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The Grammar Devotional: Daily Tips for Successful Writing from Grammar Girl (Quick & Dirty Tips) Paperback – October 27, 2009
Millions of fans around the globe punctuate properly and communicate clearly thanks to Mignon Fogarty's practical and easy-to-remember advice about writing style and word usage. Her first book, Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing, hit the New York Times bestseller list, and her weekly grammar podcast has been downloaded more than 100 million times and hailed by USA Today as "authoritative but warm."
Now, in tip-of-the-day form, Grammar Girl serves up 365 lessons on language that are sure to inspire. Filled with new, bite-size writing tips, fun quizzes and puzzles, and efficient memory tricks, The Grammar Devotional gives you a daily dose of knowledge to improve your writing and also serves as a lasting reference you'll use for years to come.
- Print length240 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherHolt Paperbacks
- Publication dateOctober 27, 2009
- Dimensions5.21 x 0.62 x 7.28 inches
- ISBN-100805091653
- ISBN-13978-0805091656
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Editorial Reviews
Review
“This book deserves to be in your collection. For a quick question or a quick review, The Grammar Devotional is great.” ―The Writing Resource
“Every writer should have a copy of The Grammar Devotional by none-other than Grammar Girl Mignon Fogarty.” ―Freelance Writing Jobs
“Fogarty walks her listeners through the sometimes-tricky subjects with a voice that is authoritative but warm. Kind of like the sixth-grade teacher you wish you had.” ―USA Today
“Delightfully droll . . . Grammar Girl gives clear explanations with helpful examples.” ―The Los Angeles Times
“Fogarty . . . sparked what you might call a worldwide, syntax-driven fiesta.” ―Newsday
“At the root of all her success, of course, is a true love of language and grammar.” ―The Arizona Republic
“Fogarty . . . has become the country's go-to gal on grammar . . . Helpful. Smart. Funny. Fans find Grammar Girl to be all those things.” ―The Seattle Times
About the Author
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
The Grammar Devotional
Daily Tips for Successful Writing from Grammar Girl (TM)By Mignon FogartyHolt Paperbacks
Copyright © 2009 Mignon FogartyAll right reserved.
ISBN: 9780805091656
Introduction
People are often moved and challenged by nuggets gleaned on a daily basis— whether from a spiritual devotional, a tip-a-day calendar, or a regularly e-mailed newsletter. But there are few groups who need constant encouragement more than writers— it is, after all, a mostly solitary practice. The Grammar Devotional, then, is here to help you: it has daily reminders of our basic tenets (who versus whom, anyone?); inspiring pro.les of writers and grammarians who have helped English evolve to what it is today; and quizzes, word scrambles, and word searches to help solidify newly learned tips.
English is a messy language. Unlike French, we don’t have a council to decide how we should write or speak. We only have a multitude of competing college handbooks, dictionaries, and usage and style guides, such as The Chicago Manual of Style and The Associated Press Stylebook, which frequently disagree. Space is tight in this book, and I like to keep things simple, but wherever possible I point out when something is a style rather than a rule. Too many people go around believing the way they learned to do things is the only way to do things, when really it’s just one of the acceptable choices.
As you will see, the book is orga nized by generic weeks so you can start any time. It’s meant to be read through, just like a devotional, but we’ve also included an index so you can use the book as a reference guide and quickly .nd speci.c tips when you need them. Most of the time, punctuation is on Monday, Language Rock Stars are on Wednesday, quizzes and word scrambles are on Friday, and word search puzzles and cartoons are on Sunday, although I occasionally deviate from this pattern to keep related entries together.
It may seem like a trivial endeavor, a tip each day, but at the end of a year the knowledge adds up. A year’s worth of new knowledge can imbue your writing with new con.dence. Here’s to better e-mail messages, essays, marketing materials, articles, and novels. Excerpted from The Grammar Devotional by Mignon Fogarty.
Copyright 2009 by Mignon Fogarty.
Published in 2009 by Henry Holt and Company.
All rights reserved. This work is protected under copyright laws and reproduction is strictly prohibited. Permission to reproduce the material in any manner or medium must be secured from the Publisher.
Continues...
