• Do you commit apostrophe atrocities?
• Are you tormented by the lie/lay conundrum?
• Do you find yourself stuck between floaters and danglers?
• Do your subjects and your verbs refuse to agree?

If so, you're not alone.

In his delightful book The Grouchy Grammarian, Thomas Parrish points out real-life grammar gaffes from top-notch publications to illustrate just how widespread these errors are.

With red pen in hand, Parrish's fictional friend the Grouchy Grammarian leads the charge, examining the forty-seven most common mistakes in English and imparting the basics of good grammar with a charming mixture of fussiness and common sense. All of which makes The Grouchy Grammarian the most entertaining, accessible how-not-to guide you'll ever read.

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The Grouch picks a new blooper:

“In the bathroom I found that the onset of love had not produced any miracles as far as my appearance, so I settled for what cosmetics could do.”  --from Saints at the River, by Ron Rash [Henry Holt & Co.], p 123.

Asks the Grouch: As far as my appearance WHAT?

To help keep the Grouch asking, send your blooper nominees to thomasparrish@grouchygrammarian.com

Contact Thomas Parrish
thomasparrish@grouchygrammarian.com
© Thomas Parrish, 2006. All rights reserved

7/13/06