Online Resources, 5th Edition

Understanding and Using English Grammar with Essential Online Resources (5th Edition)

Understanding and Using English Grammar with Essential Online  Resources is the fifth edition of the book by Betty S Azar and Stacy A Hagen. It is an extremely well trusted source of learning. The text is written with extremely helpful features; every chapter starts with an overview of what you already know, the incorporation of charts helps to explain how words are used and how writing the language is different from speaking it.

Basic concepts such as articles are explained well. You will also find interesting and engaging readings that keep your interest.

  • Authors : Betty S Azar (Author), Stacy A. Hagen (Author)
  • Publisher : Pearson Education ESL; 5th Edition (December 22, 2016)
  • Pages : 512 pages

12. English Grammar: 100 Tragically Common Mistakes (and How to Correct Them)

English Grammar

English Grammar: 100 Tragically Common Mistakes (and How to Correct Them ), written by Sean Williams, takes a pragmatic approach on how to learn about grammar and writing. With the help of this book, you will never feel embarrassed about your poor grammar, but you will have a grasp over the language that others will envy.

After reading this thoroughly, you will feel confident in your abilities as a writer and will be clear about grammar rules of the English language. The volume talks into detail about the most common mistakes that every newbie to the language makes. It clears the confusions and cobwebs of the language. Furthermore, it gives you tips and tricks to make your writing better.

  • Authors : Sean Williams (Author)
  • Publisher : Zephyros Press (July 2, 2019)
  • Pages : 182 pages

13. Understanding and Using English Grammar, Student Book with Essential Online Resources – International Edition, 5th Edition

Understanding and Using English Grammar, Student book with Essential Online Resources

Understanding and Using English Grammar, Student Book with Essential Online  Resources is the fifth edition of the book by Betty S. Azar and Stacy A. Hagen. Online resources include self-assessments, Student Book audio, an answer key, coaching videos, etc.

This reference book is a complete guide to the English language that will help you polish your listening, speaking and writing skills. If you are a middle level to advanced learner of the language, this will be suitable for you, but anyone can receive help from this.

14. English Grammar for Dummies (For Dummies (Lifestyle)), 3rd Edition

English Grammar For Dummies

English Grammar for Dummies  is a publication by Geraldine Woods. The English language is an intricate language that can make it difficult to learn as a secondary language. However, the process does not need to be as difficult as it may be.  English Grammar for Dummies , as the title suggests would work even for dummies. This textbook will revv up your language skills to make you fluent in the language in no time.

A good solid foundation of grammar rules and practice will lay the groundwork for your success as a speaker and a writer. The content covers everything from the most basic concept such as a noun to complex sentence articulation. It offers you easy to follow steps and exercises to improve your speaking skills.

  • Authors : Geraldine Woods (Author)
  • Publisher : For Dummies; 3rd Edition (May 1, 2017)
  • Pages : 416 pages

15. Fundamentals of English Grammar with Essential Online Resources, 4th Edition

Fundamentals of English Grammar with Essential Online Resources

Fundamentals of English Grammar with Essential Online Resources  is the fourth edition of the volume by Betty S Azar and Stacy A. Hagen. It is a widely trusted source of learning for the fundamentals of the English language. The audience targeted is the lower intermediate and intermediate language learners.

The guide is a blend of grammar rules, exercises, guidelines and methods and includes clear charts and explanations. The method is direct and gives an in-depth understanding of grammar. The text is engaging and interactive and this is the reason for its success as a grammar rulebook. Will surely improve your writing and speaking skills, as it gives you examples, exercises, quizzes and exams to allow you to evaluate your skills as well.

  • Publisher : Pearson Education ESL; 4th Edition (February 2, 2017)

16. Basic English Grammar for Dummies –Us (For Dummies (Language & Literature)) (For Dummies (Language & Literature)), US Edition

Basic English Grammar For Dummies

Basic English Grammar for Dummies  is the US version of the book by Geraldine Woods. A few people are extremely good with their language skills and do not have to question their skills ever. Most people, however, have a little trouble with figuring out what to say or how to say it or how to write it. An impeccable knowledge of language skills is a necessary skillset to help you flourish in any professional field. Examples and exercises are provided that will make it easy for you to understand the inner workings of the English language.

  • Publisher : For Dummies; US Edition (September 15, 2015)
  • Pages : 384 pages

17. Keys to Teaching Grammar to English Language Learners, A Practical Handbook, 2nd Edition

Keys to Teaching Grammar to English Language Learners, Second Ed.

Keys to Teaching Grammar to English Language Learners, A Practical  Handbook is the second edition of the book by Keith S. Folse. It has a direct approach and is most suitable for teachers who are teaching English to other people in a classroom. Grammar points are explained in detail with relevance to teaching techniques.

Has four key aims for teachers which include giving a sturdy base for the teachers so that they can answer any queries the student might have and to develop better lessons for teaching. The text also includes vocabulary related to each topic.

  • Authors : Keith S. Folse (Author)
  • Publisher : University of Michigan Press ELT; Second Edition (October 3, 2016)
  • Pages : 488 pages

18. Basic English Grammar with Essential Online Resources, 4th Edition

Basic English Grammar with Essential Online Resources, 4e

Basic English Grammar with Essential Online Resources  is the fourth edition of the book by Betty S Azar and Stacy A. Hagen. It is the most trusted learning source of grammar by the most trusted teachers of grammar, Betty S Azar and Stacy A. Hagen. This learning aid will lay out a solid foundation of grammar for you that will help you throughout your life. Once you perfect your grammar, other modes of learning the language such as speaking, listening, reading and writing will not be a problem for you. It offers you clear, user-friendly charts and extremely easy practice questions that will keep you engaged with the lessons.

  • Publisher : Pearson Education ESL; 4th Edition (January 29, 2017)
  • Pages : 528 pages

19. McGraw-Hill Education Handbook of English Grammar & Usage, 3rd Edition

McGraw-Hill Education Handbook of English Grammar & Usage

McGraw-Hill Education Handbook of English Grammar &  Usage is the third edition of the book by Mark Lester. Has perfect guide for anyone looking to improve their grammar and language skills. Everyone needs to have a proper know how of English in a professional life. Fluency in speech and proper grammar can set you apart from the rest.

This is an effective way to master the English language. It is written by an expert of grammar who uses his ability to provide you tips, definitions and knowledge that will help you on your journey to becoming an expert on the English language.