Excerpted from The Grammar Devotional by Mignon Fogarty Copyright © 2009 by Mignon Fogarty. Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Product details
- Publisher : Holt Paperbacks; unknown edition (October 27, 2009)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 240 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0805091653
- ISBN-13 : 978-0805091656
- Item Weight : 7.4 ounces
- Dimensions : 5.21 x 0.62 x 7.28 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #799,991 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #428 in Creative Writing Composition
- #669 in Words, Language & Grammar Reference
- #917 in Grammar Reference (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

Mignon Fogarty is better known as Grammar Girl — five-time winner of Best Education Podcast in the Podcast Awards, an inductee in the Podcasting Hall of Fame, the founder of the Quick and Dirty Tips podcast network, and the former chair of media entrepreneurship in the Reynolds School of Journalism at the University of Nevada. She is the author of seven books about language, including the New York Times bestseller, Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing. She has also appeared as a guest expert on the Oprah Winfrey Show and the Today Show.
Customer reviews
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Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the book informative and enjoyable to read. They appreciate the relevant tips and hints for making grammar logical. The book features quizzes, puzzles, and mnemonics that make grammar learning fun. The style is breezy and well-designed, with a valuable reference material.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers enjoy the book's grammar content. They find it entertaining and useful, with great content that reminds them of writing skills. The format is described as well-designed and well-bound.
"...On a side note, this is also a great book if you've got obnoxious friends who are self-proclaimed grammar experts..." Read more
"...I love the idea of the book... increase your grammar skills in bite-sized pieces, one bite a day." Read more
"...Daily grammar tips delivered in the inimitable Grammar Girl style with her prolific cast of characters -- the book verges on cutesy without ever..." Read more
"...Final Thoughts: I love it! This book offers an excellent (and easy) way to keep your mind sharp without drudging through long, boring exercises and..." Read more
Customers find the book informative and entertaining. They appreciate the relevant tips and hints for improving grammar. The advice is concise and helpful, with simple facts that are easy to retain. Readers also mention the author's explanations are clear.
"...I love my job, but there are times when you need a new, concise, and delightfully clever way of explaining things...." Read more
"...Mignon is a treasure. Each day, you either learn a new piece of trivia or the guidelines for a grammatical rule...." Read more
"...This book offers an excellent (and easy) way to keep your mind sharp without drudging through long, boring exercises and seemingly irrelevant rules...." Read more
"...It explains why grammar is not logical, and gives hints how to make it logical. And it does it in a way to make it interesting!..." Read more
Customers enjoy the vocabulary activities in the book. They mention Rock Stars on Wednesdays, quizzes and word scrambles on Fridays, word searches and puzzles on Saturdays, and mnemonics. The entries are on random topics and the book makes grammar learning fun. It's organized by generic weeks so you're not restricted by a calendar.
"...about grammar and word use. This book also features quizzes and puzzles and mnemonics, and I use it both personally and professionally." Read more
"...The book is organized by generic weeks so you're not restricted by a calendar. Rather, you can start wherever and whenever you want...." Read more
"...Much like the blog, the entries are on random topics...." Read more
"This book makes grammar learning fun! Very practical tips presented in an entertaining manner. Makes you look forward to the next entry...." Read more
Customers enjoy the book's style. They find it well-designed, with a nice binding and great content.
"...Mignon is a treasure. Each day, you either learn a new piece of trivia or the guidelines for a grammatical rule...." Read more
"...Grammar Girl style with her prolific cast of characters -- the book verges on cutesy without ever forgetting that we rely on her concise advice..." Read more
"Style is breezy. Seems to be six short tips and one grammar related puzzle each week, one for each day." Read more
"...It's well designed, well-bound, and has great content." Read more
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on October 6, 2013I love this book! Fogarty has a fresh and realistic approach to English and to teaching. Finally someone points out the fact that there are still conflicting opinions (Elements of Style, Chicago Style Manual) and they are ALL ok. I teach English in Italy and her book has also given me some clever ways to explain things. I love my job, but there are times when you need a new, concise, and delightfully clever way of explaining things. This book has definitely given me a few ideas.
On a side note, this is also a great book if you've got obnoxious friends who are self-proclaimed grammar experts (You know who I mean, the ones who live to correct other people and they're usually WRONG.) Keep it handy when they're around, read a passage or two from the book, shout "boo ya! In your face!" and then proceed to do a short victory dance around the room.
- Reviewed in the United States on October 28, 2009I have used this book for two weeks now and I have to agree with the other reviewers. Mignon is a treasure. Each day, you either learn a new piece of trivia or the guidelines for a grammatical rule. Although I am far from being cured of my grammatical deficiencies, I can tell that this book is already helping. If a daily grammar devotional piques your curiosity, then rest assured that this is the book for you.
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... based on a plug from Cali Lewis on GeekBrief TV. I'll replace this review with a substantial one in a month! I love the idea of the book... increase your grammar skills in bite-sized pieces, one bite a day.
