I never experienced traditional “grammar instruction.” I never had to diagram sentences, or fill out many worksheets, or answer pop-quiz questions about parts of speech. At the risk of stirring up controversy, I’m going to go out on a limb and say that perhaps the lack of such instruction is why I actually love grammar to this day. Nobody every killed grammar with drills and worksheets for me (and if you are one of the lucky few who enjoys diagramming a sentence–read this first, then read this to make you feel a little better).
In any case, I have remained a grammar enthusiast. Over time, I’ve created a collection of favorite books and websites, radio shows and blogs, all dedicated to the power of grammar and the love of language.
Please enjoy this round-up of some of my favorite grammar-related websites and resources. You will notice that there are no worksheets here.
Grammar Girl (Mignon Fogarty) is a Jack of all trades. She blogs, tweets, and creates helpful videos for understanding grammar.
The New York Times’ After Deadline Blog
I love reading these posts. They remind me that even the most prestigious writers are always learning and making grammar mistakes.
I love the organization of this site: grammar, usage, words and phrases, spelling, and style are the major categories on the site. I use this site often to solve tricky editing questions.
This is the website of authors/speakers/radio personalities Patricia T. O’Conner and Stewart Kellerman, who each bring a sense of light-heartedness and humor to their work.
This is one of my new favorite resources for all things related to conventions and formality, (thanks to my TWT coauthor Stacey for sharing it with me). I feel like I could teach myself just about anything using this website.
Stacey wrote about Grammarly in a February post and ever since then I’ve been wondering how I ever got by without this amazing service. I imagine it’s like having your own personal copy editor. My birthday is coming up, and this is on my wish list!
I love this little segment that is part of Weekend Edition Saturday. You can browse the archives online. They’re like little grammar lessons you can put in your pocket.
The Power of Grammar, by Mary Ehrenworth & Vicki Vinton
This book is a must-have. Mary and Vicki not only give you very practical suggestions for lessons to go alongside your writing workshop, they help you transform your thinking about grammar in general.
So…I saved this one for last because it’s probably NSFW (that’s not safe for work for those who are not text savvy yet). I learn best when there’s humor involved, and these little ditties have helped me learn a ton.
You can see more of my favorites on my Grammar Love Pinterest board.
TWO WRITING TEACHERS 
Funny I could never make those worksheets match what I found real writers doing, so I abandoned the worksheets and just look at other writers for clues. Not always the best when you are looking for something specific. Grammarly is amazing (thank you Stacey), and Grammar Girl is a huge help. I love Jeff Anderson for teaching kids structure. He uses real writers’ writing to build thinking. Thanks for all the resources Beth
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Grammarly and I are becoming great friends. Thanks for sharing this helpful list.
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Some of those websites are familiar to me. I never could stand diagramming sentences; at least that has rarely happened to me. …………..However, I like showing students how to spot the preposition and the phrase that follows because the object of the preposition can never be the subject of the sentences. Here’s a goody: Most prepositions begin with the letters a, b, o, u, or t, and “about” is also a preposition. Most prep’s are about space, and sometimes the words used as prepositions are also used as adverbs. Beware!
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I used to be so proud of my grammar skills. I’m a nerd who loved to diagram. But as a writer, I have learned how little I do know. Thanks for these fun resources.
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Beth, these are fantabulous!
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The Oatmeal Grammar Comics are new to me. I just clicked on it. Ha! Will enjoy exploring it and some of the other ones that are new to me like the Word Matters Segment and the After Deadline Blog.
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Do you know “Mechanically Inclined” by Jeff Anderson? I am wondering how it compares with “The Power of Grammar” in the necessity of carrying it in my suitcase to a new school/country.
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How do you show students these websites and use them for instruction? Given a choice to learn to love grammar on their own OR any other topic, we know what the majority would pick another topic.
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Hi Cathy,
These websites are for grown-ups, to foster our own love of grammar : ) However, I do imagine there are ways you might share parts of some of these resources with kids. If you try something, let us know!
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