Book review: "Clean, Well-Lighted Sentences"

"Clean, Well-Lighted Sentences: A Guide to Avoiding the Most Common Errors in Grammar and Punctuation" by Janis Bell, W.W. Norton & Co., $21.95 hard cover, 128 pages)

Janis Bell has written a useful book. She has been teaching writing and grammar for more than 30 years, and her book aims to teach writers how to avoid the common errors. The seven chapters in this slim book cover Case, Agreement, Verb Tense and Usage, Verb Mood, Modifiers, Connectives and Punctuation. I agree with her about the most common errors, although I add homonym misuse to the list. She assumes some knowledge on the part of the reader, but she also provides some helpful basics such as a introduction that lists and explains the parts of speech and the roles words play in sentences.

I am not a fan of grammar and usage books that try to be too cute. Seldom does the humor work. Her book is not dry or boring, but Bell doesn't waste a reader's time with her own cleverness. Her explanations are straightforward and practical. (She writes "clean, well-lighted sentences.") In the Case chapter, she lays out when to use "who" and "whom" in a way that will be clear to any English speaker. She also gives clear direction on how to use reflexive pronouns (myself, himself, themselves). If you know a "-self" abuser, you should give him or her this book. 

Bell covers some basic errors, but she also writes about more complex, less obvious ones. In the chapter on Modifiers, for example, here is Bell's explanation on distinguishing "due to" and "because of":

"Due to means 'caused by' (the accident was due to reckless driving). If caused by doesn't fit, use because of (I was late because of heavy traffic)."

I have tried to explain this difference to writers for years now, but Bell's explanation is better and clearer than any I have used. I will quote her from now on. I will also turn to her explanation of "if" and "whether." Here is the basic principle: "If introduces a condition; whether introduces a choice." Although the distinction is one I have heard and understood for years, her explanation is one I can use to show someone else how to handle "if" and "whether."

Bell's book contains quizzes at the end of each chapter. Here, she can afford to be slightly playful with the sentences and exercises, but the main point is to allow readers to practice. A news release that came with the review copy says that the book is "equally valuable to a ninth-grader or a CEO." I agree. If you know a ninth-grader, though, buy him or her the book. Don't wait until he or she becomes a CEO.