Did you know that there is a day dedicated to grammar? March 4th is National Grammar Day. This day, established in 2008 is for promoting all things grammatical. I have long held a love/hate relationship with Grammar. I adore proper grammar but am in no way an expert. I may still be harboring the trauma of being asked to go up to a chalkboard to conjugate sentences in high school. I may also have an addiction to comma splices. My English 102 professor dedicated an entire rant to how commas share their name with the Kama, a weapon designed for slashing things. He was big on semi-colons. One thing to remember when considering grammar, not only does it change from language to language, but English is hard, and doesn't always seem to make sense.
What do suicidal pandas, doped-up rock stars, and a naked Pamela Anderson have in common? They're all a heck of a lot more interesting than reading about predicate nominatives and hyphens. June Casagrande knows this and has invented a whole new twist on the grammar book. Grammar Snobs Are Great Big Meanies is a laugh-out-loud funny collection of anecdotes and essays on grammar and punctuation, as well as hilarious critiques of the self-appointed language experts.
The Glamour of Grammar gives readers all the tools they need to"live inside the language" -- to take advantage of grammar to perfect their use of English, to instill meaning, and to charm through their writing. With this indispensable book, readers will come to see just how glamorous grammar can be.
Newly jobless, newly single, and suddenly apartmentless, writer Grace Hammond has come unmoored. A grammar whiz who’s brilliant at correcting other people’s errors, she hasn’t yet found quite the right set of rules for fixing her own mistakes.
Playful and practical, this is the stylebook you can't wait to use, a guide that addresses classic questions of English usage with wit and the blackest of humor. Black-and-white illustrations throughout.
" ... A personal collection, built up over thirty years as a writer and editor in two countries" and "intended as a quick, concise guide to the problems of English spelling and usage." First published in the 1980s, Bryson's compilation has been updated and re-released, and includes definitions, guides to punctuation and grammar, and helpful conversion tables (Celsius to Fahrenheit; kilometers to miles). In short, it's equal parts The Elements of Style, Associated Press Stylebook, Webster's New World Dictionary, and general desktop encyclopedia.--From publisher description.
The bestselling grammar book has been updated and revised to include the latest and greatest on the basics and subtleties of English and features a new chapter on the language of the Internet.
In its heyday, sentence diagramming was wildly popular in grammar schools across the country. Kitty Burns Florey learned the method in sixth grade from Sister Bernadette: "It was a bit like art, a bit like mathematics. It was a picture of language. I was hooked." Now, in this offbeat history, Florey explores the sentence-diagramming phenomenon, including its humble roots at the Brooklyn Polytechnic, its "balloon diagram" predecessor, and what diagrams of famous writers’ sentences reveal about them. Along the way Florey offers up her own commonsense approach to learning and using good grammar. Charming, fun, and instructive, Sister Bernadette’s Barking Dog will be treasured by all kinds of readers, from grumpy grammarians and crossword-puzzle aficionados to students of literature and lovers of language.
The 7 deadly sins of writing: common pitfalls of prose...and how to avoid them. by Kiesling, Angela.
The 7 Deadly Sins (of Writing) takes a whimsical approach to correcting common "pitfalls of prose" that any writer can use to grow in their craft. Borrowing an idea from the Middle Ages, the book likens each of the seven Deadly Don'ts to the Seven Deadly Sins--and flips each one on its head so the reader can take away a Divine Do instead. As a veteran book editor, the author shares the most common mistakes she sees writers make and how they can avoid them.
" This book makes punctuation more fun and easier to learn than traditional approaches do. It teaches the natural way, by example: each lesson begins with quotes that exemplify good punctuation and sentence structure. Quotations are humorous and informative, drawn from the words of notable figures--Shakespeare, Mark Twain, Jerry Seinfeld, Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Jennifer Lawrence, and many others. Short essays accompany each lesson, showing how each punctuation mark originated and how its use has altered over time. Correct punctuation is vital for clear, accurate, and natural writing. Anyone preparing a course assignment, applying for a job or for college admission, or doing any other formal writing needs to know the standard conventions of punctuation. Yet many people have never been taught how to punctuate. A necessary addition to any writer's bookshelf, this enjoyable book will teach readers to punctuate effectively and confidently--through over 500 memorable quotes and clear explanations of the rules. "-- Provided by publisher
"A linguistically informed look at how our digital world is transforming the English language. Language is humanity's most spectacular open-source project, and the internet is making our language change faster and in more interesting ways than ever before. Internet conversations are structured by the shape of our apps and platforms, from the grammar of status updates to the protocols of comments and @replies. Linguistically inventive online communities spread new slang and jargon with dizzying speed. What's more, social media is a vast laboratory of unedited, unfiltered words where we can watch language evolve in real-time. Even the most absurd-looking slang has genuine patterns behind it. Internet linguist Gretchen McCulloch explores the deep forces that shape human language and influence the way we communicate with one another. She explains how your first social internet experience influences whether you prefer "LOL" or "lol," why ~sparkly tildes~ succeeded where centuries of proposals for irony punctuation had failed, what emoji have in common with physical gestures, and how the artfully disarrayed language of animal memes like lolcats and doggo made them more likely to spread. Because the Internet is essential reading for anyone who's ever puzzled over how to punctuate a text message or wondered where memes come from. It's the perfect book for understanding how the internet is changing the English language, why that's a good thing, and what our online interactions reveal about who we are"-- Provided by publisher.
We all know the basics of punctuation. Or do we? A look at most neighborhood signage tells a different story. Through sloppy usage and low standards on the internet, in email, and now text messages, we have made proper punctuation an endangered species. In Eats, Shoots & Leaves, former editor Lynne Truss dares to say, in her delightfully urbane, witty, and very English way, that it is time to look at our commas and semicolons and see them as the wonderful and necessary things they are. This is a book for people who love punctuation and get upset when it is mishandled. From the invention of the question mark in the time of Charlemagne to George Orwell shunning the semicolon, this lively history makes a powerful case for the preservation of a system of printing conventions that is much too subtle to be mucked about with.
Help your kids with language arts: a step-by-step visual guide to grammar, punctuation, and writing.
DK's unique study aid encourages parents and children to work together as a team to understand and use all aspects of the English language, including grammar, punctuation, and spelling. This latest title in the best-selling Help Your Kids series... combines pictures, diagrams, instructions, and examples to cover the components of the school syllabus, while building knowledge, boosting confidence, and aiding understanding
Updated Library Hours
Monday: 9-12 Curbside, 1-8 Public Access
Tuesday: 9-12 Public Access, 2-5 Public Access
Wednesday: 9-12 Curbside, 1-5 Curbside, 5-8 Public Access
Thursday: 9-12 Public Access, 2-5 Public Access
Friday: 9-12 Curbside, 1-5 Public Access
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