Access a growing selection of included Audible Originals, audiobooks, and podcasts.
You will get an email reminder before your trial ends.
Audible Plus auto-renews for $7.95/mo after 30 days. Upgrade or cancel anytime.
The Modern Scholar  By  cover art

The Modern Scholar

By: Professor Michael D.C. Drout
Narrated by: Professor Michael D.C. Drout
Try for $0.00

$7.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $17.19

Buy for $17.19

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

Who eats shoots and leaves? A panda? Or a gunman at a restaurant? The answer to this all depends on - you guessed it - grammar. In the third part of his extraordinary Way with Words series, Professor Drout continues to explore humanity's intimate association with language, here delving into the finer points of English grammar. Since others judge you by the way you speak, the intricacies of grammar, in fact, should not be relegated to the realm of fussy "guardians of the language," but are rather essential clues all can employ to communicate more exactly. In such a light, this course forms an invaluable guide for everyone from all fields of interest.
©2008 Michael D.C. Drout (P)2008 Recorded Books

What listeners say about The Modern Scholar

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    369
  • 4 Stars
    137
  • 3 Stars
    45
  • 2 Stars
    19
  • 1 Stars
    31
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    263
  • 4 Stars
    85
  • 3 Stars
    26
  • 2 Stars
    10
  • 1 Stars
    16
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    237
  • 4 Stars
    85
  • 3 Stars
    37
  • 2 Stars
    15
  • 1 Stars
    18

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

I have always given Drout high marks.

I have always given top ratings to Michael D.C. Drout's entries in the Modern Scholar series. Not this one.

Before reading it, I wondered exactly how much grammar could be packed into 8 hours of lecture. The answer is more than I expected and less. Drout includes a lot of history of the English language in a number of the early chapters. He defines many English constructs that do not need defining or clarification and glosses over parts of speech that could have received more attention. It is obvious that he took much of the content of these lectures from other lectures on other subjects. Having read a fair amount of Drout, I have found that he does this a lot. It's almost like filler that he could have taken the time and space to use more prudently. Drout is on an ego trip and totally taken up by himself in these lectures.

The botom line is that I would not recommend this book. If you are interested in English grammar, get Mignon Fogarty's Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing. It is fun and a masterpiece in writing. Or, if you are a podcast kind of person, subscribe to Grammar Girl's: Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing on iTunes. It doesn't get any better than this. I'd give Grammar Girl 10 stars.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

30 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Historical rather than practical .....

This set of lecturers discusses the progression of English grammar from an historical prospective. One can hear excerpts of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales and Beowulf (for example) read in their original medieval form of prose along with discussions of their influence on modern English language. While some audiences may find this information interesting, it offers very little practical help for those wanting to improve grammar of the language spoken today. In short, the lectures are geared to people interested in academic discourse on the history of grammar.

There are a few of practical points, but not many. The lectures help current speakers to improve their speech in the same way a history of filaments or a biography of Thomas Edison would help someone needing to know how to change a halogen light bulb.

I’ve purchased at least 50 books from Audible so far, and this one by far has been the most painful to listen to. It’s dry and repetitive, and not because the subject is grammar. The problem is the lecturer and his presentation.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Not to the Point

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

Not sure

What was most disappointing about Michael D.C. Drout’s story?

He has a remarkable education and expertise but the book is way too informal rather than informative.

Would you listen to another book narrated by the narrator?

Perhaps.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

He expresses his point of view in a very clear way in the last chapter.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

confusing

Would you try another book from Michael D.C. Drout and/or the narrator?

yes

Would you ever listen to anything by Michael D.C. Drout again?

yes

What aspect of the narrator???s performance would you have changed?

His voice is annoying when he is reading foreign and dead languages.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

disappointment

Any additional comments?

I found this book scattered and really not what I was looking for. I didn't want the Drout Method of Grammar. I wanted traditional grammar, explained in a traditional way, not the history of the different parts of grammar.

It left me more confused than when I started.

It's sad. I really like Drout's lectures on Scifi and fantasy, but this one fell short.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful