Woe Is I: The Grammarphobe's Guide to Better English in Plain English Hardcover - 2009

by Patricia T. O'Conner

It's been called "possibly the most popularbook on grammar ever published."Now the witty bestseller that took thenation by storm is back in a revised,expanded edition with new dos anddon'ts from top to bottom.

In this new Woe Is I, Patricia T. O'Connerdisplays the same fresh, irreverent humorthat has charmed hundreds of thousands ofreaders. There are new chapters on spellingand pronunciation, and updates throughout.But you'll find the same down-to-earth explanationsin clear, plain English-the samesensible solutions to the grammar mysteriesthat bug even the best of us.O'Conner manages to unscramble themost complicated problems in simple, easyto-swallow language. So you won't encounterthe kind of intimidating terminology thatmade you want to skip your high school Englishclass. This funny, wise, and indispensableguide shows readers how to:

á avoid the persistent grammatical errorsthat tie everyone-even presidents!-in knots
á watch their tongues and learn topronounce commonly mangled words
á correctly use dozens of much-abusedwords and phrasesWhatever your problem-intimidated by possessives?puzzled over pronouns? cluelessabout how to say "banal"?-the updated WoeIs I provides witty, jargon-free answers to allyour questions about the basics as well asthe subtleties of grammar, style, and usage.No wonder The Atlanta Journal-Constitutioncalled O'Conner's classic "the best primer onEnglish usage to come along since Strunkand White's The Elements of Style."