Good grammar is an essence of all good writing and nobody is born being a good grammarian. This is a skill that person masters and improves all her life, and there is no limit in such perfection. A lot of people think that grammar is boring and hard to learn. However other part of population that is well acquainted with grammar will tell you that in fact grammar can be very interesting and not boring at all. This is all a matter of a right grammar book. After you find a perfect grammar book that would meet all your preferences you will change your mind completely. There are hundreds of grammar books on the market but we will focus on the few best ones that can become your Bible of English. Meanwhile, before you manage to perfect your grammar and writing skills you are welcome to use our essay editing services that are available online.
The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White is a timeless classic of English grammar. You should not get confused by the word style in its title, because in this case it is used as a general term referring to quality writing. Almost hundred years after its first publication, this book is still considered to be a golden standard and a must have for everybody who ever writes. The essence of English grammar is encapsulated in this short book. From it you will learn how to craft effective sentences, choose right words and lots of other grammarian wisdoms. All the advices are written in a very concise comprehensive manner and supported by witty examples. This is a desk book which you will read not only for learning but for fun as well. The content and style of this book will inevitably motivate you to take a pen and write something beautiful like what you have read in the book. After reading it you will look at words and sentences in a different way.
Practical English Usage by Michael Swan is one of the most extensive grammar reference books. It was created as a grammar guide for teachers and students of Intermediate and Advanced levels. It covers large amount of grammar aspects and has additional articles dedicated to separate matters of vocabulary, style, idioms, punctuation and spelling. If you have a grammar related question you can be sure to find the answer in this book. Unlike many other grammar books Swan’s Practical English Usage is not just theoretical reference book, but a very practical guide that can be used and understood by students who are not native English speakers. The explanations that are given in the book are very detailed and written in a simple comprehensive language with many helpful examples. Furthermore the book’s content is organized in an alphabetical order, which makes it very easy to find a necessary article. There are hundreds of people who already call this book their Bible of English and you might become one of them too if you read it.
Grammar in Use series is another classic of English grammar, which helped thousands of students to reach a proficient level of grammar. Originally first books of this series were written by Raymond Murphy but it became so popular among the language learners that it was decided to expand the series and invite other authors. But despite that fact many people still call it Murphy’s grammar. A big advantage of these series is that you can choose a book that would match your current level of knowledge and slowly move to more complicated ones. The structure of these books is unlike all others grammar books. Each unit consists of two pages. On the left page you can read the comprehensive theory with examples and even illustrations to help you to understand the grammar aspect better. And the right page includes exercises where you can apply and strengthen just acquired knowledge. You can also find a lot grammar tips on our blog. Each book, even advanced levels, is written in a very easy tone and simple language that can be effortlessly understood by foreign learners.
Garner's Modern American Usage by Bryan A. Garner is another indispensible reference book for language professionals and amateurs. The large volume of this book will be able to answer all of your grammar related questions. It is written in a very comprehensible way that would be understood even by non-native speakers. Its tone is very light and approachable, with many witty humorous examples, what makes it an easy and pleasurable read despite all the importance of its contents. The entries are written in a form of essays, which gives you a feeling of reading some literary work and not grammar guide. If you are interested in college essays you can read some free sample essays on our blog. The book covers all aspects of grammar, including punctuation, idioms, spelling, modern slang and other problematic issues. It can be considered an alternative to Swan’s Practical English Usage but it is a matter of personal tastes which one to choose.
A Dictionary of Modern English Usage by Henry Watson Fowler is another time proved grammar reference book. The first edition appeared almost hundred years ago but still thousands of professional editors, writers as well as language students rely on this book as an excellent reliable source of grammar knowledge. Written as a series of essays this book became a masterpiece of language wit and style, and a real authority in its genre. Unlike previously mentioned grammar guides this book is written in a little bit more sophisticated old style language and gives a strong sense of author’s personality. Some of the readers might find it complicated but others admit that this is what they like the most in this book. Before purchasing it you can download a free electronic sample of this book and read a few entries to understand whether this is your grammar Bible or not.
Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation by Lynne Truss is unlike all other grammar books. First of all, because it is written in a lively narrative style and is rather read like a regular non-fiction book, but not grammar reference guide. The main purpose of this book, of course along with educating one, is to entertain the reader and to show that grammar can be a lot of fun. While the rest of the grammar guides in this list look in detail at every aspect of English, this book is solely focused on punctuation. It is filled with hilarious real life examples of bad punctuation, so along with learning something new you will not be able to stop laughing. If you want to get savvier on the usage of apostrophes, commas, semicolons and other punctuation marks, and not to fall asleep from monotonous theory, then this book is for you.
Improve Your Writing Grammar Online
Grammar doesn’t have to be difficult and boring, and these 6 books can prove it to you. If you want to write good essays and other academic papers for your studies, excellent grammar skills are must. But if you are a foreign student and English is not your native language it might be hard for you to master English grammar in such a short time. Even after you choose one of these books as your guide; it will take quite a while for you to reach proficiency. If you found yourself at such situation, you can rely on Royal Editing to fix your grammar and writing style. It is very easy to place an order online. Moreover the prices are very friendly. So if you still didn’t find your Bible of English, our editors will share their knowledge and experience with you.