Common Errors in English Usage 2nd Edition [Paperback]

Paul Brians (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1590282078 | ISBN-13: 978-1590282076 | Publication Date: November 17, 2008 | Edition: Second

Mixed-up, mangled expressions; foreign-language faux pas; confused and confusing terms; commonly mispronounced words--they're all explained in this useful guide. The Second Edition of this classic reference is revised & expanded by 25%.

Editorial Reviews

Review

I rarely take a Grammar Girl podcast live without at least quadruple-checking my main thesis, and Common Errors in English Usage has quickly become one of my most valued fact-checking resources. --'Grammar Girl' Mignon Fogarty

Paul Brians has written a handy and likable reference tool. When he gives you the right answer, he sends you off chuckling--a winning combination. --Jack Miles, Pulitzer Prize winner & former literary editor, LA Times

I d call Paul Brians' book incredible, fabulous, or fantastic, except thanks to him, I know now that none of those words are what I really mean. Let's just say that Common Errors in English Usage is the most cheerfully useful book I've read since the Kama Sutra. --Scott Simon, host of NPR's Weekend Edition

About the Author

Paul Brians is Professor Emeritus of English at Washington State University. His Web site, 'Common Errors in English' has been recommended by BBC Online, Writer's Digest, Yahoo! Internet Life magazine, USA Today, refdesk.com, the Seattle Times, and many other periodicals and publications.

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: William, James & Company; Second edition (November 17, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1590282078
• ISBN-13: 978-1590282076
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #28,374 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #32 in Books > Education & Reference > Dictionaries & Thesauruses > English

More About the Author

Paul Brians (1942-) earned his Ph.D. in Comparative Literature at Indiana University and joined the Department of English at Washington State University in 1968. He taught literature, interdisciplinary humanities, and world civilizations courses. He is most widely known for his Web site "Common Errors in English Usage," which provided the material for the book and calendars by the same title.

He retired from WSU in 2008 and now lives on Bainbridge Island, Washington, with his wife, Paula Elliot.

In 2010, he self-published a book of photographs titled "Four Seasons on Bainbridge Island."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Looking for the correct word? This book will answer the question!, September 6, 2009

By 

Happy In Carmel - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Common Errors in English Usage 2nd Edition (Paperback)

I read a review of this book and decided it was a book I have been seeking for a long time. If you are a person that wonders about things like whether to use further instead of farther, or lay instead of lie, this is the book for you. Put an end to bungling the English language . . . Common Errors in English is sure to make you seem a lot smarter that you really are.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A grammar-junkie's dream!, February 14, 2009

By 

Kristin Rohr "wordie" (Bethesda, MD) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Common Errors in English Usage 2nd Edition (Paperback)

This book is a must for anyone with a love of language and an appreciation of its correct use. It is authoritative without being pedantic, and gives due respect to the evolution of our language and our means of expression.

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Common Errors in English Usage, March 5, 2009

By 

Karen Maury (Silver Spring, Maryland) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Common Errors in English Usage 2nd Edition (Paperback)

We heard the author of this book, Paul Brians, being interviewed on The Lionel Show on 1260 AM radio. The book lives up to our expectations. It is an excellent text with easy to find phrases that have been used so often that some believe they are legitimate usages of the English language, but they are not. Highly recommended for English majors, teachers, writers, and just plain folks who enjoy this sort of thing.