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One Day in the Life of the English Language: A Microcosmic Usage Handbook
A one-of-a-kind handbook that uses a day in the life of written English to illustrate the benefits of effective grammar
Generations of student writers have been subjected to usage handbooks that proclaim, "This is the correct form. Learn it"―books that lay out a grammar, but don't inspire students to use it. By contrast, this antihandbook handbook, presenting some three hundred sentences drawn from the printed works of a single, typical day in the life of the language―December 29, 2008―tries to persuade readers that good grammar and usage matter.
Using real-world sentences rather than invented ones, One Day in the Life of the English Language gives students the motivation to apply grammatical principles correctly and efficiently. Frank Cioffi argues that proper form undergirds effective communication and ultimately even makes society work more smoothly, while nonstandard English often marginalizes or stigmatizes a writer. He emphasizes the evolving nature of English usage and debunks some cherished but flawed grammar precepts. Is it acceptable to end a sentence with a preposition? It is. Can you start a sentence with a conjunction? You can. OK to split an infinitive? No problem.
A grammar and usage handbook like no other, One Day in the Life of the English Language features accessible chapters divided into "Fundamentals," "Fine Tuning," and "Deep Focus," allowing readers to select a level most suited to their needs. It also includes a glossary, a teachers' guide, and a section refuting some myths about digital-age English.
Generations of student writers have been subjected to usage handbooks that proclaim, "This is the correct form. Learn it"―books that lay out a grammar, but don't inspire students to use it. By contrast, this antihandbook handbook, presenting some three hundred sentences drawn from the printed works of a single, typical day in the life of the language―December 29, 2008―tries to persuade readers that good grammar and usage matter.
Using real-world sentences rather than invented ones, One Day in the Life of the English Language gives students the motivation to apply grammatical principles correctly and efficiently. Frank Cioffi argues that proper form undergirds effective communication and ultimately even makes society work more smoothly, while nonstandard English often marginalizes or stigmatizes a writer. He emphasizes the evolving nature of English usage and debunks some cherished but flawed grammar precepts. Is it acceptable to end a sentence with a preposition? It is. Can you start a sentence with a conjunction? You can. OK to split an infinitive? No problem.
A grammar and usage handbook like no other, One Day in the Life of the English Language features accessible chapters divided into "Fundamentals," "Fine Tuning," and "Deep Focus," allowing readers to select a level most suited to their needs. It also includes a glossary, a teachers' guide, and a section refuting some myths about digital-age English.
- GenresNonfictionLinguistics
384 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 6, 2016
Language usage handbooks aren't for everyone, but if you are interested in how language works, I expect you to enjoy this one. Instead of a list of rules with made-up examples, this conversational text illustrates its topics with example quotes from real-life published writing. This demonstrates at once the ways English language can be used and the troubles even professional writers and editors sometimes have with it.
May 22, 2018
This was more interesting than I expected it to be. It made the rules of grammar, syntax and punctuation seem a little less boring.
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June 19, 2015428.2 C576 2015
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews