The Only Grammar & Style Workbook You'll Ever Need: A One-Stop Practice and Exercise Book for Perfect Writing

by Susan Thurman

Everyone wants to produce writing that is clear, concise, and grammatically accurate, but getting to that point is not always easy. If you've ever had difficulty finding the right phrase to complete a simple sentence or have struggled to put a complicated thought into words, "The Only Grammar and Style Workbook You'll Ever Need" is for you.

In this book, grammar savant Susan Thurman guides you through the complexities of spelling, usage, and style in the English language. Her comprehensive drills show you how to: Find the right wordsIdentify the parts of speechRecognize elements of a good sentenceAvoid common grammatical and punctuation mistakesWrite clearly and directly

With more than 150 exercises and in-depth lessons, this workbook will quickly become your go-to resource for all your writing needs.

Genres: Writing, Reference, Nonfiction, Language, Education, Self Help, Journalism

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

Reviews

[Jenny Baker · Rating 3 out of 5]

The title is wishful thinking. I admit that the title got me. I was expecting to be wowed, but I was quickly disappointed. It's a great introduction for people who know little about grammar, but you'll definitely need other books that are more advanced when you're finished. I'm glad it's available on Kindle Unlimited. I would have been mad if I had paid full price.

[Íris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Estou chocada com o que paguei por este tesouro: uns míseros US$1,99.
A princípio, pensei que fosse um livro escrito por alguém que juntou algumas informações pela internet, entre as quais, algumas provavelmente incorrectas. Mas estava errada.
Este livro é completo, riquíssimo, muito acessível e, claro, ao preço da chuva. Um verdadeiro achado.

O livro conta com todas as regras da gramática, explicadas de uma forma intuitiva e de fácil compreensão, até mesmo para estrangeiros. Fala-nos das utilidade da pontuação, a importância da ortografia, das preposições e os segredos e truques da composição textual para evitarmos não termos apenas mais um texto entre tantos.

Apesar de eu ter aprendido inglês desde criança, e falar e escrever inglês com desenvoltura fluida e quase nativa, este livro é uma ferramenta que tem uma utilidade e valor incontornáveis para qualquer pessoa interessada na língua inglesa, falada ou escrita.

Depois disto, com certeza terei muito mais capacidade para analisar aquilo que escrevo.

[Lilo · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am an ESL writer, and I bought and read this book a few years ago. I found it utterly disappointing and the title a clear fraud.

[Leona · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's actually excellent, but it needs a one page description and education before each exercise. This would make a good companion book.

[Arun · Rating 3 out of 5]

This may not be the only grammar book you'll ever need; though it should be one of them. Lighthearted in tone and authoritative in advice, it rekindled my latent interest in English grammar. The chapters are organized based on the most important aspects of grammar the author felt needed guidance but the last few chapters failed to capitalize on an almost perfect rendering of the first two-thirds of the book. Also, no exercises at chapter end for a grammar book! Anyways, can be used as a short reference.

[Youssef Elgohary · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is very informative, and would even be useful for native-English speakers. I learned new stuff, although I thought I used to think I was fluent enough in English. Anyway, I highly recommend this book ; it is worth keeping as a reference.

[Richard Derus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 4* of five

It's so rare to find a book of writing advice that's written readably. This is one. It's easy to use, it's extremely practical, and it's a good value for money. I recommend it for all occasions when a writer has questions about why something about a sentence isn't working.

[Brooke]

What is the bane of every English student's life? Well grammar, of course. Knowing the difference between a colon and semi colon, the different parts of speech and the two types of periods (declarative - states a fact and imperative - states a request or a demand) are important things to know if someone wants to get a good grade on something like an upcoming final exam. Well for anyone that does not know when to italicize something versus underlining, the book The Only Grammar Book You’ll Ever Need: A One-Stop Source for Every Writing Assignment by Susan Thurman could just help. It is a compact book that offers a ton of grammar help on even the most obscure grammar questions. It’s also not one of those boring textbooks a high school teacher would make you read, it offers exciting examples of each grammar issue. I even found myself reading it in an Applebee’s while waiting for my food.

