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Orality and Literacy

July 13, 2009 by Roy Johnson

Speaking, Writing, Technology, and the Mind

Orality and Literacy has become a classic since it was first published in 1982. It is concerned with the differences between oral and literary cultures. In making this exploration, it throws light onto the essential elements of writing which will be of interest to anyone concerned with the process at a theoretical or deeper level. It starts with the observation that speech and writing are two separate systems, and that ‘oral literature’ is a contradiction in terms. Much of the early argument deals with the issues of ‘authorship’ of Homer’s two epics The Odyssey and The Iliad. Were they written or spoken?

Orality and LiteracyHe suggests a fundamental difference in oral culture and its dependence on formulas, cliche, and kennings. Not an oak tree, but ‘the noble oak’; not the Mediterranean, but ‘the wine dark sea’. He also makes interesting use of the work of the Soviet psychologist Luria [also recommended by neurologist Oliver Sacks] to demonstrate the non-abstract thinking of people in oral cultures.

You’ve got to be prepared for some abstract but often delightful language in his expression. Terms such as ‘verbomotor lifestyle’, ‘chirographic culture’, and ‘noetic economy’ nestle alongside some compressed reflections on language, time, space, and our sense of self.

The second part of the book deals with the relationship between consciousness, writing, and technology from the relatively recent 3500 BC onwards. He explains the importance of the alphabet (a one-off invention) and even argues that writing down words – as distinct from speaking them – has an effect on our thought process.

without writing, human consciousness cannot achieve its true potential, cannot produce … beautiful and powerful creations

His comments on the relationship between writing and the body (headings, chapters, footers) are wonderfully suggestive, as are his observations on the fictionality of the addressee in personal diaries. He also dives into the pedagogical debates on language, arguing cogently that whilst all dialects are potentially equal in that they must use the same grammar, it is bad practice not to urge exposure to the full grapholect of the written language, which has “infinitely more resources”

En passant, there’s a very good account of classical rhetoric (antinomasia, paradiastole) which explains why this was important to classical Greeks. He even has an explanation for the importance of female authors in the rise of the novel.

Next comes the importance of space in the rise of print, and the origin and significance of things we take for granted – such as title and content pages, indexes, paragraphs, even page numbers. These further separate print from oral culture and make the book less of a recording of something spoken, more an object in its own right.

The latter parts of the book take his observations into the realm of literature and criticism, using the examples of narrative, closure, and character to illustrate the changes from an oral to a print culture.

He ends with what he calls ‘theorems’ – topics for further consideration in the orality-literacy shift. These include literary history, New Criticism, Structuralism, Deconstruction, and Reader-response Theory.

This is a book which throws off thought-provoking ideas on every page. It has been inexplicably out of print for some time. If you are interested in the psychology or the philosophy of what it means to produce writing on paper or screen – get a copy now.

© Roy Johnson 2005

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Walter J. Ong, Orality and Literacy, London: Routledge, 2002, pp.204, ISBN: 0415281294


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Filed Under: Theory Tagged With: Language, Orality and Literacy, Theory, Walter Ong, Writing, Writing Theory

Oxford A-Z of English Usage

June 2, 2009 by Roy Johnson

short guide to intermediate language skills

Do you know the past tense of the verb to dive? Is it dived or dove? Don’t worry – most other native English speakers wouldn’t know either. The same is true of the verb to dream. Is it dreamed or dreamt? That’s slightly less of a worry – because both options are correct. This guide offers straightforward, up-to-date guidance on questions of English usage, all affecting the language we choose.

Oxford A-Z of English Usage Common confusions such as uninterested and disinterested are explained, differences between British and American practice are highlighted, and it takes a realistic attitude towards famous examples such as splitting infinitives, ending a sentence with a preposition, and when it is correct to say you and me or you and I.

There are highlighted mini-essays on issues such as case agreement, Latin plurals, and the endlessly vexed issue of -ise and -ize. Editor Jeremy Butterfield also deals with issues for writers, such as how to punctuate bulleted lists.