  • Authors : Mark Lester (Author)
  • Publisher : McGraw-Hill Education; 3rd Edition (November 19, 2018)

20. Analyzing English Grammar (7th Edition)

Analyzing English Grammar (7th Edition)

Analyzing English Grammar  is the seventh edition of the book by Thomas P. Klammer, Muriel R. Schulz and Angela Della Volpe. The publication is an advanced book of grammar which is meant to target those that have expert level understanding and grasp of the language. It is a deeply thought-provoking text which urges its readers to be overly critical about grammar. It also talks about a multitude of theories of linguistics. This sourcebook would be a very apt find for a teacher of the English language.

  • Authors : Thomas P. Klammer (Author), Muriel R. Schulz (Author), Angela Della Volpe (Author)
  • Publisher : Pearson; 7th Edition (August 11, 2012)
  • Pages : 432 pages

Choosing the Best English Grammar Books

English is a beautiful language to learn. It has many intricacies but once mastered, they will be of no trouble to you surely. And you will receive help from learning the language the entire world works on. It will enable you to access unlimited information about the world we live in. It will open many new doors for you. It will help you communicate to anyone living in any part of the world. It will broaden your mind and your world view. It will give you immense knowledge. Grammar can be tricky to learn but you will be a grammar wizard in no time if you work hard. Hopefully, you will find a suitable book in our list to help you for your purpose of learning English.

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The Four Best Grammar Books Available Online

Even if you’re a punctilious writer who prides himself on never splitting an infinitive or ending a sentence with a preposition, chances are that you have grammar questions sometimes. We’ve all struggled to keep our homonyms, homophones, and homographs straight. Even experienced writers sometimes stop to think about “affect” vs. “effect”, or where a colon should be placed. Despite the challenges of grammar, readers are not always forgiving when glaring grammatical mistakes are made. Poor grammar ruins a company’s credibility. One study of UK consumers found that 59 percent of consumers would not use a company with obvious grammatical mistakes on its website or marketing materials. This is why grammar books, especially ones found online in this tech-savvy era, are so important for a writer.

Another marketing firm conducted their own survey . Almost all participants said grammatical errors affect the likelihood that they would use, buy, or endorse a product or service. Simply put, poor grammar will hurt your bottom line. Thankfully, we’re not left to navigate the grammar maze alone. Grammar checkers, guides, tips, and editors are now available at our fingertips for free. If you want to brush up on your grammar, check out some free resources for the best grammar books online:

1. The Elements of Style

Let’s start with the gold standard for grammar books, The Elements of Style . In its 50 years of circulation, 10 million copies have been sold, and the book has affectionately been called “The Writer’s Bible”.  Time magazine listed it among its 100 best and most influential books written in English since 1923. In addition to grammar rules, this grammar book is a favorite for its clear, straightforward writing advice. The authors, Strunk and White, emphasize concise writing with no unnecessary words.

When it comes to authority in the writing community, its authors have plenty. William Strunk Jr. wrote the original for his Cornell University English class. His student E.B. White expanded later versions to the guide we know today. You may know White for his children’s books, including the famous  Charlotte’s Web .

Even its biggest fans, however, admit the book has some drawbacks. The biggest is that it is largely a book of style, with few hard-and-fast rules. The bold statements made by Strunk and White lead readers to assume everything they say is a rule when many statements are really about style choices.

The criticism has done little to challenge the book’s credibility, though. The New York Times called it “a splendid trophy for all who are interested in reading and writing”. It’s still a must-have addition to any writer’s library. Download a free copy of the PDF .

2. The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuatio n

The actual book version of this guide has been a favorite of teachers and students for years, and the online version is just as valuable. With clear rules and real-world examples, this grammar book is at the top of the user-friendly list. While few grammar books make for exciting reads, users prefer this one because of its engaging format.

There is a charge for full online access, but The Blue Book has numerous free resources, including grammar guides, punctuation rules, capitalization rules, and common mistakes. It’s a great free resource for the average business person, student, or teacher. You can also sign up for a free grammar newsletter, take quizzes, and watch videos about common grammar issues.

3. Grammarly

This one isn’t a book, but if you need your writing looked over, Grammarly is a great tool. According to  Top Ten Reviews , Grammarly scores a 9.35 / 10 in the world of online grammar checkers. It’s marketed as your “automated proofreader and virtual grammar coach,” and boasts that it can find up to 250 types of grammatical errors. It’s easy to use and walks writers through the process of making corrections.

The platform displays a complete breakdown of your mistakes to the right of the text, and as a full-color error summary in PDF format. Users also like Grammarly because it also checks for plagiarism, a mistake that will ruin your credibility even more than poor grammar.

4. Grammar Girl

Did you ever think a grammar book would make the New York Times  bestseller list? Grammar Girl Mignon Fogarty made it happen. She started a few years ago with witty and engaging podcasts that covered common grammar mistakes. Twenty-million downloads later, Grammar Girl is a household name among students, teachers, and writers. She has given out her gems via Oprah , The New York Times , The Wall Street Journal, and USA Today .

Grammar Girl is more than just a collection of grammar rules. You’ll learn memory tips to help retain all those rules in a fun and engaging way. Online reviews even have readers admitting to “laughing out loud.” Plus, Fogarty goes beyond the rules to give general tips on writing techniques for different purposes, including e-mail, business letters, and blogging.

Good grammar enhances your credibility and makes the intent of your writing clearer. Gone are the days of having to thumb through an encyclopedia-sized book trying to answer your grammar questions. Take advantage of grammar books and other resources available online.

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Learn English Team

Free English Grammar Books (PDF)

Today we post a list of the best free English grammar books that you can simply download and read by yourself.

There are five grammar books, with tests and examples.

If you are a beginner or advanced level English learner, these books will help you to improve your English better than ever! You can also find some of these books on pdf drive and Z library There are many ways to access online books for English learners. You can either find published books or use professional book writing services available online.

1. English Grammar Practice 

This book provides grammar exercises for students working on their own, with an integrated key at the back for reference.

The book can be used in any order depending on the personal needs of the students and the exercises are not arranged in order of increasing difficulty, but are marked with asterisks to indicate their relative degree of difficulty.

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English Grammar Practice PDF

2. Understanding English Grammar

A practical blend of the most useful elements of both traditional and new linguistic grammar , the text emphasizes whole structures, most specifically the ten basic sentence patterns introduced in Chapter 3. Two key features separate this book from others: its clear organization and its user-friendly, accessible language.

Both students and teachers appreciate the self-teaching quality that incremental exercises provide throughout the chapters, with answers at the end of the book.

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Understanding English Grammar PDF

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3. English Grammar In Use

This book is for students who want help with English grammar . It is written for you to use without a teacher.

