Grammatically Correct: The Essential Guide to Spelling, Style, Usage, Grammar, and Punctuation Paperback – July 7, 2010

I have purchased this book many times over, and will continue to do so.I teach technical writing in a software environment, and this book is my go-to reference for the engineers I teach. We use it in class as a reference, and I leave copies in the office for later use outside of class.It covers all of the fundamentals:- When to use a Colon or a Semi-Colon- Hyphenation- CommasThe authors spell out the rules, and then provide practical examples of how the rule is used.I find this book to be very useful; I love it!

-Used in class and personal use.I am a teacher, and I have taught grade 4 and 5 homeroom and elementary ELL over the past few years. I have used this in my classroom for my own personal reference, and also as a reference resource for students. It is well-organized and very clear. It covers most of the topics I would expect. I would definitely recommend this book to use alongside other grammar resources.

By trade I am a historian and so most of my reviews will either cover history, anthropology, (my minor) or theology (my passion). Recently, Kindle ran this book as one of the "Kindle Daily Deals" and I picked it up for a great price. I did not come to this book with high expectations. Let's face it, grammar books are not as exciting to most people as they might be to an English major. This book left me feeling pleasantly surprised. Its goal is to give the reader a refresher course on the conventions of English Grammar. However, Anne Stillman does a little more than that by giving the reader an easy, accessible and fun book to peruse. I am not an English major as may be apparent in my review. Therefore, my review may not be as useful as someone who is in this field. Nevertheless, I learned a lot of things from this book and had my memory refreshed on things that I had long forgotten.First of all, the book is basically fun. There are sections of the book which drag a little bit. However, that has more to do with the content than the author. She did an outstanding job writing in a way that requires the reader to interact with the book. She gives examples of different texts that show mistakes and then demonstrates the correct rules. She also gives test questions at various points allowing the reader to see what he or she does may be weak in. This was a great asset to the book. It is important to not just read a book but be able to test yourself and see whether you understand the concepts. Her vocabulary is not bloated and inaccessible. She writes with a relaxed yet professional tone. There is a bit of academic language that she introduces. Most of these terms you have heard in Jr. High or High School. However, if you have not, then don't worry because she breaks it down into a manageable size.Second of all, the book is full of important grammar rules. I love the fact that she is not stuffy. She tells you the rules but she also tells where the rules are not as clear. This was important to me because in college I would often get conflicting grammar tips from professors. She clears up some of the opinions and thoughts about the rules. There are a lot of things that are actually very dependent upon your judgment. She goes through punctuation, parts of speech, sentence structure, and tips for successful writing. Some of the things you will find that you know. Others you may know but not be able to explain how you know. This book will help you remember why these rules are set in place.It is a fairly fast paced book so obviously if you are looking for something that dives in deep then you will find this book to be unsatisfactory. However,if it is a good brush-up you are looking for then this book is for you.Lastly, the book has great advice for aspiring writers. If you are thinking about writing a book or even a term paper this book is great to have around to reference when needed. She gives great instruction on helping your paper to flow more smoothly. She is concise and precise as she teaches the aspiring writer to do the same. She gives great examples from books and exhorts the writer to not be verbose and yet not to aspire to be as short and sweet as Hemingway. She admonishes the writer to shoot for the middle ground. On a side note, the book has great charts in it. There are some complaints about the Kindle edition but I didn't find it intolerable. The charts have a few errors on them but Kindle is working with the publisher to get these bugs worked out. In my opinion it did not detract from the work.I did not pay full price for this book because I caught it on sale. However, I would gladly pay full price for it. It is important to have a good reference or two around, and if you don't have one then here is a good one to start with. If I do any academic writing in the future this will be my go-to book. Hopefully, as you are reading this you are not thinking I should go back and read it again. I probably should! I won't read it again but I will definitely reference it quite often. Unless you are an English major I can't see why you would need any more than this book to aid you with your grammar skills. Thanks for taking the time to read this review and I hope that it helped.

I'll be the first to admit that reference books tend to put me to sleep. This book however is a joy to read (and I don't say that lightly). Informative, to the point, and not excessive at all. I'm very impressed and completely grateful to the author. In the midst of editing my own work; this was just what I needed. I have the Kindle version and found very few errors. All the hyperlinks work well, and make going back and forth between sections an ease.

This is an inexpensive alternative to that mammoth Chicago Manual of Style. It's an excellent reference book for grammar, punctuation, & style. It's easy to find what you want. It's easy to read--doesn't read like a "reference book." For example, should I have put my closing quotation mark before the period in the last sentence? Get the book & find out. I can't believe a book can hold so much when it's only 3/4" wide.

I use this a reference guide all the time. It's one of those books that I kept after I used it for a class because it's actually useful and really easy to look up any questions I have. The explanations are clear and the examples are a life saver.

Though I very rarely give reviews, I'm making an exception.I'm constantly buying grammar books (my worst subject) for review. I have a masters degree, yet I still struggle with grammar (some kind of mental block). This is the first grammar book in which the information is given in a way I could logically and enjoyably absorb it. Excellent-you won't regret buying it. Thanks to the author, Anne Stilman.

An excellent book if you're keen to better your grammar. Nicely presented and easy to read/understand. Worth the money.