Book Review: The Only Grammar Book You’ll Ever Need

The Only Grammar Book You’ll Ever Need: Your One-Stop Source for Mastering English Grammar (Updated Edition)
Susan Thurman
Adams Media

It’s a song I sing over and over: Grammar matters.

The type of communication (speaking or writing, formal or informal) doesn’t matter. What matters is that you do it correctly, clearly, and consistently. That’s where knowing grammar comes in.

I admit to being a grammar nerd, but I don’t know all the rules. Fortunately, I have my resident grammar expert (husband and business partner, Jerry Clement) to ask if I’m not sure about something, but when he’s not available, I may need other resources.

That’s why I was delighted to get a copy of Susan Thurman’s The Only Grammar Book You’ll Ever Need (Updated Edition).

(And yes, I see the irony in it being an updated edition of a book with that title.)

This compact book is a useful, well-organized, easy-to-use resource, whether you’re looking for a specific rule or just want to sharpen your overall grammar skills.

Thurman explains the rules, making even the complicated and obscure ones easy to understand. She gives plenty of examples of how to apply those rules, showing what’s incorrect and how to fix it. And then she includes exercises so you can test your knowledge.

You may have a grammar checker (I use ProWritingAid), but you can’t always rely on the accuracy of even the best ones. Also, grammar checkers don’t help you when you’re speaking. You need to understand the fundamentals and know how to make using correct grammar a habit, and this book helps you do that.

The Only Grammar Book You’ll Ever Need is a great teaching tool for youngsters and a valuable reference book for students and adults.