The book will be useful for you if you are not sure of the answer to questions like these:

☞What is the difference between ‘I did’ and ‘I have done’? ☞When do we use will for the future? ☞What is the structure after ‘I wish’? ☞When do we say ‘used to do’ and when do we say ‘used to doing’? ☞When do we use ‘the’? ☞What is difference between ‘like’ and ‘as’?

These and many other points of English grammar are explained in the book, and there are exercises on each point.

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English Grammar in Use PDF

4. English Grammar Through Stories 

Learning grammar is easy if you know how! Read these amusing short stories and you will see just what I mean. Your grammar skills will improve almost by themselves!

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Grammar Through Stories PDF

5. Enough English Grammar

The book is designed to give learners of English a basic grammar foundation. This book takes a practical approach. It does not focus on rules and definitions. Instead, it studies how words work and what they do in sentences . As the learner moves through the book, he or she will gain an understanding of the basic principles of the English language.

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English Grammar Illustrated PDF

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SLP Now® Blog

SLP Now® Blog

A blog created for SLPs--by SLPs! Featuring therapy ideas and resources to helps busy SLPs streamline their caseload management.

Best Books for Grammar

I love sharing tips and tricks to help SLPs implement literacy-based therapy , but it’s not always easy to find the perfect book for your mixed group! This series of blog posts will help you find fun, engaging books that also make it easy to target your students’ goals. (I know I am always on the hunt for amazing books to use in therapy!)

First up is…GRAMMAR!

If you’re wondering how to target grammar goals using books, then check out our grammar series .

If you work with older students, then stay tuned for a series of blog posts that highlight engaging texts that can be used to target more complex syntax goals!

Here are the grammar targets we’ll be covering:

• Pronouns • Auxiliary Verbs • Past Tense Verbs • Plural Nouns • Negatives • Post Noun Elaboration • Compound Sentences • Complex Sentences

I Like Myself – This story about a young girl is filled with “I” statements. A perfect opportunity to model this pronoun!

My Friend is Sad – This story about Gerald and Piggie is filled with “you” and “I” statements. A perfect opportunity to model/contrast these pronouns!

The Biggest Apple Ever – This story about the collaborative effort of two mice is filled with “we” statements.

Auxiliary Verbs

We’re Going on a Leaf Hunt – This story about three friends who go on an adventure is perfect for students working on auxiliary verbs. The repetitive structure of the book includes multiple opportunities to model and practice this target.

A Camping Spree with Mr. Magee – Mr. Magee and his dog experience an eventful camping trip. They complete several actions along the way, providing students with several opportunities to practice using auxiliary verbs (e.g., He is driving. He is roasting marshmallows. They are sleeping.).

Animal Strike at the Zoo – This is a story about zoo animals who decide to strike. Students have the opportunity to describe the animals’ actions using auxiliary verbs.

Past Tense Verbs

There Was an Old Lady Who… – These stories make repetitive use of past tense verbs, ideal for initial modeling and scaffolded practice.

Little Elliot, Big City – This story about a little elephant in a big city includes simple sentences with a variety of regular and irregular past tense verbs.

Chrysanthemum – Chrysanthemum is a mouse who loves her name until the kids at school make fun of it. This story chronicles her self acceptance and is filled with repeated use of regular (e.g., loved, looked, walked) and irregular (e.g., said, grew, woke) past tense verbs.

Plural Nouns

In The Tall, Tall Grass – This book describes the actions of bugs. The book includes simple two-word sentences (e.g., Caterpillars lunch. Hummingbirds sip.), ideal for targeted modeling and scaffolded practice of plural nouns.

Giraffes Can’t Dance – The story about a giraffe who learns to dance includes a number of regular plural nouns.

Dragons Love Tacos – This story about a dragon taco party includes repeated use of plural nouns.

Where’s Spot? – This is a story about a mother dog who is looking for her puppy. She looks for him in several places. Students have the opportunity to “lift the flap” when searching for Spot and practice using negation (e.g., He is NOT inside the clock.).

Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type – This story about unsatisfied farm animals includes repeated use of (“no” + noun).

How Do Dinosaurs Say I’m Mad? – This story about an angry dinosaur includes opportunities for students to practice answering questions. For example, “Does he roar and slam the door?” The SLP can model and/or students can respond with negation (e.g.,, “He does not!” or “He doesn’t roar and slam the door.”)

Post Noun Elaboration

Animal Strike at the Zoo – The story about animals going on strike at the zoo includes several examples of post noun elaboration as the author describes the animals.

A Camping Spree with Mr. Magee – This story about Dee and Mr. Magee’s camping trip includes several examples of post noun elaboration as the author describes the adventure.

Happy Like Soccer – This story about a young girl who loves soccer includes several examples of post noun elaboration as the author describes her game day.

Compound Sentences

Big Frank’s Fire Truck – The story about a fireman’s day includes several compound sentences.

Room on the Broom – This story about a witch and her broom includes several compound sentences.

Little Red Riding Hood – The story about Little Red Riding Hood includes several compound sentences.

Complex Sentences

The Little Red Hen – This story about the Little Red Hen includes several complex sentences (e.g., using the conjunction “after”).

How I Became a Pirate – This story about how a young boy became a pirate includes several complex sentences (e.g., using the conjunction “because”).

Family Huddle – This story about the Manning brothers includes several complex sentences.

Here’s a quick overview of all the books we listed:

Looking for more book ideas? Check out the SLP Now Membership! You can search for books that include targets for all of your students’ goals. Try it today (for free)!

Tags: Books , Grammar , Literacy-Based Therapy

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Hi there! I'm Marisha. I am a school-based SLP who is all about working smarter, not harder. I created the SLP Now Membership and love sharing tips and tricks to help you save time so you can focus on what matters most--your students AND yourself.

Reader Interactions

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February 10, 2019 at 12:57 pm

I have some students working on “she”, present tense verbs, and possessive pronouns. Do you have an book suggestions for these?

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March 13, 2019 at 9:52 am

Chrysanthemum , Stellaluna , and the Old Lady books are great for “she”! They’ll also have lots of possessive pronouns. I Like Myself has a lot of “she” and possessive pronouns too! You can use pretty much any book for present tense verbs! Just describe what the characters are doing in the picture and/or read it in the present (instead of the past tense).

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grammar – all textbooks

Textbook recommendations:  grammar.

Check out our great textbook resources for learning English grammar, categorized by skill level.

Recommended textbooks for learning and teaching grammar in English as a second language. Check out these books and resources for great study and practice.  See textbooks in sections below.

