The Glamour of Grammar

A Guide to the Magic and Mystery of Practical English

By: Roy Peter Clark

Write A Review

Paperback | 8 September 2011 | Edition Number 1

At a Glance

Paperback
320 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
2.2 x 13.9 x 21

Paperback

$41.75

or 4 interest-free payments of $10.44 with

or

Ships in 10 to 15 business days

Early in the history of English, the words ''grammar'' and ''glamour'' meant the same thing: the power to charm. Roy Peter Clark, author of WRITING TOOLS and the forthcoming HELP! FOR WRITERS, aims to put the glamour back in grammar with this fun, engaging alternative to stuffy instructionals.

Now in paperback, this widely praised practical guide demonstrates everything from the different parts of speech to why effective writers prefer concrete nouns and active verbs. Above all, Clark teaches readers how to master grammar to perfect their use of English, to instill meaning, and to charm through their writing.

In a world where we comminucate more and more through emails and text messages, how you use language matters--even in 140 characters. THE GLAMOUR OF GRAMMAR prepares readers to captivate with every word.

Industry Reviews

A streamlined, accessible, witty book...[Clark] is a coach rather than a scold, encouraging readers to 'live inside the language. - Colette Bancroft, St. Petersburg Times

[Clark] is not of the hectoring, bullying school of language advice. He is an encourager...A good book for an aspiring writer, human and sensible about the great craft, relishing its possibilities and its power. - John E. McIntyre, The Baltimore SuN

Who knew that a discussion of grammar could induce laughter? This is an eminently readable, extremely enjoyable guide that readers will find highly useful on their path to development, not just as writers, but as readers. - Publishers Weekly

Roy Peter Clark, the Jedi master of writing coaches, has delivered another indispensable classic for every author, young and old. The Glamour of Grammar crackles with wit and wisdom and with page after page of rock-solid strategies to guide writers toward prose that sings with vivid clarity. - Thomas French, author of Zoo Story

If grammar is medicine, then Roy Clark gives us the spoonful of sugar to help it go down. A wonderful tour through the labyrinth of language. - Anne Hull, Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter, The Washington Post

Shipping

	Standard Shipping	Express Shipping
Metro postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95
Regional postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95
Rural postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95

Orders over $79.00 qualify for free shipping.

How to return your order

At Booktopia, we offer hassle-free returns in accordance with our returns policy. If you wish to return an item, please get in touch with Booktopia Customer Care.

Additional postage charges may be applicable.

Defective items

If there is a problem with any of the items received for your order then the Booktopia Customer Care team is ready to assist you.

For more info please visit our Help Centre.

More in Reference Works

The Little Guide to Coco Chanel

Style to Live By

Hardcover

RRP $17.99

$16.75

Dirty Politics : A-Z of trickery, treachery and other tasty treats - Macquarie Dictionary

$21.75

13%
OFF

Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (20th edition)

Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable

Hardcover

RRP $99.99

$64.75

35%
OFF

The Little Book of Shakespeare's Insults

Biting Barbs and Poisonous Put-Downs

Hardcover

RRP $17.99

$16.75

The Teach Like a Champion Guide to the Science of Reading

Translating Research to Reignite Joy and Meaning in the Classroom

Paperback

RRP $49.95

$38.75

22%
OFF

The Art of War & Other Classics of Eastern Philosophy

Leather-bound Classics

Leather Bound Book

RRP $49.99

$38.75

22%
OFF

The Montessori Baby

A Parent's Guide to Nurturing Your Baby with Love, Respect, and Understanding

Paperback

RRP $34.99

$28.75

18%
OFF

Wild Food Plants of Australia

Paperback

RRP $34.99

$28.75

18%
OFF

The Laws Guide to Nature Drawing and Journaling

Paperback

RRP $62.99

$49.99

21%
OFF

Italian Dictionary and Grammar

Two Books in One

Paperback

RRP $32.99

$23.75

28%
OFF

The Trusted Advisor

20th Anniversary Edition

Paperback

RRP $36.99

$29.75

20%
OFF

The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

Hardcover

RRP $39.99

$30.75

23%
OFF

Kelly Wearstler: Synchronicity

Obsessions

Hardcover

RRP $130.00

$90.75

30%
OFF

Ripley's Believe It or Not! 2026

Hardcover

RRP $49.99

$38.75

22%
OFF

The Essentials: The Art of Interior Design

A Guide to Furnishing, Decorating, and Styling Your Home

Hardcover

RRP $76.99

$56.99

26%
OFF

Formula One 2025

The World's Bestselling Grand Prix Guide

Paperback

RRP $39.99

$31.75

21%
OFF

Spider-Man For Dummies

Paperback

RRP $49.95

$38.75

22%
OFF

How To Brew

Everything You Need to Know to Brew Great Beer Every Time

Paperback

RRP $50.99

$41.75

18%
OFF

Renniks Australian Pre-Decimal & Decimal Coin Errors

Paperback

RRP $34.95

$28.75

18%
OFF

The World Almanac and Book of Facts 2026 : The World Almanac and Book of Facts - Sarah Janssen

