For Who the Bell Tolls: The Essential and Entertaining Guide to Grammar Kindle Edition

I ordered this while drunk on tequila and when it arrived I was happy, because I can’t stand Ernest Hemingway. But, as a writer, I was interested to learn there were other rules besides “write like Ernest Hemingway.” I did. I still can’t find a publisher for The Sun Also Rises. But here’s grammar.The book sets the tone right from the title. It relies heavily on popular music from standards to up-to-publication pop. The author claims it’s all from his iPod playlist, and I have no basis upon which to challenge him. The real question is whether the gimmick works to enliven a usually dry subject. I think the author’s instincts are correct even if it sometimes comes across like “I won Name that Tune again!” It got on my nerves, but everything does. A straight recitation of grammar rules would have sent me back to my tequila bottle and to whom would the news of the ensuing catastrophe been tolled?The author takes a pretty casual approach where there are two viewpoints, and comes down in favor of clarity and readability. There is some good writerly advice like Twain’s to kill you adjectives “but not utterly.” I’m sure there is some bloodthirsty advice about adverbs from somebody with writing cred. We can all use a grammar refresher. This one may strike the reader as a bit cute, but given the alternative, I’ll take cute.

This excellent book is by definition a very English book,written by an English newspaper editor on the subtle nuances of the English language.By this I mean,the author describes English from a British viewpoint-which Americans may find very different and even Aussies like me less useful.However,the book is well written,often funny and instructive. I would recommend this book to anyone wishing to better understand modern English usage and especially to leran how to communicate more and effectively.Or just read it and enjoy!

Most books about correct grammar are dull and dreary. Marsh's book is definitely not in this category. While it's certainly not a "page-turner" it is fun to read and extremely useful as a reference work. Could be considered as supplemental reading for college-level English classes.

Everything I wanted to know or understand about the language without pain, posturing or preaching. Plus some humour thrown in.

Great book. I also bought a couple of extra copies for friends who, like myself, are in the literary world.

It was funny and easy to read. Very simple exlanations for non speakers.

I am stuck on language development and how it has evolved, we are seeing continued alteration of what is considered appropriate and in the next generation it will have evolved yet more whether we like it or not.

He needs adderall.

To paraphrase one of the blurbs : 'A splendid and, more important, an amusing book on English grammar” This raises the question (not discussed in the book) as to why writers feel the need to add -ly to 'important', which is a perfectly good adverb as it stands. Not to mention what appears to be a missing indefinite article, and a quirky use of 'sane'. I don't think I would ever buy an “insane” book of any sort. However, you can't judge a book by its cover blurbs. A grammar book of 280 or so pages cannot hope to be comprehensive but this one covers a wide area. I should like to have seen a discussion of the much abused 'ilk' along with misuse of 'begs the question' (although in defence of those who misuse either, the opportunity to apply them accurately might occur somewhat less than once in a lifetime). Rather more surprising is the omission of any mention of the universal propensity to replace the present participle with a kind of unintended passive. “I was sat at the table; stood on the corner etc”, well, yes if some agency sat or stood you in that position. Otherwise “sitting” or “standing” seem preferable. Similarly, use of “sorted” as synonymous with “solved” has crept in (almost) unnoticed. “sorted” used to mean “arranged in order” eg alphabetical or numerical. I would suggest “sorting out” but not to East Enders script writers. If other people are involved “sorting out” may well involve a degree of violence. There is also discussion of how to avoid ambiguity, though the quotation from Judges 12: 5-6 leaves us to decide whether “forty and two thousand” means 42,000 or 2,040. 42,000 seems an awful lot of dead Ephraimites – but it's what my New English Bible gives. Amusing and crafted with a light touch – it had me reaching for my Compleet Molesworth (which I hadn't opened in ages) and Ronald Searle's wonderful drawings of the Private Life of the Gerund. It also persuaded me to buy a couple of other grammar books, some serious and some less so. In brief, I liked it.

Loved this book.I enjoy grammar books in general from Fowler onwards but this is grammar with humour. Highly informative and a pleasure to read. I must admit that, pedant that I am, I have had several Kindle reading experiences ruined by sloppy use of language and slavish reliance on the spellchecker. Leek, leak, what a revelation, the spellchecker can't tell the difference. Many current authors would write far more professionally and accurately with this book at their side. Loved Muphry's law (there will be examples in this review) and still feel sorry that Uncle Jack needed help with his horse.The title of this review is one I remember from way back, a telegram from a wife who is not feeling well, to her husband who is on a business trip. The comma, of course, should have been after 'better,' or perhaps not. This example was not in the book but far better ones are, please buy it.

This is an entertaining and informative book on a fascinating subject, written by someone who knows grammar well and obviously has a high regard for it. It is unfortunate that, after Chapter 7, the book becomes a vehicle for the author's political views; if you are not a card-carrying member of the left wing of the Labour party, firmly wedded to AGW and political correctness, you might be better off looking elsewhere for enlightenment.

David Marsh has made a decent effort to produce a book on grammar (and wider English usage) that can be read rather than sit on a shelf. I liked the many references to popular music and culture and I enjoyed the use of tweets in footnotes.Inevitably all such books descend into sets of lists towards the back and this is no exception; this doesn't detract too much from what is a well-priced readable reference work.

An author with an extensive knowledge of English Grammar and a very sharp sense of humour. He makes dry grammar interesting and funny. I appreciated the wit as much as the education. This book would be appreciated in most 6th form English departments.