by Patricia T. O'Conner
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Product Description
The bestselling grammar book has been updated and revised to include the latest and greatest on the basics and subtleties of English, and features a new chapter on the language of the Internet.
Amazon.com
Written by Patricia T. O'Conner, an editor at the New York Times Book Review, Woe Is I gives lighthearted, witty instruction on the subject most of us dreaded in school--grammar. Discussion is brief and concise, and much more engaging than the grammar books you may remember. With chapter titles such as "Woe is I: Therapy for Pronoun Anxiety," "Your Truly: The Possessive and the Possessed," "Verbal Abuse: Words on the Endangered List," "Comma Sutra; The Joy of Punctuation," and "Death Sentence: Do Cliches Deserve to Die?," O'Conner proves that even grammar can make for entertaining reading.
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Average Customer Review:
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
 Solid book for beginning writers, 2008-08-30
Do you find yourself mixing up your it's and its? Do you know the difference between all ready and already? Do you ever blindly throw commas into sentences, hoping at least one will be correct?
Woe is I solves these grammar woes and more. Patricia O'Conner clears the jargon and mystery surrounding grammar. Using simple language, she reviews pronouns, numbers, possessives, verbs, punctuation, clichés, word usage, danglers, bygone rules, and e-mail etiquette. Her book is essentially a lengthy list of the dos and don'ts of grammar, covering the common mistakes almost everyone makes.
But that's also a negative of Woe is I. More experienced writers may tire of what seems blindingly obvious to them. O'Connor doesn't go over the technical details of grammar, such as the difference between gerunds and infinitives. People looking for a comprehensive grammar guide should perhaps look elsewhere. People looking for a light grammar guide are in the right spot.
I am a little dismayed, however, over one big mistake in the book. O'Conner repeatedly claims that apostrophes are used to form the plurals of years, abbreviations, and letters. The letters part is correct (as a way to distinguish between A's and the word As). But all the style guides (which set the standard in language usage) I've read state that letters are the only exception. Years and abbreviations need only an "s," not an apostrophe and an "s."
Other than that mistake, given the right audience, Woe is I is a good resource.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
 Woe, this is a great book!, 2008-06-05
PRO: A witty a book that makes learning about English grammar fun!
CONS: I wish it were longer!
CONCLUSION: In the world of SMSes, IMs, and emails, we have sacrificed grammar. As a writer, I appreciate good writing. The way you write tells a lot about you, so get this book and beef up on your grammar!
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
 Conventional but fun - very accessible, 2008-06-03
Humorous, easy reading. The author falls on the slightly more conventional side of the grammatical fence (insisting, for example, that "their" is an incorrectly plural gender-neutral pronoun and should not be used as a singular) (I myself do not fall as conventionally and so found myself in disagreement upon several points--including this one). So far, I am reading it as I work out: I skim through the parts that are overly familiar (still written with humor so worth at least skimming), dwell on the points upon which I am less sure, and feel most pleased overall to have been reading it. An entertaining way to brush up on English grammar as we ought to have learned it in grade school. A most delicious "spoonful of sugar" for the "medicine" of grammatical review.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
Great Bathroom book, 2008-04-27
Open it to any page and learn something. Good index when you need something specific.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
Woe no more!, 2008-03-24
This was one of the first grammar books I purchased when I began writing my weekly Grammar Tips from The Red Pen Editor. It is a clear, understandable guide for all your grammar questions. Highly recommended to anyone with grammar-phobia.
Karen L. Reddick, author of Grammar Done Right!
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