The Complete Idiot's Guide to Grammar & Style 2nd Ed (2003)

Dear Reader,
Did you nod off when Miss Nelson was explaining parts of speech? Snooze
during the unit on punctuation? Go to the bathroom during capitalization?
Still can't distinguish between "who" and "whom"? Tell when to start a new
paragraph? Write an effective business letter, resume, or letter of complaint?
Do you sometimes misplace your modifiers? Dangle your participles in
your reader's face? Does grammar give you the willies? I'll bet the rules of
English usage make you shake in your boots. If so, then this book is for you!
Learning any new skill is daunting and difficult. Learning to use grammar
and usage correctly and with confidence is no exception. But you've learned
many other skills, and you know how important improving grammar and
writing style can be to your career advancement and ability to communicate.
I'm going to take you point-by-point through all the important English
skills you need, from parts of speech to phrases, clauses, and sentences.
You'll learn how to craft the documents you need, including business letters,
resumes, personal letters, and e-mail missives. By the end of this book, you'll
be using English with confidence and skill. You'll be able to write that dazzling
proposal to win the contract—and finally get that promotion. Remember:
Mastering the rules of grammar, usage, punctuation, and spelling is well
within your abilities.
Best wishes,

Laurie Rozakis, Ph.D.
RS. The Complete Idiofs Guide to Grammar and Style has sold more than
100,000 copies since its publication in 1997! Thank you, dear readers, for
recognizing my ability to make grammar easy—and fun—to learn. I very
much appreciate all the kind e-mails and letters I get about this book, too.
Your support is greatly appreciated.
In this edition, I've added additional practice exercises, more writing models,

and many tips for those of you whose first language is not English. These
changes will make it even easier for you to master the basics of clear written
and spoken communication.


About the Author
Laurie Rozakis earned her Ph.D. in English and American Literature with
"Distinction" from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. A full
professor of English and Humanities at Farmingdale State University, Dr.
Rozakis has published a wide variety of reference books, biographies, young
adult books, articles, and scholarship. In addition to The Complete Idiofs
Guide to Writing Well, The Co?nplete Idiofs Guide to College Survival, and
The Complete Idiofs Guide to Creative Writing, Dr. Rozakis' latest books
include The Big Book of Dates (McGraw-Hill), Super Study Skills (Scholastic),
and The AP English Literature and Composition Test (ARCO).
Dr. Rozakis has also written parts of numerous language arts, speech, social
studies, literature, reading, science, math, consumer education, and spelling
programs for major publishers. These include Scholastic's Literacy Place,
Scott-Foresman's Literature, Houghton Mifflin's Invitations to Literacy, and
Prentice Hall's Literature.


Grammar and
Style
Second Edition
by Laurie E. Rozakis, Ph.D.

ALPHA
A member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

To my students, past, present, and future. Thank you for your hard work, determination,
and support. You make teaching a privilege.
Special thanks to Tom Kennedy, Fred Church, and all the other studentsfromyears gone
by who stay in touch. Its gratifying to know you're happy, successful, and masters of
grammar and style!
Copyright © 2003 by Laurie E. Rozakis, Ph.D.
All rights reserved. No part of this book shall be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by
any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the
publisher. No patent liability is assumed with respect to the use of the information contained herein. Although
every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, the publisher and author assume no responsibility for errors or omissions. Neither is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of information
contained herein. For information, address Alpha Books, 201 West 103rd Street, Indianapolis, IN 46290.
THE COMPLETE IDIOT'S GUIDE TO and Design are registered trademarks of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
International Standard Book Number: 1-59257-115-8
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 2003105471
05

04 03

8

7 6

5 4

3 2 1

Interpretation of the printing code: The rightmost number of the first series of numbers is the year of the
book's printing; the rightmost number of the second series of numbers is the number of the book's printing.
For example, a printing code of 03-1 shows that the first printing occurred in 2003.

