# How Can I Improve My Grammar? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 9, 2002, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-improve-my-grammar/131551 "2002-10-09T15:58:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Surreal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Surreal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surreal)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2002, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-improve-my-grammar/131551/1 "2002-10-09T15:58:42Z")
My grammar sucks. I’ve been corrected on my spelling, grammar, and usage numerous times since I’ve been on these boards. What books would you recommend to help me correct this problem? I would prefer one that has lots of everyday examples. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2002, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-improve-my-grammar/131551/2 "2002-10-09T16:22:14Z")
Try Karen Elizabeth Gordon’s _The Transitive Vampire_ and _The Well-Tempered Sentence_. Either one or both of these have recently been released in new editions (I have only the old ones). Her example sentences are, um, interesting. Others that come to mind: Theodore Bernstein, _The Careful Writer: A Modern Guide to English Usage_ and _Miss Thistlebottom’s Hobgoblins_ Bill Walsh, _Lapsing into a Comma_ I don’t really have any good suggestions for improving spelling, as I’ve always been an excellent speller by intuition. About all I can say is get yourself a good dictionary and start using it. Use a spell checker and note the corrections it suggests – but remember that spell checkers are not foolproof; they won’t catch errors in which you’ve used the wrong form of a word, such as their/there or faze/phase. Look words up to make sure you’ve used the correct form. Good on you for wanting to improve! ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2002, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-improve-my-grammar/131551/3 "2002-10-09T16:38:01Z")
What makes you think you have a problem? Spelling problems are quite obvious, but most people seem to think grammar is some kind of arcane religion that only the adept can handle. In some senses, it is; it takes study to know what the particle of a verb is, or what is meant by a postposed preposition. Most people would have a hard time articulating the rules of grammar. But that doesn’t mean they don’t know them. You internalize most of the rules very early on; you just can’t explain what they are. But you would know “Me is going to work” is wrong, even if you couldn’t identify why (other than the fact it sounds dangerously close to Jar Jar Banks). Granted, some constructions are confusing. “They gave an award to Joe and me,” for instance, is correct, but sounds “wrong” to most people. There are usually simple tricks to make it clear (in this case, drop “Joe and”) that you can use without resorting to figuring out which rule to apply. But the number of people who think they don’t know grammar is considerably higher than the number who don’t know grammar. In fact, most of the “grammar” questions asked on this board are questions not of grammar, but of usage (i.e., do you put a comma before “and” in a list). Usage is much more arbitrary, and in many cases you can pretty much make your own rules, provided you use them consistently. The two Gordon books are fine (and very entertaining) references – well worth having. And _Miss Thistlebottom’s Hobgoblins_ is great if you need to build your confidence – part of its point is that the “rules” you’ve been taught have no basis in fact. ---
**Author:** ![Banger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8491ac/32.png) [@Banger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banger)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2002, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-improve-my-grammar/131551/4 "2002-10-09T19:30:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Surreal \* > \*\*My grammar sucks. > > I’ve been corrected on my spelling, grammar, and usage numerous times since I’ve been on these boards. > > What books would you recommend to help me correct this problem? I would prefer one that has lots of everyday examples. > > Thanks. \*\* Do not fear the [Grammarian](http://www.winternet.com/~mikelr/flame31.html).😃 I suggest reading and writing a lot; that’s what I do, and my grammar and spelling be impeckslasdcable. In the end, though, I consider clarity of communication to be most important. If your grammar or spelling is bad, it doesn’t bother me that much as long as your message is understood. Good spelling and grammar skills are very useful and facilitate communication. Just don’t be too concerned about the pedants. After all, these are message boards where we cannot edit our posts to fix any possible errors, and we all know that having several previews does not mean that we have not overlooked something. Far too often have I seen people submitting extra posts just to correct their prior posts before a [Grammarian](http://www.winternet.com/~mikelr/flame31.html) spotted it 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Seven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Seven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seven)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2002, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-improve-my-grammar/131551/5 "2002-10-10T11:17:20Z")
If someone on-line bugs you about grammer and spelling, just tell them “Engrish is not my firsts launguauge” 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Another\_Primate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Another\_Primate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Another_Primate)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2002, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-improve-my-grammar/131551/6 "2002-10-10T11:46:00Z")
“Woe is I” (and, woe, I can’t recall the author’s name) It’s good, a bit funny, and full of examples. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2002, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-improve-my-grammar/131551/7 "2002-10-10T11:51:07Z")
I’m perfect with grammar, aren’t I? Yes, and I are, too. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2002, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-improve-my-grammar/131551/8 "2002-10-10T12:01:43Z")
I highly recommend Strunk & White’s _Elements of Style_.