Learn to get your ideas across clearly and correctly—the easy way English Grammar All-in-One For Dummies is packed with everything you need to know to communicate with confidence—in your writing, on standardized tests, at work, on social media, and everywhere else. Strong verbal and written skills can help you get where you want to be, and this easy-to-understand Dummies guide will help you understand the English grammar principles you need to know so you can improve your understanding of basic grammar and punctuation rules, easily identify parts of speech, and communicate more effectively. Learn the basics of punctuation—periods, commas, semicolons, and beyond Write clearer e-mails and messages, or ace the writing section of your test Navigate pronouns and make sure you’re using inclusive language Practice with end-of-chapter quizzes and even more online practice English Grammar All-In-One For Dummies is an excellent resource for students, professionals, job seekers, non-native-English learners, and anyone who wants to brush up on using this crazy language we call English.

Virginia Woolf, Toni Morrison, Neil Armstrong, Jack Kerouac, Yoda: these are just a handful of the writers and speakers whose words are parsed in this diverting romp through sentences culled from poems, essays, speeches, songs, fiction and film. In chapters titled for distinctive features, such as "U-turn" and "impossibility", master teacher Geraldine Woods deftly reveals the underlying craft that goes into the creation of a memorable sentence. Literature lovers will be delighted to discover new authors and revisit favourite passages from a fresh perspective. And writers who want to stretch their skills by following the prompts in each chapter may well find themselves feeling as Henry James did when he wrote, "I have many irons on the fire, and am bursting with writableness." 25 Great Sentences and How They Got That Way is a must-read book for any resister of grammar-bound, sentence-diagramming analysis who wants to understand the art that lifts a sentence from good to great.

We all know the basic structure of a sentence: a subject and verb pair expressing a complete thought and ending with proper punctuation. But that classroom definition doesn't begin to describe the ways in which these elements can combine to resonate with us as we read, to make us stop and think, laugh or cry. In 25 Great Sentences and How They Got That Way, master teacher Geraldine Woods unpacks powerful examples of what she instead prefers to define as "the smallest element differentiating one writer's style from another's, a literary universe in a grain of sand". And that universe is very large: the hundreds of memorable sentences gathered here come from sources as wide-ranging as Edith Wharton and Yogi Berra, Toni Morrison and Yoda, T. S. Eliot and Groucho Marx. Culled from fiction, nonfiction, drama, poetry, song lyrics, speeches and even ads, these exemplary sentences are celebrated for the distinctive features-whether of structure, diction, connection/comparison, sound or extremes-that underlie their beauty, resonance and creativity. With dry humour and an infectious enjoyment that makes her own sentences a pleasure to read, Woods shows us the craft that goes into the construction of a memorable sentence. Each chapter finishes with an enticing array of exercises for those who want to test their skill at a particular one of the featured twenty-five techniques, such as onomatopoeia or parallelism. This is a book that will be treasured by language enthusiasts everywhere.

Student disengagement from school is a trending concern, and many schools have turned their attention to independent study programmes as a way to nurture student motivation and creativity. But where to begin? Geraldine Woods offers a practical, step-by-step guide based on her experience designing and directing the much-admired independent study programme at the Horace Mann School. Under the supervision of teachers, students embark on a remarkable variety of projects and become teachers themselves, conducting seminars with their peers along the way to preparing their final product-which could as easily be an interactive website or musical composition as a research paper. Woods' book details the nuts and bolts of the approach and shows how to customise it for a variety of age groups, budgets and curricular requirements. It is a gift to all educators-including homeschooling parents-who want to give students the freedom to pursue their interests.

Score your highest on exam day

Relax. The fact that you're even considering taking the AP English Literature & Composition exam means you're smart, hard-working, and ambitious. All you need is to get up to speed on the exam's topics and themes and take a couple of practice tests to get comfortable with its question formats and time limits. That's where "Wiley AP English Literature & Composition" comes in.

This user-friendly and completely reliable guide helps you get the most out of any AP English class and reviews all of the topics emphasized on the test. It also provides two full-length practice exams, complete with detailed answer explanations and scoring guides. This powerful prep guide helps you practice and perfect all of the skills you need to get your best possible score. And, as a special bonus, you'll also get a handy primer to help you prepare for the test-taking experience.A detailed overview of the testSubject reviews covering all test topicsPractice questions Sample free-response questions with advice for crafting critical essaysStrategies and solid test-taking adviceTwo full-length practice tests with detailed explanations and walk-throughs

Supplemented with handy lists of test-taking tips and more, Wiley AP English Literature & Composition helps you make exam day a very good day, indeed.