This is a guide to English usage for readers and writers, professional and amateur, established and aspiring, formal trainees and those trying to break in; students of English, both language and literature, and their teachers. In Quite Literally, Wynford Hicks answers questions like: What's an alibi, a bete noire, a celibate, a dilemma? Should underway be two words? Is the word 'meretricious' worth using at all? How do you spell realise - with an s or a z - and should bete be bete? Should you split infinitives, end sentences with prepositions, start them with conjunctions? What about four-letter words, euphemisms, foreign words, Americanizms, cliches, slang, jargon? And does the Queen speak the Queen's English? The advice given can be applied to both formal speech - what is carefully considered, broadcast, presented, scripted or prepared for delivery to a public audience - and will even enhance your everyday languange too! Practical and fun, whether to improve your writing for professional purposes or simply enjoy exploring the highways and byways of English usage, readers from all walks of life will find this book both invaluable and enjoyable.

• Practical, with easy to follow rules, without getting into the technicalities of linguistics. • Includes examples of correct and incorrect ways to report stories, as well as examples of common mistakes, problem words, and real journalism headlines. • Suitable for practicing journalists as well as students of journalism. • Written by a respected and well known journalist, experienced in working on national newspapers and in teaching.

English for Journalists has established itself in newsrooms the world over as an invaluable guide to the basics of English and to those aspects of writing, such as reporting speech, house style and jargon, which are specific to the language of journalism. Written in a highly accessible and engaging style, English for Journalists covers the fundamentals of grammar, spelling, punctuation and journalistic writing, with all points illustrated through a series of concise and illuminating examples. The book features practical, easy-to-follow advice with examples of common mistakes and problem words.

This thirtieth anniversary edition features a revised first chapter on the state of English today by author Wynford Hicks, and a chapter on writing for social media by Gavin Allen, along with an updated glossary and references.

This is an essential guide to written English for practising journalists and students of journalism today.

Table of Contents

Introduction: how this book began

1 English today

2 Grammar: the rules

3 Grammar: 10 common mistakes

4 Grammar: problems and confusions

5 Spelling

6 Punctuation

7 Reporting speech

8 Style

9 Social media

10 Words

11 Foreign words

12 Figures

Appendix 1 Style guide

Appendix 2 The ‘fronted adverbial’ muddle

Appendix 3 Glossary of terms

Further reading

Index

Should I say "He is taller than I" or "He is taller than me?" Do you spell it "blond" or "blonde"? If you've ever been stopped in your tracks by questions like these, then this book is for you. A complete pocket guide to the ins and outs of everyday English, The Basics of English Usage will tell you all you need to know about such topics as: correct spelling good grammar and style punctuation and how to use it problem words that everyone gets wrong. Including guides to further reading and online resources, The Basics of English Usage is an indispensable survival guide for anyone wanting to improve their writing and communication.

Should I say He is taller than I or He is taller than me?

Do you spell it blond or blonde?

If you've ever been stopped in your tracks by questions like these, then this book is for you. A complete pocket guide to the ins and outs of everyday English, The Basics of English Usage will tell you all you need to know about such topics as:

• 
  

  
  

• correct spelling
• 
  

  
  

  
  

• good grammar and style
• 
  

  
  

  
  

• punctuation and how to use it
• 
  

  
  

  
  

• problem words that everyone gets wrong.
• 
  

Including guides to further reading and online resources, The Basics of English Usage is an indispensable survival guide for anyone wanting to improve their writing and communication.

What's an alibi, a bete noire, a celibate, a dilemma? Should underway be two words? Is the word meretricious worth using at all? How do you spell realise - with an s or a z - and should bete be bete? Should you split infinitives, end sentences with prepositions, start them with conjunctions? What about four-letter words, euphemisms, foreign words, cliches, slang, jargon? And does the Queen speak the Queen's English?
In "Quite literally," Wynford Hicks answers questions like these. This is a guide to English usage for readers and writers, professional and amateur, established and aspiring, formal trainees and those trying to break in; students of English, both language and literature, and their teachers.
It concentrates on writing rather than speech. But the advice given on how to use words in writing can usually be applied to formal speech - what is carefully considered, broadcast, presented, scripted or prepared for delivery to a public audience - as opposed to informal, colloquial speech.
The book is intended to be practical - and also fun. Whether you want to improve your writing for professional purposes or simply enjoy exploring the highways and byways of English usage, you will find this book invaluable.

English for Journalists has established itself as an invaluable guide to the basics of English in newsrooms the world over, focusing on the essential aspects of writing, from reporting speech to the house styles and jargon central to the language of journalism. Written in a highly accessible and engaging style, English for Journalists covers the fundamentals of grammar, spelling, punctuation and journalistic writing, with all points illustrated through a series of concise and illuminating examples. The book features practical, easy to follow rules, the correct and incorrect ways to report stories, and examples of common mistakes and problem words in journalistic writing. The twentieth anniversary edition adds a new introduction to the work from author Wynford Hicks, as well as updated examples throughout to improve accessibility, and a revised first chapter on the state of English today. This is an essential guide to written English for all practicing journalists and students of journalism today.