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Essential English for Journalists, Editors and Writers (Pimlico) [Paperback]

Harold Evans , Crawford Gillan
4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
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Book Description

4 May 2000 0712664475 978-0712664479 2nd Revised edition

Essential English is an indispensable guide to the use of words as tools of communication. It is written primarily for journalists, yet its lessons are of immense value to all who face the problem of giving information, whether to the general public or within business, professional or social organisations.

FULLY REVISED AND UPDATED BY CRAWFORD GILLAN

RECOMMENDED BY THE SOCIETY OF EDITORS

(19991005)

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Product details

  • Paperback: 320 pages
  • Publisher: Pimlico; 2nd Revised edition edition (4 May 2000)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0712664475
  • ISBN-13: 978-0712664479
  • Product Dimensions: 13.5 x 2.4 x 21.6 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 59,466 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Product Description

Amazon Review

Don't write "remunerate" when you mean "pay". You should "send" not "transmit" and "help" but not "facilitate". Take care with meanings too. If you're "disinterested" you're not bored, you're impartial. "Less" is not interchangeable with "fewer" and a "principle" is different from a "principal".

Harold Evans, editor of The Sunday Times from 1967 to 1981 and then of The Times for a year, first wrote his Newsman's English and News Headlines in the 1970s. In an age of increasingly sloppy English, Evans's books acquired the status of classics with their condemnation of dangling participles and gratuitous adjective and adverbs. Now they've been edited, updated and merged into a single new volume by Crawford Gillan. The emphasis, which hasn't dated at all, is still on the need for plain muscular English which says what it has to say in as few well-chosen words as possible.

The book has at least three uses. First, it could be a text book for trainee journalists, especially given the large number of published verbose examples Evans quotes and then rewrites as demonstration pieces. Second, it has plenty of advice for experienced journalists and editors trying to write better. Third, it is full of useful advice for anyone--beyond the media--who wants to write more coherently.

Essential English certainly raises awareness. You probably won't read it without feeling obliged to double back and delete your redundancies the next time you write something. In the common expression "depreciate in value" the last two words, for instance, can go without loss of meaning. You don't need "gainful" in front of "employment" either and Evans lists dozens of other examples. And be brutal with tired expressions such as "wealth of information" or "pillar of the church", he advises. He also provides an intriguing thesaurus for headline writers in search of pithiness. For "harmonisation," try "accord", "bargain", "compact", "pact", "peace", or "truce", he says. --Susan Elkin

Review

Demonstrates how to clear whole jungles of vagueness and verbal clutter (Times Literary Supplement )

Every journalist in England should read this exceptional book. Harry Evans is a master of our trade and a master of how to use the English language (Piers Morgan )

English is the world's most used and abused language. This book in on the side of the angels. It should become an essential textbook for every journalist (Paul Dacre, Editor Of The Daily Mail )

Great editor: great teacher of editors (Peter Stothard, Editor Of The Times Literary Supplement )

Inside This Book (Learn More)
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5 stars
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
30 of 30 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
When I got my first job as a journalist, the first thing I did was to buy this book (when it was called "Newsman's English" - nice new non-seixt title, I see) and the other four in the group. They're all essential in understanding how newspapers work, if that's what you want to do; this one is key for writing tight prose, which too few people do.

Now I'm a journalist on a national newspaper, I think I can partly thank this book for the help. It's an ideal tool for the job. I reread it every couple of years. It's still true.

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21 of 22 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars A valuable book for all students of journalism 5 Oct 2000
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
This book is recommended by the Society of Editors as it is an excellent guide to well written english and therefore especially useful in journalism. This edition combines parts from two earlier books written by Harold Evans whose reputation is excellent. The book discussses how to write for newspapers after first explaining exactly how newspapers function.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Please read this 24 Feb 2007
By Mycroft
Format:Paperback
If you are a journalist, for God's sake read this book and improve your copy tenfold. Don't think you don't need it, everyone can improve.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Better then expected
I bought this book in second hand. I gave it to two members of my familly,asking them what could they tell about the book. Read more
Published 13 months ago by F RODRIGUES
4.0 out of 5 stars A classic exposition of the writer's art
Following in the tradition of the great teachers of good English style like George Orwell, I doubt there is a better book on the journalistic or writer's art, or good style in... Read more
Published on 18 Mar 2011 by Manzikert
5.0 out of 5 stars Simply brilliant!!-
A must read for any aspiring writer, will encourage you to write in clear precise english. Should always be at hand to refer to!
Published on 30 July 2010 by Andrew Sugden
5.0 out of 5 stars Great for all who want to learn how to write conciselyand clearly
I have to write a large number of reports in my job as an auditor and the difficulty is always balancing sufficent detail to be meaningful with conciseness and clarity. Read more
Published on 10 Nov 2009 by Mr. Philip Spinks
2.0 out of 5 stars Not for Writers
I was very disappointed in this book which states on the cover ... For journalists, Editors and Writers. I found almost nothing of value for writers. Read more
Published on 17 May 2009 by Charley Dickens
2.0 out of 5 stars Mainly for journalists
If you are thinking of becoming a journalist then there is a lot of useful information in this very readable book. Read more
Published on 8 May 2009 by jgt
5.0 out of 5 stars Want to be a Journalist? Read This.
Simply put, if you want to be a Journalist, Editor or Broadcaster then this is a book you simply have to read. Read more
Published on 5 Sep 2007 by A. Thorn
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