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The Complete Plain Words
 
 
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The Complete Plain Words (Paperback)

by Sir Ernest Gowers (Author), Sidney Greenbaum (Editor), Janet Whitcut (Editor)
4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
RRP: £9.99
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The Complete Plain Words + Usage and Abusage: A Guide to Good English (Penguin Reference Books) + The Penguin Guide to Punctuation (Penguin Reference Books)
Price For All Three: £19.71

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Product details

  • Paperback: 304 pages
  • Publisher: Penguin; 3rd Rev Ed edition (30 Sep 2004)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0140511997
  • ISBN-13: 978-0140511994
  • Product Dimensions: 19.4 x 12.8 x 2.2 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 9,639 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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    #4 in  Books > Reference > Dictionaries & Thesauri > Usage Guides

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Product Description

Product Description

The Complete Plain Words is the essential guide for anyone who needs to express themselves clearly, fluently and accurately in writing. Whether you are working on a paper or on a computer, this invaluable reference work will lead you through the intricacies, problems and pleasures of the English language with wit, common sense and authority.


From the Publisher

A sample extract:

(iv) Shall and will.

English text-books used to begin by stating the rule that to express the `plain' future shall is used in the first person and will in the second and third:

I shall go

You will go

He will go


and that if it is a matter not of plain future but of volition, permission or obligation it is the other way round:

I will go (I am determined to go, or I intend to go)

You shall go (You must go, or you are permitted to go)

He shall go (He must go, or he is permitted to go)

But the idiom of the Celts is different. They have never recognised `I shall go'. For them `I will go' is the plain future. The story is a very old one of the drowning Scot who was misunderstood by English onlookers and left to his fate because he cried, `I will drown and nobody shall save me'.

American practice follows the Celtic, and in this matter, as in so many others, the English have taken to imitating the American. If we go by practice rather than precept, we can no longer say dogmatically that `I will go' for the plain future is wrong, or smugly with Dean Alford:

"I never knew an Englishman who misplaced shall and will; I hardly ever have known an Irishman or Scotsman who did not misplace them sometimes."

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Customer Reviews

8 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.4 out of 5 stars (8 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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55 of 55 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A readable and interesting guide to writing in English, 30 Jan 2002
By A Customer
This is a classic book. The first sentence of the Prologue says "the main purpose of this book is to help officials in their use of written English as a tool of their trade". I think that this book should be required reading for all officials, bureaucrats, managers and other professional people who have to write in English as part of their work.

I particularly like the many examples throughout the book of poor writing followed by the improved versions suggested by the author. The meaning of the improved versions is crystal clear in comparison with the original versions! And the improved versions are much easier to read.

There is a checklist of words and phrases to be used with care. It occupies 70 pages of the book and contains a few hundred words and phrases. Many of the words listed have their own proper function, but they are often used by unwary or careless writers in place of a simpler or more apt word. It is well worth reading through the author's comments and recommendations for each entry.

This is a book that I have read and re-read, and I now try to practice what Gowers preaches.

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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic little book, 19 Jun 2006
By Ms. A. Aspin (UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
I first read this book cover-to-cover, like a novel. It is interesting, easy to read and entertaining. It also covers a LOT of ground without being complicated or long-winded.

I bought this book in the late 90s and I still refer to it regularly. It's a fantastic little reference book. It explains things very clearly, and the examples it uses are very helpful indeed.

Its index is great; you can find what you're looking for very quickly.

It's refreshing to read a book about English usage which reflects our times and stresses the importance of clarity and elegance over blind adherence to Latin-based rules (e.g. it takes a sensible and pragmatic approach to the splitting of infinitives and to sentences ending with prepositions), but which at the same time doesn't do any "dumbing down" - everything it recommends is firmly rooted in good grammar and educated, clear use of the language.

This book was first published 52 years ago, but it has been updated to keep it current. In my opinion it is the best book you can buy if you want a clear, concise, sensible guide to writing well.

Oh - and the section on verbo-pomposity is a hoot!
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33 of 35 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Valuable lessons entertainingly delivered, 5 May 2003
The premise of this book is that writing is a tool that should enable communication and minimize misunderstandings, not a tool with which to show-off learning. This premise shines out in every chapter as the author deals with: choosing the correct word, avoiding superfluous words, arranging words well, and punctuating clearly.

This is not a strict grammar with definitive statements on the split infinitive or the use of hyphens, it is a council of commonsense, filled with examples of poor English (often very funny ones), and suggestions for how they should be improved.. The result is a fantastic and valuable guide to how to write better.

I learnt a lot from this book and enjoyed reading it cover to cover. It also has an excellent index making it a useful reference work. Now all I have to do is learn how to put these great lessons into practise.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Formal, old fashioned, not plain English.
'Plain Words' is an 'English usage' guide aimed at government officials who write for a living and was first published in the 1940s. Read more
Published 1 month ago by A. Butterfield

5.0 out of 5 stars A useful book, but for a specialised readership
First of all: if you are someone who hasn't read a lot of books about the English language, but you have to do a fair amount of writing in your daily life and you feel that you... Read more
Published 17 months ago by lexo1941

4.0 out of 5 stars AVOIDING CATACHRESIS
'Catachresis' is a simple Greek word meaning 'misuse'. If you had never come across it in English before, neither had I until I read it in the second chapter... Read more
Published on 31 Dec 2005 by DAVID BRYSON

2.0 out of 5 stars Confused words
I bought this book on the strength of the previous reviews. I wanted to improve my grammar & punctuation. Read more
Published on 2 Jul 2004

5.0 out of 5 stars Witty and entertaining guide to writing
This book is excellent if you feel a little uncomfortable with your punctuation and grammar. In no time atall you will know your active from your passive and your personal from... Read more
Published on 8 Mar 2001

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