|
Review
written by Thomas Simon
The Cambridge Guide to English
Usage is an essential book for anyone involved
with English language. Here's what the publishers say
in the blurb on Amazon:
| The
Cambridge Guide to English Usage is an A-Z reference
book, giving an up-to-date account of the debatable
issues of English usage and written style. Its advice
draws on a wealth of recent research and data from
very large corpora of American and British English
- illuminating their many divergences and also points
of convergence on which international English can
be based. The book comprises more than 4000 points
of word meaning, spelling, grammar and punctuation,
and larger issues of inclusive language, and effective
writing and argument. It also provides guidance
on grammatical terminology, and covers topics in
electronic communication and the internet. The discussion
notes the major dictionaries, grammars and usage
books in the USA, UK, Canada and Australia, allowing
readers to calibrate their own practices as required.
CGEU is descriptive rather than prescriptive, but
offers a principled basis for implementing progressive
or more conservative decisions on usage. |
600 pages packed full of usage entries
with extensive coverage that leaves you wondering why
a particular point was included, until you start to
realise that it is difficult to think of something that
has been omitted! It's the kind of book that helps you
sort out the nitty gritty of areas of usage when you
need them & then you find yourself straying to other
points & then to other pages until you've probably
forgotten why you picked it up in the first place. That
kind of book.
The Cambridge Guide to English
Usage is difficult book to review as you really
need to see it. It's a lovely reference book for the
study & the staffroom, & makes a great present.
Do make a point of finding it.
|
