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Nitty-Gritty Grammar | |
Publisher: Ten Speed Press
Authors: Edith H. Fine & Judith P. Josephson
US$10.00 (approx)
ISBN 978-0898159660
The 'nitty-gritty' part of something is where you get the basic details. It's a good adjective to use for this short 102-page book which does just that - it gives the basic details of grammar and how to use it. The book is the result of the combined experience of two English teachers who once taught a course called 'Nitty-Gritty Grammar' and have summarized their teaching here. Although the book has the sub-title 'A not-so-serious guide to clear communication' it is in fact a serious grammar primer - apart from some excellent cartoons. In previous reviews we have covered other books which offer grammar tips for native speakers. This is perhaps the first which is equally useful for EFL students and 'the generation that grammar teaching forgot'.
This book takes nothing for granted, and starts with a description of what verbs are and what they do. This is part of the opening section of 41 pages which introduces all the major word types, from verbs and nouns to adjectives, adverbs and finishes with interjections and conjunctions. The remaining sections of the book are: 'Building Blocks', which describes clauses and sentences; 'Punctuation Pointers', which does as the title says; and 'Word Power', which covers everything such as capitalization and pronunciation which does not fit anywhere else. The text is clearly and logically laid out with many examples. The style is not humorous, but plainly describes things like the use of commas with multiple adjectives, and when to hyphenate words such as 'well-polished'. There are examples of common mistakes in English throughout the book, though the authors do not always explain why the wrong examples are wrong. It should also be noted that this book teaches American English, which occasionally has slightly different rules to British English. It sometimes teaches something as a rule when it is a matter of style. Most publishers have a particular 'house style' and might disagree - for example - with the 'rule' in this book that a full stop must always go inside inverted commas if these finish a sentence. At the end of the book there is an appendix of quick usage tips and an index.
Who is this book for? This is not a complete guide to English grammar, and there are no exercises. It covers topics too quickly to be useful for a student who is discovering them for the first time, but this is not what the book is for. Native speakers know the constructions instinctively, and need only guidance about using them correctly, and for them this book will be very useful, especially as it is small enough to carry around in a briefcase or handbag. EFL students will find it a very useful summary of all the major grammatical points, and an excellent means of revising these points before an exam.
Verdict: Covers the basics very well.
Assessment 8/10