• Rebel with a Clause

  • Tales and Tips from a Roving Grammarian
  • By: Ellen Jovin
  • Narrated by: Ellen Jovin
  • Length: 7 hrs and 38 mins
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (26 ratings)

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Rebel with a Clause  By  cover art

Rebel with a Clause

By: Ellen Jovin
Narrated by: Ellen Jovin
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Publisher's summary

For fans of Mary Norris and Benjamin Dreyer, an unconventional guide to the English language drawn from the cross-country adventures of an itinerant grammarian.

When Ellen Jovin first walked outside her Manhattan apartment building and set up a folding table with a GRAMMAR TABLE sign, it took about thirty seconds to get her first visitor. Everyone had a question for her. Grammar Table was such a hit—attracting the attention of the New York Times, NPR, and CBS National News—that Jovin soon took it on the road, traveling across the US to answer questions from writers, lawyers, editors, businesspeople, students, bickering couples, and anyone else who uses words in this world.

In Rebel with a Clause, Jovin tackles what is most on people’s minds, grammatically speaking—from the Oxford comma to the places prepositions can go, the likely lifespan of whom, semicolonphobia, and more.

Punctuated with linguistic debates from tiny towns to our largest cities, this grammar romp will delight anyone wishing to polish their prose or revel in our age-old, universal fascination with language.

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2022 Ellen Jovin (P)2022 HarperCollins Publishers

What listeners say about Rebel with a Clause

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This book is extremely helpful and fun

Thank you for clarifying so many things that have bothered me for years while keeping things enjoyable.

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Very enjoyable

Great grammar tips, and an education in those rules you may remember from when you were young that do not matter anymore (and maybe never did). Also her deadpan delivery had me cracking up regularly.

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Grammar Rules!

Okay I’m a word nerd, grammar geek and all that, but what makes this audiobook special is its, well, humanity. Grammar with heart, believe me. ❤️

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educational and fun!

grammar nerds rejoice!

here is a book just for you
a reasonable approach to grammar!

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Fun road trip

Loved it! Wonderful observations of people she met and interacted with, all with humor and charm. Recommended for grammar-challenged and grammar nerds alike!

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Excellent Review & Update

This book was fun and lighthearted. I needed an update on the grammar rules I learned 50 years ago. Good to hear some of the rules have been revised or eliminated. RIP Mrs. B. G. Miller.

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Amazingly Awesome!

If you've ever found yourself thinking that you might end up in a grawl (grammar brawl) at some point in your life, this is the book for you.

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What a wonderful read

I loved this book so much that I’ve read it twice so far. The author is brilliant and totally nonjudgmental. Her public interactions are sweet, informative and laced with a good measure of humor and humanity.

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Fun read…and learned a lot!

Ellen’s love of language is deep and detailed, but she meets her Grammar Table acquaintances where they are, with warmth, respect, and lots of handy information. A great listen, as Ellen’s reading style is as welcoming to the listener as her greetings are to all the inquirers she meets on her grammatical tour of the country!

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Disappointing

I heard Ms Jovin interviewed on NPR, and being a grammar and language nerd myself, thought: "Oh, boy, can't wait." I could have waited. It's self absorbed and somewhat contrived, and the performance is a bit stilted

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