Bayview opened with this in another thread, which reminded me that I need to significantly improve my grammar game. The question is: what's the least painful (dare I ask fun) way to do that? Maybe you have an entertaining and grammar-related Youtube channel you can recommend?
When in highschool and college we were required to refer to "The Elements Of Style" by William Strunk, Jr. and E.B. White I still use it today.
I think I've learned what I know mostly from reading discussion posts on boards like this one, and going to look up issues as needed. I like Grammar Girl (https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/grammar-girl) for chatty, easy-to-follow lessons, but if I want something more lesson-y I like the OWL at Purdue (https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/purdue_owl.html) - it's more geared to academic writing, but the grammar stuff still applies.
I am still impressed with this website, which dives immediately into problem areas and gives clear examples and then an interactive quiz for each problem area. It's primarily aimed at British people, but as an ex American I found it very useful as well. It doesn't cover everything, but what it does cover it does very well. http://www.bristol.ac.uk/arts/exercises/grammar/grammar_tutorial/index.htm
I'm very interesting about that too. I think the problem is to know where to start when you already are above the basis: clauses, nouns, etc. I think it's somniferous to study that, all over again. But there some good books of advanced grammar in Spanish that tell you: use subjunctive in this cases, write subordinate clauses this way, and things like that. There must be good ones in English too, somewhere. I haven't found them yet.
Reading well-edited books. Internalising grammar rules is definitely the easiest and most fun way to learn how to grammar good. I'm a professional writer and editor (as in, it's my day job) and I have hardly any formal grammar education. I don't understand most grammar terms. But I know what's right and what isn't, and that's from reading voraciously.
I was hoping someone would recommend a site with quizzes. Immediate feedback really helps with my retention. Thanks!
Going back a few years I finished a history degree and wanted to teach in Japan - with only a simple grammar/general knowledge/history test to pass before I was off and away. First question something like 'write a sentence in the present continuous tense.' Second question 'who won the "War of 1812?"' Total score maybe 3/20. A critical low point that led to marriage, a career and children not in Japan. I did [just] pass the CELTA years later, a horrible psychobabble. Such a difficult course that essentially has no content but method and 'system' [confused non-point]. So much intellectual investment without the 'vehicle' of a subject [more confused/geriatric armchair theory]. Still very confused by the experience [trauma IV & bucket]. Even those last two sentences are confused - so Teflas please don't assault my ignorance.[pathetic bubble, bring the bucket, nurse] ...oh, my point, beware the burden of knowledge that you are unable to relay/relate in..Japanese..maybe..
You see, that's now become like a lifestyle choice whereas in the last century it was the only option. And for a man - every time I see that 'soundbite' I imagine the hags from Macbeth/Bananarama/the Shakespeare's Sister video and Harry Potter swishing past my face with his broom.
You might find some use for the book Woe is I: The Grammarphobe's Guide to Better English in Plain English, by Patricia T. O'Conner.
