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One day in the life of the English language : a microcosmic usage handbook / Frank L. Cioffi.

By: Material type: TextTextPublisher: Princeton, New Jersey : Princeton University Press, [2015]Description: xviii, 355 pages ; 19 cmContent type:
  • text
Media type:
  • unmediated
Carrier type:
  • volume
ISBN:
  • 0691165076 (hardcover : alk. paper)
  • 9780691165073 (hardcover : alk. paper)
Subject(s):
Contents:
Introduction -- Actants, actions, ongoing states : nouns, verbs, and the sentences they form -- Words that modify and orient : adjectives, adverbs, conjunctions, prepositions, articles, interjections -- Who is he/she? : pronouns -- Punctuation, part I : the comma-- promiscuous uses -- Punctuation, part II : the colon, semicolon, and more mysteries of punctuation -- Diction : sentences as clockwork -- Appendix I. Fifteen myths of digital-age English -- Appendix II. Using this book to teach college writing : a microguide -- Fifty key terms : a microglossary.
Summary: "Using real-world sentences rather than invented ones, One Day in the Life of the English Language gives students the motivation to apply grammatical principles correctly and efficiently. Frank Cioffi argues that proper form undergirds effective communication and ultimately even makes society work more smoothly, while nonstandard English often marginalizes or stigmatizes a writer. He emphasizes the evolving nature of English usage and debunks some cherished but flawed grammar precepts. Is it acceptable to end a sentence with a preposition? It is. Can you start a sentence with a conjunction? You can. OK to split an infinitive? No problem. A grammar and usage handbook like no other, One Day in the Life of the English Language features accessible chapters divided into 'Fundamentals,' 'Fine Tuning,' and 'Deep Focus,' allowing readers to select a level most suited to their needs. It also includes a glossary, a teachers' guide, and a section refuting some myths about digital-age English."--Publisher's Web site.
Holdings
Item type Home library Collection Call number Materials specified Status Date due Barcode Item holds
Adult Book Adult Book Dr. James Carlson Library NonFiction 428.2 C576 Available 33111008191484
Adult Book Adult Book Main Library NonFiction 428.2 C576 Available 33111007973007
Total holds: 0

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

A one-of-a-kind handbook that uses a day in the life of written English to illustrate the benefits of effective grammar

Generations of student writers have been subjected to usage handbooks that proclaim, "This is the correct form. Learn it"--books that lay out a grammar, but don't inspire students to use it. By contrast, this antihandbook handbook, presenting some three hundred sentences drawn from the printed works of a single, typical day in the life of the language--December 29, 2008--tries to persuade readers that good grammar and usage matter.

Using real-world sentences rather than invented ones, One Day in the Life of the English Language gives students the motivation to apply grammatical principles correctly and efficiently. Frank Cioffi argues that proper form undergirds effective communication and ultimately even makes society work more smoothly, while nonstandard English often marginalizes or stigmatizes a writer. He emphasizes the evolving nature of English usage and debunks some cherished but flawed grammar precepts. Is it acceptable to end a sentence with a preposition? It is. Can you start a sentence with a conjunction? You can. OK to split an infinitive? No problem.

A grammar and usage handbook like no other, One Day in the Life of the English Language features accessible chapters divided into "Fundamentals," "Fine Tuning," and "Deep Focus," allowing readers to select a level most suited to their needs. It also includes a glossary, a teachers' guide, and a section refuting some myths about digital-age English.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 329-349) and index.

Introduction -- Actants, actions, ongoing states : nouns, verbs, and the sentences they form -- Words that modify and orient : adjectives, adverbs, conjunctions, prepositions, articles, interjections -- Who is he/she? : pronouns -- Punctuation, part I : the comma-- promiscuous uses -- Punctuation, part II : the colon, semicolon, and more mysteries of punctuation -- Diction : sentences as clockwork -- Appendix I. Fifteen myths of digital-age English -- Appendix II. Using this book to teach college writing : a microguide -- Fifty key terms : a microglossary.

"Using real-world sentences rather than invented ones, One Day in the Life of the English Language gives students the motivation to apply grammatical principles correctly and efficiently. Frank Cioffi argues that proper form undergirds effective communication and ultimately even makes society work more smoothly, while nonstandard English often marginalizes or stigmatizes a writer. He emphasizes the evolving nature of English usage and debunks some cherished but flawed grammar precepts. Is it acceptable to end a sentence with a preposition? It is. Can you start a sentence with a conjunction? You can. OK to split an infinitive? No problem. A grammar and usage handbook like no other, One Day in the Life of the English Language features accessible chapters divided into 'Fundamentals,' 'Fine Tuning,' and 'Deep Focus,' allowing readers to select a level most suited to their needs. It also includes a glossary, a teachers' guide, and a section refuting some myths about digital-age English."--Publisher's Web site.

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