Mantex

Tutorials, Study Guides & More

  • HOME
  • REVIEWS
  • TUTORIALS
  • HOW-TO
  • CONTACT
>> Home / Archives for Language

A History of Dictionaries

October 3, 2011 by Roy Johnson

compilation, theory, use, and language change

A History of Dictionaries is a brief account of how the recording of language has changed over time. Many people believe that except in terms of size, all dictionaries are more or less the same. But in fact they vary according to who compiles them, when they are compiled, and what purpose they are designed to serve. Lynda Mugglestone’s study of the history and techniques of creating dictionaries deals with what information can be presented in printed form and the difficulties of choice for accuracy and efficiency in covering the spelling of a word, its pronunciation, stress, etymology, and use in various contexts. The challenge of squashing all this into a small space is the reason why dictionaries are printed in narrow double columns, usually in a small font size.

A History of DictionariesSome people want a dictionary to offer guidance on acceptable usage and notions of grammatical correctness. But the current trend towards descriptive approaches to use (what is, rather than what should be) confounds these expectations. It also has the knock-on effect of meaning that new dictionaries are required at an increasing rate, to keep up with changes in language use.

The earliest dictionaries (from 2000 BC onwards) were not necessarily organised alphabetically, but in themes or topics – and were primarily used as explanations of ‘difficult’ words used in religious documents – not as repositories of language in common speech and writing.

And the first dictionaries in English were largely explanations in English and French of Latin terms – because all three languages in the early period of Renaissance Britain were in use at the same time for different purposes – religion, political administration, and commerce. In fact multi-language dictionaries were the norm at that time.

The Dutch writer Noel de Berlaimont’s Vocabulare would, for instance, become a topically organised work in four languages (French, Flemish, Latin, and Spanish) by 1551, and six languages by 1576 when English and German were added.

Any mono-lingual dictionaries that existed were compiled solely in order to explain unusual terms or words which people found difficulty in understanding. Indeed, the idea that a dictionary should include all words in common use is a relatively recent development from the nineteenth century – and almost all dictionaries still exclude the words most commonly in use – swear words.

Next Mugglestone considers how a dictionary is made – the whole range of questions about what is to be included and how it is to be shown on the page (or screen). She examines the work of possibly the world’s best known lexicographer, Samuel Johnson, revealing both his very subjective choices and the strength of his method in choosing quotations from printed sources as his supportive evidence.

More recently, the use of computers working on corpora (huge databases of language in current use) mean that dictionary compilation is far less subjective, can include both the spoken and the written word in their source material, and most importantly can include word definitions decided by the actual context in which they are used:

This also throws up what she calls the etymological fallacy, which is the mistaken notion that a word’s meaning is principally determined by its origins. But alternative (which comes from the Latin ‘the other one of two’) can now mean any one of a number of options. The same applies to media used as a singular grammatical concept.

I was glad to see that she touches on issues of political correctness and the ideology of dictionary compilation. This covers not only archaic definitions such as that for canoe – ‘a kind of boat in use among uncivilized nations … Most savages use paddles instead of oars’, and loaded definitions such as Christmas – ‘The day on which the nativity of our blessed Saviour is celebrated’.

Following the logic of her own historical trajectory, she concludes by looking at the strengths and weaknesses of the (apparently) ultimately democratic dictionaries – Wiktionary and Urban Dictionary. The latter is strong on innovation and slang, the former is more traditional. Both are free – but they have not displaced printed versions – for which the demand continues unabated.

A History of Dictionaries   Buy the book at Amazon UK

A History of Dictionaries   Buy the book at Amazon US

© Roy Johnson 2011


Lynda Mugglestone, Dictionaries: A Very Short Introduction, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011, pp.140, ISBN: 0199573794


More on dictionaries
More on language
More on literary studies
More on writing skills


Filed Under: Dictionaries Tagged With: Cultural history, Dictionaries, Language, Lexicography

A-Z of Grammar and Punctuation

July 17, 2009 by Roy Johnson

pocket guide to the basics of English language

Most people are a bit frightened of grammar and punctuation – with some reason, because both can be very complex issues. Fortunately, anybody who can speak their own language is already in possession of all the tools they need for using it correctly. This isn’t to say that we don’t need a little help from time to time. And that’s where guides like this one come in useful. John Seely starts off with a brief overview of English sentence structure, and how the parts relate to each other. He explains all the main elements of speech, and uses everyday examples as illustrations. Then it’s on to the main substance of the book, which starts at abbreviations and runs via main clause to who’s/whose and will/shall. In between, he covers all the main issues which crop up time and again as problems for everyday users of English.

