Tag Archives: style

Steven Pinker’s Sense of Usage

Posted on October 22, 2014 by Robin Straaijer

Last month, Steven Pinker’s The Sense of Style was published in Britain and the US. As a specialist on books of usage advice, and as someone who needs to write for a living, I find The Sense of Style interesting because it … Continue reading →

Posted in news, usage guide | Tagged alternative, flat adverbs, language myths, SENSE, Sense of Style, Steven Pinker, Strunk and White, style | 3 Comments

The world’s worst written sentence

Posted on August 7, 2013 by Carmen Ebner

Consider the following sentence: “Yet the nightmare cast its shroud in the guise of a contagion of a deer-in-the-headlights paralysis.” According to columnist at The Economist, the above sentence would qualify to be nominated as “the world’s worst written … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged language rules, rules for writing, style, Style Guides, The Economist, worst written sentence, writing | 1 Comment

Who was Sir Ernest Gowers?

Posted on July 18, 2013 by Carmen Ebner

While browsing in one of the many second hand bookshops in Scotland, I came across a familiar name: Sir Ernest Gowers. Gowers, known for his revision of H.W. Fowler’s Modern English Usage, also published other reference works such as the … Continue reading →

Posted in usage guide | Tagged Ernest Gowers, fowler, Modern English Usage, plain English, Plain Words, style, The Complete Plain Words | 1 Comment

Would your mum understand?

Posted on July 7, 2013 by Carmen Ebner

In the past few months, Education Secretary Michael Gove, a former journalist, has hit the front page with his plans to introduce new grammar and spelling tests in UK schools. Now he is back in the headlines: “Would your mum … Continue reading →