Originally published in 1918, this authoritative and engagingly written manual retains its immediacy and relevance. Strunk begins with the basic rules of usage, offering accessible explanations of correct punctuation and grammar. His advice on the principles of composition cites concrete examples of how to maintain clarity by eliminating redundancy and unnecessary embellishment. In addition, Strunk provides valuable pointers on avoiding common errors in the usage of words and expressions, and in spelling. The greatest book of its kind, this volume is a must for any student or writer.
With clear, concise explanations on everything from adverbs to word order, and from apostrophes to semicolons, this e-book is indispensable for understanding correct usage.
Collins Easy Learning Grammar is a uniquely helpful guide to all areas of English grammar and punctuation, providing clear guidance through the intricacies of the English language.
Each grammatical and punctuation point is clearly described in a user-friendly format that combines explanations with examples from modern English.
Discover how to: avoid common grammatical errors; get to grips with apostrophes; structure sentences correctly; use verbs and find the right tense; and decide when to use slang or formal English.
Barron's popular "Painless Series " of study guides for middle school and high school students offer a lighthearted, often humorous approach to their subjects, transforming details that might once have seemed boring or difficult into a series of interesting and mentally challenging ideas. Most titles in the series feature many fun-to-solve "Brain Tickler" problems with answers at the end of each chapter.
In this classic, the world's expert on language and mind lucidly explains everything you always wanted to know about language: how it works, how children learn it, how it changes, how the brain computes it, and how it evolved. With deft use of examples of humor and wordplay, Steven Pinker weaves our vast knowledge of language into a compelling story: language is a human instinct, wired into our brains by evolution. The Language Instinct received the William James Book Prize from the American Psychological Association and the Public Interest Award from the Linguistics Society of America. This edition includes an update on advances in the science of language since The Language Instinct was first published.
Why is so much writing so bad, and how can we make it better? Is the English language being corrupted by texting and social media? Do the kids today even care about good writing—and why should we care? From the author of The Better Angels of Our Nature and the forthcoming Enlightenment Now
In this entertaining and eminently practical book, the cognitive scientist, dictionary consultant, and New York Times–bestselling author Steven Pinker rethinks the usage guide for the twenty-first century. Using examples of great and gruesome modern prose while avoiding the scolding tone and Spartan tastes of the classic manuals, he shows how the art of writing can be a form of pleasurable mastery and a fascinating intellectual topic in its own right. The Sense of Style is for writers of all kinds, and for readers who are interested in letters and literature and are curious about the ways in which the sciences of mind can illuminate how language works at its best.
The book starts with a pretest that helps you identify the areas you need to work on. The pretest is followed by eleven chapters, broken down to a number of subchapters that each deal with a specific grammar point. The related explanations are accompanied by real-life sample sentences, timeline diagrams, tables, and quotes. If a similar point or the same point is discussed in a different part of the book, you will find cross-references to that point. Where appropriate, chapters begin with guiding questions and end with revision questions. Most of the chapters are followed by exercises, including multiple choice, sentence transformation, error correction, gap filling and matching exercises, as well as communicative tasks that can be done in language lessons. At the end of the book, there is an appendix which contains a list of the most common irregular verb forms and the most important spelling rules; a list of the quotes that appear in the book; and a glossary that defines grammatical terms frequently used in the explanations.
The chapters in this book are not arranged in order of difficulty. This way, the book can be used for quick reference on specific points of interest, as well as for systematic study, either as a self-study grammar book or as additional material in an ESL/EFL course. No matter which way you use the book, it is recommended that you follow the cross-references, which will lead you to further information on a given item. The exercises, which come with suggested answers, are best done using pen and paper. These exercises will not only help you to practise grammar but also to tie grammatical forms to real-world meaning.
With clear text, appealing cartoons, and a focus on common grammatical errors and how to correct them, this little volume is a real gem that should find a permanent place with companies, universities, and anyone seeking a user-friendly guide to style and usage.
From the Trade Paperback edition.
The text proceeds in easy, natural steps, beginning with simple sentence structure and advancing logically to more difficult constructions. More than 600 practice exercises and solutions make this an excellent home-study text. Organized with clarity and emphasizing explanation rather than rote memorization, this selective grammar can be used effectively as a course supplement, as an introduction for beginners, or as a reference for students and teachers.
Constantly drawing comparisons with English construction, it covers all of the important points in French grammar (verb forms and tenses, parts of speech, negative sentences, possessives, partitive construction, etc.) fully and logically, and with refreshing clarity. It was created for those who prefer the phrase approach, and all grammatical points are illustrated with phrases and sentences that you can incorporate directly into your working vocabulary. Many of the discussions include a list of common expressions that use the rule under study.
In addition to the grammar text itself, there are several unusual features of great value to anyone who wants to build a French vocabulary: a section on common word-endings and their French equivalents, for example, and a 50-page lit of French-English cognates.
This grammar does not assume any previous knowledge either of grammatical terms or of French grammar. English grammatical terms are explained in a separate section and all discussion begins with essentials and works up from there. Use it as an introduction to grammar, for independent class courses, with phrase courses, as a refresher, or for beginning self-study.
If its purpose is to convey facts, findings, or instructions, it need be read only once for its content to be clear. If its purpose is to entertain or to provoke thought, it makes readers want to come back for more.
Revised and updated, this guide covers four essential aspects of good writing: Individual words—spelling variations, hyphenation, frequently confused homonyms, frequently misused words and phrases, irregular plurals and negatives, and uses of capitalization and type style to add special meanings Punctuation—the role of each mark in achieving clarity and affecting tone, and demonstration of how misuses can lead to ambiguity Syntax and structure—agreement of subject and verb, parallel construction, modifiers, tenses, pronouns, active versus passive voice, and more Style—advice on the less hard-and-fast areas of clarity and tone, including sentence length and order, conciseness, simplification, reading level, jargon and clichés, and subtlety Filled with self-test exercises and whimsical literary quotations, Grammatically Correct steers clear of academic stuffiness, focusing instead on practical strategies and intuitive explanations.
Discussions are designed to get to the heart of a concept and provide a sufficient sense of when and how to use it, along with examples that show what ambiguities or misinterpretations might result if the rules are not followed. In cases where there is more than one acceptable way to do something, the approach is not to prescribe one over another but simply to describe the options.
Readers of this book will never break the rules of language again—unintentionally.
No one knows grammar like Michael Strumpf. For over a quarter of a century, as creator and proprietor of the National Grammar Hot Line, he helped thousands of callers from every corner of the globe tackle the thorniest issues of English grammar. Now, in The Grammar Bible, he has created an eminently useful guide to better speaking and writing.
Unlike other grammar manuals, The Grammar Bible is driven by the actual questions Professor Strumpf encountered during his years of teaching and fielding phone calls from anxious writers, conscientious students, and perplexed editors, including such perennial quandaries as
o Where do I put this comma?
o What case should this pronoun be in?
o How do I form the possessive of Dickens?
Professor Strumpf explains these and other language issues with wit and wisdom, showing how to speak more clearly and write more impressively by avoiding common errors and following the principles of good grammar. Whether you need a comprehensive review of the subjunctive mood or simply want to know which form of a verb to use, The Grammar Bible is a practical guide that will enlighten, educate, and entertain.
The book contains an introduction to Chamorro, and its developmental history and dialectal variations, and, with a minimum of technical linguistic terms, it treats phonology, morphology, and syntax. Notes to linguists and a glossary of linguistic terms are included
There are two spelling systems for the written form of Pennsylvania German. The spelling system used in "Vitt Du Deitsh Shvetza?" is the same as is used in "Di Heilich Shrift" the Pennsylvania German Bible and "Ich Kann PA Deitsh Shreiva" a Pennsylvania German writing workbook. This style was chosen because it is easier to learn if you know English.
