Best grammar and english usage book

Posted by orangemoon (5 days ago)

I am looking for a comprehensive English usage book with explaination. I have to proof read and edit sometime and I want some sort of reference book ...

Any suggestion from the editors / proof readers out there , any book that they swear by........
Thank you

Posted by leghk (5 days ago)

Cambridge and Longman publish lots of books on grammar and usage.

However, I would suggest that trying to proof read using a reference book would be extremely time consuming and highly impractical. Like trying to read Cantonese with only the aid of a Cantonese/English dictionary.

Posted by orangemoon (5 days ago)

Thanks leghk for your answer...

Well for the cambridge and longman , I am aware of them , what I would like to know is something like ' The blue book of Grammar and Punctuation'.

And when I mentioned reference book, it is not that I would be sitting with the book to match the rules, what I am looking for is, something to fall back on when there is a confusion about a structure or likewise.

Posted by leghk (5 days ago)

that makes a lot more sense. sorry, don't know of any better books, but let me know if u find one. would be helpful for me too.

not sure if this software any use, or how good it is.

http://www.whitesmoke.com/

Posted by funbobby (5 days ago)

Try 'A University Grammar of English' by Quirk & Greenbaum, pub. by Longman. You can find it at
http://www.apbookshop.com/top_bar/contact/contact.html#officetop

Posted by workingmum (4 days ago)

Practical English Usage by Michael Swan is like a bible to me

Posted by disco babe (4 days ago)

Yes. Michael Swan's 'Practical English Use' is what many of the teachers use.

Posted by orangemoon (4 days ago)

Thanks all of you for the replies..yes I aso have Michael swan's..I also find it good ..but it is more about grammar usage..the sentence structure or use of punctuations and similar things are missing..

Any take on ' element of style ' by william strunk junior?

Posted by goofie (2 days ago)

I would LOVE to be able to find "Elements of Style" too. If anyone's got a copy, pls tell me where to buy that !