The truth about English grammar / Geoffrey K. Pullum.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Pullum, Geoffrey K., author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

English--Grammar.

English.

English--Languages.

Physical Description:

xii, 189 pages ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

Cambridge, UK ; Hoboken, NJ : Polity Press, 2024.

Summary:

"Do you worry that your understanding of English grammar isn't what it should be? It may not be your fault. For hundreds of years, vague and confused ideas about how to state the rules have been passed down from one generation to the next. The available books for the general reader - thousands of them, shamelessly plagiarizing each other - repeat the same misguided definitions and generalizations that appeared in the schoolbooks used by your great-great-grandparents. Geoffrey K. Pullum thinks you deserve better. In this book he breaks away from the tradition. Presupposing no prior knowledge or technical terms, he provides an informal introduction to the essential concepts underlying grammar and usage. With his foundation, you will be equipped to understand the classification of words, the structure of phrases and clauses, and why some supposed grammar rules are really just myths. Also covered are some of the key points about spelling, apostrophes, hyphens, capitalization, and punctuation. Illuminating, witty, and incisive, The Truth About English Grammar is a vital book for all who love writing, reading, and thinking about English"-- Dust jacket flap.

Contents:

Preface

Notation guide

Introduction

Clauses, sentences, and phrases

Types of words

Clause types

Nouns and their phrases

Determinatives

Verbs

Adjectives

Adverbs

Prepositions

Coordinators, subordinators, and interjections

Content clauses

Tenseless subordinate clauses

Passive clauses

Relative clauses

Mythical grammar errors

Spelling and punctuation

Style

Further reading

Glossary

Index.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 171-177) and index.

ISBN:

1509560548

9781509560547

OCLC:

1414370496