Parents' Guide to

Grammar Girl: Quick and Dirty Tips

By Erin Brereton, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Witty podcasts and posts offer language tips and tricks.

Website http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/
Grammar Girl: Quick and Dirty Tips Poster Image

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What you will—and won't—find in this website.

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age 10+

Based on 1 parent review

StoriestoLast
StoriestoLast Parent of 7 and 9-year-old
June 4, 2013
age 10+

Great site for writers of any age!

As a writer, I use this site frequently. It is fairly easy to search for some of the trickiest grammar rules. For those rules, it covers most conditions and a conversational, easy style. Some of the formal grammar sites require rereading to interpret the rules.
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What’s It About?

Grammar Girl writer Mignon Fogarty, who holds degrees from the University of Washington and Stanford, provides writing and usage tips in podcasts and posts. The site covers general grammar questions and more nuanced topics, like why \"explain\" has an \"i\" in it but \"explanation\" doesn't. The posts are fun to read because they're conversational and creative. The author, for example, compares certain usage rules to \"a rebellious Mohawk haircut\" and calls uncommon figures of speech \"the paprika, cardamom, and saffron of language.\"

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1 ):
Kids say (1 ):

Grammar Girl offers language and usage instruction through the Quick and Dirty Tips network of sites. (Other sections feature science info from Everyday Einstein, health tips from House Call Doctor, and parenting advice from Mighty Mommy.) Grammar Girl -- a.k.a. Mignon Fogarty, a former magazine and technical writer who is also Quick and Dirty Tips' founder -- offers writing and usage tips through blog posts, podcasts, and newsletters. Audio podcast files feature in-depth but accessible advice on grammatical issues like correctly using the adverb "only" in sentences; users can also opt to read written descriptions of questions sent to the site. Most posts also include helpful examples and citations.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about what grammar concepts your kids find interesting. Are there other school subjects that they want to learn more about? Check out our School Performance Tips guide to see how technology can help your kids be academically successful.

  • Users can post comments about each post. What kind of things are OK to post if you are confused or disagree with another comment?

  • What comments might be hurtful to say when you're posting a response to something?

Website Details

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