While this may just be a me issue, I often find myself having deep philosophical questions about grammar on the bus at 7am without any cell service. When that happens, I can easily pull out the book from my bag and find the answer to my question about absolute adjectives (adjectives that can’t be compared to something else, either it is that adjective or it's not such as the word blank). The small compact nature of the book is a huge help since I see it as a study buddy that wonders with me everywhere without making my bag heavier. Even though it’s a great study buddy and essay helper, I do find that the title isn’t great. I never like books with such broad claims since I find that they never truly live up to their name and there is absolutely no need for a book to be so cocky (or anything or anyone for that matter but I digress). And I’m also sure that this little book does not carry with it all of the grammar rules for the entire English language which then would negate its title. But for what it is and the purposes I feel most people would use it for, I do enjoy this book.

The Only Grammar Book You’ll Ever Need: A One-Stop Source for Every Writing Assignment is a wonderful pal to bring to an English class despite its flaws (which I think just makes it even more like a friend). I really did enjoy this book and found that it brought humor and enjoyment to the serious world of grammar. I would recommend it to fellow bookworms and my dog Eloise since I believe she should get another hobby since her current one of being incredibly adorable isn’t very productive. While this book is definitely not perfect, it does provide a lot of help from someone like me, a writing addicted high schooler without a social life.

[Martin Maenza · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adams Media provided an early galley for review.

The English language has so many rules, most of which I was taught many decades ago in my life while I was still taking English courses in school. This book serves very much as a handy refresher course. I was actually impressed with how much I remembered.

Besides covering all the standard grammar topics as well as the parts of sentences, the book also includes quizzes at the end of each chapter so the reader can test what they have learned. The appendices in the back are also useful: 1100 frequently misspelled words, suggested substitutes for wordy phrases, and and links to several helpful grammar and writing websites.

I would strongly recommend this one to all of my writing folks.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the light tone the author used to communicate information on a topic I find important, and fascinating. The sections I found most interesting and helpful were on commonly confused words and avoiding common errors. The reason for three stars is this is not the only grammar book you'll ever need; far from it. I would've liked more examples on the points being discussed, and there were a few errors/contradictory information scattered throughout the book.

[MaHfEr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book. I wish I had found this when I first started learning English

[Cassidy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think the information discussed was very helpful, however, the delivery and the way the pages are set are incredibly overwhelming.
Everything is kinda dumped in these helpful piles, but it is still overwhelming to take in.
I picked this up almost on a whim because I know my grammar could be better.
I ended up rather skimming and marking pages that I know I'll come back to.
On a positive note, I did end up having a couple of questions answered particularly with some punctuation and parts of speech.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are looking for a concise grammar text to help you, then this is a great resource to have. Definitions are given as well as example sentences to help clarify what has been presented. Ms. Thurman also gives you helpful hints on what part of speech is in the sentence.

[Kaori]

What I like the most about this book is that it is really short and concise, it is easy to read and is a good resource to help my grammar skills when writing sentences: clearness, punctuation and more. It includes explanations and examples of sentence construction for better comprehension. It has less than 200 pages so I could read it in less than a week and it helped me construct my personal statement essay.

[Ivonne Rovira · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s pretty rare that a book lives up to a title like The Only Grammar Book You’ll Ever Need, but Susan Thurman’s book does. Is it the best grammar book ever? No, that would be The Deluxe Transitive Vampire: A Handbook of Grammar for the Innocent, the Eager and the Doomed by Karen Elizabeth Gordon, but, in truth, if you didn’t have any other grammar guide, you’d be, for the most part, eloquent and error-free.

Now, if there were only a guide to producing good ideas about which to write.

[Sea Caummisar · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book in a book giveaway. I would be lying if I said I were perfect and knew everything about grammar. I think that as an author it's good to take in new and old info from time to time. There's nothing wrong with bettering myself. This book covers the basics, and then some more. It is simply written so there is no confusion as to what the author is trying to convey. I really found the part 'Common Complaints from Copyeditors' very interesting. Also, there was a section on rough drafts, revision, proofing, etc... It really hit home. There's been so many times I write words, and know in my head that it's not what I'm trying to say, but remind myself that it's a rough draft and that it can and will be changed.I'm not sure if it's the only grammar book I will ever need, but it sure is handy and easy enough to flip through if I ever need to.

[Kristi · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was okay. It was a grammar book, but it did explain various parts of speech and how to use them fairly well. I don't think there is a way to talk about parts of speech without making it sound like chaos, but in general thumbs up to this book. I'm not sure it's the only grammar book I'll ever need, but it was one that I'm glad I read.

