Not at all fond of "grammar jargon," Dreyer makes the case that reading is the best way to learn grammar, syntax, and usage. Not that he is discarding all rules; he is steadfast in his belief in many of them, but he is also aware of the importance of an author's individual style and the way the language is changing. Dreyer's wry, witty approach to clarity and style finds him sometimes reversing himself with no apology.
He upholds my own thoughts about the Oxford--or series--comma ("Only godless savages eschew the use of the series comma"), the use of fragments, the occasional comma splice or split infinitive, and the awkwardness of attempting to avoid ending a sentence with a preposition. He includes the quote attributed to Winston Churchill: Ending a sentence with a preposition is something up with which I will not put.
And (yes, you can begin a sentence with "and") the footnotes are often even better than the text.
I believe I may need a physical copy of this one. As both a reference and a pleasure. (fragment noted)
NetGalley/Random House
Grammar/Style. 2019. Print length: 291 pages.
Ha, this is a book that I definitely need to check out. I'm a big fan of the Oxford comma (my son said he was instructed to use it when writing up legal briefs) but I'm also guilty of a slacked-off writing style... unfortunately. I write as casually as I speak, and that includes many cliches, ill-used punctuation, fragmented sentences, etc. Of course my blog is casual and not a career, so I can get away with it.
ReplyDeleteDreyer is fine with sentence fragments and uses them. :) As a copy editor, his main concern is clarity. He emphasizes the differences between spoken language and casual writing are different from a trying to edit a book for syntax and focus. He also notes the comments from his own copy editor.
DeleteA useful book for some writing guidelines, but it also sounds like a fun read (at least to me). ;p
ReplyDeleteWith a comedic touch Dreyer discusses when to keep and when to ignore the grammar rules that were instilled in us early. His own style is quite personal and identifiable. :)
DeleteI love the sound of this. I love grammar even though it is often confusing and illogical and abused by me. It makes sense to me in a way that math never did. I agree with you this sounds like a book I need not only to read but to own!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed Dreyer's take on reading, grammar, and usage: Reading does give an intuitive understanding of language--readers often have a sense of what sounds "right" whether or not they know the grammatical rule.
DeleteI generally side-eye books like this because they are always too dry for me, but this sounds pretty interesting and funny. I also appreciate his flexibility in terms of rules that way too many people i know live by.
ReplyDeleteDreyer does a good job of keeping the book from being dry. He is occasionally snarky, but he makes fun of himself, too. :)
DeleteI bet this was fascinating but I think I would have to have this one in a physical copy so I could take notes!
ReplyDeleteYes, I want a physical copy, but haven't ordered one yet. It will make a fun reference book. :)
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