[ 3 / biz / cgl / ck / diy / fa / ic / jp / lit / sci / vr / vt ] [ index / top / reports ] [ become a patron ] [ status ]
2023-11: Warosu is now out of extended maintenance.

/lit/ - Literature

View post   
File: 36 KB, 292x475, elements-of-style.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
3281704 No.3281704 [Reply] [Original]

Is this thing any good? If not, what should I get?

I need rules of usage, I need grammar, punctuation - any of that shit. My public school education fucked me over big time and I have none of this knowledge. It's becoming quite a handicap now that I'm entering my third year of college and still receive marked essays with red pen all over them. It's not for lack of effort, I just have never learnt the most basic rules of English.
Some recommendations would be much appreciated. I'm willing to buy multiple books.

>> No.3281715

The Elements of Style is the definitive article on English grammar. You can't go wrong.

>> No.3281722

>>3281715
Well, that's good to know because I already bought it. Will I need anything to supplement it?

>> No.3281724

>>3281715
>implying a book on grammar can be definitive

>> No.3281733

>>3281724
It was a grammar joke you bastard. I come up with good shtick for this board and you just piss in my cheerios. That, and The Elements of Style is basically the end all be all of English grammar. For college level writing, it's all you need.

Definitive article, definite article... Get it?

Fuck you.

>> No.3281735

>>3281722
For college level writing, probably not. Ask again when you get to grad school.

>> No.3281738

>>3281735
Well, I aspire to more than just practical "college level writing." I have 12 or so weeks before college starts again. I need a project anyway and I plan to work hard at this.

So I might as well ask now.

>> No.3281751

It expects that you already have a decent grasp of grammar, and are just referring to the book for a refresher. Do you know what a gerund is? Can you define an appositive? If not, this book (the first section--the one on grammar) is mostly useless to you. It doesn't give you nearly enough examples to understand the grammatical rules if you haven't heard them before.

>> No.3281755

>>3281738
For grad school, you'll need "A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations" by Kate L. Turabian. It outlines and defines the Turabian style, which is used at pretty much every university in the United States.

Aside from that, it depends on your course of study. Social Sciences use guides on APA style, physical sci uses ACS style, and medicine uses the AMA guide.

If you're looking for general books on grammar, try The Chicago Manual of Style or the MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing.

>> No.3281810

>>3281755
Thank you, sir. I believe I'll start with the general books.

>>3281751
That's disheartening. Where can I get the necessary foundation knowledge then? Has anybody bothered to write it down somewhere or is it a secret only private school kids are privy to?

>> No.3281845

>>3281810
I didn't learn any of it in school either. There are plenty of guides out there, even a "grammar for dummies" book would probably do. I've heard "Grammar by Diagram" is good. Not to mention there are probably countless online resources.

Don't lose hope!

>> No.3281859

>>3281751
Moreover, It's outdated. Go into details but I'm too tired right now. Learn yourself: http://chronicle.com/article/50-Years-of-Stupid-Grammar/25497

>> No.3281905

>>3281810
Well, you can probably get away with reading though The Elements of Style and using Wikipedia to help explain the concepts it doesn't, to be honest.

>> No.3284606

bump