Printed in the United States ofAmerica
Note: This publication contains the opinions and ideas of its author. It is intended to provide helpful and
informative material on the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the author and publisher are not engaged in rendering professional services in the book. If the reader requires personal assistance
or advice, a competent professional should be consulted.
The author and publisher specifically disclaim any responsibility for any liability, loss, or risk, personal or otherwise, which is incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, of the use and application of any of the contents
of this book.
Most Alpha books are available at special quantity discounts for bulk purchases for sales promotions, premiums,
fund-raising, or educational use. Special books, or book excerpts, can also be created to fit specific needs.
For details, write: Special Markets, Alpha Books, 375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014.
Publisher: Marie Butler-Knight
Product Manager: Phil Kitchel
Senior Managing Editor: Jennifer Chisholm
Acquisitions Editor: Gary Goldstein
Development Editor: Tom Stevens
Senior Production Editor: Christy Wagner
Copy Editor: Keith Cline
Illustrator: Chris Eliopoulos
Cover/Book Designer: Trina Wurst
Indexer: Brad Herriman
Layout/Proofreading: Becky Harmon, Mary Hunt, Ayanna Lacey


Contents at a Glance
Parti:

No Uncertain Terms

1 Are You Grammarphobic?
Probe your feeling about grammar and get clear definitions
for grammar, usage, mechanics, and style.

1

3

2 Conan the Grammarian
13
Discover the most common grammar errors, assess your own
writing strengths, andfindout how you can improve your
writing—right now!
PartZ:

Under the Grammar Hammer

25

3 Parts of Speech: Coming to Terms
21
Play with the building blocks of language to grasp the underpinnings of writing and speech. This chapter teaches you all
about nouns, verbs, conjunctions, and prepositions.
4 Terms of Endearment: More Parts of Speech
47
Master the rest of the gang, too: adjectives, adverbs, pronouns,
and interjections.
5 Altered States: Verbs
Learn how to use the basic English tenses—and why it's so
important to do so. Also untangle the web of English verbs;
learn how to form the irregular past tense.

59

6 Woe Is I: Pronouns and Case
Who versus whom. (Or should I just shoot myself now?)

77

7 Multiple-Vehicle Wrecks: Pronoun Reference
Discover how the meaning of a pronoun comes from its
antecedent, the noun or pronoun to which it refers.

89

8 How to Write and Speak Good: Adjectives
Versus Adverbs
Good or well? Learn which part of speech to use when.
9 Reaching an Agreement: Matching Sentence Parts
Find out how to match subjects and verbs, pronouns and
antecedents.
10 Dazed and Confused: Common Usage Dilemmas
Get a grip on dangling and misplaced modifiers, mixed
metaphors, and split infinitives.

99
111

125


Usage and Abusage

137

11 Phrases: Prime-Time Players
139
Probe prepositional phrases, admire appositives, and visit with
some verbals.
12 Clauses: Kickin'It Up a Notch
151
Learn about independent clauses, dependent clauses, adverb
clauses, adjective clauses, and noun clauses.
13 Sentence and Sensibility
165
Discover how to avoid fragments, run-ons, and comma splices.
14 Coordination and Subordination: What to Say
When the Cops Come
177
Select the sentence patterns that best convey your meaning.
Tools of the Trade

15 The Writer's Tools: Round Up the Usual Suspects
Find out which tools can help you write better—and how.

191

193

16 Punctuation: Commas Are Our Friends
203
Learn the nuts and bolts: end marks, commas, semicolons and
colons, apostrophes, and the rest of the gang (quotation marks,

slash and dash, parentheses, brackets, and ellipses).
17 Capitalization and Abbreviations: Go to the
Head of the Class
Master the guideposts of our language.
18 Guide to Spelling: Hooked on Phonics
Bee a good speller.
Style: All the Write Stuff
19 What Is Style, and How Do I Get Some?
Define "style" in writing and learn why it is so important
to crafting clear, effective prose.

223
233
2U
251

20 In Style
263
First, analyze the importance of audience to writing. Then
discover the four kinds of writing: exposition, narration,
argumentation, and description.
21 Stylish Sentences
275
Discover how to vary your sentence form and types to create a
more polished and effective writing style.