There’s a strong element of political correctness at work here in definitions to do with race, colour, and disability, yet he doesn’t offer alternatives to the contractions BC and AD, and he suggests that the equivalent of African-American in the UK is black, which some people might challenge.

There’s an interesting section on what he calls ‘electronic English’, and he does his best to reveal folk etymologies – explaining where and why an expression has become distorted and replaced the original – as in slight of hand, which has successfully transplanted the original sleight of hand.

He takes the trouble to distinguish terms which are often confused in English because their spellings are so similar, and they are very often pronounced almost identically – such as discrete and discreet. And he unravels words which are often mistaken for each other – such as blatant and flagrant.

I would say that this is a book for intermediate to advanced users of English – writers, editors, and students who want to make an effort to get things right. It’s the latest addition to a series which includes Oxford A-Z of Grammar and Punctuation, Oxford A-Z of Spelling, and the Oxford Guide to Plain English – all of which have been very successful.

© Roy Johnson 2007

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Jeremy Butterfield, Oxford A—Z of English Usage, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2007, pp.172, ISBN: 0199231532


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Oxford A-Z of Spelling

July 14, 2009 by Roy Johnson

beginner’s guide to the basics of good spelling

Did you know that yogurt can also be spelled yoghurt or even yoghourt? All three are correct. English spelling is notoriously irregular and can be downright difficult. It’s because our huge vocabulary (the world’s biggest) is made up of words from so many other languages. Don’t feel bad if you need to look up inoculate, haemorrhage and the rule-breaking weird. But if you want to improve your spelling skills, you’ll be well served by the short guide Oxford A-Z of Spelling in the new series from OUP.

Oxford A-Z of Spelling It explains all the basics without going into a lot of off-putting technicalities and jargon. In one sense it is rather like a Dictionary of Difficult Words: it includes 2,000 commonly misspelled (or mis-spelled or mis-spelt) words and hundreds of spelling tips to help you understand the basic rules – and why there are so many exceptions to them. It starts off with guidance notes on how to form plurals, how prefixes and suffixes work, and how to recognise all the irregular cases and exceptions. Then there’s that nagging bugbear of the insecure, the apostrophe – as in Dickens’s novels and men’s clothing

The main entries of the book are an alphabetical listing of common but difficult words, ranging from abattoir to zoos, with a note on what to look out for, and words of a foreign origin signaled to explain unusual spellings.

advise verbUnlike most verbs ending in -ise advise cannot be spelled with an -ize ending. See centre pages for other verbs that always end in -ise.
! Do not confuse advise with advice. Advise is a verb meaning ‘suggest that someone should do something’ (I advised him to leave) whereas advice is a noun that means ‘suggestions about what someone should do’ (Your doctor can give you advice on diet).

These main entries are punctuated by an explanation of beginnings and endings: for- or fore-? -able or -ible? -ance or -ence?. There’s an explanation of grammatical terms, notes on American spelling, and how hyphens are used to form compounds, as in black-haired girl and pick-me-up.

Because the words have been chosen for their irregular or difficult spelling, the book makes a surprisingly interesting read. And I suddenly realised whilst surfing the entries that it also doubles up nicely for use as a spelling quiz. Firmly recommended – especially for beginners.

© Roy Johnson 2007

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Catherine Soanes and Sheila Ferguson, Oxford A—Z of Spelling, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2007, pp. 160, ISBN: 0199233470


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Oxford BBC Guide to Pronunciation

July 14, 2009 by Roy Johnson

essential handbook of the English spoken word

How do you pronounce the word controversy? Is it kohn-trov-ersy, or kohn-trov-ersy? And how about schedule – do we say shed-yool, or sked-yool? Pronunciation can be something of a minefield in the UK – especially when it is also linked to class accent and language usage. The Oxford BBC Guide to Pronunciation is is an ideal source for finding out how to pronounce controversial or difficult words and foreign names. Expert guidance is given on how to pronounce 15,000+ less-than-usual terms.

