It Was the Best of Sentences, It Was the Worst of Sentences: A Writer's Guide to Crafting Killer Sentences

Bought this book as a gift for a friend, as she loves the subject as much as I do (I already had it on Kindle and was raving to her about it). I can't wait to give it to her, because the author manages to make grammar accessible and fun. It reminds me of childhood grammar classes (in French, but the principles are very similar, and it's interesting to se where they differ and why), and genuinely makes writing good sentences feel like less of a mythical skill. Would absolutely recommend, yes, even as a gift!

This book is a gem.Buy it. Read it. Immerse yourself in it.I've bought several books on writing; this is the only one I've finished reading. In fact, I'm reading it a second time. And when I'm done, I'll read it a third time.In this book, June shows us how a basic knowledge of grammar can improve our writing. Appendix A on the formation of sentences complements the book proper. Each chapter abounds with cogent instruction--examples are provided, errors are pointed out and suggestions given on how to fix them. Great teaching pedagogy for this kind of thing.I do have a quibble, though. For some reason, Miss Casagrande despises the semicolon. So much so, that she omits it from Appendix B--on punctuation. Sure, she does state that a lot of people having trouble using the semicolon. But isn't that all the more reason to explain it? So that we don't continue to misuse it? Furthermore, I have seen deft uses of the semicolon by expert writers; surely, the semicolon has its place.One qualification: I am a novice writer (and I use the term "writer" loosely); therefore, the great benefit that I have gained from reading this book--is because there is much I don't know. However, I suspect that writers who are more skillful than I, can still pick up a thing or two. Regardless, it's always good to review the fundamentals.Overall: Great book. Full of humor. Marvelous read.

I bought the book "it was the best of sentences, it was the worst of sentences" because of the title and of its above average rating. While reading it, the first thing I sensed was the author's "chest beating" as a copy editor and her "put down" of other writers ... May be it was the style of her choice. But after I got over it I saw her strength in a good teacher. She was effective, sometimes humorous, in making her point. While I am writing this review, I am conscious of what I am writing... It is good book.

It’s funny, plainspoken, and useful whether you’re a writer, an editor, or someone who just wants to stop second-guessing your own emails. Pairs well with The Joy of Syntax if you liked that one.

I can’t recommend this book strongly enough. Not only is it informative, but it’s presented in such a way that it’s not tedious. Dare I even say . . . fun?Though I already knew many of the basics that dealt with punctuation and grammar, I bought this book with the intention of honing my editing skills. Sentence structure is something I’m always on the lookout to improve while editing, so I truly enjoyed the chapters that dealt with word-by-word dissection of ad copy, paragraphs, opening lines, and more. I have to admit, I looked at some of those and thought, “Well, that’s not so bad,” and then cringed at how many things had to change to make the clearest sentence possible. As I continued to read, though, the errors became more and more obvious, and I didn’t feel nearly as lacking in my observational skills.If you’re a writer, you need to read this. Perhaps more than once. It can only help you in making your writing tighter.If you’re an editor, this little book should be on your reference shelf as one of the handiest guides you’ll ever own. The very end of the book, in fact, is one of my favorite parts: an appendix that lists the most incriminating errors you can make—the ones that will brand you as a hack and tell your readers “the writer is out of her element,” according to Ms. Casagrande. They’re the misused words that drive grammarphiles insane, and the very stuff that will drive an Internet argument off-topic and down the road of personal insults in a heartbeat.If you’re a homeschooler, you need to get this for yourself and your kids and start them off right, with an instructional book that won’t bore them to tears.After all, with chapter titles such as “Antique Desk Suitable for Lady with Thick Legs and Large Drawers,” how can you go wrong?

In grade school I never paid attention to learning grammar and syntax because I could read at a level 2-3 grades ahead of my class. What I didn't know was that grammar would help me write better. June Casagrande's slim book is fun to read, may improve your writing, and as a result, could enthuse your readers if you have any.

Ms. Casagrande and I are in complete agreement concerning that which goes into the creation of a good sentence, of a great sentence. I had an inward 'yes, yes, yes!' reading her introduction and she writes these things cleanly and coherently and I ran through the book. I ran and laughed in delight at how well she described the importance of a well-structured sentence, a good sentence that will cause your reader to read on. The very enchantment of good writing.The sentence is that which engages the reader. Obviously there can be no paragraph without sentences and good and fine and great paragraphs can only be populated by good and fine and great paragraphs.Once each decade, maybe, I come across a book that I wish that I had written. This is my choice for the years between 2010-2019. A gentle and humorous book that explains a complex art simply. By the final page, if you have been a good reader, Ms. Casagrande will have made you a good writer or, at least, a competent writer.All that I have taught others is here - how could I not like the book?