22 Conciseness: The Department of Redundancy
Department
287

Define "redundancy" and learn how to improve your writing
style by simplifying your sentences.
23 Diction: Find the Right Word, Not Its First Cousin
299
Learn the different levels of diction and how to distinguish
between confusing words.
24 Don't Go There: Words and Expressions to Avoid
Find out why its so important to avoid sexist language,
doublespeak, and clichés.
Part 6:

In Your Write Mind

311

325

25 Business Writing: Write Angles
327
Design effective documents for the world of work. These
include resumes, cover letters, thank you notes, and good news
and bad news letters.
26 Personal Writing: In Your Write Mind
Write friendly letters, social notes, and letters of opinion.

345

Appendixes
A Glossary

357

B Model Documents

361

C Guide to Grammar and Usage

367

Index

395



Contents
Parti:

No Uncertain Terms

I

1 Are You Grammarphobic?
How Can You Tell If You're Grammarphobic?
Word Power
War of the Words
The Force Be with You
Term Limits
What Is Grammar?

What Is Usage?
What Is Mechanics?
What Is Style?
A Civil Tongue: Standards for Effective Communication

3
4
5
5
6
7
7
7
10
10
11

2 (onan the Grammarian
Sweet Dreams Aren't Made of These
Puppy Love
Has It Come to This?
Perversity Rules
Let Me 'Splain It to You, Lucy
Personal Writing Inventory
Damage Control
Mission Possible

13
13
14

14
15
18
20
23
23

Part 2:

Under the Grammar Hammer

3 Parts of Speech: Coming to Terms
Nouns: Prime-Time Players
Possessive Nouns: 9/w of the Law
Possess It!
Plural Nouns: Two's Company, Threes a Crowd
Too Much of a Good Thing?
Combo Platter
A Note on Nouns for Non-Native Speakers
Verbs: All the Right Moves
Action Verbs: Jumping Jack Flash
Chain Gang: Linking Verbs

25
27
27
29
29
31
31

34
35
36
36
31


viii

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Grammar and Style, Second Edition
Mothers Little Helper: Helping Verbs
Verb-O-Rama
Conjunctions: The Ties That Bind
All Tied Up
Fit to Be Tied
Prepositions: Good Things Come in Small Packages
Joined at the Hip
A Note on Prepositions for Non -Native Speakers

31
31
39
39
41
42
43
44

4 Terms of Endearment: More Parts of Speech
U

Adjectives: Happy Little Clouds
47
Spice Up Your Sentences with Adjectives
48
A Note on Adjectives for Non-Native Speakers
49
Have Fun with Adjectives
49
And in This Corner
49
Adverbs: Who Ya Gonna Call?
50
Have Fun with Adverbs
51
Conjunctive Adverbs: An Adverb Disguised as a Conjunction
51
Hunt and Peck
52
Pronouns: Pinch Hitters
53
Face the Music
55
Interjections: Zap! Pow! Wow!
56
Just When You Thought It Was Safe to Take a Shower
56
Seventh-Inning Stretch
51
5 Altered States: Verbs
Shape Shifters

Verb Tense: Nothing a Little Prozac Wouldn't Cure
I Feel Your Pain: Principal Parts of Verbs
A Class Act: Forming Past Tenses
Now Ihayhh Lay Me Down to Sleep
Party Pooper: Test Time
All Tensed Up: Using Verb Tense Correctly
Past Tense
Back to the Future
A Note on Verbs for Non-Native Speakers
It s All in the Timing

59
60
60
61
61
64
65
66
61
68
68
10


Person, Number, and Mood
Person
Number
Mood
Active and Passive Voice: A Mistake Has Been Made

Not So Fast

71
12
12
12
73
14

6 Woe Is I: Pronouns and Case
Why Can't a Pronoun Be More Like a Noun?
Head Case: The Three Cases
The Rules
Sorry, Wrong Number
Seventh-Inning Stretch
Who Versus Whom (or Should I Just Shoot Myself Now?)
This Hurts You More Than It Hurts Me
I Dare You
Seventh-Inning Stretch

77
77
78
79
83
84
85
86
86
81

7 Multiple-Vehicle Wrecks: Pronoun Reference
How's That Again?
It Just Proves There's Someone for Everyone
The Numbers Game
Tag, You're It
Location, Location, Location: Placement of Pronouns
A Match Made in Writer's Heaven
Possession and Pronouns
Its a Lock
It and They
It Mania
Who's on First?