$31.75

How to Read a Book

A Touchstone book

Paperback

RRP $34.99

$19.75

44%
OFF

Just the Facts

Untangling Contradictory Claims

Paperback

RRP $40.95

$32.75

20%
OFF

Introduction: Embrace grammar as powerful and purposeful	p. 1
Words	p. 7
Read dictionaries for fun and learning	p. 9
Avoid speed bumps caused by misspellings	p. 14
Adopt a favorite letter of the alphabet	p. 18
Honor the smallest distinctions even between a and the	p. 21
Consult a thesaurus to remind yourself of words you already know	p. 27
Take a class on how to cross-dress the parts of speech	p. 31
Enjoy, rather than fear, words that sound alike	p. 35
Learn seven ways to invent words	p. 40
Become your own lexicographer	p. 45
Take advantage of the short-word economy of English	p. 49
Learn when and how to enrich your prose with foreign words	p. 55
Points	p. 61
Use the period to determine emphasis and space	p. 63
Advocate use of the serial comma	p. 68
Use the semicolon as a "swinging gate"	p. 72
Embrace the three amigos: colon, dash, and parentheses	p. 77
Let your ear help govern the possessive apostrophe	p. 82
Take advantage of the versatility of quotation marks	p. 85
Use the question mark to generate reader curiosity and narrative energy	p. 89
Reclaim the exclamation point	p. 94
Master the elliptical art of leaving things out	p. 98
Reach into the "upper case" to unleash the power of names	p. 103
Vary your use of punctuation to create special effects	p. 108
Stamdards	p. 111
Learn to lie or lay, as well as the principles behind the distinction	p. 113
Avoid the "trap" of subject-verb disagreement	p. 117
Render gender equality with a smooth style	p. 121
Place modifiers where they belong	p. 128
Help the reader learn what is "essential" and "nonessential."	p. 131
Avoid case mistakes and "hypergrammar."	p. 135
Be certain about the uncertain subjunctive and other "moody" subjects	p. 138
Identify all sources of ambiguity and confusion	p. 143
Show what is literal and what is figurative	p. 148
Meaning	p. 153
Join subjects and verbs, or separate them for effect	p. 155
Use active and passive verbs in combination and with a purpose	p. 162
Befriend the lively verb to be	p. 168
Switch tenses, but only for strategic reasons	p. 173
Politely ignore the language crotchets of others	p. 179
Learn the five forms of well-crafted sentences	p. 183
Make sentence fragments work for you and the reader	p. 187
Use the complex sentence to connect unequal ideas	p. 193
Learn how expert writers break the rules in run-on sentences	p. 197
Purpose	p. 203
Master the uses of nonstandard English	p. 205
Add a pinch of dialect for flavor	p. 209
Tame taboo language to suit your purposes	p. 215
Unleash your associative imagination	p. 220
Play with sounds, natural and literary	p. 226
Master the distinction between denotation and connotation	p. 231
Measure the distance between concrete and abstract language	p. 238
Harness the power of particularity	p. 244
Have fun with initials and acronyms, but avoid "capital" offenses	p. 251
Master the grammar of new forms of writing	p. 256
Afterword: Live a life of language	p. 263
Words I have misspelled	p. 265
Words I have confused	p. 271
The Glamour of Grammar quick list	p. 277
Acknowledgments	p. 282
Index	p. 285
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

The Glamour of Grammar

A Guide to the Magic and Mystery of Practical English

At a Glance

Paperback

Industry Reviews

Shipping

How to return your order

Defective items

You Can Find This Book In

More in Reference Works

The Little Guide to Coco Chanel

Style to Live By

Dirty Politics

A-Z of trickery, treachery and other tasty treats

Every Day I Read

53 Ways to Get Closer to Books

Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (20th edition)

Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable

The Little Book of Shakespeare's Insults

Biting Barbs and Poisonous Put-Downs

The Teach Like a Champion Guide to the Science of Reading

Translating Research to Reignite Joy and Meaning in the Classroom

The Art of War & Other Classics of Eastern Philosophy

Leather-bound Classics

The Montessori Baby

A Parent's Guide to Nurturing Your Baby with Love, Respect, and Understanding

Wild Food Plants of Australia

The Laws Guide to Nature Drawing and Journaling

Italian Dictionary and Grammar

Two Books in One

The Trusted Advisor

20th Anniversary Edition

The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

Kelly Wearstler: Synchronicity

Obsessions

Ripley's Believe It or Not! 2026

The Essentials: The Art of Interior Design

A Guide to Furnishing, Decorating, and Styling Your Home

Formula One 2025

The World's Bestselling Grand Prix Guide

Spider-Man For Dummies

How To Brew

Everything You Need to Know to Brew Great Beer Every Time

Renniks Australian Pre-Decimal & Decimal Coin Errors

The World Almanac and Book of Facts 2026

The World Almanac and Book of Facts

The Pruning Principle

Mastering the Art of Strategic Subtraction Within Education

How to Read a Book

A Touchstone book

Just the Facts

Untangling Contradictory Claims

This product is categorised by