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.

This handy guide provides the basic information about grammar and punctuation that people need on a daily basis. Arranged in an easy-to-use two-colour A-Z format, the book contains entries for standard grammatical terms and deals with specific questions of usage such as the difference between 'may' and 'might' or 'that' and 'which'.

Readers and writers of all levels will find the Oxford A-Z of English Usage essential. Based on Oxford's world-leading dictionary research programmes and contemporary language monitoring, and giving examples of real usage, this book provides the essential information about usage and correct English that is needed in practical, everyday situations. Arranged in A-Z sequence, it contains over 680 entries on issues of spelling, grammar, meaning and PC language that confuse people (e.g. licence / license; learning difficulties / mental handicap; fewer / less). In addition, there are more than 20 special feature articles on specific topics such as hyphenation or the use of Latin plurals, as well as commonly confused terms like Britain, Great Britain, the British Isles, England. With a fresh page design, the Oxford A-Z of English Usage gives the reader immediate and easy access to answers, by means of clear and coherent explanations and illustrations. It will prove the first port of call for any reader seeking clear, authoritative help with usage questions.

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.

If you need a quick and effective guide to correct English, then Oxford A-Z of English Usage is just what you are looking for, containing a gold mine of useful advice on a wide array of common writing and speaking problems. Based on Oxford's world-renowned dictionary research program and packed with vivid examples of real usage (and misusage) from contemporary sources, this guide provides essential information on the kind of issues writers face every day. Readers will find more than 600 entries arranged in alphabetical order, shedding light on common issues of uncertainty and confusion (affect / effect; compliment / complement; loath / loathe), on questions of punctuation and pronunciation, on grammatical terms, and much more. In addition, there are more than 20 special feature articles on specific topics such as abbreviation, euphemism, hyphenation, and folk etymology.

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.