The story of battles--both past and present--surrounding English language usage, The Fight for English explores why millions of people feel linguistically inferior. Unhappy with the "zero tolerance" approach to punctuation offered by Lynn Truss's Eats, Shoots, and Leaves, David Crystal offers a view of the subject that is much more balanced. Instead of answering the claims made by other manuals of English usage, Crystal provides an explanation and analysis of the genre as a whole.
Crystal weaves an intricate and engaging account that traces the history of the English language and its development over time. From Anglo-Saxon to Modern English, Crystal addresses why the same language issues that were bothering people 250 years ago are still bothering people today. This is the story of the fight for English usage--the story of the people who tried to shape the language in their own image, but failed generation after generation. In short, they ate, shot, and left.
The Fight for English brings language to life on the page with a witty and engaging writing style. Broadening the perspective on the English language, this compellingly informative book has something for everyone interested in the topic. Move over Harry Potter. Here comes punctuation.

Moegen Sie Grammatik? Nein? Keine Sorge, damit sind Sie nicht allein. Die deutsche Sprache kann ganz schoen kompliziert sein. So schwierig Grammatik ist, so nutzlich ist sie aber gelegentlich auch. Und damit die deutsche Grammatik Ihnen ganz bestimmt kein Kopfzerbrechen mehr bereitet, finden Sie in diesem Buch die wichtigsten Aspekte leicht verstandlich erklart. Zahlreiche Beispiele veranschaulichen die einzelnen Regeln und nebenbei lernen Sie jede Menge Wissenswertes rund um die deutsche Grammatik und ihre Bedeutung. So verlieren die vielen Regeln ihren Schrecken und werden auch Grammatikmuffeln leicht verstandlich.

Arc pair grammar is a new, extensively formalized, theory of the grammatical structure of natural languages. As an outgrowth of relational grammar, it constitutes a theoretical alternative to the long-dominant generative transformational approach to linguistics. In this work, David Johnson and Paul Postal offer the first comprehensive presentation of this theoretical framework, which provides entirely new notions of all the basic concepts of grammatical theory: sentence, language, rule, and grammar. Originally published in 1981. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

In der traditionellen Sprachwissenschaft machte man eine wichtige Unterscheidung zwischen besonderer Grammatik und universaler Gram- matik, wobei sich die erste mit den idiosynkratischen Eigenschaften spezifischer Sprachen, die zweite mit den allgemeinen Merkmalen jeder menschlichen Sprache beschaftigt. In den letzten Jahren ist diese Un- terscheidung erneut in den Vordergrund der Forschung geruckt worden, und dieses erneute Interesse fiel mit dem Beginn ernsthafter Forschung auf einem Gebiet der mathematischen Linguistik zusammen, das man manch- mal algebraische Linguistik nennt, um es von statistischen Sprach- untersuchungen und vom Studium probilistischer Performanzmodelle zu unterscheiden. Das Zusammenfallen dieser Entwicklungen ist in mancher Hinsicht ganz naturlich. Algebraische Linguistik studiert die formalen Eigenschaften naturlicher Sprache, indem sie von spezifischen Realisie- rungen in einzelnen Sprachen abstrahiert. So definiert ist sie von der universalen Grammatik gar nicht zu unterscheiden, obwohl es in der Pra- xis eine Arbeitsteilung zwischen den starker empirisch orientierten Studien der universalen Grammatik und den streng mathematischen Studien der von der linguistischen Forschung vorgeschlagenen formalen Struktu- ren gegeben hat. Die Existenz dieser Teilung ist einerseits ein Zeichen fur den unausgereiften Stand der Forschung auf diesem Gebiet, anderer- seits eine Widerspiegelung der differierenden Motivationen und Inter- essen der einzelnen Forscher. Wenn die Teilung inhaltlich eingeschrankt werden kann, dann koennte eine echte Theorie der mathematischen Lingui- stik entstehen, die rein abstrakt die Klasse der von den Prinzipien der universalen Grammatik definierten Systeme untersucht - die Klasse moeg- licher menschlicher Sprachen.