89
90
91
91
92
93
94
94
94
95
96
91

8 How to Write and Speak Good: Adjectives Versus Adverbs
They Walk Alike, They Talk Alike: You Could Lose
Your Mind

Graphic Proof
Fm Ready for My Close-Up Now, Mr. DeMille
Three Degrees of Separation
Size Does Matter
Good, Gooder, Goodest: Irregular Adjectives and Adverbs
Keep Your Balance
Other and Else

99
100
100
101
102
103
104
105
105


X

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Grammar and Style, Second Edition
Tough Sledding: Using Adjectives After Linking Verbs
The Badlands
Good News; Well News
Once More into the Breach, Dear Friends
A Note on Adjectives and Adverbs for Non-Native
Speakers
Don't Use No Double Negatives
Don't Be Making No Mistakes

9 Reaching an Agreement: Matching Sentence Parts
Anyone Got a Match?
Singular Subjects and Verbs
Plural Subjects and Verbs
Seventh-Inning Stretch
Collective Nouns
Indefinite Pronouns
The Pause That Refreshes
Walk This Way
Hide and Seek
Playing the Numbers
Matchmaker, Matchmaker, Make Me a Match
Mix and Match
Agree to Disagree
Nose to the Grindstone

10 Dazed and Confused: Common Usage Dilemmas

106
106
106
107
108
108
109

III
112
112

113
114
115
116
118
119
119
120
120
121
122
124

125

Dangling Modifiers: Counterintelligence
126
Help Is on the Way
126
Man the Battle Stations
121
Misplaced Modifiers: Lost and Found
128
It Says What?
129
Quiz Show
130
Mixed Metaphors: A Dollar Late and a Day Short
131
Split Infinitives: To Boldly Go Where Everyone Else Goes ....133

The Good, the Bad, the Ugly
134
Hopefully
134
Like/As
134
Ending with a Preposition
135


Contents
Usage and Abusaqe

137

Phrases: Prime-Time Players
Phrases of the Moon
Prepositional Phrases: The Big Daddy of Phrases
Offspring 1 : Adjectival Phrases
Offspring 2: Adverbial Phrases
Appositives: Something More for Your Money
Appositive Phrases
The Moment of Truth
Verbal Phrases: Talk Soup
Part and Participle
Gerund Phrases
Infinitive Phrases: The Final Frontier

139
139

140
141
142
142
143
144
145
146
141
148

Clauses: Kickin'It Up a Notch
Clauses: Phrases on Steroids
Independent Clauses: Top Dogs
Dependent Clauses: I Get by with a Little Help from
My Friends
I Know 'Em When I See 'Em
Subordinating Conjunctions Link 'Em Together
Looking for Love in All the Right Places
Adverb Clauses: Hot Shots
Follow the Leader
Shape Up Your Sentences
Adjective Clauses: Paint by Numbers
Relative Clauses: Its All Relative
Clauses Make the Sentence
Noun Clauses: What's in a Name?
Connect the Dots
Getting Down and Dirty
Sentence and Sensibility
I Know It When I See It: The Sentence

Seek and Ye Shall Find
Hidden Treasures
Sentence Structure: The Fab Four
Simple Sentences: Simple Isn k as Simple Does
Compound Sentences: Compound Interest
Complex Sentences: Not So Complex at All

151
151
152
153
153
153
154
156
156
151
157
158
159
159
160
160
165
166
166
161
167
168
169

169

xi


xii

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Grammar and Style, Second Edition
Compound-Complex Sentences: The Big Kahuna
The Choice Is Yours
Face the Music
Sentence Functions: The Four Tops
Alley Oops
Fragments: Lost in Place
Run-Ons and Comma Splices: It Could Be a Stretch
Seventh-Inning Stretch

110
110
Ill
172
172
113
114
115

\k Coordination and Subordination: What to Say When the Cops Come 177
Coordination: All the Right Moves
178
Mix and Match

