Newsgroup: it.cultura.linguistica.inglese
Titolo: About punctuation

Well, I am the italian girl who asked for help about pronunciation a
few weeks ago :-)
It took all my courage to write this first post on this Ng in english,
but I am very determined to learn english, so I hope all of you will
help me if I make (and I will surely make!) some grammatical mistake.
So that's my question: I have recently read of a book about
punctuation. The title is: "Eats, shoots and leaves: the zero
tolerance approach to punctiation". Has somebody read this book? Is it
good? I am thinking to buy it, but I don't want to waste my money for
"rubbish" :-)
Thanks for reading!
dryade

 help me if I make (and I will surely make!) some grammatical mistake.
the word "some" is the problem.
It would be better to say "a grammatical mistake" (if you're pretty sure of
making only one :) or "some grammatical mistakes," if you're like most of
us who sprinkle our posts with a few goofs here and there.
And I'm sure that "punctiation" is merely a typo.
Keep up the good work!
-- 
I am Joey's cat.
(With apologies to Reader's Digest.)
Un-not my address, too, if you wanna reply.

>The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation
Author : LYNNE TRUSS
Format : Hardback
ISBN : 1861976127
Publisher : Profile Books
Publication Date (AUS) : December 2003
Pages : 228
Imprint : Profile
A witty, entertaining, impassioned guide to perfect punctuation, for
everyone who cares about precise writing. Not a primer but a 'zero
tolerance' manual for direct action.
A panda walked into a cafe. He ordered a sandwich, ate it, then pulled
out a gun and shot the waiter. 'Why?' groaned the injured man. The
panda shrugged, tossed him a badly punctuated wildlife manual and
walked out. And sure enough, when the waiter consulted the book, he
found an explanation. 'Panda,' ran the entry for his assailant. 'Large
black and white mammal native to China. Eats, shoots and leaves.'
And that is how Eats, Shoots and Leaves comes to have the title it
does. This book is about punctuation, but is not as dull as the
subject might suggest. It is by far the wittiest and most exciting
book about punctuation that we have ever seen. Indeed, it could well
be described as a real laugh-a-minute page-turner. >>
Very funny.
I am almost tempted to look for this book myself. The reviews seem
very positive.
Joe from Massachusetts

 wrote in message
news:b48g905oqs0aa6m1c...@4ax.com...

...I am thinking of buying it ....waste my money on rubbish
Congratulations ! You already write English nearly as well as many English
people , and if you read (and digest) this book you'll write it far better
than most !
 Mike

 "rubbish" :-)
Excellent book. Lynn Truss (the author) is an English journalist of a
certain age (comme on dit en français) who at her best is very good.
The book -- a surprise best-seller last year -- shows her at her very,
very best. It isn't difficult to read, but it is both wise and very
funny. You will enjoy it, I assure you.
About 80% of the book, perhaps more, would also apply to Italian
punctuation.
-- 
"The past resembles the future as water resembles water"  Ibn Khaldun
My .
mac.com
 address is a spam sink.
If you wish to email me, try atlothian at blueyonder dot co dot uk

 So that's my question: I have recently read of a book about punctuation.
The title is: "Eats, shoots and leaves: the zero tolerance approach to
punctiation". Has somebody read this book? Is it good?
It is indeed. I read it and, although I didn't spend a cent (it was a
present... sort of...), I can say it is worth the price. Informative and
fun.
Ehm... hello everybody!
C. Ciocca

 wrote in message
news:b48g905oqs0aa6m1c...@4ax.com...

If anyone tells you that punctuation is unimportant, just take a look
at the brouhaha a simple colon has caused in the thread originally
entitled, "scritto bene" !
Joe from Massachusetts

 entitled, "scritto bene" !
Not to undervalue the importance of punctuation, but I would say that, just
as in this instance, it should be less important than the grander concepts
that are meant to be conveyed. I have frequently witnessed (and at times
indulged) career professional editors, even those within the same culture,
the same field, and within the same organization, engaged in heated
discussions on grammar. Each would have valid points and positions. There is
no ultimate authority but I think we should strive for personal consistency
in usage and clarity of expression, while keeping the expectations of the
audience in mind in our choice of rules to follow.

 wrote in
message news:2g7mk5F...@uni-berlin.de...

I agree.
Joe from Massachusetts