Making sense : the glamorous story of English grammar In Making Sense David Crystal confronts the foe of many: grammar. Once taught relentlessly to all students in the English speaking world grammar disappeared from most school curricula so that terms such as preposition and conjunction now often confound children and adults alike. Explaining the nuts and bolts of grammar presents a special challenge because far more than is the case with spelling and punctuation the subject is burdened with a centuries old history of educational practice that many will recall as anything but glamorous. One of the worlds foremost authorities on the English language Crystal sets out to rid grammar of its undeserved reputation as a dry and intimidating subject pointing out how essential grammar is to clear and effective speech and writing. He moves briskly through the stages by which children acquire grammar along the way demystifying grammars rules and irregularities and showing us how to navigate its snares and pitfalls. He offers the fascinating history of grammar explaining how it has evolved from the first grammarians in ancient Greece to our 21st century digital environment of blogging emailing and texting. Many find grammar to be a daunting subject but in this breezy entertaining book Crystal proves that grammar doesnt need to make us uneasy we can all make sense of how we make sense.