Basic Grammar for eBook Authors
By Stephen Bucaro
The English language is very complicated. Many books have been written that attempt
to explain it. The English language has many rules of grammar, and every rule has
its exceptions, and then there are the exceptions to the exceptions. Do you need
to have perfect grammar to publish an eBook? No - because of my rule shown below.
In writing the most important thing is clearly communicating the idea or information,
not whether the grammar is perfect.
However there three good reasons why you should make an effort to write your eBook
with good grammar.
1. Good grammar does improve the understandability of your writing.
2. Your grammar reflects your intelligence, and you don't want your readers to think you're stupid.
3. Your readers are paying for your work, and paying customers deserve a quality product.
The Most Common Grammar Errors
Some grammar errors are more common and more obvious than others. Avoiding these eliminates most errors.
1. Subject and Verb Disagreement
Subjects can be single or plural. For example:
Tornado is a single subject, while tornadoes is a plural subject.
Is is a single verb, while are is a plural verb.
In the sentence below, the blank space would be filled with the plural verb are
to agree with the plural subject tornadoes.
The tornadoes that move through this county _____ very destructive.
Easy right? What about the sentence below?
The function of managers _____ delegating responsibility.
Not so easy. Did you think the plural verb are goes in the blank to agree
with the subject managers? Unfortunately the subject of the sentence is not
managers, it's function, a singular subject. So the proper verb would be is.
The function of managers is delegating responsibility.
2. I versus Me Error
Many people might speak or write the sentence below.
Her and Me will be taking grammar lessons.
They would be correct to take the grammar lessons, however they would be using bad grammar.
The way to determine the correct pronoun is to break the compound subject and
see which pronoun sounds best.
_____ will be taking grammar lessons.
Her will be taking grammar lessons doesn't sound right. She will be taking grammar lessons
sounds right.
Me will be taking grammar lessons doesn't sound right. I will be taking grammar lessons
sounds right.
The correct sentence would be:
She and I will be taking grammar lessons.
3. Who versus Whom Error
Many people might speak or write the sentences below.
You gave the grammar book to who?
Whom ordered the grammar book?
The way to determine the correct pronoun is to replace who or whom with
he or him. If he sounds right, use who. If him sounds
right, use whom.
You gave the grammar book to he doesn't sound right. You gave the grammar book to
him sounds right, so the correct sentence is: You gave that grammar book to whom?
Him ordered the grammar book doesn't sound right. He ordered the grammar book
sounds right, so the correct sentence is: Who ordered the grammar book?
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