The Queen's English: And How to Use It - Softcover

Lamb, Bernard C.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1782434348 ISBN 13: 9781782434344

Publisher: Michael O'Mara, 2015

Synopsis

What is good English, and why do we need it? The Queen's English shows how the English language, used properly, has great power to instruct, move and entertain people, but used incorrectly, can lead to a lack of clarity and confusion. This book informs in a light-hearted way, reminding readers how to use the basics of grammar, punctuation and spelling, as well as further teaching them new tips and tricks of style, rhetoric, vocabulary and the use of foreign phrases, to give their writing and speech a stylish and impressive flair. The book also shows the perils of using language incorrectly, offering extremely (if unintentionally) humorous examples of where bad English can cause one thing to mean something entirely different! Authoritative yet entertaining, and illustrated with pithy drawings, this is the ideal book for anyone who strives for clear, stylish and accurate communication.

About this title

Review

Having been asked many times if he could recommend a definitive guide to use of our glorious language and not satisfied that the right book existed, Lamb wrote it himself. --Yorkshire Post

Covers everything from grammar to writing letters and giving talks. --Country Life

From the Author

This is a practical, easily understood book to help anyone improve his or her English. It deals with the most useful aspects of grammar, punctuation and spelling, with simple ways of remembering words which are often misspelled or confused. The phrase in the title, The Queen's English, refers to clear correct English, as used by educated people for everyday communication; it is not the preserve of the monarchy or any class, race or district.

Better English is clearer and more persuasive; it gives a better impression of the writer or speaker. Bad English lets people down. Although I am a London-born native user of English, when I was thirty a foreign student politely told me that I was making many errors. My spelling was poor and my punctuation was mediocre. Now I am the President of the Queen's English Society, the judge of three literary competitions each year, author of eleven books, of more than a hundred scientific papers, and of hundreds of articles, short stories and much light verse.

This huge improvement in my English came about through my learning rules of grammar and finding out how punctuation affects sentence structure to make meanings clear. I discovered that spelling is not a black art: even bad spellers can improve dramatically by learning about prefixes and suffixes, and by applying some simple rules. The rules and principles with the widest application are described in this book, with plenty of helpful examples. I have drawn on my forty years experience of studying university students' use of English, and of devising ways to improve it.

I particularly enjoy humour, so the book includes some brilliant cartoons to illustrate particular points of English. There are plenty of jokes, and a whole chapter on the use of English in wit and humour. For example, the difference between `may' and `can' is illustrated by a limerick. This is not some dry, dull academic treatise on obscure points of grammar, but a lively guide to self-improvement in written and spoken English.

People are often unsure about many aspects of our wonderful language, so it is useful to have clear rules with lots of examples. There are self-test exercises, such as spotting the errors in a story or in excerpts from printed articles, with answers and explanations. When these tests were tried out with several groups, people really enjoyed doing them, finding them useful and interesting. There were peals of laughter at some of the errors.

It really helps one to learn by spotting errors made by others, and seeing why they are wrong. One can then spot one's own errors, know how to correct them and how to avoid them in future.

Errors in grammar, spelling and punctuation give a bad impression to others. Indeed, a graduate recruitment agency rejects one third of job applicants from graduates with good degrees from good universities because of such errors of English in their CVs and covering letters, which show ignorance, carelessness and a bad attitude. Recently, the heads of major firms such as Tesco and M&S, and of organisations such as the Institute of Directors and of the Confederation of British Industry, have complained about the near illiteracy of many school leavers and job applicants.

One problem is that grammar, spelling and punctuation are seldom taught in sufficient detail in schools, or are taught poorly and unenthusiastically, without their practical importance being stressed. Even those who were taught such things at school have often forgotten them. Too often, busy teachers do not correct errors of English, and how can one learn what one is doing wrong unless someone points it out? This book includes some examples of excellent modern English, in different styles. I can strongly recommend it to anyone whether they have any formal qualifications in English or not. Improving one's English and communication skills stands one in good stead at work and at leisure, and learning to do so can even be fun.

Edition details

• Publisher: Michael O'Mara
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 1782434348
• ISBN 13: 9781782434344
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 256