I need help with my grammar and punctuation fast?

Question

I have a B.A. in English Literature and graduated with a 3.4 G.P.A. I love reading and writing, and I have loved it since I was a child. In fact, I was tutored since I was 3. I am now a copy editor. This should be my dream job, but it is not. You see over the years I have literally become dumb. I have no faith in my writing; I am not just talking about structure. I am referring to the basics of grammar and punctuation. I am so scared, but not only because I might be found out and lose my job. That is a big worry. I am afraid that I just am not good at the one of the things that I love the most. Can someone offer some tips, strategies, and/or books that will help me keep my job and my passion?

Answer 1

Brush up with some basic grammer/punctuation pocketbooks and have confidence

Answer 2

Just get a good style handbook and keep it handy on your desk.  It's just a tool of the trade.  Everybody makes mistakes sometimes, so if you find yourself in doubt, just check the book.  Sometimes you can get so anxious about making a mistake that you actually make a mistake more likely.  So relax!  (Literally, do some relaxation techniques there at your desk, get up and walk around a bit, take deep breaths, whatever.  It's like overtraining for a sport, so you need to take breaks, change your pace, do some "crosstraining" with something else like word puzzles or sudoku or go read some Dr. Seuss!)  Your well-trained eye will catch those mistakes -- invisible to others, but like a flashing neon sign to you!

Answer 3

These websites came in handy while I was working on my M.Ed. They were also handy in teaching English.

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/ Online Writing Lab

http://community-2.webtv.net/@HH!F9!71!9... The Armchair Grammarian

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/  Guide to Grammar and Writing

http://englishplus.com/grammar/  Grammar Slammer

Also, some good books for brushing up on your skills:

Painless Grammar, by Rebecca Eliott, PhD



Here it is on amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Painless-Grammar-R...   It's a great book - not boring at all - written with 8th graders in mind, but that makes it that much more user friendly for the adult wishing to brush up on his or her skills.