"A kinder, funner usage guide to the ever-changing English language and a useful tool for both the grammar stickler and the more colloquial user of English, from linguist and veteran professor Anne Curzan. Our use of language naturally evolves and is a living, breathing thing that reflects who we are. Says Who? offers clear, nuanced guidance that goes beyond "right" and "wrong" to empower us to make informed language choices. Never snooty or scoldy...

Did you know that your answers to just a handful of questions can predict the zip code of where you grew up? In 2013, Josh Katz accumulated and visually mapped over 350,000 unique survey responses to questions about word choice and pronunciation throughout America. His dialect quiz quickly became the most viewed webpage in the history of the New York Times. In Speaking American, Katz offers a visual atlas of the American vernacular -- who says what,...

This dictionary defines more than 300 everyday words and includes an illustration and a sample sentence for each entry.

"Grasping the intricacies of the English language doesn't need to be tricky, and this down-to-earth guide breaks everything down in ways that make sense--Revealing rules, tips, and tricks to eliminate confusion and gain clarity, English Grammar For Dummies gives you everything you need to communicate with confidence! Good grammar lays the foundation for speaking and writing clearly. This easy-to-follow book will help you become a more articulate,...

Excerpt: "If somebody showed us a document which he said was an unpublished letter of Dr. Johnson's, and on reading it through we came across the word "telephone", we should be fairly justified in sending him about his business. The fact that there was no such thing as a telephone until many years after Johnson's death would leave no doubt whatever in our minds that the letter was not written by him. If we cared to go farther, we could say with equal...

"Simple, rhyming text and colorful cartoon cats help children understand adjectives in the 20th anniversary edition of this lighthearted book of verse. Updated with new back matter, a fresh design, and Try It! features"--

"Verbs are easier to show than explain! Luckily, this 20th anniversary edition is chock-full of them. Updated design elements, Try It! features, and brand-new back matter make this a must-have for readers learning about verbs"--

Language-in its communicative and playful functions, its literary formations and its shifting meanings-is a perennially fascinating topic. C. S. Lewis's Studies in Words explores this fascination by taking a series of words and teasing out their connotations using examples from a vast range of English literature, recovering lost meanings and analyzing their functions. It doubles as an absorbing and entertaining study of verbal communication, its pleasures...

Simple text and repetition of the letter 'q' help readers learn how to use this sound. Additional features to aid comprehension include a word list for review, a note to parents and educators, and an introduction to the author.

Wacky sentences and colorful art present the phonics of short vowel sounds.