Grammar Store

Checking Your Grammar: Scholastic Guides

Description

A practical guide to grammar and usage, covering such topics as parts of speech, punctuation, capitalization, spelling, and idioms.

Reviews

Rating: 5 / 5
Date: 2010-07-31
Summary: "Easy Grammar for your Students"

This book is a great, simple, explanation of most of the key grammar topics that most elementary students face. It works really well with the Dailygrams series. It's easy enough to follow that you can send your students to find the information themselves.

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Rating: 5 / 5
Date: 2010-03-09
Summary: "Very Pleased"

The book was delivered promptly in perfect condition. What more could I ask for?

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Rating: 5 / 5
Date: 2009-06-24
Summary: "grammar"

I homeschool my children and this has been very useful as a teaching tool and a review for myself...I learned a few things even as an adult.

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Rating: 4 / 5
Date: 2009-02-04
Summary: "Get a Check-up!"

One question people ask me when I tell them I'm an English teacher is, "What's a good grammar book?" I always talk up this little powerhouse of a grammar and punctuation guide. Produced by the ever-present Scholastic Book Company, it would cover all basic principles -- parts of speech, irregular verbs, punctuation, spelling rules -- everything up to an intermediate level in 144 pages. Now the really funny thing is that there are no other decent grammars for this level! Strange but true, and I've looked, believe me. This is a serious lacunae in American publishing and I don't know why this should be so.

The material itself is not difficult -- the book could even be a bit shorter without example sentences and somewhat dated, thumb-nail illustrations. I've sometimes thought of writing one myself, there is such a felt need.

It's fine if teachers can get adult beginners to accept this as a text; actually, my adult students were glad enough of such a simple, clear approach. Now, "Checking Your Grammar" has no tests, quizzes, or much vocabulary. Scholastic Books has other books on spelling, idioms, synonyms, a dictionary, etc. by the same author. Teachers take note: be sure you get the library binding version so you can xerox pages easily. My copy must have faded ink, it's been through the copying machine so many times in 15 years of English tutoring.

I was delighted I could actually still use this book for my class in public school, and in fact, the materials I had discovered and developed over time were welcomed by the lead teacher. My tried and true favorites are: CYG, "An Outline of English Grammar" (long out of print), "Eats, Shoots & Leaves: Why, Commas Really Do Make a Difference!" (children's version), by Lynn Truss, "Warriner's English Grammar and Composition", different levels, for tests on every aspect of usage (out of print). Another excellent one for a more advanced level is "Harper's English Grammar", also, naturally, out of print. For teens to adult, "Essential English Grammar" by Philip Gucker (1966,Dover Books) isn't bad and is in print with a snappy new cover design [of the Union Jack, possibly confusing to new American learners]. I just do not comprehend why most junior grammars are usually lengthy, expensive, and bad. I think it's time to change this.

(Many thanks to those who left comments on my recent reviews. I have been requested to shut up and so cannot reply, which is unfair, considering that my posts were always grammatically faultless.)

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Rating: 5 / 5
Date: 2008-01-08
Summary: "Grammar solutions"

I use this book in my professional career to ensure my use of proper grammar is adequate & to minimize embarassing mistakes. Additionally, I use it to help my 4th grader with homework assignments.