Woe is I

I read this book awhile ago but continually refer to it for grammar advice. For as much as I love language and words, sometimes grammar still proves a difficult skill to master. I am always looking for ways to expand my linguistic capabilities and this book has helped!

It is aimed at the Young Adult audience so fuses grammar rules with comedy. This entices reticent readers and explains grammar in a fun and interesting manner. I even brought it into my 9th grade placement with hopes of introducing it to my students! I didn't get around to it but wish I had as it is a fantastic resource.

Here is an example about how to handle the dreaded semicolon from Chapter 6: Comma Sutra ~

Semi-Avoidance: The Unloved Semicolon (;)
The semicolon is one of the most useful but least used punctuation marks. For whatever reason, many of us avoid it. Maybe it intimidates us; it shouldn't. (See, wasn't that easy?) If a comma is a yellow light and a period is a red light, the semicolon is a flashing red - one of those lights you drive through after a brief pause. It's for times when you want something stronger than a comma but not quite so final as a period. Here's when to use it.

• Use a semicolon to separate clauses when there's no and in between: Andy's toupee flew off his head; it sailed into the distance.
• Use semicolons to separate items in a series when there's already a comma in one or more of the items: Fred's favorite things were his robe, a yellow chenille number from Barney's; his slippers; his overstuffed chair, which had once been his father's; murder mysteries, especially those by Sue Grafton; and single-malt Scotch.

That is a small tidbit for you and not one of the funnier ones...but you get the gist. It's a great book!! I recommend you grab a copy the next time you are book shopping.