English and Grammar

Did you know that 'Almost' is the longest word in the English language with all the letters in alphabetical order? Or that 'Stewardesses' is the longest word you can type solely with your left hand? Or that fireflies aren't flies, they're beetles?

From the author of the bestselling I Used to Know That comes a veracious cornucopia of 500 of the best, trickiest, and oft-misused words in the English language that will have you confabulating with the literary cognoscenti in no time.

Most of us suffer from the odd gap in our knowledge. But what if those gaps happen to be gaping chasms that threaten to cave in if not soon filled? Worry not, for the answer is at hand. The Three Rs harks back to a golden age of teaching, providing a comprehensive introduction to the basics of reading, writing and arithmetic.

"No literary form is more revealing, more spontaneous or more individual than a letter." —P.D. James
Ever since the advent and increasing popularity of electronic communication, it has become clear that the worthy art of letter writing is in sad decline. E-mails and texts have overtaken the humble pen and paper as the most popular methods of communication. Here, the complete history of letter writing and how it has shaped the world today is explored—from the early Greek philosophers to the great letter writers Byron and Walpole, as well as many famous letters that have changed the world.

In the last 30 years, a large number of once commonplace words, phrases, and expressions have disappeared without trace from common usage in the UK. And with them have gone a number of goods, services, and everyday objects that were once an important part of their everyday lives. Where did they go and why? Lost English takes a look at how our language changes and explores the influence of differing cultures on one another.

This is an old-school guide to the spelling, punctuation and grammar rules you wish you had learned yourself - easily digestible in bite-sized chunks. It helps readers get to grips with the baffling linguistic inconsistencies of the English language.

Relearn the essential rules of the English language, from grammar and punctuation to sentence construction. Also includes parts of speech and how to improve your spelling and vocabulary. I Used To Know That: English is an accessible yet fun way to revisit the English language while enjoying a walk down memory lane - and remembering the stuff you really shouldn't have forgotten...

Illustrating the compelling history of how the relatively obscure dialects spoken by tribes from what are now Denmark, the Low Countries, and northern Germany became the most widely spoken language in the world, this history also explores how that language evolved during the last two millennia.

Showing how the English language, when 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.

An amusing and accessible guide to the basics of the language, teaching users to write correct and unambiguous English in any situation, business or personal.

For anyone who has ever been stumped by dangling modifiers and split infinitives, or for those who have no idea what these things even are, My Grammar and I...Or Should That Be Me? offers practical and humorous guidance on how to avoid falling into language pitfalls.