Monthly Archives: February 2016

Continuing the usage game

Posted on February 22, 2016 by Carmen Ebner

On our blog, we often report on current developments in the usage debate, bits and pieces of our research findings and also new publications of usage guides. Being a true book addict, I would like to share two of the … Continue reading →

Posted in news, usage features, usage guide | Tagged letter to the editor, May I quote you on that?, usage debate, usage guides | 2 Comments

Splitting only

Posted on February 18, 2016 by Ingrid Tieken

What do try and, only, split infinitives and dangling participles have in common? This is a question we asked a few weeks ago, and I promised to let you know as soon as we found out. Here, then, is a partial answer … Continue reading →

Posted in polls and surveys, usage features | Tagged placement of only, split infinitive | Leave a comment

Of pedants, mavens, sticklers and …

Posted on February 9, 2016 by Ingrid Tieken

… only-snoopers! This is a term adopted by Sir Ernest Gowers in his discussion of the placement of only in Plain Words, another old chestnut in the usage guide tradition. The term reminds me of which-hunting, something pedants and other prescriptivists are renowned … Continue reading →

Posted in usage features, usage guide | Tagged placement of only, Sir Ernest Gowers | 1 Comment

Blaming the media?

Posted on February 4, 2016 by Carmen Ebner

As part of our interactive feature series in English Today, the latest and ninth article has been published today in which I discuss attitudes towards the role of the media in language variation and change. In my online questionnaire, I asked informants … Continue reading →