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.
