Geraldine Woods
English Grammar For Dummies®
English Grammar For Dummies®, 3rd Edition
Published by: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774, www.wiley.com
Copyright © 2017 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey
Published simultaneously in Canada
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Library of Congress Control Number: 2017935002
ISBN 978-1-119-37659-0 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-119-37661-3 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-119-37660-6 (ebk)
Introduction
Emoticons. Gifs. Instagram photos. Selfies. Snapchat. With these and so many other visual ways to communicate, you might think that grammar is as extinct as a dodo bird. You’d be wrong. In fact, texts, tweets, social media posts, and online comments have actually increased the amount of writing people do each day. Plus, pen-and-paper writing is still around. When writing is involved, grammar is involved, too.
In English Grammar For Dummies, 3rd Edition, I address all your grammar questions about written and spoken language, including a few you didn’t know you had. I do so without loading you up with obscure terminology, defining terms only when you need them to understand what you’re supposed to do as well as why you’re supposed to do it. In this book, I also explain which rules of formal English you can ignore – sometimes or even all the time. The goal of English Grammar For Dummies, 3rd Edition, is to ensure that the language you use conveys your ideas accurately and makes a good impression on your reader or listener.
This book also has another, very practical purpose. Those who express themselves in proper English have a better shot at getting a job, keeping it, and moving into high-salary positions. If you're at a desk and not getting paid (in other words, you’re in school), you also need good grammar. No matter what subject you're studying, teachers favor proper English. So do the designers of standardized tests. The SAT – that loveable exam facing college applicants – contains a substantial writing section, as does the ACT (another fun hurdle of the college-admissions process). Whether you’re aiming for a great job or a good grade, English Grammar For Dummies, 3rd Edition, will help you reach your goal.
Foolish Assumptions
I wrote the third edition of English Grammar For Dummies with a specific person in mind. I assume that you, the reader, already speak English to some extent and that you want to speak it better. I also assume that you’re a busy person with better things to do than worry about the pronouns in your profile for a dating app. (Though perhaps you should. One survey revealed that men who use the word whom in their profiles attract more “clicks” than those who don’t.)
This book is for you if you want
❯❯ Better grades
❯❯ Skill in communicating exactly what you mean
❯❯ A higher-paying or higher-status job
❯❯ Speech and writing that presents you as an educated, intelligent person
❯❯ A good score on the SAT, the ACT, and other standardized exams
❯❯ The ability to create polished reports and presentations at work or at school
❯❯ Texts, tweets, and posts that get the job done within tight word-limits
❯❯ Stronger skills in English as a second language
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Beyond the Book
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