(Beware: Gratuitous linking)

Two people inspired me to write this post: John McIntyre’s Strunk-stuck post and Gustav Bertram. Gustav and I had an email discussion on grammar – well, sort of. He wanted to know which books would help him to write better. Never mind that he already does; he knows the difference between everyday and every day.

Anywho. So what do I use? I read, read, read, and read more. Every day. It’s what I do. I read John McIntyre’s blog, I read Grammar Girl, I read Editrix, I read… This list may become boring after one or two ‘I read’ statements, so here’s my list:

Copyblogger – This was my Bible when I became an alleged copywriter.

Daily Writing Tips – I do not agree with everything they say, but they do offer good advice.

Poynter Online – I’ll admit that I do not read this as often as I should.

The Economist Style Guide – It has a horrible introduction; however, the advice is fantastic.

Guide to Grammar and Style –Very American, but excellent.

Common Errors in English –Also very American, but authoritative.

What I read for fun

Conjugate Visits – I read this blog religiously; it’s funny and warm and very real.

Watch Yer Language – Recent discovery.

Apostrophe Abuse – Me likes this blog muchly.

The “Blog” of “Unnecessary” Quotation Marks – Hilarious.

But I lead a balanced life – I also read books. My bookshelf is home to The Write Stuff , Troublesome Words, about seven dictionaries in (two in Afrikaans), What not to Write, The Big Book of Sex Quotes, How to Punctuate.

Oops. I wasn’t supposed to include The Big Bad Book of Sex Quotes in my list. But I do recommend it for much laffs.

Well, even I will admit this is a lot of work, all this reading and laughing. Where to start if you just want to improve your report writing? I’m a geek; you, a busy Account Executive (or SEO whizz), aren’t. The Write Stuff and Troublesome Words are some of the best guides I know of. Copyblogger is also excellent, as is Brian’s Common Errors in English. Start with one guide and improve your grammar. Hell, just get a high school grammar guide such as Target English. I paid R28 for it at Exclusives recently and read it in the train on my way to work.

Oh, I need to add a caveat: I am learning every day. This is why I am blogging about language, grammar and stuff. Geeky, but cool. I hope.

Update: I found this website today: Road to Grammar. Have fun!