Sin and Syntax: How to Craft Wicked Good Prose

This book is excellent for a writer or someone wanting clarification in writing correct and accurate sentences. This is a non-fiction book and the title does not refer to sin. I recommend this book for any author, or English teacher. It's also a great resource. I used it for my graduate class in writing.

This book is a delight. Its advice is extremely specific and easy to apply, and it works wonders. It's full of clear and usually clever examples to make its lessons clear and easy to understand. I teach writing and I write professionally, and I return to this book every year. Great for novices and advanced writers alike.

Constance Hale is a journalist and an author. This book is about how to craft effective prose. As the back cover states, “mere devotion to grammar commandments won’t make your prose shine.” Here are some thoughts: A. On the one hand, Hale promotes an economy of words: getting rid of all those distracting adverbs, for example! Use a simple word like “use” rather than “utilization”! Hale is also critical of being so formal as to sound pompous, by, say, using “one” as a subject rather than “you” (i.e., “one must do such-and-such”). On the other hand, Hale wants writers to be imaginative and creative about the words that they do choose to use, as opposed to being banal. The prose that she advocates does not just tell but shows, enabling readers to see or to feel what is being described. B. Hale overlaps with other writing manuals in that she encourages writers to keep their prose simple. At the same time, she qualifies the advice of other writing manuals, as when she states that writing manuals are often correct to discourage the use of the passive voice, but that in some cases the passive voice is appropriate. C. Hale is sometimes a stickler for grammar, and at other times she is more liberal, as in her discussion about whether a writer can end a sentence with a preposition. D. The book has a lot of political references. Political junkies like me will appreciate that! She even has a sarcastic comment about Donald Trump, before he became a politician. E. In some cases, Hale could be dismissive, and I rolled my eyes at her corny put-downs of others’ prose, even as I understood why she was criticizing it. F. The book confirmed something that I have long suspected, and that is that some of the rules that students are taught in school can hinder effective prose. For example, I have often felt as if I have to qualify everything that I say to avoid generalizations or misrepresentations of people’s position. Thus, I use what Hale calls “wimp verbs,” namely, “seem” and “appear.” The problem with this is that readers gravitate towards prose that manifests conviction and a sense of authority. G. Hale shows what effective prose looks like and explains why it is effective. The book is not as helpful in explaining how writers can become imaginative enough to write it, however. It does not provide much of a road map. H. I think that there is a place for formal prose, especially in academic writing. Formal prose—-as is four or five syllable words—-can command respect. But, even then, there is a place for getting rid of disruptive jargon.

Oh, man, this book is so inspiring. It's one thing to be a writer, but something more to be a word smith, a craftsman, a stylist with language. This guide goes through the basic grammar with a section each on nouns, verbs, adverbs, etc. and then it discusses putting the life into sentences. I thought I knew a lot about this stuff already, and I did, but after reading this book I have a whole new appreciation for language and what it's good for. And the author knows what she is talking about. The style of her writing is so approachable and enjoyable. She's a serious academic who has done a lot of research, reading original drafts of classical writers, for instance, but you'd never know it (in a good way.) If you're a writer (even of emails, or especially of emails really) then I recommend you read this book.

I have a hard copy for the book, and love it. I have not read the book from cover to cover, however this is a book where one can read simply a chapter and take the ideas she offers and work with it. This a book great for writers, whether novice or seasoned. If one is teaching writing, they can also take the ideas and work with their class as well. Overall, a great book, and I highly recommend it to people who are interested in writing.

Different parts of speech and linguistic units (i.e., sentences, phrases, etc.) are examined along different dimensions: Bones (basics), Flesh (usage), Sin (bad practices), Pleasures (fine practices), and Catechism (exercises). I enjoyed reading the basics as it helped refresh my memory. Yay! to basics. Reading through (instead of skimming) through the other parts was tedious because the presentation switched between being inferential (i.e., do you see what writer did?) and being explicit, i.e., the speaker should have said Y instead of saying X. I prefer consistent presentation in non-fiction or technical exposition. All said, I would highly recommend the Bones parts to everyone. The entire book may be useful for folks like high school students who are having their first brush with essays and reports.

I have used this book in grammar and sentences classes now for a couple of years and students find it engaging and challenging--it engages them with good, relevant examples and easy to read explanations; it challenges what they think they know--or don't know--about how grammar and style operate. A good book for writers and those teaching writers.

Ms. Hale has written an English text that can be read for knowledge and at the same time is entertaining. Its lessons are complete and easy to master. This is a great book for anyone wanting to improve their English. This book is not for a beginner in English. It assumes that its readers have a minimal English capability.

A great buy!

Bubbly read. Quite insightful.

Wonderfully written, very engaging. A winner

So well written, loved it

"Sin & Syntax" has received widespread acclaim for its mix of clarity, humour, and keen insights into the workings of the English language. Constance Hale approaches grammar not as a tedious collection of rules, but as a vibrant toolkit for creating what she describes as “wicked good prose.” Her witty, conversational style makes grammar enjoyable rather than intimidating. While the book is not meant to replace a traditional, rule-heavy grammar manual, it serves as an excellent supplementary resource for writers and students seeking to build confidence and style.