Oxford BBC Guide to Pronunciation Entries run from Aachen and Aalvar Alto, via Maastricht and the Mabinogion, to Zyklon B and zymurgy (which is a type of fermentation, just in case you wondered). There’s a guide to how the word should sound shown by splitting it into its stressed and unstressed parts, then by showing it written in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA).

The compilers of this guide – both experts from the BBC’s pronunciation unit, have opted to give just one recommended pronunciation for each term. But if there are serious contenders as alternatives, these are listed too. And the guide to how words should be spoken is based on received pronunciation.

Yet we can no longer really call it ‘BBC English’ – and for very good reasons. The BBC has been forced to use more and more people with non-standard accents as announcers. Now it is quite common for someone with a regional accent to be reading the news (Huw Edwards for instance), or commenting on political matters (as does Newsnight reporter Paul Mason – who is from the same part of the north as me).

What do you do with those people who seek to aggrandise themselves by adopting idiosyncratic pronunciations for their own names? – that is, the Cole-in Powells and Anthony Poles of this world. Why not Cole-in Pole? The editors politely sidestep this issue by observing of the American general that “The unusual pronunciation for the first name is his own” – though no such note is made on the surname of the English novelist and toff.

It has often been rumoured that during the second world war the British government tested suspect German spies (who were claiming to be English) by inviting them to discuss people with weirdly aberrant English family names. I was amazed to find that these had even more variations than I knew:

Featherstonehaugh British family name

feth-uhr-stuhn-haw
fan-shaw
fest-uhn-haw
fee-suhn-hay
feer-stuhn-haw

A great deal of the substance here is how to pronounce foreign terms, and in fact there are special panels which deal with the pronunciation of other languages, ranging from Arabic to Welsh. The entries have been chosen to reflect themes and topics of contemporary relevance, and they include newly-researched material from the BBC’s pronunciation database.

© Roy Johnson 2006

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Oxford BBC Guide to Pronunciation, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006, pp.432, ISBN: 0192807102


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Filed Under: Dictionaries Tagged With: BBC, Communication, Dictionaries, Language, Oxford BBC Guide to Pronunciation, Pronunciation, Reference books, speaking

Oxford Dictionary of Catchphrases

July 29, 2009 by Roy Johnson

sources of much-quoted words and phrases

Do the following catchphrases mean anything to you? Can I do you now, sir?, Shut that door!, Who loves ya, baby?, Bono Estente!, and Eat my shorts!. The more of these you know, the older you probably are. This Oxford Dictionary of Catchphrases offers explanations and the original sources of these and many other popular phrases, which in alphabetical terms range from accidento bizarro to Yada, yada, yada – coming from The Fast Show and Seinfeld respectively.

Oxford Dictionary of CatchphrasesAnna Farkas uses as her sources mainly films, television and radio shows, advertising, songs, and music hall acts. She provides full details of who coined or employed each phrase, when they used it, and in what context. Some are no more than a single word stressed in a particular way – such as Miss Piggy’s use of Moi? in The Muppets. This book will appeal hugely to fans of radio and television comedy on both sides of the Atlantic – because in addition to giving the source of a catchphrase, she also offers a potted explanation for its origin.

These explanations are almost as funny as the original, because they are written in a such a dead-pan style. Many of them also go on to provide fascinating details from the programmes and set an ideological context for popular culture.

Don’t mention the war
Spoken repeatedly by Basil Fawlty (John Cleese) in an episode of Fawlty Towers (1975-79). Cleese as the accident-prone hotel manager challenged the bounds of acceptability in British comedy by breaking into SS-style goose-stepping before a party of German guests. Although Basil keeps telling everyone ‘Whatever you do, don’t mention the war’, he seems unable to control himself, infuriating his guests by referring to the Second World War at every opportunity.

If you’ve seen any of these programmes, her flat descriptions somehow allow the humour to rise off the page again in a very satisfying way.

Amazingly rich sources are The Goon Show, Monty Python, The Fast Show, and there are a huge number of phrases and one-liners from David Letterman and Saturday Night Live.

