Good books on Grammar/Writing

[Mangara]

Hello!

I am really bad at the theory behind writing at a pretty basic level. I'm not quite sure how I got a B in my GCSE as I often have to look up what a noun is!

Is there any book where I can start afresh? I'm fed up of feeling stupid.

Thanks.

 

[Ray McCarthy]

Penguin: (both by R. L. Trask)
Guide to Punctuation
Dictionary of English

Also "Eats Shoots and Leaves"

 

[Lilmizflashythang]

I was going to say "Eats Shoots and Leaves" but Ray beat me to it. Perhaps you can also find some used English textbooks somewhere?

 

[Remedy]

I found "Grammar for Grown-Ups" by Katherine Fry & Rowena Kirton relatively painless to read.

 

[AnyaKimlin]

I agree with the Penguin R.L Trask books. His description of a sentence was when the penny dropped for me and I began to understand grammar and punctuation better. It went something like: "A sentence is a collection of words that make sense. They begin with a capital letter and end with a stop."

It was something I knew but had never seen it phrased that way. I'm quite a visual and hands on learner. For a year I made them bathroom reading.

 

[Fishbowl Helmet]

Eats Shoots... oh, never mind.

'Grammar snobs are great big meanies' is another good one.