Merriam-Webster's Guide to Punctuation and Style

All you want/need to know about punctuation is here. Plus a lot more. MERRIAM-WEBSTER is THE publisher for American English reference books. Add this volume to several others and you have decent "library" in paperback, at low prices.

For the price you'll pay for this book you can hardly afford not to have it by your side when writing, editing or proofreading. I use it for all three of the aforementioned tasks. While your computer may be constantly connected to the internet, sometimes it's just easier to pick up an actual reference book and find the answer you need. In the case of this little reference book (just the size of a paperback novel) you'll discover it's easy to lookup your question in the index and then quickly find the information you need. They layout and font face that was used makes this guide read almost like a dictionary. In other words, it is designed for reading short sections and presents the grammar rules in a lean format that is perfect. This book shares space on my desk with my Oxford Dictionary of Current English: Oxford Dictionary of Current English And also my beloved copy of the 11th Merriam-Webster's Collegiate dictionary: The Merriam-Webster Dictionary And as noted above... for the price you'll pay, the Merriam-Webster's guide is more than good value for your money.

The complexity of the subject(s) makes for a bit of confusion, but it is all in here. My copy is already dog-eared after only a couple of days in my possession and pretty constant use. It is much easier to use than the huge volumes of similar advice that once stood on their own tables at the local library. Already I have bookmarks throughout it.

This is an excellent book for those who are seeking a quick and efficient guide to punctuation.

This book is a great reference for those just learning English or native English speakers who occasionally need to check on the exact use of an ampersand, comma or semicolon. The reference is divided in to the following sections: punctuation, capitals/italics/question marks, plurals/possessives/compounds, abbreviations, numbers, grammar/composition, and problems in word usage. I commonly find myself using this reference when typing professional letters, writing stories, or whenever I get confused on the exact use of a particular element of punctuation or style. It's a small book but contains tons of content and enough examples to compliment each section.