Making Sense, David Crystal
Making Sense, David Crystal
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Making Sense

Author: David Crystal

Narrator: David Crystal

Unabridged: 9 hr 4 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Recorded Books

Published: 06/01/2017


Synopsis

In Making Sense, David Crystal confronts the foe of many: grammar. Once taught relentlessly to all students in the English-speaking world, grammar disappeared from most school curricula, so that terms such as "preposition" and "conjunction" now often confound children and adults alike. Explaining the nuts and bolts of grammar presents a special challenge, because - far more than is the case with spelling and punctuation - the subject is burdened with a centuries-old history of educational practice that many will recall as anything but glamorous. One of the world's foremost authorities on the English language, Crystal sets out to rid grammar of its undeserved reputation as a dry and intimidating subject, pointing out how essential grammar is to clear and effective speech and writing. He moves briskly through the stages by which children acquire grammar, along the way demystifying grammar's rules and irregularities and showing us how to navigate its snares and pitfalls. He offers the fascinating history of grammar, explaining how it has evolved from the first grammarians in ancient Greece to our 21st century digital environment of blogging, emailing, and texting. Many find grammar to be a daunting subject, but in this breezy, entertaining book, Crystal proves that grammar doesn't need to make us uneasy-we can all make sense of how we make sense.

Author Bio

David Crystal is known throughout the world as a writer, editor, lecturer, and broadcaster on language. He has published extensively on the history and development of English, including Begat: The King James Bible and the English Language, The Story of English in 100 Words, Spell It Out: The Singular Story of English Spelling, Wordsmiths and Warriors: The English-Language Tourist's Guide to Britain (with Hilary Crystal), The Oxford Dictionary of Original Shakespearean Pronunciation, and The Story of Be: A Verb's-Eye View of the English Language.

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