Book Description
A critically acclaimed guide to English usage. Includes more than 2,300 entries presenting the history, analysis, and recommendations regarding noted usage controversies. Entries are illustrated with more than 20,000 quotations from prominent writers.
Customer Reviews:
Brilliant Writing Tool.......2007-06-13
This books is perhaps the most useful writing book to me as a published writer. In dictionary-like form, you can look up usage advice for specific words or broader topics like "split infinitive" and "agreement, subject-verb." The book provides detailed (and often quite interesting) historical context for entries, often tracing usage of the word back to its original meaning (e.g., "nee") or providing examples of English usage by prominent linguists or literary authors. Each entry boils down the accumulated evidence to advise the reader on what is the proper way to use a word or address an issue.
As someone who writes for a living, this is one of five books that I keep within arm's reach for quick access. (The other four are The Chicago Manual of Style 15th ed., Merriam Webster's Dictionary of Synonyms: A Dictionary of Discriminated Synonyms with Antonyms and Analogous and Contrasted Words, Fowler's Modern English Usage 3rd edition, and a general dictionary.)
I would definitely recommend this book. But keep in mind that it is not a traditional dictionary of words, but rather a guide on how to use words and grammar. Some of its recommendations go against commonly accepted rules or what you may have learned in school (e.g., split infinitives). However, this book backs up its conclusions with detailed analysis and historical examples, so you can actually defend non-conventional usage.
My only complaints are that it has not been updated since 1994, and that there is no digital/on-line version.
MW- Dictionary of English Usage.......2007-03-26
If you already know a lot about English and want to know more about its usage and if you are prepared to encounter some complex and sophisticated sample sentences for the usages of the words that you use freely and without much care in your daily life, this book is for you... And also, I think , if you have a chance to get another usage book like Garner's American Usage, you can compare the usage styles offered in these books and get more detailed insight into perception of English thinking system... As many of you will know, Fowler's Modern English Usage is the leading resource on this usage issue; but MW is as comprehensive as Fowler's... And as a last sentence, if you are crazy enough about English, just buy these three usage books...
One of the best books on the English language.......2006-08-13
One thing needs to be clear before you buy this book: it is a dictionary, not a book of grammatical rules. That is, it is much more of a descriptive work than a prescriptive one. A lot of the reviewers here seem to take that to mean that it advocates some sort of linguistic anarchy, but what it really does is inform readers about the different aspects of various usage issues so that they can make an informed decision instead of blindly obeying the strictures in books like The Elements of Style. Everyone serious about the English language should own a copy.
Fascinating but ultimately useless.......2006-08-01
There's lots of interesting historical information here, much of which is a welcome debunking of grammatical shibboleths -- almost six pages, for example, on "ain't", which was drummed out of the language by misguided schoolmarms. But the non-prescriptive approach has its own problems. The authors can describe usage, but they can offer little in the way of guidance, other than namby-pamby advice beginning with "You may want to..."
Take, for example, the article on "impeach". After a discussion of how some people (some ignorant people, I would say) have misunderstood the meaning of the word, the authors advise: "If you need to use 'impeach' in your writing and wish not to be misunderstood, you had better phrase your context carefully." I suppose a good writer always takes into account the possibility of being misunderstood, but the authors almost seem to be warning us against using the word at all, because people like them are never going to pronounce on the right way to use it.
Tackling the question of "impact" as a verb, the authors go out of their way to show that it's never been really wrong to use it in this way. Their early citations, however, clearly show the word being used in the sense of "strike", a sense in which it was useful. As for the current watered-down sense of "affect", the authors state that "it is too late now for complaint to prevent the establishment of this use". No one can argue with the truth of that; but the question is, if the grammarians and teachers of twenty years ago had complained more loudly, might not this usage have been stopped in its tracks, just as "irregardless" was?
Language does change, but there are many good arguments for conservatism, not the least of which is the loss of clarity and understanding that comes about when usage drifts aimlessly. By all means let's not have artificial rules (like the one I learned in school, that "continual" and "continuous" had different meanings even if no one could remember what they were). But let's have rules, because without them there is no common ground. This book is far more interested in validating sloppy usage than in correcting it.
