Ask HN: What is your favorite book on English grammar? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: What is your favorite book on English grammar?

8 pointszappo293812 comments

Gwynne's Grammar: The Ultimate Introduction to Grammar and the Writing of Good English [1] is an amusing overview of English grammar that provides bite-sized lessons that don't shy away from the irreducible complexity of English without becoming overly pedantic.

I also like A Student's Grammar of the English Language by Sidney Greenbaum and Randolph Quirk. [2] It is a difficult book, but the subtle taxonomies used in linguistic study actually make sense of matters that are confusing if you only know the type of grammar usually taught to non-specialists in middle or high school.

[1] https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/038535293X/ [2] https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0582059712/

I like a series, English Grammar for Students of X, where X is another language. Don't be fooled by the title; they are great bi-directional references for dual-language learners. I personally have the German [0] and Spanish [1] versions.

[0] https://www.amazon.com/dp/0934034389

[1] https://www.amazon.com/dp/0934034222

I write for a living and my grammar is awful. Most people would be better served by writing more without worrying about grammar-- instead focus on improving style, voice, persuasive arguments, etc.

Knowing how to use a semicolon won't make you a better writer. My trick is if I'm not sure where to use a hyphen or whatever, I either google it, rewrite the sentence, or just assume I have it right.

If your grammar is wrong, don't worry, somebody will joyously point it out to you.

Eats, Shoots, and Leaves.

It's more humor than education, and more punctuation than grammar, but it's entertaining and sarcastic and very fun to read.

https://www.amazon.com/Eats-Shoots-Leaves-Tolerance-Punctuat...

I don't know if you're a native speaker or not but for non-natives I think English Grammar In Use is great for initial study and then reference later. It covers almost all patterns that are actually used in English without getting stuck on old forms or giving overly strict rules that people don't actually follow.

Fowler's Modern English Usage

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Dictionary_of_Modern_English...

For writing englishThe New York Times Manual of Style and Usage : The Official Style Guide Used by the Writers and Editors of the World's Most Authoritative Newspaper

Elements of Style. Strunk & White. But it is not technically a grammar textbook

Along that vein, The King's English. First edition 110 year ago (and therefore beyond copyright), last in 1931, so it's officially out of date, but well written and opinionated: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_King's_English

Strunk & White!

More style than grammar, but they intermingle the two.

The Elements of Style by Strunk and White is indispensable.

https://www.amazon.com/Elements-Style-Fourth-William-Strunk/...

Honni Soit Qui Mal y Pense.

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