Woe Is I: The Grammarphobe's Guide to Better English in Plain English

by Patricia T. O'Conner

Book Overview

A revised and updated edition of the iconic grammar guide for the 21st century. In this expanded and updated edition of Woe Is I, former editor at The New York Times Book Review Patricia T. O'Conner... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1573222526
• ISBN13: 9781573222525
• Release Date: July 2003
• Publisher: Riverhead Books
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 0.79 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.5" x 8.3"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

Where Opposites Converge

Grammar and fun. How odd those two words look in such close proximity to each other. Granted, Fowler can be amusing at times, particularly when he's in full peevish mode and attired in full curmudgeonly armor. Mencken certainly summons up a fairly regular chuckle, when dealing with topics related to English/American usage. But if you're like me, you tend to gloss over those exceptions and hearken back to 9th and 10th grade English classes, featuring Messrs. Strunk & White, supplemented by the latest book of torture published by McGraw Hill, with an exercise book on top of that. Ugh! I wish now that Ms. O'Conner's witty, 227 pg. text had been available at that time and that I would have had English teachers enlightened enough to use it, even if only as a supplement. "Woe is I" is a pleasure to read. She accomplishes that rare deed of sallying forth against the convulsive, recalcitrant, obfuscating, hydra-headed monster that is English Grammar and actually coming out of the battle victorious. She accomplishes this through sheer force of wit. This is not your typical handbook of style, as you might glean from reading over the sample pages. That will give you an idea of the charm and humor that Ms. O'Conner brings to bear on various grammatical bugaboos. Some of my favorite examples: "Back to the drawing board. 'Back to Roget's Thesaurus.'" "Agree to disagree. 'People never really agree to disagree. They just get tired of arguing.'" "Bite the bullet. 'Save your teeth.'" This book is helpful, no matter what your level of English proficiency. I recommend it to students, writers, lovers of language, Reference book junkies, word-freaks, ESL teachers, English teachers, teachers in other disciplines who need help in grading papers or to anyone else who wants to brush up his/her grammar. BEK

Who would have thought grammar could be this much fun?

This is one of the most valuable 'Grammar Texts' I have read. In fact, as I write this review, I'm hoping that what I have learned will demonstrate itself (yikes!). This book is funny, informative, and makes learning very fun and easy.Patricia O'Connor demonstrates the proper use of verbs, pronouns, plurals, how to write with ease, avoiding split infinitives, etc. Essentially everything one needs to know about the elements of the English language are in this text. Moreover, O'Connor's neat remedies and jokes make learning very fun. O'Connor emphasizes punctuation, verbal usage and misuse of certain words, especially certain verbs which often get confused (i.e. 'lay' and 'lie'). There is a lot in this book that is valuable to writers, students, and anyone who simply wants to sharpen their grammar skills. If you have been wanting a book that is not your typical grammar text, then this book is for you. I highly recommend this book!

A terrific reference!

I can't get over how helpful this book is. I'm a college student and I use "Woe Is I" just about every day. It's the only grammar book around in plain English, and it's a lot of fun to read, too.

It's Really in Plain English

This is the only grammar book I've seen that's written in plain English. You don't have to know a single technical term to understand it. It's amazing how Ms. O'Conner can explain such complicated things as subjunctives or dangling modifiers in simple language that anyone can understand.

Don't be fooled - this is a seriously GOOD book!

I've owned WOE IS I for many months now. It never crossed my mind that someone could be misled by the title; in fact, that's what attracted me to it in the first place. I just skimmed over several of the recent reviews at this site and I'm appalled at the prissy comments about the author's "authority". Well, if this country has any standards left with respect to grammar and usage, I'm betting you can find them at the New York Times. That's where Ms. O'Conner learned her trade, and that's a good enough recommendation for me. This book is useful in my line of work - social science research - week in and week out. I HIGHLY recommend it to all types - students, business people, and anyone else who wants to say what they mean.