Over-reliance on assessment books can cause more harm than good (MOE should publish assessment books written by teachers, Dec 17).

There is a glut of assessment books on almost every subject because many people, particularly parents, view these books as an integral part of the learning process.

To supplement one's knowledge of school lessons with assessment books is good. It may help but will not be a panacea.

Some students may rely too much on assessment books and not pay enough attention to what is taught in the classroom.

But there are aspects that go wrong in the publishing of assessment books, such as incorrect grammar and typographical errors.

Take books on written English for example. It would be all right if there was a consensus among the authors, at least on the basics.

However, this is not so and varying opinions on the same point produce only confusion on what is acceptable as effectively written English.

Therefore, I would exhort students to focus more on classroom lessons and seek help from their teachers if need be.

Jeffrey Law Lee Beng