Slips of speech

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Bechtel, John Hendricks, 1841-1915

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource : multiple file formats

Place of Publication:

Salt Lake City, UT : Project Gutenberg,

Summary:

"Slips of Speech" by John H. Bechtel is a guidebook on linguistic improvement written in the late 19th century. The text addresses common errors in everyday speaking and writing, aiming to aid anyone who aspires to refine their command of language. The opening of the book presents the author's rationale for creating a resource to address the pitfalls of language usage that pervade both speech and writing. It reflects on the distinction between the natural genius of legendary writers like Homer and the need for systematic rules and guidelines that can help average individuals communicate more effectively. Bechtel discusses the importance of taste in language, establishing that good writing and speaking require careful choice and arrangement of words, as well as awareness of common mistakes. The introduction sets the stage for the detailed examination of various speech errors and recommendations for correction that follow in the subsequent chapters. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Contents:

Taste

Choice of words

Contractions

Possessive case

Pronouns

Number

Adverbs

Conjunctions

Correlatives

The infinitive

Participles

Prepositions

The article

Redundancy

Two negatives

Accordance of verb with subject.

Credits:

Jim Weiler, xooqi.com.

Notes:

Reading ease score: 76.2 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read.

Release date is 2004-01-01