This seems to be an excellent book--clear, concise, and very easy to read. I should note, however, that I discovered three mistakes within the first fifteen minutes of reading it. There are three misspellings located on pages 169 and 170 of the third edition, dated 1997. This can be very confusing, especially when the author is attempting to draw a distinction between "counselor" and "counselor" (the second should be "councilor"), or when he states, "Even in respected newspapers, consensus is sometimes misspelled 'consensus' (sic)..."

These types of errors tend to undermine my confidence that I'm reading reliable information. Aside from this complaint, though, the books seems to be exceptional. A corrected edition would be a great resource for any writer.

Many grammar books are hard to read and even more difficult to use. Barron's A pocket guide to correct grammar is the opposite of both. This book is both easy to read and to use. The index is clear and concise which helps even the most novice user when it comes to comprehending the ins and outs of correct grammar.

This book is a combination of ESSENTIALS OF ENGLISH and some other English book. ESSENTIALS OF ENGLISH by Hopper, et al., is an excellent grammar, because it not only presents traditional grammar in a concise and straightforward manner but also gives points for differentiating between prepositions and subordinating conjunctions (for example) and other such distinctions. This grammar is especially good for rusty or beginning students primarily because of its simplicitly. It is nevertheless fairly comprehensive. Honestly, I could not recommend any grammar more highly for the average student of English. adveniat regnam Tuam...

This was the worst example I have ever come across.
I'm a college student and this set of books is what we have been using in english to brush up on grammer. As you may notice mine is still awful. My entire class is extreamy frustrated and highly dissapointed with this poor excuse of a tex/work book.
I think it is wort nothing more than 0 stars!!!

'Essentials of English' is a great resource book to have on hand should you be uncertain if you are expressing yourself correctly in the written word. It is very concise, and while a bit 'dry', does not waste time in teaching you what you should know about the English language. But I am worried that I won't be able to remember what I am trying to remember from this book. I fear that no matter how hard I try, it is not sinking in and I just can't get it right. So while the book is excellent, I myslef am a failure on many counts.

I gave this book five stars even though I think the book is rather stiff and boring. The newer grammar books have more zest and personality that make it easier for a dreamer like me to understand what they mean by an antecedent, or a dangling modifier or nonrestrictive clause. I think you know what I mean.

The reason I gave "Essentials of English" a five-star rating is: when I need and answer to a grammar problem and I can't find it in all of my grammar books, I can always rely on "Essentials of English" to have my answer. That rates a five-star rating with me.

As an instructor of ESL for Kings County, I would recommend this book to someone learning the English language, and in addition to someone who thinks that they speak English just because they were born in the United States of America. Although the little book does not display the "traditional" structure of English Grammar, it is the best layman's reference book about the subject that I have seen written since the 1930's. It is an enjoyable book to read or merely to have on your shelf as a reference.

the information and research that went into making this text make it a very valuable resource for historians, artists, and students interested in the history of the significance of numbers in western philosophy. i myself am using it to understand the importance of numbers in sacred western architecture -- i want to do a performance art piece based on "the name of the rose" by umberto eco, and he gives a great deal of attention to the significance of numbers in the structures of the abbey in which the narrative is set (4 towers, 3 levels, etc). anyway, the info itself is great, and the explinations are clear, but the discussion isn't particularly passionate and it can be very difficult to get through some sections, because the language is often dry. i understand that history is not always like watching fireworks, but really... so as a research tool this is a valuable book. as an interesting read, it doesn't score so well.