Low Beginning

  • Focus on Grammar 1
  • Grammar Dimensions 1
  • Basic English Grammar
  • Essential Grammar in Use

High Beginning

  • Grammar and Beyond 1
  • Focus on Grammar 2
  • Grammar Dimensions 2
  • Fundamentals of English Grammar
  • Next Generation Grammar 1
  • Elements of Success 1
  • Basic Grammar in Use
  • Grammar Sense 1
  • Grammar Express Basic

Low Intermediate

  • Grammar and Beyond 2
  • Focus on Grammar 3
  • Grammar Dimensions 3
  • Understanding and Using English Grammar
  • Fun with Grammar
  • Next Generation Grammar 2
  • Elements of Success 2
  • Grammar Sense 2
  • Grammar in Use Intermediate
  • Grammar Express Intermediate
  • English Grammar Drills

High Intermediate

  • Grammar and Beyond 3
  • Focus on Grammar 4
  • Grammar Dimensions 4
  • Next Generation Grammar 3
  • Elements of Success 3
  • Grammar Sense 3
  • English Grammar in Use 
  • Grammar Practice
  • Grammar for Business
  • TOEFL Grammar Workbook
  • Ins and Outs of Prepositions
  • Focus on Grammar 5
  • Next Generation Grammar 4
  • Grammar and Beyond 4
  • Elements of Success 4
  • Grammar Sense 4
  • Advanced Grammar in Use
  • The Grammar Book
  • The ELT Grammar Book
  • The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation
  • Practical English Usage

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Picture Books

A Long-Forgotten TV Script by Rachel Carson Is Now a Picture Book

In “Something About the Sky,” the National Book Award-winning marine biologist brings her signature sense of wonder to the science of clouds.

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A cut-paper and sumi ink illustration shows a young boy watching a small plane as it soars through the sky trailing cirrus clouds that look like jet stream. The silhouetted boy, the plane and the clouds are cut from black and white paper. The bright sky is rendered with blue ink that fades dark to light from top to bottom.

By Maria Popova

Maria Popova, the creator of TheMarginalian.org and the author of the forthcoming “The Universe in Verse: 15 Windows on Wonder Through Science and Poetry,” has written about Rachel Carson in her book “Figuring.”

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SOMETHING ABOUT THE SKY , by Rachel Carson. Illustrated by Nikki McClure.

A cloud is a spell against indifference, an emblem of the water cycle that makes this planet a living world capable of trees and tenderness, a great cosmic gasp at the improbability that such a world exists, that across the cold expanse of space-time, strewn with billions upon billions of other star systems, there is nothing like it as far as we yet know.

Clouds are almost as old as this world, born when primordial volcanoes first exhaled the chemistry of the molten planet into the sky, but their science is younger than the steam engine. At the dawn of the 19th century, the chemist and amateur meteorologist Luke Howard, still in his 20s, noticed that clouds form in particular shapes under particular conditions. Applying the principles of the newly popular Linnaean taxonomy of the living world to clouds, he named the three main classes cumulus , stratus and cirrus , then braided them into sub-taxonomies.

When a German translation reached Goethe, the polymathic poet with a passion for morphology was so inspired that he sent fan mail to the young man who “distinguished cloud from cloud,” then composed a suite of verses about the main classes. It was Goethe’s poetry, translating the lexicon of an obscure science into the language of wonder, that popularized the cloud names we use today.

A century and a half later, six years before Rachel Carson awakened the modern ecological conscience with her book “Silent Spring” and four years after “The Sea Around Us” earned her the National Book Award (whose judges described it as “a work of scientific accuracy presented with poetic imagination”), the television program “Omnibus” approached her to write “something about the sky,” in response to a request from a young viewer.

This became the title of the segment that aired on March 11, 1956 — a soulful serenade to the science of clouds, emanating from Carson’s credo that “the more clearly we can focus our attention on the wonders and realities of the universe about us the less taste we shall have for the destruction of our race.”

Although celebrated for her books about the sea, Carson had begun her literary career with an eye to the sky.

She was only 11 when her story “A Battle in the Clouds” — inspired by her brother’s time in the Army Air Service during World War I — was published in the popular young people’s magazine St. Nicholas, where the early writings of Edna St. Vincent Millay, F. Scott Fitzgerald and E.E. Cummings also appeared. She eventually enrolled at Pennsylvania Women’s College, intent on majoring in English.

And then, the way all great transformations slip in through the back door of the mansion of our plans, her life took a turn that shaped her future and the history of literature.

To meet the school’s science requirement, Carson took an introductory biology course. She found herself enchanted by the subject and changed her major.

But she never lost her love of literature. “I have always wanted to write,” Carson told her lab partner late one night. “Biology has given me something to write about.”

She was also writing poetry, submitting it to various magazines and receiving rejection slip after rejection slip. Somewhere along the way — training at the Woods Hole Marine Biological Laboratory, working for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, writing reports her boss deemed far too lyrical for a government publication and encouraged her to submit to The Atlantic Monthly — Carson realized that poetry lives in innumerable guises beyond verse.

In 1952, she would rise from the table she shared with the poet Marianne Moore to receive her National Book Award with these words: “The aim of science is to discover and illuminate truth. And that, I take it, is the aim of literature, whether biography or history or fiction. It seems to me, then, that there can be no separate literature of science.”

If there was poetry in her writing, Carson believed, it was not because she “deliberately put it there” but because no one could write truthfully about nature “and leave out the poetry.”

It was a radical idea — that truth and beauty are not in rivalry but in reciprocity, that to write about science with feeling is not to diminish its authority but to deepen it. Carson was modeling a new possibility for generations of writers to come, blurring the line between where science ends and poetry begins.

That was the ethos she took to her “Omnibus” assignment about “the writing of the wind on the sky,” detailing the science of each of the main cloud classes and celebrating them as “the cosmic symbols of a process without which life itself could not exist on earth.”

After coming upon fragments of Carson’s long-lost television script via Orion magazine, the artist Nikki McClure — who grew up immersed in nature, worked for a while at the Department of Ecology and finds daily delight in watching birds under the cedar canopy by her home — was moved to track down the complete original and bring it to life in lyrical illustrations.

Known for her singular cut-paper art, with its stark contrasts and sharp contours, she embraced the creative challenge of finding a whole new technique in order to channel the softness of the sky.

Using paper from a “long-ago” trip to Japan and sumi ink she freely applied with brushes, she let the gentle work of gravity and fluid dynamics pool and fade the mostly blue and black hues into textured layers — a process of “possibility and chance.”

Then, as she recounts in an illustrator’s note at the back of the book, she “cut images with the paper, not just from it”: “The paper and I had a conversation about what might happen.”

What emerges is a kind of tender visual poem, as boldly defiant of category as Carson’s writing.

