This work provides the basic information about grammar and punctuation that people need on a day-to-day basis. Arranged A to Z, it contains entries for standard grammatical terms as well as dealing with specific questions of usage.

Good spelling is fundamental to making the right impression with any type of writing; reports, homework, CVs, and letters all require correct spelling in order to get the message across in clear and straightforward English. Adaptable or adaptible? Definite or definate? Delirious or delireous? What is the difference between assent and ascent, dual and duel, or forbear and forebear? How do you make the plural of halo? Is it halos or haloes? Actually it's both, but not so for potato, the plural of which is potatoes. Knowing the difference between easily confusable words, making plurals, and adding endings are just some of the aspects of spelling that confront us with endless pitfalls. This easy-to-use A-Z guide does what no spellchecker can do: it gives immediate access not only to individual word spellings but also to general rules that will help you develop good spelling. The book covers the topics in simple and helpful terms and also offers advice on how to use apostrophes and hyphens, and the differences between British and American spelling. The core of the book is a list of over 2,000 words laid out for quick and easy reference. Based on evidence of misspelling gathered from real situations, this guide is the most useful and comprehensive help on spelling available. This new edition makes the benefits of the material more explicit to the general reader: better organization of the supplementary features, simplified and more transparent design, additional and updated content, and more clearly written rules.

This handy guide provides crystal-clear help with writing correctly and appropriately in everyday situations. Arranged alphabetically, the book contains concise entries with guidance on individual words and phrases, and longer entries on broader topics such as overused words, bullet points, and avoiding sexist language.

This accessible and unique approach to grammar comes in two parts: the first section consists of a practical guide on how to understand and use grammar successfully, and the second is an extensive A-Z glossary of grammatical terms. Ideal for both language students and anyone wanting to improve their use of English, it demystifies and explains these terms, while giving expert advice on how to construct sentences. * Chapters on sentences and clauses, nouns and pronouns, verbs, clause patterns, adverbials, multiple sentences, and more * Factboxes and writing tips give examples and clear explanations of problem topics such as adverb formation and the use of 'I and me' or 'so and such' * Diagrams break down passages of text, giving clear explanations on their sentence construction * Glossary terms include conjunction, future perfect 'tense', interrogative clause, is/are, passive voice, simple aspect, split infinitive, uncountable noun

Plain English is an essential tool for effective communication. Information transmitted in letters, documents, reports, contracts, and forms is clearer and more understandable when presented in straightforward terms. The Oxford Guide to Plain English provides authoritative guidance on how towrite plain English using easy-to-follow guidelines which cover straightforward language, sentence length, active and passive verbs, punctuation, grammar, planning, and good organization.This handy guide will be invaluable to writers of all levels. It provides essential guidelines that will allow readers to develop their writing style, grammar, and punctuation. The book also offers help in understanding official jargon and legalese giving the plain English alternatives.This guide gives hundreds of real examples and shows 'before and after' versions of texts of different kinds which will help readers to look critically at their own writing. Helpfully organized into 21 short chapters, each covering a different aspect of writing. Clearly laid out, and easy to use,the Oxford Guide to Plain English is the best guide to writing clear and helpful documents.

The Oxford Guide to Effective Writing & Speaking is the essential guide for everyone who needs to communicate clearly and effectively. It combines practical advice on specific writing and speaking tasks with detailed self-help chapters covering grammar, spelling, and the writing process itself.

The Oxford Dictionary of English Grammar is a straightforward and accessible A-Z guide to the diverse and often complex terminology of English grammar. It contains over 1,600 entries with clear and concise definitions, enhanced by numerous example sentences, as well as relevant quotations from the scholarly literature of the field. This second edition is written and edited by Professor Bas Aarts of University College London, writer of the acclaimed Oxford Modern English Grammar. It has been fully revised and updated, with particular attention paid to refreshing the example sentences included within the text. There are over 150 new entries that cover current terminology which has arisen since the publication of the first edition, and there are also new entries on the most important English grammars published since the start of the 20th century. Hundreds of new cross-references enhance the user-friendly nature of the text, and the list of works cited has been thoroughly updated to reflect the current state of the field. A short appendix of web links has been added. All in all, this Dictionary is an invaluable guide to English grammar for all students and teachers of the subject, as well as all those with an informed interest in the English language.

English grammar has changed a great deal since the beginning of the Twentieth Century, and it is a subject that can provide a complex minefield of uncertainties within the language. This accessible and comprehensive dictionary comes to the aid of both the general reader and the student or teacher, offering straightforward and immediate A-Z access to 1,000 grammatical terms and their meanings. All the currently accepted terms of grammar are included, as well as older, traditional names, controversial new coinages, and items from the study of other languages. Concise definitions of the wider subject of linguistics, including phonetics and transformational grammar, are accompanied by examples of language in use, and frequent quotations from existing works on grammar.

Covers written and spoken British and American English and reviews grammar, usage, punctuation, and phonetics