In this guidebook on grammar, language columnist June Casagrande focuses on “sentence mechanics” and how “words line up and change form to make sentences.” Divided into two parts, the first half of the book takes a deep dive into syntax, covering parts of speech, the grammar of phrases and clauses, as well as nouns, pronouns, adjectives, adverbs, conjunctions, and prepositions. The second half concentrates on usage and propriety, exploring topics such as dangling participles, Oxford commas, language myths, and sentence fragments. Casagrande’s guidance in this book is humorous and straightforward, providing writers with clarification of the ever-evolving nature of words and the confidence to use language more intentionally in their creative work.