This book has been a group effort and it is our hope that you enjoy using it to learn Pennsylvania German.
Language is always changing -- but we tend not to like it. We understand that new words must be created for new things, but the way English is spoken today rubs many of us the wrong way. Whether it’s the use of literally to mean “figuratively” rather than “by the letter,” or the way young people use LOL and like, or business jargon like What’s the ask? -- it often seems as if the language is deteriorating before our eyes.
But the truth is different and a lot less scary, as John McWhorter shows in this delightful and eye-opening exploration of how English has always been in motion and continues to evolve today. Drawing examples from everyday life and employing a generous helping of humor, he shows that these shifts are a natural process common to all languages, and that we should embrace and appreciate these changes, not condemn them.
Words on the Move opens our eyes to the surprising backstories to the words and expressions we use every day. Did you know that silly once meant “blessed”? Or that ought was the original past tense of owe? Or that the suffix -ly in adverbs is actually a remnant of the word like? And have you ever wondered why some people from New Orleans sound as if they come from Brooklyn?
McWhorter encourages us to marvel at the dynamism and resilience of the English language, and his book offers a lively journey through which we discover that words are ever on the move and our lives are all the richer for it.
This deluxe edition contains the complete contents of The Little Red Writing Book and The Little Gold Grammar Book. Whereas writing is based on principles – in which writing is deemed better or worse, more effective or less effective – grammar is based on rules, in which writing is deemed right or wrong, correct or incorrect. With coverage of the most useful writing principles and the most commonly encountered rules of grammar, The Little Red Writing Book Deluxe Edition is an invaluable guide for anyone who wants to master those skills that will make a good writer even better.
Enjoy the benefits of your own self-paced writing course:
Writing has four pillars – structure, style, readability, and grammar – and each pillar is like the single leg of a sturdy chair.
•Structure relates to organization and deciding in which order to present your ideas. Learn how to choose the best writing structure to develop your ideas, how to break your writing topic into two to four parts, and how to write with a top-down approach.
•Style describes how one writes, including how to use specific examples to support what is written. Learn how to make writing more simple, powerful, and vivid. Understand how to vary sentence beginnings, how to create a formal and informal tone, and how to keep writing gender neutral.
•Readability focuses on presentation and how to make your document visually pleasing and easy to read. Learn how to make key words stand out, how to use headings and headlines to “frame” writing, and how to increase the use of white space to allow your document to “breathe.”
•Grammar is about expressing language in a correct and acceptable form. Review the rules of grammar in terms of six common categories (subject-verb agreement, pronoun usage, modification, parallelism, comparisons, and verb tenses), and use short exercises and problems to help integrate key concepts of grammar, diction, idioms, and style.
•Also included are special sections on editing tips and punctuation, America English vs. British English, and traditional writing vs. digital writing.
“Appropriate for its audience of ambitious students and professionals: those who have plenty of brains, but need a little brush-up with the pen.” —Publishers Weekly Online Reviews
Understanding the rules of English is key to being an effective communicator—at work, at school, or anywhere else. If you struggle with the rules—and who hasn't?—English Grammar Essentials For Dummies, Australian Edition is the book for you. Covering just the basics you need, the book boils the rules of grammar down to the core concepts that will make you a better communicator in any and every aspect of your life.Ideal for students, job hunters, adult learners, those who speak English as a second language, and anyone who wants to make a good impression Covers the vital essentials needed for better written communication Serves as an excellent refresher course for professionals whose primary mode of communication is increasingly electronic and written
Clear and understandable writing can be the key to success in almost any professional field. With English Grammar Essentials For Dummies, Australian Edition, you'll master the basics with ease!
A colourful revision guide with three easy sections for Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling, and a Spelling Dictionary for ages 7 – 11.
This Ebook is full of useful hints and tips to help children learn and revise for the KS2 Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling test.
