Grammar and Composition

Besides having a fantastic title (from an equally good joke), was this book worth the hype? Did you read it? What did you think?

Unfortunately, Louis Menand beat me to the punch: http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2004/06/28/040628crbo_books1

The money quote: "An Englishwoman lecturing Americans on semicolons is a little like an American lecturing the French on sauces."

My experience is that British writers, editors, and scholars follow only one rule: whatever sounds right is correct (even if it is inconsistent within the text).

Nevertheless, as an English teacher of traditional grammar, I found the book entertaining and clever. Certainly I would recommend it to people who are interested in language. Yes, the British rules are different from ours; their penchant for placing quotation marks after periods and commas annoys me, but at least they're consistent just as they are with their odd spellings of colour and humour, for instance. Try reading it! I think you'll enjoy it, too.

I haven't read this, but it's on my list.  Would you suggest just jumping in and plowing through it from page 1 or are some chapters more relevant than others?  I am one of those who likes to take something away from my reading (or Professional Development) that I can use immediately in my classroom.

I like the children's version better than the one for grown-ups. I used it in a 7th grade grammar class, and it really helped them understand danglers and misplaced modifiers.

In reply to #4:

The book's on a shelf in my classroom, and I'm currently out of town. When I return, I'll check to see which chapters I recommend that will suit your needs. Personally, I just enjoyed jumping in and reading, but I'll admit that I skipped around from time to time when I found something that particularly interested me. 

I certainly thought it was a worthwhile read - if for nothing else than because it's witty and entertaining.  The differences between British and American rules are evident, but since most students couldn't care less about either set of rules, some of the examples are worth the effort in the classroom.

Honestly, as much as I enjoyed the read (being a grammar geek), I found only part particularly useful as a teacher - the title.  I enjoy using the title and the attending pictures as a way of demonstrating the power and importance of punctutation.  There is also a good story by Hemingway that I use to bring the point home:  "The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber".  I ask the students to decide if there should be a comma after short or not, depending on their reading of the story.