Grammar and PunctuationHow do you punctuate lists of terms? How can you avoid the split infinitive? What is the rule for using apostrophes? What is the difference between can and may? What’s the correct way to show speech in writing? Is between you and me correct English? Answer: yes it is.

He uses a minimum of jargon, and makes all his explanations as succinct as possible. I particularly liked one visual feature of this book. Longer topics, such as paragraphs and prefixes are given their own shaded boxes, and somehow this makes both the topic and its surrounding items easier to read.

This book will be ideal if you want a reference offering quick simple explanations, but you could also use it as an introduction to a more in-depth study of the subject.

This is a new series from OUP – a pocketbook guides on the basics of writing and language skills. They’re small, cheap, cheerful, and compact, yet authoritative – the sort of thing which I imagine would be ideal for students or the average person-in-the-street who wants to take on the first principles of improving their language skills.

© Roy Johnson 2009

A-Z of Grammar and Punctuation   Buy the book at Amazon UK

A-Z of Grammar and Punctuation   Buy the book at Amazon US


John Seely, Oxford A—Z of Grammar and Punctuation, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2nd edition 2009, pp.192, ISBN: 0199564671


More on writing skills
More on language
More on grammar


Filed Under: Grammar, Language use, Writing Skills Tagged With: A-Z of Grammar & Punctuation, Grammar, Language, Punctuation, Writing skills

Abbreviations

August 27, 2009 by Roy Johnson

free pages from our English Language software program

Abbreviations – definition

abbreviations in English Abbreviations are letters or shortened words which are used instead of the full word.


Examples
Abbreviation Full expression Latin term
e.g. for example exempli gratia
i.e. that is id est
N.B. please note nota bene
Mr Mister —
US United States —

Use

abbreviations Abbreviations are used to save space – or to avoid repeating common terms.

abbreviations They are often used in dictionaries, encyclopedias, and bibliographies.

abbreviations Some organisations abbreviate their titles to the initial capital letters of their names.

abbreviations Abbreviations are very useful when taking notes.

abbreviations Many traditional abbreviations are shortened forms of words from Latin.

abbreviations NB! Don’t use abbreviations in formal writing. Write out the word(s) in full.

abbreviations Notice that a full stop is placed after an abbreviation, but not when the full word is used.

abbreviations Sometimes the full stop may be omitted in order to avoid double punctuation.

abbreviations Never begin a sentence with an abbreviation. Either spell out the word, or re-arrange the words in the sentence.

abbreviations Companies and organisations often drop the full stops from their abbreviated titles.

ICI – Imperial Chemicals Industry
BBC – British Broadcasting Corporation
WHO – World Health Organisation

abbreviations Some abbreviations are spoken as if they were complete words: for instance, NATO (‘NayTow’).

abbreviations Others are spelled out. For instance VIP [very important person] is usually spoken as three separate letters – “Vee-Eye-Pea”.

abbreviations Abbreviations are very useful when taking notes, but you should not use them in the main text of any formal writing.

abbreviations If you wish to use any of these expressions, they should be written out in full. That is, don’t use e.g., but write out for example.

Self-assessment quiz follows …

© Roy Johnson 2003


English Language 3.0 program
Books on language
More on grammar


Filed Under: English Language Tagged With: Abbreviations, English language, Grammar, Language

Accent – how to understand it

August 27, 2009 by Roy Johnson

free pages from our English Language software program

Accent – definition

accent Accent refers to a speaker’s style of pronunciation.

redbtn It may signal the regional or social identity of the speaker.

redbtn Accent does not refer to the content of what is being said.


Examples

Class accent

Received Pronunciation [RP] is a form of speech used by (for instance) many BBC newsreaders and members of the Royal Family.

It is based on social class, not on the geographic origins of the speaker.

Regional Accent

A Geordie accent is the regional speech style used by speakers in the North East of England.

A Cockney accent is the indigenous speech style used by people in the London area.

‘Book’ might be pronounced as ‘Bewk’ in northern England, but ‘Back’ in southern England.

Similarly, the term ‘car’ might be pronounced as ‘kaar’ and ‘caw’ in these two regions.


Use

accent Every geographical area has its own characteristic and recognisable style of speech which is used by a group.

accent Everybody speaks with an accent. Those people who speak with received pronunciation [RP] are merely using the minority speech style of prestige.

accent It is quite common for a person to speak Standard English with a regional accent.

accent NB! Accent is not the same thing as dialect.

accent The term dialect refers to grammar and vocabulary as well as pronunciation. That is, it describes the content of speech.

accent Fewer than two percent [yes! – 2%] of the UK population speak Received Pronunciation (RP).

accent Perhaps this statistic is surprising when we consider what prestige it has held historically and currently.

accent RP was once itself a regional accent – that of the East Midlands. It acquired its status because East Midlands speakers converged on London as it became a centre for merchants. In other words, London became the power base and the financial centre, and the East Midlands accent became the spoken standard.

accent This prestige accent developed alongside the regional accent of the London area. The co-existence of these two accents still exists today.

accent The Cockney accent is spoken in the East End of London by many original Londoners, whilst RP is spoken by many politicians and by upper-class people who live and work in the same area.

accent The Cockney accent is a regional accent, and RP is class-based.

accent Many regional speakers feel uncomfortable about their accent. This perpetuates the deference and prestige given to RP.

accent Recent studies have shown that RP speakers will often be chosen for jobs, despite the superior skills of regional-speaking competitors.

accent Some presenters on radio and television are employed even though they have strong regional accents. However, they tend to be used on programmes which are not very prestigious, such as weather forecasts, arts programs, and regional news bulletins.

accent Accent can still be a very powerful indicator of status, and it is often an emotive item in social interaction.

accent Speech varies subtly between individuals using the same accent. Because of this, a broad description is all that can be achieved. This applies to the classification of other accents too.

Self-assessment quiz follows …

© Roy Johnson 2003


English Language 3.0 program
Books on language
More on grammar


Filed Under: English Language Tagged With: Accent, English language, Grammar, Language

Acronyms

April 21, 2011 by Roy Johnson

free pages from our English Language software program

Acronyms – definition

Acronyms An acronym is an abbreviation created from the initial letters of a phrase or name.


Examples
BBC British Broadcasting Corporation
IBM International Business Machines
NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organisation

Use

Acronyms These acronyms are useful, because they save you the trouble of writing out the name in full every time you wish to refer to it.

Acronyms Some acronyms, like those above, are very well known, and can be used without too much problem in most written communication.

Acronyms However, any which are not so well know should always be named in full the first time they are used, and the acronym shown immediately afterwards in brackets. Here’s an example.

The committee elected four new members to the Corporate Affairs Steering Group (CASG) who will report immediately before the annual general meeting (AGM) at the end of July.

Acronyms Some abbreviations are spoken as if they were complete words: for instance, NATO (“NayTow”). and International Criminal Police Organization (“Inter-Pol”)

Acronyms Others are spelled out. For instance Very Important Person is (VIP) usually spoken as three separate letters “Vee-Eye-Pea”.

Acronyms There is no need to put full stops between the letters of an acronym.

Acronyms The plural of an acronym is shown by adding the letter s – as in compact disks (CDs)

Acronyms There is no need to use an apostrophe, which should be reserved for cases showing possession – as in ‘the CD’s jewel case was broken’.

Acronyms Most acronyms are formed by the use of capital letters, but where a normally pronounceable word is formed, they often include lower case letters as well – as in (Radar) – radio detecting and ranging.

Acronyms Acronyms are particularly useful when taking notes, but you should remember to make a record of the full name of any new instances.

AIDS acquired immune deficiency syndrome
ASBO Anti-Social Behaviour Order
BBC British Broadcasting Corporation
CD Compact Disc
FAQ frequently asked questions
Gestapo Geheime Staatspolizei (secret state police)
Interpol International Criminal Police Organization
Laser Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation
NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Radar radio detection and ranging
Scuba self-contained underwater breathing apparatus
SQL Structured Query Language
WHO World Health Organisation

Self-assessment quiz follows …

© Roy Johnson 2011


English Language 3.0 program
Books on language
More on grammar


Filed Under: English Language, How-to guides Tagged With: Acronyms, English language, Grammar, Language, Writing skills

Adjectives – how to use them

August 29, 2009 by Roy Johnson

free pages from our English Language software program

Adjectives – definition

adjectives Adjectives modify nouns or pronouns. They can be placed before the noun, or refer back to it.

adjectives In most sentences in English, adjectives precede the noun.