The best usage guide for business writers.......2005-03-16
Usage guides cover the etiquette of language, from when you can split infinitives to whether you can say prioritize. Of the many usage guides available, I recommend this one for its clarity and thoroughness. It's on the short list of recommended resources in my book The McGraw-Hill 36-Hour Course in Business Writing and Communication.
Average customer rating:
- A bargain for such a useful tool
- arm floaties not a life raft
- Tightly packed like a book on commas and semicolons and more should be!
- Excellent
- all you need
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Merriam-Webster's Guide to Punctuation and Style
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Merriam-Webster's Everyday Language Reference Set
ASIN: 0877799210 |
Book Description
New edition! Quick answers to questions about pronunciation, capitalization, plurals, and quotations. A guide to copyediting and proofreading. Special sections of word usage and grammar. Instructions for preparing notes and bibliographies.
Customer Reviews:
A bargain for such a useful tool.......2007-06-09
For the price you'll pay for this book you can hardly afford not to have it by your side when writing, editing or proofreading. I use it for all three of the aforementioned tasks. While your computer may be constantly connected to the internet, sometimes it's just easier to pick up an actual reference book and find the answer you need.
In the case of this little reference book (just the size of a paperback novel) you'll discover it's easy to lookup your question in the index and then quickly find the information you need. They layout and font face that was used makes this guide read almost like a dictionary. In other words, it is designed for reading short sections and presents the grammar rules in a lean format that is perfect.
This book shares space on my desk with my Oxford Dictionary of Current English:
Oxford Dictionary of Current English
And also my beloved copy of the 11th Merriam-Webster's Collegiate dictionary:
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary
And as noted above... for the price you'll pay, the Merriam-Webster's guide is more than good value for your money.
arm floaties not a life raft.......2007-05-18
The guide is helpful for basic grammer needs. Essentially, it will help you stay afloat if you have the periodic question or need a refresher, but it wont save you if you are completely lost in terms of grammer rules. It doesn't offer enough examples to fully explain the grammar rules, and sometimes is ambiguious (i.e usually you do "x", but it is also okay to "y" or "z").
Tightly packed like a book on commas and semicolons and more should be!.......2006-07-21
The complexity of the subject(s) makes for a bit of confusion, but it is all in here. My copy is already dog-eared after only a couple of days in my possession and pretty constant use. It is much easier to use than the huge volumes of similar advice that once stood on their own tables at the local library. Already I have bookmarks throughout it.
Excellent.......2005-08-18
This is an excellent book for those who are seeking a quick and efficient guide to punctuation.
all you need.......2002-07-30
This guide is not cute, sexy or fun. However, it has all the style and grammar guide you need. It doesn't try to amuse so its free to give you the rules and useful examples of them in practice. The price is excellent as well. I keep one copy next to me whenever I write.
Amazon.com
Merriam-Webster's Concise Dictionary of English Usage is a dictionary. It is not a usage guide. It is not Fowler, or Partridge, or Bernstein (nor, at 799 pages, is it exactly concise, but that's another matter). Unlike those eminent watchdogs of the English language, the editors of this volume are record-keepers, chronicling the way language is used, not the way it should be used. Based on Merriam Webster's Dictionary of English Usage, this book cites the classic English-language specialists generously but finds its true course by observing actual contemporary usage. Take the word discomfit, for example, the meaning of which (to thwart, foil, or frustrate) is staunchly defended in many usage guides. Sorry, says Merriam-Webster. Their survey says that the use of the word as a synonym to discomfort is so entrenched as to have become "thoroughly established" as the most prevalent meaning. Though the editors of this book are more reporters than campaigners, their prose is eminently readable, charming, and even, like that of the best usage enforcers, quirky. For instance, the word data, they claim, is a "queer fish," while errata "leads a double life," and yclept is "peculiar-looking." --Jane Steinberg
Book Description
A handy guide to problems of confused or disputed usage based on the critically acclaimed Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of English Usage. Over 2,000 entries explain the background and basis of usage controversies and offer expert advice and recommendations.
