An invaluable guide to the world of good grammar which breaks down the barriers that prevent many intelligent people from communicating effectively. Picking up a book on grammar takes courage, but the learner can take heart from the fact that many of the great writers, including Charlotte Bronte, were hopeless at grammar at school. Her teachers complained that she 'knew nothing of grammar', and could read only 'tolerably' and write 'indifferently'. Yet although learning and obeying the rules of grammar won't automatically bestow the grace and excellence of a Bronte on your writing, learning how written language works will certainly improve your communication skills, step by practical step. The guide features: — the thirteen gremlins of grammar, from apostrophes to verbs — the point of sentence construction — the writing of good English — witty cartoons by Hunt Emerson.

The plain guide to the clear presentation of written language: punctuation is the 'nuts and bolts' of the English language, and here is the ideal everyday companion. Punctuation has been described as 'a courtesy designed to help readers understand a story without stumbling'. Included in this essential guide are: — 'Ten Golden Rules of Punctuation' by a Victorian schoolmistress — how to deal with capitalization, full stops and commas — mastery of colons, parentheses, dashes, hyphens, questions, exclamations and apostrophes — the ultimate punctuation test — witty cartoons by Hunt Emerson.

The essential guide to writing English, this book will help you to develop your written communication skills and to use language to express yourself clearly and correctly. Can you learn how to improve your writing skills? Can the art of good writing be taught? Despite what you might feel, the answer is yes — you can be taught. Everyone is capable of enhancing their powers of written communication simply by learning and practising the basic principles of clear, concise and coherent writing: planning, preparation, and revision. Using this book, your confidence will grow as you begin to appreciate that the English language is not a fearsome book of rules but an unrivalled communications tool that you can learn to use with the familiar ease of a knife and fork. The basic principle of this incredibly useful book is that 'clarity begins at home': say what you mean and you stand a better chance of getting what you want!

This is a rebranded edition of this uniquely helpful guide to all areas of English grammar, illustrated with examples from today's language. Collins Gem English Grammar provides up-to-date and accessible guidance through the intricacies of English grammar in a format that is conveniently sized, durable, and simple to use. The book is divided into sections dealing with the different parts of speech. Each grammatical point is clearly described in a user-friendly format that combines explanations on the left-hand page with examples from modern English on the right-hand page. Providing clear, concise explanations, it features a clear layout with colour. It also offers an accessible approach to English grammar.