Harry Shaw (1) (1905–1998)

Written in 1962, some of this book is out of date. The author predicted that would happen. Although he tries to help the reader learn how to use Standard American English, he also says that languages and grammar change with time and use. The tone of his comments in the section on Word Usage gave me the giggles. He reminded me of Sam the Eagle from the Muppet Show. As for the rest of the book, it covers Grammar, Spelling, Sentence Structure, Punctuation, Terms, Pronunciation and Sentence show more Diagraming. A good book to keep on the reference shelf. show less

I love this book. Short, to the point easy reference for many things which have passed into oblivion about the craft of writing.

I love dictionaries! This one is a vital part of my library and sees frequent use. 1500 of the most common mistakes are explained. One example is the difference between common and ordinary. When semantics are important, this book is a useful tool.

Inexpensive, handy reference to quickly answer common pesky questions about punctuation.