Although Carson never wrote explicitly for children, she wrote in the language of children: wonder.

Less than a year after “Something About the Sky” aired on “Omnibus,” Carson took over the care of her orphaned grandnephew, Roger, whom she would soon legally adopt. (He’s the small boy romping across McClure’s illustrations.) In what began as an article for Woman’s Home Companion and was later expanded into her posthumously published book “The Sense of Wonder,” she wrote:

If I had influence with the good fairy who is supposed to preside over the christening of all children, I should ask that her gift to each child in the world be a sense of wonder so indestructible that it would last throughout life, as an unfailing antidote against the boredom and disenchantments of later years, the sterile preoccupation with things that are artificial, the alienation from the sources of our strength.

SOMETHING ABOUT THE SKY | By Rachel Carson | Illustrated by Nikki McClure | Candlewick Studio | 56 pp. | $19.99 | Ages 5 to 8

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Each week, top authors and critics join the Book Review’s podcast to talk about the latest news in the literary world. Listen here .

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Texas High School Put Students on Panel to Review Sexually Explicit Books

Tony Kinnett / @TheTonus / February 16, 2024

A Texas high school put students on a committee tasked with reviewing books with sexually explicit content that parents had flagged.(Photo illustration: Katrina Strasunske / Getty Images)

A high school principal in Texas slow-walked a review of nearly 200 books in the school library that parents flagged for sexually explicit material, setting a timetable of 22 years to reconsider them, according to documents and emails obtained by The Daily Signal .

Parents in Llano, Texas , told The Daily Signal that they began expressing concerns to Llano High School’s principal in January 2023 about library books rated “adult” by the publishers. Several of the books include extremely graphic sex scenes. 

The parents shared their emails to Llano Principal Scott Patrick with The Daily Signal, which has not been able to verify their authenticity independently. The high school didn’t confirm or deny the authenticity of the emails, which also indicate that Patrick included students on a panel reviewing challenged books.

Llano High School serves 529 students in Llano Independent School District, based in Llano, Texas. 

On Jan. 17, Bonnie Wallace, the mother of a former student, filed a detailed form, called a “Request for Reconsideration of Instructional Materials” for the book “Call Me by Your Name” by Andre Aciman, which was available for students to check out of the high school library.

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Wallace said the book contains explicit sexual scenes that are unsuitable for distribution to minors by a taxpayer-funded school , such as this one on page 144:

I saw one of them enter my room and reach for the fruit, and with the fruit in hand, come to my bed and bring it to my hard c***… and gently press the soft overripe peach on my c*** till I’d pierced the fruit along the crease that reminded me so much of Oliver’s a**.

A Texas bill passed in June 2023, the READER Act, requires public schools to remove books that include material that is “sexually explicit, harmful, pervasively vulgar, or educationally unsuitable” from classrooms and libraries accessible to minors. The law reinforces existing Texas Education Agency policy forbidding schools from providing explicit materials to minors.

Through January, Wallace filed reports on four other books with similar issues for concerned parents. 

Patrick didn’t remove the books or respond to the vulgar, sexually explicit paragraphs that Wallace cited in her reports. It appears that the high school’s principal also ignored or disregarded books’ changed statuses as “adult” by publishers and distributors.

The book “A Court of Silver Flames” by Sarah Maas contains multiple scenes in which the narrator describes a character’s request to “f*** me … on this table, on this chair, on every surface in this house.” 

Other sexual scenes in Maas’ book are too vulgar for The Daily Signal to print, yet students may read them in Llano High School’s library.

The publisher, Bloomsbury Publishing , changed the rating of the Maas’ entire “Court of Thorns and Roses” series from “young adult” to “adult” in September 2020, as Wallace pointed out to Patrick in an email. As of publication of this story, the designation for “A Court of Silver Flames’” remains “young adult” in Llano High School’s library.

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In a January 22 email obtained by The Daily Signal, Patrick laid out for Wallace and other parents how the school district would review the cited books. The principal said he anticipated that process would take “roughly 30 days” for each book. His email suggests that the committee would review books one at a time. 

Parents have reported 198 books in Llano High School as violating the Texas Education Agency’s regulation and the Texas READER Act . At a rate of nine working months per year, Patrick’s email suggests that the Llano school district would spend over 22.5 years reviewing the cited books. 

books com grammar

On Friday, exactly 30 days later, Patrick informed Wallace of the reconsideration committee’s decision on “Call Me by Your Name,” the first of the concerning books in line.

“The reconsideration committee has voted to remove the book from circulation by a vote of 7:0,” the principal wrote.

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Patrick didn’t provide a reason in the email for removing the book, nor did he respond to The Daily Signal’s question about why the book remained on the shelves of his school’s library during the review.

The other books with explicit passages, cited in forms shared by parents, appear to remain accessible to students in Llano High School’s library. The Daily Signal sought to confirm this with Patrick and the school district,  but neither responded by publication time.

According to Patrick’s emails, the “book reconsideration” committee included students until a lawyer recommended their removal from the process. It isn’t clear when the school district or the high school selected students to review the sexually explicit books , nor how many students of what ages were recruited.

Neither Patrick nor any other administrator in the Llano school district answered The Daily Signal’s questions about how students found out about the book review committee and were added to it, or why Patrick suddenly removed them.

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Patrick told Wallace in a Jan. 31 email: “Students were placed on the committee after the district received parental consent for them to participate.”

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In a Feb. 6 email to Wallace, Patrick said of the students on the review committee: “Although their participation is allowed by policy, the district determined it is in their best interest to be removed from the process so that they are insulated from any potential controversy.” 

The Llano school district did not confirm the authenticity of the emails and forms sent between Patrick and Wallace.

Assuming the emails are authentic, Patrick may have recognized a potential controversy in asking students, some perhaps minors, to read “adult” books with passages detailing sex, gore, and drug use in vulgar fashion.

The school district’s 2023-2024 Student Handbook bans the use of “profane language” in class and on clothing, which presumably includes vulgar slang for male and female genitalia and sexual acts.

According to parents, Patrick acknowledged receiving complaints highlighting sexual passages in the books. The principal didn’t explain why he didn’t immediately remove the books from the school library until they had been reviewed, given parents’ concerns.

Parents told The Daily Signal that the books remain available in the school library while under review.

This is a developing story and may be updated.

Have an opinion about this article? To sound off, please email  [email protected] , and we’ll consider publishing your edited remarks in our regular “We Hear You” feature. Remember to include the URL or headline of the article plus your name and town and/or state.