Customer Reviews:
For anyone who works with words.......2002-09-07
Merriam-Webster's Concise Dictionary Of English Usage: The Essentials Of Clear Expression is a well organized, extremely practical, "user friendly" writer's reference. More than 2,000 extensive and meticulous entries discuss the nuances in the daily uses, both historical and present, of commonly confused words in the English language. Enhanced with a multi-page bibliography, Merriam-Webster's Concise Dictionary Of English Usage is a solid and highly recommended guide for anyone who works with words as a core aspect of their career.
Definition of Concise?.......2002-06-21
I was really disappointed with this book. I like words and I enjoy etymology. The precise word can make a poignant statement when used with stiletto accuracy. But, this book is babble using quotes to describe common and contrasting usage of a word. It has all the means but no end. There is nothing concise about this book.
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Merriam-Webster's Pocket Guide to Punctuation: Flexible paperback (Pocket Reference Library)
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The Broadview Pocket Guide to Writing
ASIN: 0877795177 |
Book Description
New edition! A practical personal writing adviser. Coverage includes punctuation, capitalization, possessives, and compound words, with a special chapter on quotations. Students will especially appreciate guidance on preparing footnotes, endnotes, and bibliographies.
Book Description
New! An A-Z guide to finding rhymes. Includes 55,000 words. The easy-to-use alphabetical listing of rhyming sounds will help create fresh expressions for the poet or language lover. Includes one-, two-, and three-syllable rhymes.
Customer Reviews:
Another really "good thing in a small package".......2007-01-10
This pocket-sized rhyming dictionary rivals the quality and scope of the full-sized one that I have on my bookshelf. This is the perfect tool -- or gift -- for the poet, songwriter or rapper who is on the go. It is very user-friendly, even providing variant spellings of a given sound to help the writer find the perfect rhyme.
The BEST Rhyming Dictionary I own!.......2006-09-21
When I bought the Merriam-Webster's Pocket Rhyming Dictionary I also bought two other rhyming dictionaries. The Merriam-Webster dictionary was by far the BEST (even though the others were regular sized--the pocket one was still more useful)! Easy to use, and small--it's perfect for any poet, song-writer, or Dr. Seuss wanna-be!
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The Merriam-Webster Dictionary of English Usage
Manufacturer: Merriam-webster, Inc.
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ASIN: B000K78F14 |
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The definitive guide to modern English usage.
Book Description
Quick answers to common usage problems. Over 1,500 entries. Includes Grammar Glossary and Guide to Punctuation. Clear advice regarding confusing words, disputed usages, and alternative spellings.
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Langenscheidt's Pocket Merriam Webster Guide to English Usage (Langenscheidt's Pocket Merriam Webster Guide to English Usage)
Manufacturer: Langenscheidt Publishers
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ASIN: 1585733458 |
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Provides quick answers to common usage problems. This pocket guide to English Usage featuresmore than 150 illustrations, 65,000 entries and 70,000 definitions.
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Webster's New Explorer Guide to English Usage
Manufacturer: Federal Street Press
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ASIN: 189285967X |
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Webster's New Explorer Dictionary of Synonyms & Antonyms is a unique resource for those looking to expand their vocabulary and improve their communication skills. Many words have meanings shared by a group of synonyms, yet they are not always interchangeable. This user-friendly dictionary defines and compares like words, and shows the correct use of each synonym in a phrase or sentence. Having the ability to identify the best word to express your thoughts adds spark and clarity to your writing and speaking.
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Merriam-Webster's Concise Dictionary of English Usage.(Book Reviews): An article from: Technical Communication
Karen Lane
Manufacturer: Society for Technical Communication
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Release Date: 2005-07-31 |
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This digital document is an article from Technical Communication, published by Society for Technical Communication on May 1, 2004. The length of the article is 1173 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Merriam-Webster's Concise Dictionary of English Usage.(Book Reviews)
Author: Karen Lane
Publication:
Technical Communication (Refereed)
Date: May 1, 2004
Publisher: Society for Technical Communication
Volume: 51
Issue: 2
Page: 306(3)
Distributed by Thomson Gale
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