One of the things I warmed to was the fact that she provides new summaries and explanations of sources which generate multiple catchphrases. So, if you’ve just read about Did she want it, sir? from The Fast Show, you get a different set of background details about the show when it comes to Does my bum look big in this?

There’s also lots of interesting trivia – such as who does the voice-overs in South Park and what happened to cartoonist Robert Crumb’s copyright on ‘Keep on Trukin’.

I might seem something of an anorak, but I read the whole collection from beginning to end. Guaranteed to make you smile.

© Roy Johnson 2003

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Anna Farkas, Oxford Dictionary of Catchphrases, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003, pp.357, ISBN: 0198607350


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Oxford Guide to Plain English

June 14, 2009 by Roy Johnson

how to simplify and clarify your writing

This is a new series from OUP – 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. Oxford Guide to Plain English is written by the research director of the Plain Language Commission.

Plain EnglishIt’s presented in a lively and professional manner, and Martin Cutts uses so many real-life examples you know he’s speaking from deeply-felt practical experience. He offers quick tips for creating a clearer style, better grammar, punctuation, and layout. He explains how to avoid jargon and legalese, and how to use plain English instead. And he has no patience with sloppy communication. For instance, have you ever received an official letter like the example he quotes from the DVLA?

I again return your application for renewal of road fund licence and reiterate the correct amount is £130. I have enclosed a photocopy of your original document you will notice it clearly datestamped 2nd December, some two days after Budget day.

Four mistakes in forty-three words is not bad going for a government [in the UK] which claims it is committed to increased efficiency and clarity of communication!

He shows you how to avoid this sort of thing – and how to replace mistakes with clear meaning. There are hundreds of real examples to show how it’s done, including ‘before’ and ‘after’ examples.

There’s a good list of contemporary cliches and expressions to avoid, including the Plain English expressions which can quite easily replace them.

The basic information is very sound. Sentences twenty words or less; plain words rather than elaborate vocabulary; vigorous and active verbs rather than the passive voice; bulleted lists to explain multiple points of argument; strict but minimalist punctuation; planning as an indispensable tool to good structure; and even avoiding too many grammatical rules.

It even includes advice on writing effective emails, and as an advocate of good spatial design in written communication, I was pleased to see that there was a whole section devoted to good layout.

Good value; good advice; and good format if you want something cheap and cheerful as a start-up or a pocket reference.

© Roy Johnson 2009

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Martin Cutts, Oxford Guide to Plain English, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 3rd edition 2009, pp. 272, ISBN: 0199558507


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Oxford Guide to Word Games

July 29, 2009 by Roy Johnson

puzzles, puns, acrostics, charades, and palindromes

If you like words, wordplay, and peculiarities of the English Language, you’ll love The Oxford Guide to Word Games. What is the difference between elephants and fleas? Answer: an elephant can have fleas, but fleas cannot have elephants. Each chapter deals with a different play on words – ranging from the lowly pun to extremely sophisticated word squares. And there are plenty of surprises along the way. I didn’t realise that charades started out in written, not acted form.

The Oxford Guide to Word Games There are also lots of unusual cases along the way, such as words which can be split into three and even four separate words – as when sometime becomes So-Met-I-Me. An acrostic is formed from the first letter of each line, but it can also be the last, and in more complex examples, elsewhere in the line, including ‘double acrostics’ in which the first and last letter (reversed) of each line are related to each other. The example given is attributed to Queen Victoria.

This leads into the immensely complicated world of word squares, which were the origin of the surprisingly recent (1913) crossword puzzle – now the most world-popular word game. This section actually teaches you how to solve common types of crossword clues.

There’s also a brief history of Scrabble – one of the most commercially successful word games. Here you get tips on how to increase your score, plus a consideration of rare and exotic words – zoae and qibla and more interestingly of the dictionaries that contain them.

The rebus seems to anticipate the text message by five thousand years or so, using a printed symbol to represent a phrase, as in If the gr8 B mt, put : – in other words, ‘If the grate be empty, put coal on’.

Palindromes can be single words (Eve) or sentences – as in the famous Madam, I’m Adam. The general quest seems to be for the longest palindromic utterance, but interestingly, sense recedes as the sentences lengthen, as this example begins to show – Marge lets Norah see Sharon’s telegram.