Examples

big – brown – long – heavy – bright

  • This is a long brown pencil box.
  • He was wearing a heavy black overcoat.
  • It turned out to be a bright sunny day.

Use

adjectives Most adjectives are words which describe the object to which they are attached.

adjectives Inexperienced writers often pile up adjectives, believing they will be more effective [‘the fierce and ugly old black shepherd dog’]. Experienced writers use fewer, with care.

adjectives NB! Adjectives are describing words.

adjectives Adjectives can also be made from verbs:

He was the driving force in a prosperous company.

adjectives These adjectives are formed from the verbs to dive and to prosper.

adjectives Adjectives can also be made from nouns:

Let’s sit on that grass verge, not in the car park.

adjectives Adjectives can either be used in a single form, as in ‘the red ball’ or, in multiple form, as in ‘a big shiny yellow beach ball’.

adjectives There is a rule of sequence here which requires the following order:

Size — texture — colour — type

adjectives The next version of this statement is not a normal English sentence, because it does not follow the descriptive rule of word-order:

The yellow big beach shiny ball.

adjectives However, both poetry and advertising deliberately break the rules to make an impact on the reader or listener.

adjectives Placing an adjective after the noun it describes often has a poetic effect:

these roses, heavy with dew

adjectives When an adjective is formed out of proper noun, it retains the capital letter:

He became a British subject.
It happened during the Victorian period.

adjectives If the adjective is formed from a common noun, then no capital is required:

She bought a table cover.

Self-assessment quiz follows …

© Roy Johnson 2003


English Language 3.0 program
Books on language
More on grammar


Filed Under: English Language Tagged With: Adjectives, English language, Grammar, Language

Adverbs – how to use them

August 29, 2009 by Roy Johnson

free pages from our English Language software program

Adverbs – definition

adverbs Adverbs usually modify a verb.

redbtn Adverbs describe how, where, why, or when an action was done.

redbtn Adverbs can also modify an adjective, or another adverb.

redbtn It can either precede or follow the word it qualifies.

redbtn Many adverbs end in —ly.


Examples

gently – slowly – greatly


Use

redbtn The adverb may follow the verb, as in

He broke the news as gently as possible.

redbtn Or it may precede the verb, as in

She slowly handed him the important document.

redbtn NB! Adverbs can sometimes change the meaning of the word they modify.

redbtn There are three main classes of adverb. Those which describe, those which indicate, and those which show number or amount.

describe – well, greatly, usefully, prettily

indicate – there, here, then

number – once, secondly, very much

redbtn The following examples show adverbs in context:

describe – He has greatly improved his recent coursework grades.

indicate – Here they noticed a small red spot on the ceiling.

number – Once he started he couldn’t stop.

redbtn It is interesting to observe that in English the majority of adverbs end with the suffix -ly, whereas in French they end with the suffix -ment. For example: doucement, lentement, heureusement.

redbtn The ending -ly derives from the Anglo-Saxon word ‘lich’ meaning ‘body’. For instance, a lych gate in a churchyard is one through which the body is brought for burial.

redbtn The French suffix -ment derives from ‘mind’, and it is arguable that the French traditionally have seen themselves as philosophers, where the English have been more practical. Is there a link here?

redbtn Adverbs can occasionally modify a preposition or a conjunction.

Self-assessment quiz follows …

© Roy Johnson 2003


English Language 3.0 program
Books on language
More on grammar


Filed Under: English Language Tagged With: Adverbs, English language, Grammar, Language

Alliteration – how to understand it

August 30, 2009 by Roy Johnson

free pages from our English Language software program

Alliteration – definition

alliteration Alliteration is a figure of speech featuring the repetition of consonant sounds.

alliteration These are the hard sounds of letters such as B, D, K, P, and T – as distinct from the softer vowel sounds of letters such as A, E, I, O, and U.

redbtn The repeated sound is often (but not always) at the beginning of words.


Examples

She sells sea shells on the sea shore

‘Tinker, tailor, soldier, sailor’

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled pepper


Use

redbtn Alliteration is used for emphasis or stylistic effect

redbtn It is featured heavily in children’s rhymes and popular poetry.

redbtn It is also used in the lyrics of popular songs, and in advertising.

redbtn NB! Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds, whereas assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds.

redbtn Alliteration is used a great deal (along with assonance) in children’s rhymes, because it emphasises rhythm and makes memorising easier.

