The Penguin Dictionary of Troublesome Words

📓 Why should you avoid discussing the weather conditions? Can a married woman be celibate? Why is it eccentric to talk about the aroma of a cattleyard? Can you identify a поп sequitur, a split compound verb, or a dangling modifier? This dictionary provides a straightforward guide to the pitfalls and hotly disputed issues in standard written English. The entries are discussed with wit and common sense, and illustrated with examples of questionable usage taken from leading British and American newspapers, plus occasional references to masters of the language such as Samuel Johnson and Shakespeare. No familiarity with English grammar is needed to learn from this book, although a glossary of grammatical terms is included and there is also an appendix on punctuation. Journalists, copy-writers and secretaries will find this an invaluable handbook, as indeed will everyone else involved with the written word, whether for business or for pleasure.