Plain words : a guide to the use of English

Author

• Gowers, Ernest

Additional Author(s)

-

Publisher

London: Penguin Books, 2015

Language

English

ISBN

9780241960349

Series

Subject(s)

• ENGLISH LANGUAGE-STYLE
• ENGLISH LANGUAGE-TERMS AND PHRASES
• VOCABULARY

Notes

. . Index: p. 281-289

Abstract

"Be short, be simple, be human." When Sir Ernest Gowers first wrote Plain Words, it was intended simply as a guide to the proper use of English for the Civil Service. Within a year, however, its humor, charm, and authority had made it a bestseller. Since then it has never been out of print. Six decades on, writer Rebecca Gowers has created a new edition of this now-classic work that both revises and celebrates her great-grandfather's original. Plain Words has been updated to reflect numerous changes in English usage, yet Sir Ernest's distinctive, witty voice is undimmed. And his message remains vital: our writing should be as clear and comprehensible as possible, avoiding superfluous words and clichés—from the jargon of "commercialese" to the murky euphemisms of politicians. In a new preface, this edition draws on an extensive private archive, previously hidden away in family cupboards and attics, to tell the story behind a book that has become an institution: the essential guide to making yourself understood.

Physical Dimension

Number of Page(s)

xxvii, 289 p.

Dimension

20 cm.

Other Desc.

-

Summary / Review / Table of Content

Preface --
1. Prologue --
2. A digression on legal English --
3. The elements --
4. Correctness --
5. The choice of words 1: introductory --
6. The choice of words 2: avoiding the superfluous word --
7. The choice of words 3: choosing the familiar word --
8. The choice of words 4: choosing the precise word --
9. The handling of words --
10. Punctuation --
11. Epilogue --
Appendix: Legal English cannot be pretty if it is to serve its purpose.

Exemplar(s)

#	Accession No.	Call Number	Location	Status
1.	02749/17	808 Gow P	Library - 8th Floor	Available