The Columbia Guide to Standard American English

Fülszöveg

"As a journalist who is forever searching for the best word or the most descriptive phrase, I find this Guide to Standard American English to be an extraordinarily valuable tool." —^Judy Woodruff
The MacNeil/Lehrer Newshour
"Language changes, but the need for clear communication remains constant. This new guide helps considerably." —Allen Rosenshine
Chairman and CEO, BBDO Worldwide
"A very useful and wide-ranging reference."
—Casey Miller and Kate Swift Authors of The Handbook of Nonsexist Writing
THE ONLY COMPREHENSIVE AMERICAN USAGE BOOK
"Standard American English usage is linguistic good manners, sensitively and accurately matched to context—to listeners or readers, to situation, and to purpose. . . . The Columbia Guide to Standard American English is unique in showing systematically how today's language is appropriately used in five levels of Standard American speech, ranging from the most relaxed conversation to the most elevated public address, and in three levels of... Tovább

Fülszöveg

"As a journalist who is forever searching for the best word or the most descriptive phrase, I find this Guide to Standard American English to be an extraordinarily valuable tool." —^Judy Woodruff
The MacNeil/Lehrer Newshour
"Language changes, but the need for clear communication remains constant. This new guide helps considerably." —Allen Rosenshine
Chairman and CEO, BBDO Worldwide
"A very useful and wide-ranging reference."
—Casey Miller and Kate Swift Authors of The Handbook of Nonsexist Writing
THE ONLY COMPREHENSIVE AMERICAN USAGE BOOK
"Standard American English usage is linguistic good manners, sensitively and accurately matched to context—to listeners or readers, to situation, and to purpose. . . . The Columbia Guide to Standard American English is unique in showing systematically how today's language is appropriately used in five levels of Standard American speech, ranging from the most relaxed conversation to the most elevated public address, and in three levels of Standard American writing, ranging from the most informal of personal notes to the most formal of printed publications."
—From Kenneth Wilson's Introduction
Among the samples you'll find inside:
perk («.) (plural: perks) is the clipped form of perquisite (which see). It's slang, so limit it to Informal or Conversational use: The perks of my job were worth more than the wages.
Try and, try to For generations, commentators have criticized try and, as in I'll try and see her tomorrow, preferring try to in such constructions. Both have been in constant use throughout the period, however, and the main difference is that try and is almost always limited to Casual and Impromptu levels and their written imitations, whereas try to is Standard, appropriate at all levels.
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY PRESS
NEW YORK

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J. he most rehable and entertammg guide to effective writing and speaking for Americans today, Kenneth Wilson's Columbia Guide to Standard American English belongs on the desk of everyone who uses our ever-changing language. This book will help you write and speak clearly and appropriately for a full range of purposes and audiences.
Unlike most writers on English usage (who so often reflect British practices) Wilson focuses on American English. In addition, this guide is the first to present a systematic, comprehensive view of our language—both spoken and written—as influenced by context. It provides the answers to such troublesome questions as:
• Should we split an infinitive?
• Should we say hopefully.^
• Should we end a sentence with a preposition?
• May we say can instead of may?
Wilson's answer most often begins "That depends on the context."
Even confident writers and accomplished speakers encounter tricky questions of usage. For example, what prepositions correctly follow the adjective different} What is the difference between bring and take? Wilson answers such questions—about word choice, meanings, pronunciations, spellings, grammatical forms and structures, and idiomatic expressions—in thousands of clear and concise entries.
(continued on back flap)
3T CONSUMER RECYCLED PAt
(continued from fro?it flap)
The Columbia Guide to Standard American English offers readily accessible advice about American English by providing:
• an A to Z format for quick reference;
• over 6,500 lively entries, more than any other usage book;
• sensible and useful suggestions based on current language practices;
• a convenient chart of levels of speech and writing geared to context;
• both descriptive and prescriptive entries for guidance, with thousands of examples;
• guidelines for nonsexist usage.
A vigorous assessment of how, at the end of the twentieth century, our language is best written and spoken and how we can use it most effectively, The Columbia Guide to Standard American English is the ideal handbook of language etiquette— friendly, sensible, reliable, and fun to read.
A member of the Linguistic Society of America and the Modern Language Association, KENNETH WILSON is University Professor of English, Emeritus, at The University of Connecticut, where he has been Head of the Department of English, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and Vice President for Academic Affairs. A consultant for the Standard College Dictionary and the National Endowment of the Humanities, he has also served on the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.
Printed in U.S.A. Vissza