Rules and advice help pupils get to grips with essential aspects of the English language. There are clear, easy-to-follow explanations and examples of how grammar works, what punctuation does, and how to spell correctly, so children can learn the difference between a prefix and suffix, learn when to use a semicolon and get to grips with tricky silent letters!
The final section is a dictionary list of words that pupils must know how to spell. These have been specially selected for this age group based on real-life experience from Spelling Bees conducted by Collins Dictionaries. Many helpful tips on spelling are also included throughout the dictionary section to make learning easier.
Easy English Grammar Step-by-Step is based on the idea that the quickest route to learning this subject is building a solid foundation in the basics. You won't find a lot of pointless discussion; instead, you get an original, step-by-step approach to improving your grammar, with important concepts linked together by clear explanations, appropriate exercises, and helpful answers.
The first steps introduce you to the fundamentals of correct grammar, allowing you to identify common mistakes almost immediately. Gradually, a series of interconnected steps takes you from simple to more challenging concepts at your own pace, with a variety of increasingly difficult exercises to practice what you've learned. After working through these exercises, you’ll have a better grasp of the subject along with the knowledge and skills you need to master grammar with confidence.
Easy English Grammar Step-by-Step features:A unique building-block approach to mastering grammar Down-to-earth explanations of important concepts Helpful notes to avoid common missteps Exercises to help test what you’ve learned and measure progress
The author analyzes brilliantly such seemingly diverse (yet related) phenomena as the metaphysics of the Bhagavat Gita, the Melanesian concept of Mana, the Naturphilosophie of Schelling, modern poetry, Ancient Egyptian religion, and symbolic logic. He covers a vast range of material that is all too often neglected in studies of human thought.
These six essays are of great interest to the student of philosophy or the philosophy of science, the historian, or the anthropologist. They are also remarkably timely for students of literature, what with the enormous emphasis placed upon "myth" in modern literary speculation. This book is not superficial speculation by a dabbler, but a penetrating study by one of the most profound and sensitive philosophic minds of our time.
Talk German Grammar is the ideal resource for anyone setting out to learn German, whether at home or in a class.
Using the tried-and-tested principles of the bestselling Talk series, it demystifies grammar and guides you through the key structures of German in a way that’s really easy to follow, even if you have no experience at all of grammar and grammatical terminology.
With its straightforward approach and attractive layout, Talk German Grammar promotes a real understanding of how German works and how it relates to English. It contains clear explanations and hundreds of useful examples, as well as learning tips and strategies. Interesting practice activities reinforce the language patterns and help you remember what you’ve learned.
Talk German Grammar can be used successfully alongside any learning materials, but is the perfect companion for Talk German and Talk German 2.
This book is a companion to the QEC software, but can be used on its own, without the app. With this book, you will improve your English composition skill. Starting with the mechanics of punctuation, and sentence structure, you will be able to quickly reference English writing rules and view numerous examples. The next stage will guide you through paragraph construction, with an emphasis on making your writing clear. Lastly, over 20 types of compositions are explained, from admission to rhetoric. Each main topic includes practice exercises, with exercise answers included at end of book.
