NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A sharp funny grammar guide they'll actually want to read from
Random House's longtime copy chief and one of Twitter's leading language gurus NAMED ONE OF
THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY O: The Oprah Magazine • Paste • Shelf Awareness "Essential (and
delightful!)"-People We all write all the time: books blogs emails. Lots and lots of
emails. And we all want to write better. Benjamin Dreyer is here to help. As Random House's
copy chief Dreyer has upheld the standards of the legendary publisher for more than two
decades. He is beloved by authors and editors alike-not to mention his followers on social
media-for deconstructing the English language with playful erudition. Now he distills
everything he has learned from the myriad books he has copyedited and overseen into a useful
guide not just for writers but for everyone who wants to put their best prose foot forward.
As authoritative as it is amusing Dreyer's English offers lessons on punctuation from the
underloved semicolon to the enigmatic en dash the rules and nonrules of grammar including why
it's OK to begin a sentence with "And" or "But" and to confidently split an infinitive and why
it's best to avoid the doldrums of the Wan Intensifiers and Throat Clearers including "very "
"rather " "of course " and the dreaded "actually." Dreyer will let you know whether "alright"
is all right (sometimes) and even help you brush up on your spelling-though as he notes "The
problem with mnemonic devices is that I can never remember them." And yes: "Only godless
savages eschew the series comma." Chockful of advice insider wisdom and fun facts this
book will prove to be invaluable to everyone who wants to shore up their writing skills
mandatory for people who spend their time editing and shaping other people's prose and-perhaps
best of all-an utter treat for anyone who simply revels in language. Praise for Dreyer's
English "Playful smart self-conscious and personal . . . One encounters wisdom and good
sense on nearly every page of Dreyer's English."-The Wall Street Journal "Destined to become
a classic."-The Millions "Dreyer can help you . . . with tips on punctuation and spelling. .
. . Even better: He'll entertain you while he's at it."-Newsday