Baa baa blacksheep

Have you any wool?

Yes sir, no sir.

Three bags full.

redbtn The same effect is used in advertising, so that slogans will stick in people’s minds:

Snap, crackle and pop

redbtn [Notice that this example also makes use of assonance and onomatopoeia.]

redbtn Alliteration is used much more in poetry than in prose. It is also used in song lyrics, football chants, and advertising jingles.

redbtn Alliteration also has a long and distinguished history. Middle English poetry was written in a verse form which featured the repetition of consonants within the line:

In a somer season, whan soft was the sonne

I shope me in shroudes, as I a shepe were

[PIERS PLOWMAN]

redbtn Take care not to use alliteration where it is not appropriate — in formal writing for instance. In such cases, it can have a distracting and irritating effect.

Self-assessment quiz follows >>>

© Roy Johnson 2003


English Language 3.0 program
Books on language
More on grammar


Filed Under: English Language Tagged With: Alliteration, English language, Grammar, Language

Alphabet to Email

May 22, 2009 by Roy Johnson

scholarly study of the history of writing and technology

What is the relationship between writing and technology – including the means by which it is produced? Is there a difference between writing with a quill on velum, a pen on paper, or onto a hard disk using a word-processor. Naomi Baron certainly thinks there is, and she brings considerable erudition from what seems to be an Eng. Lit. background to explore the issues. She begins with a pithy analysis of twentieth century theories of the relationship between the spoken and the written language, then goes on to show how the text as an object evolved – from scroll to codex to printed book, and the effect that this had on both the process of production and consumption of the text.

Alphabet to Email Taking the UK as her model, she traces the development of literacy in the UK from the eighth century, showing how literacy is linked to technology. She then discusses the development of the first writings in English up to the birth of print, pointing out that not all writers (including Shakespeare) embraced the technology of their time. Aristocrats writing in the early Renaissance thought it was vulgar to have one’s work printed and published. This leads into the history of notions of authorship – showing how plagiarism, quotation, and copyright are quite modern concepts. There’s lots of historical depth in her examination of the subject, and thought-provoking ideas emerge on almost every page. This is a serious, scholarly work, but readers eager for the email element promised in the title will have to be patient.

The next part of her study deals with the political, legal, and commercial history of book production and its effect on determining authorship and ownership of text. En passant she covers issues of literacy and how it is to be measured, the sociology of reading habits, and then the history of dictionaries in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. In the centre of the book, there’s a a lot on the history of the English Language and its development, spelling reform, the history of writing as a physical activity, and the rise of prescriptive grammar and ‘received pronunciation’ in the eighteenth century.

Then suddenly there is a chapter which seems to have come from nowhere. It explores the development of educational theory in American Universities and the rise of the ‘English Comp’ class. She gradually makes contact with what is supposed to be her subject when a consideration of online and collaborative writing – but by the time we get to the development of the WELL and Netscape it’s rather difficult to see where her argument is heading, though she does come back to authorship, ownership, and copyright in an age of compositional hypertext.

Then it’s back to classical Greece and Rome for a chapter on punctuation, retracing our steps via the Renaissance in a consideration of the relationship between writing, punctuation, and how the language is spoken. This section ends with a glance at the punctuation of email – which at least brings the promised subject back into view.

There is then a chapter on communication technology – from the semaphore and the telephone through to email. Are we there at last? Unfortunately not, for having arrived at this point, her discussion expires into very distanced, sociological, and general observations. There are some interesting questions explored. Must we answer email as we feel obliged to answer the phone? But this is a question of etiquette, not writing. There is very little on the most revolutionary writing tool – the word-processor – no analysis of concrete examples, and there are no insights offered which a regular emailer would not come across several times a day.

Her writing is fairly lively, though given the subject matter she occasionally makes some surprising gaffes – ‘who was the audience?’, ”nearly almost’, and ‘Piaget, the Swiss philosopher-come-mathematician’. The study arrives with a good bibliography and a full scholarly apparatus, though there’s an annoying system of notation which sends you through two layers of bibliographic reference to check her sources.

The value of this work is in its historical depth and the connections she reveals between the words on the page and the means of getting them there. She’s at her most interesting in the Renaissance, but she doesn’t in fact have much to say that’s new about electronic writing. Apart from observing that the online world presents new problems for those who communicate by writing, the most useful parts of her exposition are concerned with the distant past, not the present. Nevertheless, anyone interested in the relationship between writing and technology will probably want to read what she has to say about these issues- if only because she covers such a broad historical span.