119
Dancing Cheek-to-Cheek
119
Don't String Me Along
180
Why Not Give It a Shot?
181
Subordination: What I Did for Love
182
Follow the Leader
183
Dice V Slice
184
Double Dare
184
Duke It Out: Coordination Versus Subordination
185
Parallel Structure: Trod the Straight and Narrow
186
Make It So
181
Time to Face Old Sparky
181
Parft:

Tools of the Trade

15 The Writer's Tools: Round Up the Usual Suspects
Pencil Pusher
Using the Dictionary: You Could Look It Up

Who You Gonna Call?
Read the Labels
Shop Till You Drop
Specialized Dictionaries: Everyone s an Expert
Computer Spell Checkers: Marvels of Technology
Electronic Grammar Software: Help Is Only a Button
Away
The Thesaurus: War of the Words
Lets Go Shopping
Whiz-Bang Thesaurus Programs

191
193
193
194
195
196
196
198
199
200
201
202
202


Contents
16 Punctuation: Commas Are Our Friends

203

Punctuation Matters
203
Show Me the Money
204
Period, Question Mark, Exclamation Mark: The End of
the Line
205
The Period: Do Not Pass Go, Do Not Collect $200
206
The Question Mark: Inquiring Minds Want to Know
206
Exclamation Marks: Gosh and Golly!
201
The Pause That Refreshes
201
The Comma: A Major Player
209
First Impressions Count
209
Sentence Interruptus
210
In Media Res
211
Dazed and Confused
211
Bean Counters
211
Constant Commas
212

The Semicolon: Love Child of the Comma and the Period ....213
The Colon: What a Party Animal
213
Semi-Tough
214
Quotation Marks: Quote/Unquote
215
A Little Dabba Do Ya
216
Not Separated at Birth: The Dash and the Hyphen
(and Let's Add the Ellipsis for Fun)
217
The Dash: Long and Lean
211
The Hyphen: Short and Sweet
218
The Ellipsis: Dot, Dot, Dot
218
Parentheses and Brackets: Bosom Buddies
218
(Parentheses)
219
[Brackets]
219
Slash and Burn
219
Apostrophes
220
Once More, Dear Friends
221

17 Capitalization and Abbreviations: Go to the Head of the Class
Capitalization: A Capital Idea
Capital Punishment
Rules to Capitalize By
Capital Investment
Abbreviations: Good Things Come in Small Packages

223
223
224
225
228
229

xiii


xiv

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Grammar and Style, Second Edition
18 Guide to Spelling: (looked on Phonics
Bee a Good Speller
If U Cn Reed This
Quick and Dirty Tricks of the Trade
Attaching Prefixes and Suffixes: Bits and Pieces
Attaching Prefixes: Front-End Collision
Attaching Suffixes: Rear-End Collision
Go for the Gusto
Contractions: Suck It In
Follow the Rules! Spelling Rules

ieeeeeeeeeeeee!

See and Say
Silent Letters
Tricky-Dickie Word Endings
Y/IUse
Spelling Demons
Ten Tough Spelling Words—and Ways to Make Them
Tender
Part 5:

Style: All the Write Stuff

23}
234
235
235
237
257
231
241
241
242
244

244
245
245
246
246

246
2W

19 What Is Style, and How Do I Get Some?
Style: Write On!
The 3C's: Consistency, Coherence, Clarity
Consistency
Coherence
Clarity
I'll Have What's on His Plate
Lie Like a Rug

2SI
251
253
253
255
251
258
261

20 In Style
Audience: People Who Need People
Inquiring Minds Want to Know
I Share Your Tain
Who's Who
Culture Vulture
Model Behavior
Live and Learn
Make It Your Own

263
263
264
264
266
268
269
210
210


Contents
Four Play
Exposition: Writing That Explains
Narration: Writing That Tells a Story
Argumentation: Writing That Persuades
Description: Writing That Describes

270
271
272
272
275

21 Stylish Sentences
Flexible Flyers
Vary Sentence Types
Vary Sentence Lengths
Add Questions and Commands

Focus on the Subject
Add Details
Use Vivid Verbs
Invert Word Order
Play with Pronouns
Between a Rock and a Hard Place
Punctuation and Style: Little Things Matter a Lot

27S
276
216
277
219
219
280
283
283
283
284
284

22 Conciseness: The Department of Redundancy Department
Slash and Burn
Thrift, Thrift, Thrift
Eliminate Unneeded Words and Phrases
Revise Sentences That Begin with Expletives
Combine Sentences That Repeat Information
Don't Say the Same Thing Twice
Make Passive Sentences Active

287
287
290
291
294
295
296
291

23 Diction: Find the Right Word, Not Its First Cousin
Diction: Proper Words in Proper Places
Elevated Diction
Edited American English
Colloquial Language
Slang
Vernacular
Tone-on-Tone
Ten Distinctions Worth Making (or at Least Worth
Being Able to Make!)
Twenty-Five Headaches
¥mr You're On
Homophones: Give Piece a Chance
Grin and Bare Bear It

299
300
301
301
301
301

302
302
303
305
301
308
309

xv


xvi

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Grammar and Style, Second Edition
Z*t Don't Go There: Words and Expressions to Avoid
311
Sexist Language: Political Roadkill
312
On Thin Ice
313
Nonsexist Language: Level the Playing Field
314
Top of Your Game
316
Spin Doctors
317
Jargon: uPhasers on Stun, Cap'n"
318
Bureaucratic Language: Piled Higher and Deeper
319

Inflated Language: Full of Hot Air
320
Euphemisms: Sleeping with the Fishes
320
Search and Destroy
321
The Cliché Expert
321
Gorgeous George
323
A Note on Words and Expressions to Avoid for Non-Native
Speakers
324

Part 6:

In Your Write Mind

32S

25 Business Writing: Write Angles
Letter Perfect
Form and Function
Kissing Cousins
Resumes and Cover Letters: Get on the Fast Track
Resumes
Shooting Yourself in the Foot
Chronological Resume
Skills Resume
Cover Letters

Bread-and-Butter Notes
Good News, Bad News
Good News
Bad News

327
328
328
330
330
331
332
332
333
336
338
339
340
340

26 Personal Writing: In Your Write Mind
Friendly Letters: My Baby, She Wrote Me a Letter
Signed, Sealed, Delivered: Vm Yours
Model Letter
B & B Revisited
I Feel Your Pain: Letters of Condolence

3ti
346
346

341
348
348


Contents
Letters of Opinion
Complain, Complain, Complain
My 2c Worth
E-Mail: Instant Gratification
Boot Up
Think Before You Flame

350
350
352
353
354
355

Appendixes
A Glossary
B Model Documents
C Guide to Grammar and Usage
Index

3S7
361
367
395

xvii



Foreword
According to most studies, people's number one fear is public speaking. Number
two is death. Death is number two. Does that seem right? That means to the
average person, if you have to go to a funeral, you're better off in the casket
than doing the eulogy.
—-Jerry Seinfeld, SeinLanguage
Picture this: You're standing in front of a large conference room full of business associates. You've put on your best new clothes for a special occasion: You're about to present
the project you've been working on for six hard months. You know it's a good idea—
you've considered it from every angle and you're sure it can't fail—but you're not sure
you can sell everybody on it. In fact, you're scared to death of embarrassing yourself.
Why?
If you're like most people, part of your fear comes from the worry that you might not
use good grammar—wait, make that proper grammar—when you start speaking, or
that somehow you've messed up the writing in the 60-page report you've just handed
out. You don't have a run in your panty hose—you checked—but your infinitives might
be split wide open. You can tell that your zipper's not down, but you've got this irrational fear that your participles are dangling. You're a smart dresser, for certain—but
are you just plain smart?
In a word, yes. You are.
The most common myth about grammar is that people who don't use it correctly are
somehow less intelligent than those who do. Wrong! Intelligence and grammar are
unrelated. Consider Jerry Seinfeld, who is quoted at the start of this foreword. He's
an incredibly clever comedian whose jokes are always built around insightful observations of the human condition. Now consider the quote itself. Frankly, if his grammar
were a car, they'd be towing it away to the junkyard right about now. It's a lemon for
sure—but that doesn't mean Jerry Seinfeld can't parallel park, if you know what I mean.
His sentences have a style that's appropriate for his audience—and he's been so successful at it that people have been copying him for years.

