Mind the Gaffe by R L Trask

Mind the Gaffe by R L Trask

Regular price
Checking stock...
Regular price
Checking stock...
Summary

Exasperated by marking exam scripts, the author checked some 2500 of the most common errors his students made. The result is this guide which points the reader to pitfalls in English and how to avoid them, written with wit and panache. Correct usage, spelling and grammar are all covered.

The feel-good place to buy books
  • Free US shipping over $15
  • Buying preloved emits 41% less CO2 than new
  • Millions of affordable books
  • Give your books a new home - sell them back to us!

Mind the Gaffe by R L Trask

What is the difference between "imminent" and "immanent"? When is it appropriate to use the phrase "Hobson's choice"? Can anything be described as "very real"? There are so many obstacles on the way to writing clear, precise ("accurate"?) English ("english"?) that it is a wonder ("wander"?) anyone ("anyone" or "any one"?) can make themselves understood. In this guide, Professor Larry Trask gives advice on how to write simply and effectively and to avoid blunders and howlers which might otherwise leave your readers either bemused or rolling on the floor with laughter. He also adjudicates on hundreds of contentious issues (should "aggravate", for example, only be used in its strict meaning of "make worse"), helps the reader decide when it is appropriate to use British or American spelling ("millipede" or "millepede") and warns of the dangers which careful writers might encounter with e-mail. The result is a book that should be of use to all writers who want quick, sound advice on making their prose as readable and clear as possible.
Professor Trask has taught in the School of Cognitive and Computing Science at the University of Sussex since 1988. He is the author of many books on language and lingusitics including THE PENGUIN GUIDE TO PUNCTUATION and THE PENGUIN DICTIONARY OF ENGLISH GRAMMAR.
SKU Unavailable
ISBN 13 9780140292374
ISBN 10 0140292373
Title Mind the Gaffe
Author R L Trask
Series Penguin Reference Books S
Condition Unavailable
Binding Type Hardback
Publisher Penguin Books Ltd
Year published 2001-08-02
Number of pages 320
Cover note Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.