© Roy Johnson 2001

Alphabet to Email   Buy the book at Amazon UK

Alphabet to Email   Buy the book at Amazon US


Naomi S. Baron, Alphabet to Email: How written English evolved and where it’s heading, London/New York: Routledge, 2001, pp.336, ISBN: 0415186862


More on digital media
More on technology
More on theory


Filed Under: Media, Theory Tagged With: Alphabet to Email, Electronic Writing, Language, Technology, Theory, Writing

An A-Z of Effective Vocabulary

January 17, 2010 by Roy Johnson

1001 words you need to know and use

I’m often amazed at the number of verbally articulate people who freeze up the minute the need to express themselves in writing.  They get a couple of words onto the page, and then seem to hit a blank wall. Alternatively, they might be asked to describe something they know perfectly well, and produce what looks like a note to the milkman. The unproven theory I offer to students to help them overcome this problem is that writing is like sport: you need to practice regularly to stay in shape. An A-Z of Effective Vocabulary is an antidote to this problem.

An A-Z of Effective VocabularyYou also need to have a vocabulary at your disposal that’s appropriate for the writing task at hand. That’s where this book is aiming to help. It’s a sort of specialist dictionary with extra supplements that act as guides for common writing tasks. The effective vocabulary items have been grouped for you in advance, according to your activity Here’s how it works.

You start from the point of having a common writing task. This could be any one of the following:

  • writing a report
  • drafting a business proposal
  • expressing your opinion
  • discussing a topic
  • describing an event
  • writing a CV and job application

First you consult the subject index, which lists the terms you might need according to your objective:

  • Application letters
  • Describing events
  • Essays and term papers
  • Evaluation reports
  • Funding bids
  • Interview techniques

and so on. Here you find listed a selection of vocabulary items which are likely to be effective. For instance, in the section for writing CVs, you are offered able, accomplish, accredited, accurate, achieve ,active, adapt and so on.

If you are writing a report, you will find a list of words you could use in your report, to help present your explanation or argument in a persuasive way. For example, you could choose accurate, compelling, enterprise or significant. By then turning to the main A-Z sequence you will find guidance on the meaning and use of these words.

This is, in one sense, the most important part of the book, where you are invited to learn the subtle shades of meaning which attach to words. You are also given examples of their use in different contexts to illustrate these distinctions.

objective adjective, noun
adjective not influenced by personal opinions or feelings, but considering only the facts: There’s little objective evidence to suggest that he is guilty • It’s hard for parents to be objective about their own children • noun something you are trying to achieve: What is the main objective of this project? • You must set realistic aims and objectives for yourself.
Usage objective, goal or target? See target. Usage The opposite of objective is subjective, ‘based on your own ideas or opinions rather than facts and therefore sometimes unfair’: a highly subjective point of view • Everyone’s opinion is bound to be subjective.
Word family objectively adverb Try to weigh up the issues as objectively as you can. objectivity noun: The survey’s claims to scientific objectivity are highly dubious.

Also included is a guide to pronunciation – which is particularly useful for words such as penchant which are of foreign origin. This is a curious book, but one which writers who need assurance might find helpful. It’s the latest addition to the popular mini-series that includes the Oxford A-Z of Grammar and Punctuation, the Oxford Guide to Plain English, and the Oxford A-Z of Better Spelling.

Effective Vocabulary   Buy the book at Amazon UK

Effective Vocabulary   Buy the book at Amazon US

© Roy Johnson 2010


Martin H. Manser, An A-Z of Effective Vocabulary, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010, pp.166, ISBN: 0199560056


More on dictionaries
More on language
More on literary studies
More on writing skills
More on creative writing
More on grammar


Filed Under: Dictionaries, Language use, Writing Skills Tagged With: An A-Z of Effective Vocabulary, Dictionaries, Language, Reference, Writing skills

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • …
  • 16
  • Next Page »

Get in touch

info@mantex.co.uk

Content © Mantex 2016
  • About Us
  • Advertising
  • Clients
  • Contact
  • FAQ
  • Links
  • Services
  • Reviews
  • Sitemap
  • T & C’s
  • Testimonials
  • Privacy

Copyright © 2025 · Mantex

Copyright © 2025 · News Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in