Part I Markings
Unit 1 Quotation Marks
Unit 2 Colon & Dash
Unit 3 Two Commas
Unit 4 Single Comma
Unit 5 Semicolon
Unit 6 Writing a List
Unit 7 Possessive Form
Unit 8 Capitalization
Part II Sentences
Unit 9 Parallelism
Unit 10 Pronoun
Unit 11 Verb-Noun Agreement
Unit 12 Countable Noun/Noun Phrase
Unit 13 Verb Tense
Unit 14 Sentence Fragments
Unit 15 Comma Splice
Unit 16 Number
Unit 17 Connectors
Part III Paragraphs
Unit 18 Beginning a Composition
Unit 19 Paragraph Format
Unit 20 Writing Guidelines
Part IV Essays
Unit 21 Admission
Unit 22 Analysis
Unit 23 Autobiography
Unit 24 Argumentation
Unit 25 Cause and Effect
Unit 26 Comparison and Contrast
Unit 27 Critique
Unit 28 Definition
Unit 29 Description
Unit 30 Division and Classification
Unit 31 Evaluation
Unit 32 Exemplification
Unit 33 Explication
Unit 34 Exposition
Unit 35 Invitation
Unit 37 Literature
Unit 38 Narration
Unit 39 Opinion
Unit 40 Persuasion
Unit 41 Problem-Solution
Unit 42 Process
Unit 43 Resignation
Unit 44 Reflection
Unit 45 Review
Unit 46 Rhetoric
Appendix QEC Software
Korean grammar is notoriously difficult for foreigners to master but is essential for those wishing to learn Korean. Easy-to-use 500 Basic Korean Verbs is the only comprehensive guide to the correct usage of Korean verbs available for English-speaking learners.
Each of the 500 most important Korean verbs is presented in a convenient single-page format that gives the verb's meaning and pronunciation and displays the verb's 48 key tenses, speech levels, and moods (all accompanied by romanizations). Also included are a handy guide to the Korean language and verb conjugation and reference tables of basic Korean verb types, along with 3 indexes (Romanized, Hangeul, and English).
500 Basic Korean Verbs Includes: Conjugations by tense, speech levels, and mood. "Model verb" system quickly identifies each verb's pattern. Sample sentences demonstrating the verb's correct usage. Free downloadable audio provides pronunciations for the verbs and 1,000 example sentences. Korean characters (Hangul) as well as romanized pronunciations to help English speakers. Two-color design makes quick reference easy.
Good grammar is important, whether you want to advance your career, boost your GPA, or increase your SAT or ACT score. Practice is the key to improving your grammar skills, and that's what this workbook is all about. Open it and you'll find hundreds of fun problems to help build your grammar muscles. Just turn to a topic you need help with -- from punctuation and pronouns to possessives and parallel structure -- and get out your pencil. With just a little practice every day, you'll be speaking correctly, writing confidently, and getting the recognition you deserve at work or at school.
100s of Problems!
* Review grammar rules and exceptions
* Build grammar skills, from sentence mechanics to stylistic fine points
* Convey your ideas clearly and persuasively
* Speak and write with flair and confidence
Illustrated by thousands of examples from the Bank of English, the Collins COBUILD Active English Grammar contains easy-to-understand explanations of the important points of English grammar. Warning notes occur throughout the text, giving learners invaluable help with potential problems in English. Supplements to the text include irregular verb tables, and a detailed glossary of grammatical terms.
Ideal for the intermediate learner of English as a handy reference work, the Collins COBUILD Active English Grammar offers in-depth guidance on the key areas of English grammar.
Filled with self-test exercises and whimsical literary quotations, Grammatically Correct steers clear of academic stuffiness, focusing instead on practical strategies and intuitive explanations. Discussions are designed to get to the heart of a concept and provide a sufficient sense of when and how to use it, along with examples that show what ambiguities or misinterpretations might result if the rules are not followed. In cases where there is more than one acceptable way to do something, the approach is not to prescribe one over another but simply to describe the options. Readers of this book will never break the rules of language again – unintentionally.
Great writing isn’t born, it’s built—sentence by sentence. But too many writers—and writing guides—overlook this most important unit. The result? Manuscripts that will never be published and writing careers that will never begin.
With chapters on “Conjunctions That Kill” and “Words Gone Wild,” this lighthearted guide is perfect for anyone who’s dead serious about writing, from aspiring novelists to nonfiction writers, conscientious students to cheeky literati. So roll up your sleeves and prepare to craft one bold, effective sentence after another. Your readers will thank you.
In Navajo, numerous prefixes combine with verb roots to form single words that, in English translation, require a phrase or even a sentence to convey their meaning. Therefore, verb stems and prefixes must be mastered piece by piece to understand the language. This volume leads the reader carefully and systematically through the complexities of the Navajo verb system. By doing so, the book makes Navajo more accessible to all those interested in the American Indian language with the largest number of speakers in the United States.