In her efforts to be chatty, Casagrande becomes too "chatterboxy" in many places in the book.For example, the "Introduction" is six pages. And in Chapter 1, she writes: "For years I made my living schlepping city council stories for a small community newspaper. Perhaps a third of the articles I wrote could have been begun with an identical opener: "On Tuesday, the city council voted to..." But they didn't. The reason: the almighty Reader.In any type of writing, be it journalism, fiction, or advertising copy, the almighty Reader is the boss. But there's no better field for understanding this than community news. When I worked in that field, the Reader was always in my face. He wasn't like the silent, invisible fickle master consuming literary fiction, corporate earnings reports, or sales brochure. The community news Reader wrote to me. He called me. And, because I was working in a much smaller arena than that of big-city reporters, he knew me. The Reader considered me part of the community, even though I lived fifty miles away, and he expected me to serve the town's best interests while answering to him directly.Yes, this got annoying at times. Especially when he failed to realize that he didn't get to assign me stories: "I want you to do an expose on how the president of my condo association refuses to put up: "Keep Off the Grass" signs." In community news, the Reader will not be ignored.Now that I no longer wake up in the middle of the night screaming, "I will not write a front-page article about your dog! I realize this experience is a good thing. It helped me understand how to form sentences that serve the Reader."Under the subtitle "Thy Reader, Thy God" (almost 500 words in six paragraphs) in the "Introduction", the author has highlighted the reader is the boss. Why elaborate it further using 262 words in four paragraphs? The ramblings can reduced to -- to borrow a sentence from Sir Ernest Gowers's The Complete Plain Words (page ix, 1986 edn) -- "Think for others than for yourself."Again on 56, she writes in a "chatterboxy" manner: "When I read stuff like this, I still can't help but think of Narcissus. He was the guy from Greek mythology who became so transfixed by his own reflection in a pool of water that he fell in and drowned. If you want to gaze lovingly at your own ability to imagine the sun stewing or a dead body distilling, disconnect your Internet, stick a wad of gum in your flash drive, close the door, and have a ball. Just don't expect your Reader to jump in the reflecting pool with you to willingly drown in the beauty of your words. Metaphors can indeed be beautiful and powerful, but for many writers (present company included) they're very hard to pull off."Chapter 2 begins with: "Say, here's a god-awful sentence...." She then explains what's wrong with it and how to fix it." Chapters 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 18 and 20 follow this format: a bad sentence and the cure. Fine.On page 126, Casagrande writes: "Semicolons often serve no purpose other than to show off that the writer knows how to use semicolons."I disagree.In "The Elements of Style" (page 6, 1979 edn, Macmillan), the authors give three different sentences as illustrations:*Stevenson's romances are entertaining; they are full of exciting adventures.*Stevenson's romances are entertaining. They are full of exciting adventures.*Stevenson's romances are entertaining for they are full of exciting adventures.Strunk and White state: "A comparison of the three forms given above will show clearly the advantage of the first. It is, at least in the examples given, better than the second form because it suggests the close relationship between the two statements in a way that the second does attempt, and better than the third because it is briefer and more forcible."On page 141, Casagrande writes: "The Elements of Style" was not written as book of universal writing laws. It was a classroom style guide for Strunk's Cornell students."This is only partially true. In the "Introduction" of The Elements of Style (page xi, 1979 edn, Macmillan) E.B. White states: "In its original form, it was a forty-three page summation of the case for cleanliness, accuracy and brevity in the use of English...I have now completed a third revision... and in general the book has received a thorough overhaul." White's revisions have turned the little book into a writing "bible", applicable to most types of writing.Casagrande's comments on page 164 discomfit me. She states: "...we've seen over and over that writing rules are made to be broken.....They help us when we're struggling. But they need not weigh us down when we're soaring." Is she implying that struggling writers should follow writing rules but best-selling authors can throw writing rules out of the window?In Chapter 20, she gives a step-by-step approach to untangle a long problematic sentence. She advises: "Start by isolating the main subject and verb... blah, blah, blah." Useful guidelines in this chapter.The book ends with three appendices: "Grammer for Writers", "Punctuation Basics for Writers" and "Deadliest Catches: The Most Incriminating Errors and How to Avoid Them". The last appendix -- with such a catchy subtitle -- is merely a list of 16 common typos.

英語のネイティブスピーカー対象のライティング教本である。Kevin was being watched.では、watchedは過去分詞なので受け身文、Kevin was being coy.　ではcoyは形容詞なので能動文であるといった(pp. 94-95)、文法に強い（？）日本人には不要な説明もあるが有益な説明も少なくない。たとえば、If you enjoy seafood, the restaurant offers many fresh fish selections. は非論理的でまずいが、If you want me, I’ll be in my room.は許されるという(pp.26-27)。どちらも非論理的だが、それを許容するか否かはネイティブスピーカーの直観であろうか。(昔読んだ談話分析の本にもIf you are hungry, there is something to eat in the fridge. というのがあった。ここでは、「勧誘」の間接発話行為に分類されていた)。通読して行くと、ネイティブスピーカーの考え方に関していろいろ楽しい情報が得られる書である。

This is a great guide for any non-fiction and fiction writer to understand the basics and learn how to turn that into more complex knowledge. She even says that writing rules are meant to be broken, but in order to break them you have to know how to follow them first. Great book from an experienced writer, editor, and journalist who just wants to help create the best sentences out of the worst ones!

Soy maestra deinglés y el mibro me ayudó muchísimo a entender algunas dudas que tenía respecto a la construcción de oraciones, sobre todo para los alumnos más avanzados o que tienen que escribir en inglés.

Enjoyed reading it in two days. June is talented and funny, which makes the complicated subject of ‘Grammar’ easily digestible.

I love seeing how the nuts and bolts of language work together. I’m already finding my writing stronger. It’s empowering.