Have you ever heard the joke about the boy named Cass who was absent for a few days
in first grade, missed the lesson about the letter C, then for the next few days kept
getting into trouble for signing a cuss word next to the date on his homework papers?
This is how many people feel about grammar—that they were absent when their
teachers taught the basic rules and have been paying for it ever since. The truth is,
you were probably there when your teacher taught grammar. So why didn't you learn
the proper rules? Well, honestly, it could be—at least partially—your teacher's fault.


If you were like almost every other unfortunate elementary school student, your teacher
probably sat in front of the room carefully explaining—in a voice dull enough to make
rocks start to fidget—how to parse sentences, how to conjugate irregular verbs, what
past perfect tense means, what a gerund is, etc. Maybe you also got to read from a
textbook—oh boy!—full of snappy, interesting sentences about Tom and Sue and Bob's
plain brown dog. It was a recipe for failure. Somehow you passed the class, of course,
but did you really take anything in? Did you master the English language? Of course
not; nobody could—not in an environment like that. Your teachers were crazy to
expect those lesson plans to work.
You did your best, under the circumstances—and now it feels impossible to go back
and set things straight.
But it's not impossible, because the circumstances have just changed. Laurie Rozakis is
your teacher now. Trust me, you're in good hands. I've been teaching with Dr. Rozakis
for several years now, and what always amazes me is how she makes grammar fun.
Her students laugh while they learn—and they definitely learn. She has a knack for
making even the most complex concepts simple, understandable, and memorable.
Her students love her.
They also respect her—she's not only an entertaining teacher, but a wise one. As far as I
can tell, Laurie Rozakis knows everything there is to know about grammar and style.
This book is the next best thing to being in her classroom yourself. You'll remember
what she teaches you and start using it in your daily life almost immediately. You'll

look forward to reading this book just as much as you used to look forward to avoiding your homework. You'll be amazed at how easy it is. The conference room will
never be quite as intimidating again, either—and, if you're lucky, you could pick up a
joke for the lunchroom, too.
Read on and enjoy.
Gwydion Suilebhan
Gwydion Suilebhan is writing program coordinator and Curriculum Content
Specialist for the Institute for the Academic Advancement of Youth at Johns Hopkins
University. He also works as a freelance writer, teacher, and curriculum designer. A
collection of his poems, Inner Harbor, was published in 1997 by Woods House Press.


Introduction
You know you have the intelligence, ambition, and resilience to succeed, but one
problem holds you back. "I'm afraid of making embarrassing errors when I speak and
write," you say to yourself. When it comes to expressing ideas or communicating your
opinion, you're afraid your message is garbled or just plain incorrect.
Having washboard abs and a body-fat count lower than the inflation rate will get you
only so far in life. You know you need to know the basics of good writing—grammar,
usage, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling—to get where you want to go. That's
why you bought this book.
Memorizing lists of grammar rules isn't the answer. Wading through dictionaries and
grammar books is about as exciting as watching reruns of Gilligans Island or Green Acres.
Besides, you can never find what you need; there are so many words! Your online
spell checker drives you mad; the grammar checker buzzes like a pinball machine.
You know you need to do the following:
• Understand how to use the different writing aids, including dictionaries,
thesauruses, style guides, reference books, and computer programs.
• Identify the parts of speech and know when to use each kind.
• Make English grammar work for you.
• Write logical, complete, and graceful sentences.

•

Use correct capitalization and punctuation.

• Write effective letters, memos, and electronic messages.

What You'll Learn in This Book
Success-conscious people are grammar-conscious people for many good reasons. You
know that if you want to get ahead in almost any business or profession, you must
speak and write reasonably correct English. That's what this book can help you achieve.
You'll learn that business and personal writing is not a mysterious activity at which
only a few people can succeed. Rather, writing is a craft, like barefoot aluminum foil
dancing or cooking that can be learned by almost anyone willing to invest the required
time and energy.