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May I quote you on that? [electronic resource] : a guide to grammar and usage / Stephen Spector

Author
Spector, Stephen, 1946-
Published
Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press, [2015]
Physical Description
xxviii, 394 pages ; 21 cm
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Contents
Machine generated contents note: -- Introduction -- 1. What is Standard English? -- 2. Tricky Words, Usage, and Grammar -- 3. Tricky Words of the 20th Century and Today -- 4. Look-Alikes -- 5. Plurals.
Summary
"We all use language in different ways, depending on the situations we find ourselves in. In formal contexts we are usually expected to use a formal level of Standard English-the English codified in grammars, usage guides, and dictionaries. In May I Quote You on That? Stephen Spector offers a new approach to learning Standard English grammar and usage. The product of Spector's forty years of teaching courses on the English language, this book makes the conventions of formal writing and speech easier and more enjoyable to learn than traditional approaches usually do. Each lesson begins with humorous, interesting, or instructive illustrative quotations from writers, celebrities, and historical figures. Mark Twain appears alongside Winston Churchill, Yogi Berra, Woody Allen, Jerry Seinfeld, Stephen Colbert, Oprah, Lady Gaga, and many others. These quotations allow readers to infer the rules and word meanings from context. And if they stick in readers' memory, they can serve as models for the rules they exemplify. The lessons then offer short essays, written in a conversational style, on the history of the rules or the words being discussed. But because English is constantly changing, the essays offer not only the traditional rules of Standard English, but also the current opinions of usage panelists, stylists, and language specialists. When rules are controversial, Spector offers advice about stylistic choices. A companion website features a workbook with practice drills. This book will appeal to anyone who wants to write well. It's aimed at those who are applying to college, taking the SAT, or writing a job application, an essay, or anything else that requires clear and effective communication"--
"A guide to English grammar and usage for the twenty-first century, pairing grammar rules with interesting and humorous quotations from American popular culture"--
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ISBN
9780190215286 (paperback)
Bibliography Note
Includes bibliographical references (pages 387-388).
View MARC record | catkey: 23179068