'The thrill is that you're actually figuring it out on your own. You're engaging with another language, not just parroting it... It's an excellent way to start, and leaves the listener thinking, Hey, Ich kann do dis.' - New Yorker, David Sedaris, humorist and author, on learning German with the Michel Thomas Method Looking for a convenient language course that fits your lifestyle and gets you speaking a new language in a matter of weeks, not years? The original no-books, no-homework, no-memorizing method is in tune with the way the brain prefers to receive, store and retrieve information. You'll stick with it because you'll love it. * Pick up Swedish naturally and unforgettably without strain or stress * Learn from listening and speaking, without the pressure of writing or memorizing * Build up your Swedish in manageable steps by thinking out answers for yourself * Progress to the full Foundation Swedish course with confidence in the method. WHY IS THE METHOD SO SUCCESSFUL? 'What you understand, you know; and what you know, you don't forget.' - Michel Thomas Before there was machine learning, there was Michel Thomas. For over 50 years he worked on decoding languages by breaking them down into their most essential component parts. These 'building blocks' are introduced to the learner sequentially in such a way that you reconstruct the language for yourself - to form your own sentences, to say what you want, when you want. This unique method draws on the principles of instructional psychology and works with the way your brain prefers to receive, store and retrieve information. Knowledge is structured and organized so that you absorb the language easily and don't forget it. The method is designed to eliminate the stress which prevents you from relaxing and allowing the brain to work in the way which accepts learning in a seemingly painless, very exciting and highly motivating way. HOW DO THE COURSES WORK? 'All stress inhibits true and effective learning' - Michel Thomas During the course, you will join Michel Thomas Method Teachers Roger Nyborg, Hakan Rosenqvist and two students in a live lesson, learning from both their successes and their mistakes to keep you motivated and involved throughout the course. You, as the learner, become the third student and participate actively in the class. Within the very first hour you will be able to construct simple phrases by listening and thinking out answers for yourself without the pressure of writing or stress of having to memorize. You will learn at your own pace, pausing and repeating where necessary, and complete the course in about 3-5 hours. WHAT WILL I ACTUALLY ACHIEVE? 'I am the architect who builds the house. It's up to you to decorate it.' - Michel Thomas The Michel Thomas Method will help you kick-start, continue, and flourish in your Swedish language learning journey. It is not intended to get you perfectly fluent, but it will get you speaking and using Swedish, with proper pronunciation, faster than most any other method. It is designed to give you a strong foundation and good working knowledge of a language from which you can expand and later 'add decoration' to. It is a rapid method for learning, but still requires effort and concentration on the part of the learner. WHAT'S INCLUDED IN THE COURSE?* Start Swedish includes one audio CD. The booklet is available to download from www.michelthomas.com. LEARN ANYWHERE AND ANYTIME! Reclaim your pockets of free time to learn a new language! Don't be tied to chunky books or your computer, Michel Thomas Method audio courses let you learn whenever and wherever you want, in as little or as much time as you have. WHERE DO I GO NEXT? Foundation Swedish follows on from the Start course.

'The thrill is that you're actually figuring it out on your own. You're engaging with another language, not just parroting it... It's an excellent way to start, and leaves the listener thinking, Hey, Ich kann do dis.' - New Yorker, David Sedaris, humorist and author, on learning German with the Michel Thomas Method Looking for a convenient language course that fits your lifestyle and gets you speaking a new language in a matter of weeks, not years? The original no-books, no-homework, no-memorizing method is in tune with the way the brain prefers to receive, store and retrieve information. You'll stick with it because you'll love it. * Pick up Japanese naturally and unforgettably without strain or stress * Learn from listening and speaking, without the pressure of writing or memorizing * Build up your Japanese in manageable steps by thinking out answers for yourself * Progress to the full Foundation Japanese course with confidence in the method. WHY IS THE METHOD SO SUCCESSFUL? 'What you understand, you know; and what you know, you don't forget.' - Michel Thomas Before there was machine learning, there was Michel Thomas. For over 50 years he worked on decoding languages by breaking them down into their most essential component parts. These 'building blocks' are introduced to the learner sequentially in such a way that you reconstruct the language for yourself - to form your own sentences, to say what you want, when you want. This unique method draws on the principles of instructional psychology and works with the way your brain prefers to receive, store and retrieve information. Knowledge is structured and organized so that you absorb the language easily and don't forget it. The method is designed to eliminate the stress which prevents you from relaxing and allowing the brain to work in the way which accepts learning in a seemingly painless, very exciting and highly motivating way. HOW DO THE COURSES WORK? 'All stress inhibits true and effective learning' - Michel Thomas During the course, you will join Michel Thomas Method Teachers Helen Gilhooly and Niamh Kelly, and two students in a live lesson, learning from both their successes and their mistakes to keep you motivated and involved throughout the course. You, as the learner, become the third student and participate actively in the class. Within the very first hour you will be able to construct simple phrases by listening and thinking out answers for yourself without the pressure of writing or stress of having to memorize. You will learn at your own pace, pausing and repeating where necessary, and complete the course in about 3-5 hours. WHAT WILL I ACTUALLY ACHIEVE? 'I am the architect who builds the house. It's up to you to decorate it.' - Michel Thomas The Michel Thomas Method will help you kick-start, continue, and flourish in your Japanese language learning journey. It is not intended to get you perfectly fluent, but it will get you speaking and using Japanese, with proper pronunciation, faster than most any other method. It is designed to give you a strong foundation and good working knowledge of a language from which you can expand and later 'add decoration' to. It is a rapid method for learning, but still requires effort and concentration on the part of the learner. WHAT'S INCLUDED IN THE COURSE?* Start Japanese includes one audio CD. The booklet is available to download from www.michelthomas.com. LEARN ANYWHERE AND ANYTIME! Reclaim your pockets of free time to learn a new language! Don't be tied to chunky books or your computer, Michel Thomas Method audio courses let you learn whenever and wherever you want, in as little or as much time as you have. WHERE DO I GO NEXT? Foundation Japanese follows on from the Start course.

This book has a twofold purpose: first to provide a concise presentation of the essential grammar of modern Hindi, with graded exercises, which brings beginners as quickly as possible to the point where they can read modern prose with profit; and secondly, to serve as reference for those consolidating their grasp of the language. It is therefore, of interest to students beginning courses in Hindi and those who have already learned some. People planning to visit India for business of pleasure will also find it useful, as colloquial vocabulary and style receive equally detailed attention as the more formal written style. The material is presented in roman transliteration as well as in the Indian script, so that the beginner can work through the book unimpeded by script problems, while still enjoying the advantage of contact with the script from the outset. Additions to the third edition include a new set of listening and reading exercises and grammatical index.

Charles Henry Robinson (1861-1925) was a Cambridge scholar who, during the 1890s, published several books on the language, literature and culture of the Hausa people. Hausa is an African language originating in Niger and northern Nigeria and spoken widely in West and Central Africa as a lingua franca. Published in 1897, Robinson's Grammar was written to serve the needs of missionaries, colonial staff and army officers who wished to communicate with the local people, but made no claim to be definitive or comprehensive. Until the twentieth century Hausa was written in an Arabic script, examples of which are given, while the exercise sections of the grammar are transliterated for students unfamiliar with Arabic. The vocabulary, mainly relating to agriculture, trade and domestic life, was chosen to suit the practical needs of Robinson's intended audience, and reveals much about colonial life in West Africa as well as providing linguistic information.

A Reference Grammar of French is a lively, wide-ranging and original handbook on the structure of the French language. It includes new information on register, pronunciation, gender, number, foreign words (Latin, Arabic, English, Spanish, Italian), adjectives and past participles used as nouns, texting, word order, frequency of occurrence of words, and usage with all geographical names. Examples come not only from France, but also from Quebec, Belgium and Switzerland. Readers will appreciate the initial passages illustrating the grammatical features of a given chapter. Also included is a user-friendly introduction to the French language, from its Latin origins to modern times. A full glossary explains any terms that might confuse the less experienced reader, and the index leads the student through the detailed labyrinth of grammatical features. This handbook will be an invaluable resource for students and teachers who want to perfect their knowledge of all aspects of French grammar.

Do you want to develop a solid understanding of Danish and communicate confidently with others? Through authentic conversations, vocabulary building, grammar explanations and extensive practice and review, Complete Danish will equip you with the skills you need to use Danish in a variety of settings and situations, developing your cultural awareness along the way. What will I achieve by the end of the course? By the end of Complete Danish you will have a solid intermediate-level grounding in the four key skills - reading, writing, speaking and listening - and be able to communicate with confidence and accuracy. Is this course for me? If you want to move confidently from beginner to intermediate level, this is the course for you. It's perfect for the self-study learner, with a one-to-one tutor, or for the beginner classroom. It can also be used as a refresher course. What do I get? -18 learning units plus verbs reference and word glossary and revision section -Discovery Method - figure out rules and patterns to make the language stick -Teaches the key skills - reading, writing, listening, and speaking -Learn to learn - tips and skills on how to be a better language learner -Culture notes - learn about the people and places of Denmark -Outcomes-based learning - focus your studies with clear aims -Authentic listening activities - everyday conversations give you a flavour of real spoken Danish -Test Yourself - see and track your own progress *Complete Danish maps from Novice Low to Advanced Low level proficiency of ACTFL (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages) and from A1 Beginner to B1/B2 Upper Intermediate level of the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) guidelines. The audio for this course is available for free on library.teachyourself.com or from the Teach Yourself Library app. What else can I use to learn Danish? If you require an absolute Beginner course, you can try our Get Started in Danish Absolute Beginner course: 9781444798630 Rely on Teach Yourself, trusted by language learners for over 75 years.

This three-volume work helps students approach the classical objects of grammar in a novel way. Trainee teachers in particular are encouraged not to cling anxiously to rules, but to analyse grammatical phenomena autonomously, without inhibitions, and take delight in language. Only in this way will they be able to make grammar palatable for their pupils and students. Key features: rediscover grammatical reflection functional orientation replete with examples