[Mack · Rating 4 out of 5]

I needed another grammar book. But it was great. Grammar book junkies never don't need no more grammar. :D

[Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad -- although this certainly isn't the only grammar book I'll ever need! There weren't enough examples, and the book contained a number of errors.

[B. Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm by no means an expert grammarist, and will gladly make up words like grammarist all willy-nilly, but after I read The Only Grammar Book You'll Ever Need by Susan Thurman I saw an immediate improvement in my writing. I'm seriously glad I read through it before I decided to publish because I would be wallowing in mortification about my extra-long sentences now.

There might be better grammar books out there and all sorts of free tips and editing software like Grammarly and Ginger (both which I love and use daily), but I highly recommend checking out The Only Grammar Book You'll Ever Need. It's less than 200 pages, has a quick reference guide for all of your grammar needs, links to helpful websites to improve your writing, and - surprise, surprise - it's written well and gets right to the point.

[Omar Riaz · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 stars.
So obviously this will not be the only grammar book you'll ever need. Its a very good starting book for the absolute novice or for the kids who are just starting their high school.
The positive thing about the book is its very concise and to the point direct approach. No long stories about where and when some part of speech came into existence or what story is related to what specific term of English language, this books starts right into the lessons and information and just keep on progressing up the ladder step by step, you basic.
Good books for the the beginners, after finish, start with something more advance if you want to learn more. 4/5 stars.

[Wofford Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Susan Thurman does an excellent job of explaining all the confusing intricacies of punctuation and grammar. As a writer, I’ll admit that I do not know all the rules of English, but I want to better equip myself with the do’s and don’t’s of this crazy language. This is just one step I am taking to become a better writer. There is such a wealth of knowledge within these pages. So, thank you, Susan for taking me to back to school. I will keep this book handy in my writing nook and book bag to refer back whenever I have a question. Also, I love the title.

[Hong · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The Only Grammar Book You'll Ever Need" is a helpful guide to improve language skills. It explains grammar, punctuation, and style clearly with examples. It's easy to find answers and has exercises for practice. It's good for beginners and quick reference. Also, in my case, this book really helped me to study the SAT Writing section. It explains all the grammar skills needed for writing, so if you read this book, you will effectively understand the SAT problems and achieve a perfect score. I confidently recommend this book because it actually helped me in many ways.

[Cesar · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was a tremendous disappointment.

Of course, everything begins with the title. In this case, it is overly ambitious and deceitful. It promises something that the book does not deliver.

The grammar sections are not very accurate. Each topic is covered shortly and the explanations provided are not very satisfactory in any way.
The writing guide section is also a little too presumptuous, trying to solve in a few paragraphs, subjects that are much more complex.

I would define this book as a useful tool to write "poor English" with basic accuracy.

Not recommended at all.

[Erica Baxter · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, let me say that there is a lot, lot, lot, lot of information in this book. It is more than a refresher on grammar rules. It's more like the Holy Grail of grammar rules—learn them all and you will rule the grammar world!

Very educational. Very thorough. It's too much information for my mind to hold all at once, but it is a valuable reference for crosschecking grammar rules and clarifying uncertainties.

A solid resource for grammar.

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a poor learning experience in my high school english classes; The poor experience left me confused with the proper use of: punctuation marks, writing tactics, and definitions. After reading this book, I believe I have expanded my knowledge of grammar and writing; however, I felt that the chapter order could've improved.

[Mike Shukis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book if you want to understand the rules of writing. It provides in-depth guidelines on everything that you need to know about writing. It does a great job of explaining things in a way that is easy to understand. I highly recommend this book for anyone who enjoys writing and is trying to improve their writing abilities.

[Blane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very insightful and helpful review and full of new knowledge too. I wish we'd had this book back in junior high or high school, because it's insights would have made English classes a lot easier to enjoy.

[طارق طه · Rating 4 out of 5]

Truly the only Grammar book most people will ever need. The book is well organized with straight forward language. The examples and rules are write to the point. Very useful reference book to have around.

[Stephen Heiner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was assigned this for a writing class I took recently and while I appreciated the comprehensive review that the book offered, it might have taken a less serious look at itself through a less promising title, something like "Quite possibly the only..." :-)