The Chicago guide to grammar, usage, and punctuation / Bryan A. Garner.

"Few people can write with as much authority on the English language as Bryan A. Garner. The author of "The" "Chicago Manual of Style" s popular Grammar and Usage chapter, Garner is adept at explaining the vagaries of English with absolute precision and utmost clarity. With "The Chicago Guide to English Grammar, Usage, and Punctuation," he has written the definitive guide for writers who want their prose to be both memorable and correct. Throughout the book Garner describes standard literary English the forms that mark writers and speakers as educated users of the language. He also offers historical context for understanding the development of these forms. The section on grammar explains how the canonical parts of speech came to be identified, while the section on syntax covers the nuances of sentence patterns as well as both traditional sentence diagramming and transformational grammar. The usage section offers an unprecedented trove of empirical evidence in the form of Google Ngrams, diagrams that illustrate the changing prevalence of specific terms over decades and even centuries of English literature. The book also covers punctuation and word formation, concluding with an exhaustive glossary of grammatical terms and a bibliography of suggested further reading and references. "The Chicago Guide to English Grammar, Usage, and Punctuation "is a magisterial work, the culmination of Garner s life-long study of the English language. The result is a landmark resource that will offer clear guidelines to students, writers, and editors alike""--