The Accidental Apostrophe: . . . And Other Misadventures in Punctuation by Caroline Taggart

The Accidental Apostrophe: . . . And Other Misadventures in Punctuation Reviews

• 
  Nick Lewis

  At last, I think I know how to use a semicolon; it has taken me far too many years to learn though.
• 
  Eustacia Tan

  I’ve always had a very laissez-faire approach to punctuation; if it looks right, it probably is. Which is also how I end up using too! many! exclamation! points!
  
  The Accidental Apostrophe is supposed to help with those problems. Subtitled “And Other Misadventures in Punctuation”, Taggart uses a conversational tone to discuss the uses and rules of punctuation. The book is fun – everything from the writing style to the examples chosen suggests Taggart enjoys the topic and the writing process.
  
  Now for the most important question: did it help improve my grammar?
  
  I think it could, if I started to memorise the rules. The trickiest punctuation topics, for me, are the comma, the semicolon, and the em-dash. Taggart explains them well, and with enough examples that I understand, but I’m not sure if reading this once will help to override years of “just do whatever looks right”. I suppose it’s a good thing that I own this book because I should probably read it a few more times.
  
  This is a short review because there’s not much to talk about when it comes to a book about grammar. I thought it was an enlightening and enjoyable read and I definitely have to reread it sometime in the future to retain what I’ve just learnt!
  
  This review was first posted at
  Eustea Reads
• 
  Grace Tierney

  My DH bought this for me because he knows I care about punctuation, which was kind of him but it meant I didn't learn much from it, and hence found it a chore to read. It's well written and clear. It covers all the basics and explains modern usage.
  
  I enjoyed the section on rare punctuation marks. The ideal reader would not be a grammar expert, but would such a person select this book? It might be useful for English teachers and teen students.
• 
  Debi Emerson

  While most people don't read grammar books for, this is an exception. The author inserts humor (or as she would put it, "humour") into a very helpful guide to correct use of punctuation. I highly recommend !
• 
  Pixie Kris

  Always useful to brush up on language usage. I like how Caroline represents the difference between her opinions and fact.
• 
  James

  I really enjoyed this book. It contained a lot of punctuation humour which I enjoy. I didn't find it as accessible as Eats Shoots but a very enjoyable book all the same.
• 
  Asiuol K

  I have just read better books about grammar. Some parts even made punctuation more confusing.
• 
  Tom Wing

  Informative and surprisingly witty.