All sorts of word games are illustrated – pangrams, lipograms, and chronograms – many of which are no longer fashionable, but which retain a period charm. There’s also plenty on tongue-twisters, Spoonerisms, alphabet games, and malapropisms.

Prostitutes appeal to Pope
Doctor Fuchs off to South Pole
March planned for April

This is a witty and entertaining book which manages to include etymological scholarship alongside how to play lexical ping-pong or how to crack a rebus such as EGNC for Aegean Sea. It’s great fun for anyone interested in word play, etymology, and a fun and games approach to language.

© Roy Johnson 2003

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Tony Augarde, The Oxford Guide to Word Games, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003, pp.304, ISBN: 0198662645


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Oxford Guide to World English

August 4, 2009 by Roy Johnson

modern English language in use throughout the world

English is now effectively a global lingua franca. But even as it enlarges its influence, it is assimilated and changed by the nations where it comes to rest. Tom McArthur’s new Oxford Guide to World Englishis a survey of English both as a pre-eminent world language and as an increasingly divergent language. It is both a compendious work of reference and a very readable series of essays detailing the way in which the language is changing and growing as it spreads from one country to another.

Oxford Guide to World English Each section is structured in a similar manner. First there is a brief historical account of the region’s connection with the English language; then he offers notes and examples of peculiarities in pronunciation, grammar , and vocabulary.

These prefatory remarks are like mini-essays on language history and development. He explains how Old English became modern, how English changed when it reached America, and even how it changed as it moved westwards. He also explains the social and cultural forces which lead to the development of a language.

At the center of his five hundred pages he confronts the issues which will be of interest to the two biggest user groups – the differences between English English and American English. All the basics of ise/ize and colour/color are explained, as well as a detailed history of the expression OK. There is also coverage of the huge variety of immigrant languages which have enriched the American vocabulary.

The range of countries he covers is truly astonishing. They range from whole continents such as Australia and Africa, to tiny islands such as Tuvalu and Tristan da Cunha. He illustrates a range of dialects and languages, including UK dialects, Spanglish, Jamaican Creole, Chicano English, Maor English, and even Chinese English.

Oxford Guide to World English Even though it is based on sound scholarship, and comes with a very useful bibliography and chronology of English language development, the book is accessible for general readers, especially those interested in dialects and the history of world English. It will also be useful for students of A-level English Language in the UK and first-year undergraduates internationally; academics concerned with international English; and advanced foreign learners interested in developing an awareness of the differences in English around the world.

This is a wonderfully comprehensive resource which will appeal to anyone interested in language – and which OUP can justifiably feel proud to have produced.

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© Roy Johnson 2002


Tom McArthur, The Oxford Guide to World English, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002, pp.501, ISBN: 0198662483


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Oxford Modern English Grammar

April 19, 2011 by Roy Johnson

an anatomy of contemporary English language usage

Oxford Modern English Grammar is the Oxford University Press brand new and definitive guide to English grammar. It’s a book written by a leading expert in the field that covers both British and American English. and it makes use of authentic spoken and written examples. Arranged in four clear parts for ease of use, its comprehensive coverage ranges from the very basic to the most complex aspects of grammar, all of which are explained clearly yet authoritatively. As a source of reference it’s invaluable for those with an interest in the English language, undergraduate and postgraduate students, and it will be useful to anyone else who would like a clear guide to English grammar and how it is used.

Oxford Modern English GrammarThe author Bas Aarts warns that the book is descriptive, not proscriptive in approach.

Readers hoping to find confirmation that the so-called split infinitive is an odious manifestation of the decline of the English language – to give but one example of a common usage shibboleth – will be disappointed.

So – if it doesn’t provide a list of rules of what is and what’s not permissible – what does it have to offer? The answer is – an explanation of the basic principles and structures of English language as it is currently used. Arts begins by clearing the decks to establish the terms in which grammar can be discussed. And this means items as fundamental as what can be said about a single word and how it can be used – which immediately involves issues such as word classes, tense, mood, and the place in a sentence where the word is used.