- Reviewed in the United States on August 7, 2012I've listened to the Grammar Girl podcast for years now and played them in my English and Creative Writing classes, and this book is even better! Daily grammar tips delivered in the inimitable Grammar Girl style with her prolific cast of characters -- the book verges on cutesy without ever forgetting that we rely on her concise advice (don't you just love it when words rhyme like that?) about grammar and word use. This book also features quizzes and puzzles and mnemonics, and I use it both personally and professionally.
- Reviewed in the United States on May 9, 2010With wit and brevity, this book makes grammar fun! Just like a spiritual devotional, this book offers short, daily readings, usually just half a page. The book is organized by generic weeks so you're not restricted by a calendar. Rather, you can start wherever and whenever you want.
The author's love of language comes through in her content which spans from practical tips and rules to history, trivia, and games. Usually punctuation is on Mondays, Language Rock Stars on Wednesdays, quizzes and word scrambles on Fridays, word searches and puzzles on Sundays. Simple line illustrations add dry humor to the book.
The included index allows readers to search for specific content making this an valuable reference book as well.
Final Thoughts: I love it! This book offers an excellent (and easy) way to keep your mind sharp without drudging through long, boring exercises and seemingly irrelevant rules. We often forget what we once knew. This little book serves as a welcome reminder.
- Reviewed in the United States on December 3, 2012I always thought my poor grammar was because I was an engineer; despite having an aunt with an enginnering degree and english. I could do complex math but couldn't tell the difference between 'disk' and 'disc'.
This book has changed my life. It explains why grammar is not logical, and gives hints how to make it logical. And it does it in a way to make it interesting!
I'm not where I want to be yet, but I'm on may way! :)
- Reviewed in the United States on January 27, 2018This is a great book. As you read it, you think, "Yes, I've always wondered about that!" Mignon Fogarty has a way of making grammar entertaining. This would be an excellent gift for a student or for a professional writer. I like reading it for fun.
- Reviewed in the United States on April 30, 2010I purchased this book after discovering Mignon's "Grammar Girl" blog, in hopes of improving my writing skills. Much like the blog, the entries are on random topics. I would prefer if the progression of entries was more structured, for instance beginning with simpler, more often encountered grammar rules and building to more obscure or complicated tips. The entries are very short, which is nice for reading a small entry every day, or just browsing through. I imagine the index will also come in handy for quick checks on how to use similar words.
- Reviewed in the United States on June 7, 2015I taught middle and high school grammar. A lot of this is "old hat." However Mignon's clear, easy to grasp presentation in all her works is what, I suppose, put her at the top of her discipline. I've got everything available of hers. She's corrected me on a few points and I enjoy every minute with her material. I'm pleased to have her in my library.
Top reviews from other countries
- Shalimara 22Reviewed in Canada on November 7, 2019
5.0 out of 5 stars I love everything Mignon Fogarty publishes.
In my transcription business I am constantly researching and Mignon's books are my go-to books for the correct style and punctuation. She makes difficult grammatical concepts clear and provides excellent examples of each. Love, love, love her work and highly recommend.
- tuesday63Reviewed in Australia on April 20, 2017
5.0 out of 5 stars Wouldn't want to be without this.
Fantastic resource tool, as we've come to expect from Grammar Girl, one which I often refer to in my job of editing.
Jan
- J. AxupReviewed in the United Kingdom on February 2, 2012
5.0 out of 5 stars Good laugh. Practical advice.
This is an extremely practical and very entertaining read, Grammar Girl does a great job of picking points that native English speakers commonly get wrong, and she then sets them right.
Which one is correct?
She was floundering at school.
She was foundering at school.
I suggest also downloading her podcast which covers the same content. Personally I find it easier to remember things if I take them in through both audio and reading.
- シロReviewed in Japan on May 24, 2010
3.0 out of 5 stars A little bit different from that I've read before
I just got started to get Podcast files by iTunes a couple of years ago. At that time, I downloaded some files of the Grammar Girl that would be helpful for improving my grammar skill, I thought. I didn't realize that it would form a book, but I found that this book is published in recent and decided to buy. Well, it's not bad I think. If you start to reading this book, I'm sure to say you can enjoy reading and learning the grammar without any big trouble. It is written in a concise and informal style, so you can read it easily. But, if you want more serious and detailed one or you are a student now preparing for englsih tests like toeic and toefl, it is not appropriate, I guess.
- Lester O. SkonnordReviewed in Canada on December 4, 2019
5.0 out of 5 stars Cute good
It is cute, learned and worth it.