Strictly English
The correct way to write ... and why it matters
Published on 1. September 2011
Book
Paperback/Softback
352 pages
978-0-09-953793-9 (ISBN)
Description
"Be in no doubt: the beer was drunk but the man drank the beer."
"We must avoid vulgarities like 'front up'. If someone is 'fronting up' a television show, then he is presenting it."
Simon Heffer's incisive and amusingly despairing emails to colleagues at the The Daily Telegraph about grammatical mistakes and stylistic slips have attracted a growing band of ardent fans over recent years. Now, in his new book Strictly English, he makes an impassioned case for an end to the sloppiness that has become such a hallmark of everyday speech and writing, and shows how accuracy and clarity are within the grasp of anyone who is prepared to take the time to master a few simple rules.
If you wince when you see "different than" in print, or are offended by people who think that "infer" and "imply" mean the same thing, then this book will provide reassurance that you are not alone. And if you believe that precise and elegant English really does matter, then it will prove required reading.
"We must avoid vulgarities like 'front up'. If someone is 'fronting up' a television show, then he is presenting it."
Simon Heffer's incisive and amusingly despairing emails to colleagues at the The Daily Telegraph about grammatical mistakes and stylistic slips have attracted a growing band of ardent fans over recent years. Now, in his new book Strictly English, he makes an impassioned case for an end to the sloppiness that has become such a hallmark of everyday speech and writing, and shows how accuracy and clarity are within the grasp of anyone who is prepared to take the time to master a few simple rules.
If you wince when you see "different than" in print, or are offended by people who think that "infer" and "imply" mean the same thing, then this book will provide reassurance that you are not alone. And if you believe that precise and elegant English really does matter, then it will prove required reading.
Reviews / Votes
An impassioned case for correct English, full of practical advice * Country Life * Every one of us who gasps at the use of English in the papers each morning or harrumphs on turning on the radio will find much to applaud * The Spectator * I have spent several productive hours reading Strictly English -- Jeffrey Archer * Daily Telegraph * His evidently strong feelings about his subject, fluently expressed, make this book lively and engrossing * Times Literary Supplement * The Holy Grail of grammar ... It is a delight to read and learn from this book * Field * Heffer's polemic in favour of grammatical precision is an important and persuasive one * Choice * Anyone who writes for a living, or who wants to write well, could benefit from a few hours spent with Heffer's amusing and clearly organised book * Literary Review *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Cornerstone
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Dimensions
Height: 196 mm
Width: 131 mm
Thickness: 24 mm
Weight
250 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-09-953793-9 (9780099537939)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
05/2011
1st Edition
Cornerstone Digital
€11.99
Available for download
Person
In a career of more than 25 years in Fleet Street Simon Heffer has written columns for and held senior positions on the Daily Mail, The Daily Telegraph and The Spectator. It was while associate editor of The Daily Telegraph that his emails to staff lamenting their lapses in English became an internet cult, and led to the writing of this book. He read English at Cambridge and holds a PhD from that university in history. His previous books include: Moral Desperado: A Life of Thomas Carlyle, Like the Roman: The Life of Enoch Powell, Nor Shall My Sword: The Reinvention of England and Vaughan Williams.