Citation, Style Manual, and Grammar Resource Guide: Print Grammar Guides

REF PE1408 .S772 2000. Often referred to as "Strunk and White" even though both of the original authors have long-since died, this slim book is considered essential reading for advice on proper English usage. Care to see a video series all about proper English usage? We have that, too. And if you prefer the classic approach to proper English, another well-respected (and long-established) guide to the English idiom is The New Fowler's Modern English Usage, published by Oxford University Press.

REF PE1112 .L66 1999. A very detailed--over 1200 pages!--book that provides guidance on spoken English as well as the written language. The Conceptual Index is useful if you know your grammatical concepts, but if you wouldn't even know to look up "adverbial clause as circumstance adverbial," then the Lexical (word) Index that precedes it will likely be much easier to use.

REF PE1464 .P47 2004. A straight dictionary-style design makes this handbook simple to use. It gives usage and spelling tips for specific words and concepts and even defines many "foreign" terms like lingua franca and in situ. (Also available as an eBrary e-book.)

REF PE1625 .M44. Another dictionary-style usage guide. This one is very much oriented towards American English, with lots of examples of usage taken from contemporary journalism and the works of major authors.

REF HF5718.3 .G37 2012. Not just covering usage and grammar, this concise and readable guide addresses clear and effective writing, "This book will help you: - Push past writer's block - Grab-and keep-readers' attention - Earn credibility with tough audiences - Trim the fat from your writing - Strike the right tone - Brush up on grammar, punctuation, and usage."