"This work is outstanding for the way in which the materials and rules are organized."--Dr. Sally Midgette, coauthor of Analytical Lexicon of Navajo
The Perfect series is a range of practical guides that give clear and straightforward advice on everything from getting your first job to choosing your baby's name. Written by experienced authors offering tried-and-tested tips, each book contains all you need to get it right first time.
Colloquial Yoruba: The Complete Course for Beginnershas been carefully developed by an experienced teacher to provide a step-by-step course to Yoruba as it is written and spoken today.
Combining a clear, practical and accessible style with a methodical and thorough treatment of the language, it equips learners with the essential skills needed to communicate confidently and effectively in Yoruba in a broad range of situations. No prior knowledge of the language is required.
Colloquial Yorubais exceptional; each unit presents a wealth of grammatical points that are reinforced with a wide range of exercises for regular practice. A full answer key, a grammar summary, bilingual glossaries and English translations of dialogues can be found at the back as well as useful vocabulary lists throughout.
Key features include:
A clear, user-friendly format designed to help learners progressively build up their speaking, listening, reading and writing skills
Jargon-free, succinct and clearly structured explanations of grammar
An extensive range of focused and dynamic supportive exercises
Realistic and entertaining dialogues covering a broad variety of narrative situations
Helpful cultural points explaining the customs and features of life in Nigeria
An overview of the sounds of Yoruba
Balanced, comprehensive and rewarding, Colloquial Yoruba is an indispensable resource both for independent learners and students taking courses in Yoruba.
Audio material to accompany the course is available to download free in MP3 format from www.routledge.com/cw/colloquials. Recorded by native speakers, the audio material features the dialogues and texts from the book and will help develop your listening and pronunciation skills.
This essential guide covers the key rules - and pitfalls - of written and spoken grammar. It covers such areas as: the building blocks of language, common errors and misconceptions, choosing the right level of expression, differences between British and American English, and political correctness. It also discusses various uses of language, from creative writing, CVs and reports to verbal presentations, and business and personal letters, with many useful suggestions for accurate and fluent English.
Using dozens of examples, The Only Grammar Book You'll Ever Need provides guidelines for:Understanding the parts of speech and elements of a sentenceAvoiding the most common grammar and punctuation mistakesUsing correct punctuating in every sentenceWriting clearly and directlyApproaching writing projects, whether big or small
Easy to follow and authoritative, The Only Grammar Book You'll Ever Need provides all the necessary tools to make you successful with every type of written expression.
Divided into 12 self-contained chapters based around language functions, each chapter is divided into units of class-length material. Key features include:
Numerous authentic texts from a wide range of sources, both spoken and written, which exemplify the grammatical description.
Clear chapter and module summaries enable efficient class preparation and student revision.
Extensive exercises with a comprehensive answer key.
This new edition has been thoroughly updated with new texts, a more user-friendly layout, more American English examples and a companion website, providing extra tasks, a glossary and a teachers‘ guide.
This is the essential coursebook and reference work for all native and non-native students of English grammar on English language and linguistics courses.
"We must avoid vulgarities like 'front up'. If someone is 'fronting up' a television show, then he is presenting it."
Simon Heffer's incisive and amusingly despairing emails to colleagues at the The Daily Telegraph about grammatical mistakes and stylistic slips have attracted a growing band of ardent fans over recent years. Now, in his new book Strictly English, he makes an impassioned case for an end to the sloppiness that has become such a hallmark of everyday speech and writing, and shows how accuracy and clarity are within the grasp of anyone who is prepared to take the time to master a few simple rules.
If you wince when you see "different than" in print, or are offended by people who think that "infer" and "imply" mean the same thing, then this book will provide reassurance that you are not alone. And if you believe that precise and elegant English really does matter, then it will prove required reading.