Books | Benjamin Dreyer

GOOD ADVICE FOR GOOD WRITING

Book Cover: Dreyer's English (Adapted for Young Readers)

Now Available for Pre-order

Published: February 9, 2021

Excerpt:

Adapted from the New York Times bestseller by Random House’s longtime copy chief, this informative and witty guide to writing and grammar, written especially for a younger audience, entertains as well as instructs.

Full of advice, insider wisdom, and fascinating facts, this book will prove to be invaluable to anyone who wants to be confident in their writing skills, or anyone who enjoys the power of language. Explored throughout are the mysteries of using punctuation, word choice decisions, and more, presented in a clear, concise and accessible manner made fun!

Praise for the New York Times bestseller DREYER’S ENGLISH: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY O: The Oprah Magazine,Paste, and Shelf Awareness

“Essential (and delightful!)” —People

“Playful, smart, self-conscious, and personal . . . One encounters wisdom and good sense on nearly every page.” —The Wall Street Journal

“Destined to become a classic.” —The Millions

“Dreyer can help you . . . with tips on punctuation and spelling. . . . Even better: He’ll entertain you while he’s at it.” —Newsday

COLLAPSE

A GAME FOR LANGUAGE LOVERS, GRAMMAR GEEKS, AND BIBLIOPHILES

Start having fun while improving your grammar with this witty and informative card game for language lovers–based on the New York Times bestseller Dreyer’s English.

Whats’ wrong with this sentence?

If that misplaced apostrophe flew right up your nose, this is the game for you. Based on the New York Times bestseller by Random House’s copy chief Benjamin Dreyer, STET! will help you sharpen those language skills or give you a reason to show them off (you know who you are). There are 100 entertaining sentences waiting for you, the copyeditor, to correct–or, alternatively, to STET. The first person to spot the error, or else call out “STET!” (a copyeditor’s term that means “let it stand”) if there is no error, gets the card. There are two ways to play: compete for points in a straightforward grammar game, or play with style and syntax and whip the author’s sentences into splendid shape. The person with the most cards at the end of the game wins!

It’s perfect for every level of writer, from high school students wanting to brush up before a test to co-workers looking for an engaging ice-breaker. With STET!, English has never been more stylish.

Published: July 7, 2020

AN UTTERLY CORRECT GUIDE TO CLARITY AND STYLE

Published: December 29, 2019

Excerpt:

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A sharp, funny grammar guide they’ll actually want to read, from Random House’s longtime copy chief and one of Twitter’s leading language gurus

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY O: The Oprah Magazine • Paste • Shelf Awareness

“Essential (and delightful!)”—People

We all write, all the time: books, blogs, emails. Lots and lots of emails. And we all want to write better. Benjamin Dreyer is here to help.

As Random House’s copy chief, Dreyer has upheld the standards of the legendary publisher for more than two decades. He is beloved by authors and editors alike—not to mention his followers on social media—for deconstructing the English language with playful erudition. Now he distills everything he has learned from the myriad books he has copyedited and overseen into a useful guide not just for writers but for everyone who wants to put their best prose foot forward.

As authoritative as it is amusing, Dreyer’s English offers lessons on punctuation, from the underloved semicolon to the enigmatic en dash; the rules and nonrules of grammar, including why it’s OK to begin a sentence with “And” or “But” and to confidently split an infinitive; and why it’s best to avoid the doldrums of the Wan Intensifiers and Throat Clearers, including “very,” “rather,” “of course,” and the dreaded “actually.” Dreyer will let you know whether “alright” is all right (sometimes) and even help you brush up on your spelling—though, as he notes, “The problem with mnemonic devices is that I can never remember them.”

And yes: “Only godless savages eschew the series comma.”

Chockful of advice, insider wisdom, and fun facts, this book will prove to be invaluable to everyone who wants to shore up their writing skills, mandatory for people who spend their time editing and shaping other people’s prose, and—perhaps best of all—an utter treat for anyone who simply revels in language.

Praise for Dreyer’s English

“Playful, smart, self-conscious, and personal . . . One encounters wisdom and good sense on nearly every page of Dreyer’s English.”—The Wall Street Journal

“Destined to become a classic.”—The Millions

“Dreyer can help you . . . with tips on punctuation and spelling. . . . Even better: He’ll entertain you while he’s at it.”—Newsday

COLLAPSE

Dreyer’s English (Adapted for Young Readers)

STET! Dreyer’s English

Dreyer’s English

GOOD ADVICE FOR GOOD WRITING

Now Available for Pre-order

A GAME FOR LANGUAGE LOVERS, GRAMMAR GEEKS, AND BIBLIOPHILES

AN UTTERLY CORRECT GUIDE TO CLARITY AND STYLE

Previous PostSTET! Dreyer's English