English Reference Book

PREFACEINTRODUCTION1. We offer this book as a reference on rules of grammar and syntax and on points ofstyle. Corrected exercises may refer students to specific pages or items in this book,thereby reducing the need for lengthy explanations in critiques. Errors will be annotated‘ER’, followed by the page number.2. We have attempted to give clear advice, but remember that the English language,like any living language, evolves and develops. What is rejected today may be acceptedin years to come; conversely, what is now admired may later meet with disapproval.3. We have not invented any rules of English, but have relied on the followingauthoritative sources:Fowler – Modern English UsageFowler and Fowler – The King’s EnglishGowers – The Complete Plain WordsPartridge – Concise Usage and AbusageRitter (Ed) – The Oxford Manual of StyleREFERENCES4. We refer many times to the Concise Oxford Dictionary (COD), which we recommendall students to buy.5. In addition you may find the following references useful:Roget – Thesaurus of English Words and PhrasesWeiner and Hawkins – The Oxford Guide to the English LanguageWeiner and Delahunty – The Oxford Guide to English UsageKingsley Amis – The King’s EnglishStrunk and White – The Elements of StylePRINTED AND DIGITAL VERSIONS6. This edition is available as a printed book and in digital form in portable documentformat (pdf) or as a web page (html). In the digital versions, hyperlinks are provided toaid navigation within the document. In particular, hyperlinks are provided from each entryin the Contents and the Index to the corresponding text. Hyperlinks to the Contents andto the Index are provided on the title page and in each chapter heading. Page referencesare uniform throughout the various versions.iii