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The model Kaia Gerber reading a book

‘Reading is so sexy’: gen Z turns to physical books and libraries

Book sales boom as readers escape the ‘oversaturation and noise of the wild west digital landscape’

T hey have killed skinny jeans and continue to shame millennials for having side partings in their hair. They think using the crying tears emoji to express laughter is embarrassing. But now comes a surprising gen Z plot twist. One habit that those born between 1997 and 2012 are keen to endorse is reading – and it’s physical books rather than digital that they are thumbing.

This week the 22-year-old model Kaia Gerber launched her own book club, Library Science. Gerber, who this month appears on the cover of British Vogue alongside her supermodel mum, Cindy Crawford, describes it as “a platform for sharing books, featuring new writers, hosting conversations with artists we admire – and continuing to build a community of people who are as excited about literature as I am”.

“Books have always been the great love of my life,” she added. “Reading is so sexy.”

Gerber isn’t alone. Last year in the UK 669m physical books were sold, the highest overall level ever recorded. Research from Nielsen BookData highlights that it is print books that gen Z favour, accounting for 80% of purchases from November 2021 to 2022. Libraries are also reporting an uptick in gen Z users who favour their quiet over noisy coffee shops . In the UK in-person visits are up 71%.

While the BookTok charts – a subsection of TikTok where avid readers post recommendations – are regularly topped by fantasy and romance titles from authors such as Colleen Hoover, gen Z are reading a diverse range of genres.

“The gen Z book sphere is incredibly broad,” says Hali Brown, the 28-year-old co-founder of Books on the Bedside, a popular TikTok account dedicated to gen Z reading habits. “There is a lot of appreciation for literary fiction, memoirs, translated fiction and classics in particular,” says Brown.

Gerber’s first literary guest was the Iranian-American writer Kaveh Akbar, who joined the model on a video call to discuss his debut novel, Martyr! On the Library Science site, a curated collection of recommended reads include Joan Didion and Jia Tolentino.

“There is a bit of a subculture within the gen Z book world which is ‘hot girl books’ or ‘sad girl books’,” explains Brown. “These largely skew towards literary fiction and memoir and deal in some way with girlhood or womanhood.”

The 28-year-old model Kendall Jenner became the unofficial face of this new “Lit Girls’ Club” when she was pictured on a yacht in 2019 off the Côte d’Azur reading Tonight I’m Someone Else, a collection of essays by Chelsea Hodson musing on the objectification and commodification of the body. Jenner’s copy was covered in green Post-it notes.

She has also been photographed by a pool in the south of France reading Darcie Wilder’s Literally Show Me a Healthy Person, which explores grief and anxiety, alongside Miranda July’s collection of short stories, No One Belongs Here More Than You. Both Hodson’s and Wilder’s books sold out on Amazon within 24 hours of the photographs being published.

“Overall we are seeing a move towards escapism through the rise in speculative fiction, romance and fantasy, but I think it would be a mistake to homogenise gen Z and say they’re reading lighter,” says the author and literary agent Abigail Bergstrom. “With the oversaturation and noise of the wild west digital landscape, they are also demanding higher standards, especially when it comes to the authority and expertise of a writer on a particular subject.”

The “sad girl” genre isn’t limited to angsty females. The singer Harry Styles has been pictured carrying Didion while the reading habits of the actors Timothée Chalamet (28) and Jacob Elordi (26) have earned them the moniker of the Brontë Bros. Chalamet has name-checked Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment as one of his favourite books, while last October the Saltburn star was pictured carrying a copy of Prima Facie, a novel based on Suzie Miller’s play that explores sexual assault and the legal system.

After the photos of Jenner and Elordi were published there was a stream of online discourse stating we had entered an era of performative reading. Elsewhere, meme accounts regularly satirise readers of titles from the indie publisher Fitzcarraldo Editions, which have become known for their identical Yves Klein-blue covers.

Brown says she dislikes this type of discourse. “I think if they’re both keen to explore the world of reading, they shouldn’t be shut down in this way because they’re beautiful or have large internet presences. Book clubs imply that these are titles they’d like to explore with a community of like-minded people; that’s never a bad thing. If it gets more people reading, then that’s great.”

Gen Z-approved literary merch

T-shirt, £28.56 McNally Jackson Books https://www.bonfire.com/if-you-love-me-navy/ . As seen on Kaia Gerber . Carry a book for bonus style points.

Baseball cap, £27, The Paris Review https://store.theparisreview.org/collections/accessories/products/baseball-cap-in-forest-green . The model and author Emily Ratajkowski has endorsed this hat from the legendary literary magazine.

Tote bag, £19, Minor Canon https://minor-canon.com/en-gb/products/renata-adler-speedboat-tote . Minor Canon’s tote bags featuring prints of novels from acclaimed dead authors are the gen Z equivalent of the ubiquitous Daunt Books canvas carrier.

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Life is ‘Plastic’ in Scott Guild’s novel and companion album

Author Scott Guild stands, looking to one side, in front of a house's window whose bottom edge is about at his upper arms

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By Scott Guild Pantheon: 304 pages, $28 If you buy books linked on our site, The Times may earn a commission from Bookshop.org , whose fees support independent bookstores.

Scott Guild’s debut novel, “Plastic,” is a dark and entertaining saga about a postapocalyptic world populated by plastic figurines, dominated by inescapable advertising, in thrall to virtual reality and fearful of increasing acts of eco-terrorism as well as government clampdowns.

Scott Guild’s first solo album, “Plastic,” is a dark and entertaining saga about a postapocalyptic world populated by plastic figurines, well, you get the point.

“Plastic” is that rarest of publishing experiences, a story being released simultaneously in prose and music. (The most notable previous effort was “Run, Rose, Run,” by Dolly Parton and James Patterson, which lacked Guild’s literary ambitions.)

“It wasn’t like I sat down and said, ‘I’ll write a book about plastic figurines that is also an album.’ It was one idea followed by another and another for a full decade of brainstorming and stopping and starting,” Guild says.

To anyone who knows Guild’s previous life as the songwriter and guitarist for New Collisions, an indie rock band that was gaining a following about 15 years ago, this combo might seem a natural fit, but for Guild, who thought he had walked away from music forever, the album was a total surprise.

“The dream of being a musician was beautiful to me, but I couldn’t hack it in a lived day-to-day way,” Guild recalls. “The band was doing really well but the touring was intense and I was just in this loop of writing about my anxieties over and over again — an anxious person writing about his anxieties became too anxious to keep doing it. I needed to salvage my sanity.”

