Benjamin Dreyer's English: A Comprehensive Guide to Clarity and Style

Seb Sta: Well informed and written book on the dos and don’ts of the English language!

Australia on Oct 07, 2023

Russell N.: it feels good in your hands, its a quality made book, so i know its going to be a quality read. I know that werid but they took their time in making the book, the cover feels nice, it opens easy doesnt fight back, easy to read, even for old folks. its nice

United States on Oct 06, 2023

Craig Ball: What a delightful read. Who knew that an intelligent and practical guide to better writing could make you laugh out loud. I'm giving this to friends--the better the writer, the more he/she/they will appreciate Dreyer's English.

United States on Oct 02, 2023

KV: Great book!

United States on Sep 22, 2023

Kaniraj: The paper quality and font size are okay. However, the footnote symbols, particularly the asterisk, are not easily distinguishable in the text.

The appreciation of the contents depends on the purpose of the reader. Good for those wanting to pursue a copy editing career in a good American publishing company.

India on Oct 07, 2022

WanabeeScientist: Even if you consider yourself to be erudite, you'll find lots of new and amusing ways of expressing yourself in print. The English language is a minefield of words and phrases ready to be misused, and this book will help guide you threw the difficulties, especially if English isn't your first language. Everybody will be able to find something they'd forgotten/never knew/hadn't understood. It's easy to dip into if you've got a few idle minutes (Warning - they might turn into an hour!) and will keep anyone who likes words amused for a very long time.

United Kingdom on Dec 11, 2021

Ms. E. A. Thompson: I loved this book. Found it via a review, and ordered it straight away. I am an amateur linguist, without academic pretensions, and I was informed and entertained both by the interesting content and opinions, but also the quick witted footnotes and sense of humour. Anyone interested in their own literary style would find it valuable, whether it confirms or challenges existing opinions.

United Kingdom on Mar 08, 2021

MrTechieGuy: This is a great book, witty and packed with information and insight regarding written English. It is the only book I’ve ever read that, upon completion of my first (always careful) reading, I immediately returned to the beginning and re-read the whole thing even more carefully. Thank you, Mr. Dreyer, for your excellent work! Five stars, for sure.

But that’s not to say it is a PERFECT book. Indeed, given that this book was written by a top-notch copy editor, and given that it underwent review by at least one other top-notch copy editor, I was surprised to find myriad awkward phrases and other anomalies—even likely errors—in the finished product.

What follows is my nitpicky list of complaints. And remember, if God did not intend for us to nitpick, S/He/It would not have made it so much fun to nitpick!

Page 14:

“A sentence written in the passive voice is one whose subject would, in a sentence constructed in the active voice, be its object.”

This is a non-definition. If you flip “passive” and “active,” the sentence is still true, but it’s still a non-definition. (In the latter case, it’s a non-definition of a sentence in the...

United States on Apr 18, 2019

Jayne P. Bowers: At first it seemed amusing, or rather the Facebook banter about the book seemed amusing. Intrigued by a friend’s comments about her personal use of the exclamation point, I clicked the link she had posted to a New York Times article about Dreyer’s English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style. That title! I mean, it takes a lot of courage, confidence, and chutzpah to claim one’s guide as utterly correct.

I knew I had to have that book ASAP and ordered it that very hour. It arrived two days later, and I’ve been enjoying Dreyer’s writing ever since. Dreyer is funny but serious, knowledgeable but not pedantic, experienced but not condescending. I have a dogeared copy of Strunk and White’s The Elements of Style, an up-to-date edition of The Chicago Manual of Style, and two Grammar Girl (Mignon Fogarty) books, my favorite being The Grammar Devotional: Daily Tips for Successful Writing from Grammar Girl. Those are my go-to sources, so why did I order the ultimate guide and why am I liking it so much?

I ordered it because whether editing my own work or someone else’s, I need all the help I can get. And I want that help to be delivered by a practicing...

United States on Mar 24, 2019

TimInBC: This is my new #1 language reference. It's pragmatic, up-to-date, and often funny. Dreyer explains his decisions, and indicates which rules are more flexible than others. He admits to granting himself some personal exceptions. The footnotes are particularly good.

Dreyer also speaks from a solid platform, as a lead editor at a busy and famous publishing house. He does this stuff all day, every day, assuming that his energetic Twitter presence (which I also recommend highly) is a personal-time thing.)

I suggest buying multiple copies, because you will want to give some as gifts. Yes, it's that good. And I am not B. Dreyer's mom; I have never met him.

Canada on Feb 22, 2019