Things That Make Us [Sic]: The Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar Takes on Madison Avenue, Hollywood, the White House, and the World
2010; SAGE Publishing; Volume: 87; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês
ISSN
2161-430X
Autores Tópico(s)Translation Studies and Practices
Resumo* Things That Make Us [Sic]: The Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar Takes on Madison Avenue, Hollywood, the White House, and the World. Martha Brockenbrough. New York: St. Martin's Press, 2008. 244 pp. $19.95, hbk. As the title indicates, Things That Make Us [Sic] is a funny, sometimes irreverent, grammar guidebook that pokes fun at the many language rules that trip people up. Note that the previous sentence ends with a preposition, which would have been prohibited by grammarians in the past. Thankfully, Things That Make Lis [Sic] author Martha Brockenbrough debunks the Never-End-a-Sentence-with-a-Preposition rule as one of Ten False Commandments of the English Language. These and other examples will entice and entertain the grammar-challenged, test the grammar hobbyist, and satisfy the grammar geek. This book makes a wonderful companion to The Elements of Style, The AP Stylebook, Eats, Shoots & Leaves, and The Careful Writer. The foundational grammar that underlies the witty examples and breezy descriptions is accurate throughout, and the language standards make sense. Martha Brockenbrough has been called a defender of the mother tongue. After reading her book and various related Web sites, I'm sure that's true. She actually has real credentials to back up that exaggerated nickname and to support her love of language. She's a writer, teacher, blogger, and founder of SPOGG - the Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar. For the last few years, SPOGG has designated and celebrated March 4 as National Grammar Day, on which we are urged to think about the best use of the English language. If language and grammar confound and amuse you, or merely intrigue you, on days other than March 4, you will want to pay attention to the lessons in Things That Make Us [Sic]. The book includes examples of wretched writing and unusual, if not downright ugly, usage from the likes of politicians, celebrities, lyricists, advertising copywriters, journalists, and many more. Brockenbrough is subtly outraged at these occurrences, and she uses humor, snark, and real grammar rules to explain and correct them. If you have a problem with American homonyms, those words that sound alike but are spelled differently, check out chapter 2, especially the hilarious example of hoard, horde, and whored. If it's not homonyms but commonly confused words that trouble you, explore Brockenbrough's list of evil twins such as continuous / continual, ensure / insure and imply /infer to help grow confidence in grammar and usage. Readers will find unusual, sometimes peculiar quotes from the likes of Lindsay Lohan, Mark Twain, Jon Stewart, Shakespeare, and others. …
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