Next comes the system of inflection which can modify words – which is mercifully (for non-Native learners) minimal in English language, making it easier to learn in its earlier stages at least. He also looks at the way in which new words can be formed or changed – by conversion, back-formation, clipping, and blending (he bagged the goods – recycling – flu – smog).

I was heartened to see that despite his descriptive approach, a firm emphasis was put on the necessity for a subject in a clear English statement, preferably at the start of the sentence or utterance. Statements such as deleted it manually do not begin to make any sense until they are preceded by I, she, or they.

There are entire chapters on tense and mood, which can be quite complex because of the way temporality and mood are constructed in English from strings of verbs – as in examples such as I will have been living here for five years – You might be about to realise that ….

This is a reference work, and just because it doesn’t offer proscriptive rules doesn’t mean that there are no mistakes or unacceptable uses in English. To say the painting was executed brilliant, with also vividly colours is just wrong, and no two ways about it.

There are appendices of irregular verbs (abide/abode/abided – lie/lay/lain) detailed references to sources, and suggestions for further reading on all topics. All the examples he chooses are taken from the database of the International Corpus of English held at University College London – a compilation of spoken and written English taken from living contemporary sources.

It has to be said that the coverage is thorough and rigorous, but very dry. It’s a series of internal principles which have been extracted and documented from contemporary usage. For advice on how to speak and write properly you would have to go elsewhere (such as here for instance). It’s a reference for the college library or the shelf of a linguist or a grammarian – if there are any of those around any more.

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© Roy Johnson 2011


Bas Aarts, Oxford Modern English Grammar, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011, pp.410, ISBN: 0199533199


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

Oxford Reference Grammar

August 2, 2009 by Roy Johnson

up-to-date guide to modern English grammar

This Oxford Reference Grammar guide is based on the most important chapters in Stanley Greenbaum’s authoritative work, The Oxford English Grammar. It is arranged thematically, starting from a description of the history of English language and grammar, then taking the major topics in turn – from words, phrases, and syntax, up to the point at which grammarians customarily stop – the sentence.

Oxford Reference GrammarThe explanations topics are broken up into small, easy-to-follow sections, and there is a full complement of bibliography, glossary, and comprehensive index. There is also a fussily detailed but ultimately useful numerical reference system. These are described as ‘links’ – a clear indication the influence hypertext and its language. It provides guidance on all word classes and word structures, including phrases, clauses, and sentences.

In line with contemporary attitudes to language studies, it takes a descriptive rather than a prescriptive attitude to grammar. That is, it describes how language is being used, rather than how somebody thinks it ought to be used. Each point is illustrated by quotations drawn from authentic spoken and written data. So a typical entry reads:

8.2.2 Adjectives that are predicative only

[17] Caroline is afraid Nellie’s attempts to get her to join in the nude dancing and runs off. [Jennifer Breen In Her Own Write]
[18] I was getting quite fond of him.
[19] Her office personality is a positive one; but she is not aware of this, any more than she is conscious of her breakfast-time vagueness. [W]

Many these predicative adjectives resemble verbs in their meanings: afraid ‘fear’, fond ‘like’, aware that ‘know that’.

It deals with all the standard difficulties in English, such as the issues who/whom, should/ought, that/which, and different from/to. Be warned however. Even though this is in handy paperback format, it’s not for beginners. You have to be prepared for sections labeled ‘Extraposition the postmodifier other than in the subject’, ‘Restrictive and non-restrictive modification’ and ‘Segregatory and combinatory coordination’.

It offers a compilation linguistic definitions and reference in a compact format which will be most useful for teachers language studies, students English language and linguistics, and lay readers who wish to understand some the niceties English grammar. It’s also worth saying that by covering the written and spoken language in both the UK and America, it is intended for English-speakers anywhere in the world.

© Roy Johnson 2000

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The Oxford Reference Grammar, (ed Edmund Weiner), Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000, pp.410, ISBN: 0198600445


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