Pink plastic letters form the word "Plastic" around a pink plastic silhouette of a house on the cover of Scott Guild's novel

Guild found a solution in writing fiction, ultimately earning an MFA and a PhD while working on the novel that became “Plastic.” “This is where my life makes sense,” he said. He and his wife, Rachel Cochran, are both English professors at Marian University in Indianapolis, where he did this video interview, sitting in front of a large print of Picasso’s “Guernica” — fitting considering the death and destruction in the novel.

Despite the subject matter, the novel isn’t relentlessly grim, though Guild says it started out that way. In its first incarnation, as “Dead Limbs,” it was “a very unfun read filled with sad, serious, contemporary problems like gun violence and climate change.”

Guild notes that Picasso painted “Guernica” not out of fatalism but “to wake people up to the horror around them. Any time you’re creating something to render what your current moment truly is, it’s actually a hopeful act, a belief in community, that others will understand and share the same concerns.”

So Guild knew he’d need to reimagine his book to breathe life into it. After a two-year break, he hit on the idea of plastic figurines instead of people, drawing inspiration from “Barbie.” He was watching a horror movie years earlier when a friend arrived with young children. Someone quickly hit the remote to change the channel and a low-budget, badly animated “Barbie” show popped up. “A door opened in my mind then and so many other things became possible,” Guild says.

The multiple traumas that the protagonist, Erin, experiences in “Plastic” cause her to think of her life from a distance, so we read the action as if there’s a camera filming her experiences. She occasionally narrates and even talks to the camera as if in a mockumentary; she also obsesses over a sitcom in her world, filled with characters that are waffles, including a MAGA-like president and a Christ figurine named Morris who dispenses dubious advice — this show is ultimately revealed to be another coping device for Erin.

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Feb. 12, 2024

“Many of us cope by having these different parts of ourselves,” Guild says. “But it was only once I made the characters plastic I started understanding how to make the book more imaginatively alive.”

The book’s editor, Anna Kaufman, notes that the novel changed dramatically after the publisher bought it. “Scott had so many imaginative ideas so we had to figure out what to cut and what to accentuate and the rules of the world of the book,” she says.

The songs arrived late in the game. “I was writing a scene one day and a character burst into song,” Guild says. He realized that when Erin is at her most dissociative and feeling her most heightened emotions, she would imagine her world as a musical. “So I asked Anna, ‘What if I filled this book with musical numbers?’ And we were in a playful space with it so she said yes.”

Eventually, Guild stepped back and looked at the lyrics and wondered what they would sound like as songs. So he reached out to musician Jonny Rodgers about creating a concept album to tell the same story in music.

Rodgers, who co-wrote and co-produced the album, said they didn’t just lift the lyrics off the page. “We used them as a jumping-off point, but those were her first-person experiences and we wanted the album to be a realization of the entire world,” Rodgers says.

In the novel, contemporary music for the plastic folk is things like corks popping and plane sounds, but that would have been too alien for human listeners. “We wanted to make the music accessible but also both futuristic and nostalgic, the way Erin is,” Rodgers says. “I have a proclivity toward using orchestral music in strange ways. So I reached back to the ’80s, the most plastic music ever, for synthesizers and then used the orchestral tendrils as reality creeping into her plastic world.”

Pantheon’s marketing director, Julianne Clancy, says the album is not a gimmick but a “natural overlap” and that they will use playlists to promote the book. And publicist Demetri Papadimitropoulos oversaw a unique book tour, with live music performances in many venues; he also notes that the audiobook is distinctive, with musical excerpts from the album throughout and two full songs at the end to heighten the connection.

Guild hopes readers and listeners find that the two projects intertwine and enhance one another, but he also believes each stands alone successfully. “It’s so exciting that out of this novel I was suddenly able to reconnect back to music and it felt so organic,” he says. “I wasn’t looking for a way to get back to it, it was like the book just said to me, ‘Hey, I can be an album too.’ It was so healing and such a full-circle moment for my life. It was almost a magical experience.”

Guild will be discussing his new novel at Chevalier’s Books in L.A. on Feb. 20 at 6 p.m. The conversation (with writer Ilana Masad) will be followed by a musical performance by Cindertalk, an audience Q&A and book and vinyl signing.

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How to Read the Hunger Games Books in Order

Don't know where to start check out this hunger games reading guide..

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2024 marks 16 years since Suzanne Collins debuted the brutal world of The Hunger Games and its heroic rebel leader, Katniss Everdeen. With the recent release of the prequel novel, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, and its subsequent film adaptation, now is the perfect time to revisit the original books that started it all.

Set in a dystopian world where kids kill each other annually as a way to quell a rebellious and fractured nation, The Hunger Games sparked a YA frenzy and inspired women all over the world to take up archery. If you're feeling like you want to revisit the franchise but don't know where to start, we're here to guide you through the Hunger Games books in order. You can also check out our guide to The Hunger Games movies as well.

Do you prefer the Hunger Games movie or book series?

While the newest edition to the series, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes , is set before the original trilogy, the context provided by the three Hunger Games books is key to truly enjoying the prequel. With that in mind, we recommend reading the originals before that entry. But if you want a chronological journey through Panem, then feel free to begin with Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes before hitting the others.

Hunger Games Box Set

1. The Hunger Games

It was this dramatic YA hit that launched the epic Hunger Games franchise. After author Suzanne Collins found herself flicking between coverage of the ongoing war in Iraq and reality TV late at night, she was inspired to create her bestselling novel about a world where kids must fight each other to the death for the entertainment of their fellow countrymen. It's a brutal entry into the dystopian YA canon that launched 1,000 imitators and a smash-hit box office franchise that's still going strong today.

The story of this first novel follows Katniss, a young woman in the impoverished District 12, who scavenges to help her family survive far from the watchful eye of the Capitol. But when the annual reaping ceremony sees Katniss's young sister picked as a Tribute for that year's Hunger Games, Katniss volunteers, sending herself on a nightmarish journey of survival. Fighting against other children from Panem and alongside her fellow District 12 tribute, the sweet-hearted baker Peeta, she must outsmart not only her competitors but also the maniacal government that sent them there.

2. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Following their shocking survival in the Hunger Games, Peeta and Katniss should be living a peaceful life as champions. But after tricking the Capitol into letting them both survive, the pair are in more danger than ever. Their radical survival has inspired cells of resistance across Panem, and President Snow blames Katniss, threatening death to her loved ones if she doesn't play along with the Capitol narrative. But Katniss can't help but be inspired by the bravery of the Districts that she and Peeta visit on their "Victory Tour," and soon the pair finds themselves in the arena of the Hunger Games once again. Taking her bestselling formula and expanding the world and lore while introducing new fan-fave characters like Finnick Odair and Johanna Mason, the second entry in the series sets up the shocking finale brilliantly with a world-shifting twist that changes everything we know about Panem.

3. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay

In the action-packed finale of the original Hunger Games trilogy, Katniss and her rebellion friends are flung into a nightmarish war against the Capitol. As they aim to take down President Snow and install their own leader, Alma Coin, Katniss finds herself the reluctant face of a battle that puts her loved ones in the crosshairs. Instead of a return to the Hunger Games arena, Snow brings the Hunger Games to the streets of the Capitol, where Katniss and her crew must battle through nightmarish traps and horrific violence in order to achieve their goal of bringing freedom to Panem. But, as she learns, nothing is what it seems, and some people don't want to change the system so much as take control of it. This trilogy-ender stands out as a surprisingly depressing and realistic end to a blockbuster series.

Note : The theatrical version of this final book was split into two films, Mockingjay - Part 1 and Part 2 .

4. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

As noted above, this prequel is set 64 years before the original book, though Collins wrote it with audiences who were familiar with her series in mind. That's why the prequel ends up at the end of our list, so you can fully enjoy the context and worldbuilding of the original trilogy before having your heart broken by the origin story of the villainous President Snow.

Chronicling the origins of the Hunger Games as we know them, this story centers on the planning of the 10th edition of the Games and the impoverished 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow, who is chosen as a mentor for District 12. It's there he meets their female tribute, Lucy Gray Baird, who becomes an influential part in the history of the Games, thanks to the way she utilizes her skills as a musician to engage the audience. As Snow and Lucy grow closer, both their lives change forever as they prepare for the Hunger Games and fall for each other in the process. This is an intriguing look at the early days of the Games and how both Lucy and Snow shaped them. If you're already a fan, it's an expansion filled with Easter eggs. And if you're a newcomer, it's an interesting jumping-on point that'll change how you read the series.

Will There Be More Hunger Games Books?

At the moment, no future Hunger Games novels by Suzanne Collins have been announced. That being said, the long history of the Hunger Games themselves leaves a lot of opportunities for additional spin-offs featuring popular characters from both the prequel and the original series. We don't yet know if Collins has any interest in continuing the series at this time, and the director of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes has stated he won't make a new movie without source material from the writer.

Rosie Knight is a contributing freelancer for IGN covering everything from anime to comic books to kaiju to kids movies to horror flicks. She has over half a decade of experience in entertainment journalism with bylines at Nerdist, Den of Geek, Polygon, and more. Rosie is a published comics author who has written titles including Godzilla Rivals vs. Battra and The Haunted High-Tops. She co-hosts the weekly Crooked Media pop-culture podcast X-Ray Vision. When she's not writing, you can find her playing Dragon Ball FighterZ or rewatching weird old horror and martial movies in her free time. She loves making comics and zines as well as collecting VHS and reading much manga as humanly possible. You can find her on social at @rosiemarx.

In This Article

The Hunger Games

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    avg rating 4.26 — 2,224 ratings — published 2008. Want to Read. Rate this book. 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars. Between You & Me: Confessions of a Comma Queen (Paperback) by. Mary Norris. (shelved 35 times as grammar) avg rating 3.61 — 6,316 ratings — published 2015.

  17. Free English Grammar Books (PDF)

    There are five grammar books, with tests and examples. If you are a beginner or advanced level English learner, these books will help you to improve your English better than ever! You can also find some of these books on pdf drive and Z library There are many ways to access online books for English learners.

  18. Best Books for Grammar

    If you're wondering how to target grammar goals using books, then check out our grammar series. If you work with older students, then stay tuned for a series of blog posts that highlight engaging. Books are an awesome way to teach grammar concepts. The list of grammar books inside is meant to provide you with resources for different grammar ...

  19. Google Books

    Search the world's most comprehensive index of full-text books. My library

  20. grammar

    Textbook Recommendations: Grammar. Check out our great textbook resources for learning English grammar, categorized by skill level. Recommended textbooks for learning and teaching grammar in English as a second language. Check out these books and resources for great study and practice. See textbooks in sections below.

  21. The English Grammar Workbook for Adults: A Self-Study Guide to Improve

    Amazon.com: The English Grammar Workbook for Adults: A Self-Study Guide to Improve Functional Writing: 9781646113194: DiGiacomo, Michael: Books Books › Education & Teaching › Schools & Teaching Enjoy fast, free delivery, exclusive deals, and award-winning movies & TV shows with Prime Try Prime and start saving today with fast, free delivery Kindle

  22. Best English Learning Books of 2024

    English Grammar Rules 101 is a crash course in English grammar that promises you can see a difference in your writing and speaking in as little as one week of study. Written in engaging, concise language, this is a great book for beginners who want to study the structure and oddities of English grammar in an approachable way.

  23. New Historical Fiction Books

    Survival — and how far a person will go to achieve it — is at the heart of Ally Wilkes's WHERE THE DEAD WAIT (Emily Bestler Books/Atria, 388 pp., $27.99), which her publisher aptly describes ...

  24. Rachel Carson's Sky Writing Is Now a Picture Book

    A century and a half later, six years before Rachel Carson awakened the modern ecological conscience with her book "Silent Spring" and four years after "The Sea Around Us" earned her the ...

  25. Texas School Assigned Students to Review Sexually Explicit Books

    Parents have reported 198 books in Llano High School as violating the Texas Education Agency's regulation and the Texas READER Act. At a rate of nine working months per year, Patrick's email ...

  26. 'Reading is so sexy': gen Z turns to physical books and libraries

    "Books have always been the great love of my life," she added. "Reading is so sexy." Gerber isn't alone. Last year in the UK 669m physical books were sold, the highest overall level ever ...

  27. Life is 'Plastic' in Scott Guild's novel and companion album

    On the Shelf. Plastic. By Scott Guild Pantheon: 304 pages, $28 If you buy books linked on our site, The Times may earn a commission from Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookstores.

  28. How to Read the Hunger Games Books in Order

    1. The Hunger Games. It was this dramatic YA hit that launched the epic Hunger Games franchise. After author Suzanne Collins found herself flicking between coverage of the ongoing war in Iraq and ...

  29. Amazon.com: Grammar

    The English Grammar Workbook for Grades 6, 7, and 8: 125+ Simple Exercises to Improve Grammar, Punctuation, and Word Usage (English Grammar Workbooks) 2,104 $1490 $19.99 Spanish Verbs Made Easy Workbook: Learn Verbs and Conjugations The Easy Way 437 $4400 $75.97 Focus on Grammar 2 with MyEnglishLab (5th Edition) 695 $3680 $39.95