The Oxford Dictionary of English Grammar [Paperback]

Sylvia Chalker (Editor), Edmund Weiner (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0198613148 | ISBN-13: 978-0198613145 | Publication Date: February 1, 1996

This major new reference offers the general reader, student, and professional clear and immediate A-Z access to 1,000 grammatical terms and their meanings. All currently accepted terms are included, as well as traditional terms, more controversial newer terms, and terms belonging to linguistics. Each term is accompanied by a concise definition and detailed explanations, including examples of language in use and frequent quotations from existing texts.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Defined here are 1,000 terms used within the current mainstream of grammar, as well as within the related fields of phonetics and semantics, generative grammar, and linguistics. Examples of terms include fricative, linking verb, participial adjective, and plupluperfect.

Entries provide cross-references to synonyms (with the definition placed following the preferred term), indications of terms that enjoy a contrastive relationship, and cross-references to related and overlapping words. Entries include part-of-speech labels and illustrative quotations (sometimes with an indication of a phrase's earliest recorded appearance). The definitions constitute an interesting combination of telegraphic writing style (for the formal definition of a word) and narrative writing style (for explanations of the formal definition). Where British and American English differ, explanations for both are provided. For example, the definition for present perfect explains that American English often uses simple past, while British English prefers present perfect.

This is a remarkable resource. It is not a usage dictionary, but its definitions of grammar terms include usage information. The illustrative quotations are superb at facilitating understanding of complicated concepts; the format is unusually clear; and everything seems to be included, from A ("adverbial as an element of clause structure") to Z ("any of the functional parts into which clause and sentence structure is analysed"). This book will be used often by teachers, students (high school through college), writers, and of course, students of grammar. It is highly recommended for purchase by public and academic libraries; school librarians will want to preview before making a purchasing decision. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"This is a remarkable resource....The illustrative quotations are superb at facilitating understanding of complicated concepts....The book will be used often by teachers, students...writers, and of course, students of grammar."--Booklist

"It is a needed, welcome tool for students of the sophisticated science of language and its structure."--Wilson Library Bulletin

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 464 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (February 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0198613148
• ISBN-13: 978-0198613145
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,072,863 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Helpful Beyond English, May 20, 2001

By 

N. Cardon (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Oxford Dictionary of English Grammar (Oxford Paperback Reference) (Paperback)

This book was required for an introductory Latin class I took a semester ago. It proved helpful then, and is still helpful now. The ODEG is a useful tool for anyone who wishes to expand his or her knowledge of the manner in which our language functions. This book is a useful addition to a reference library, and I highly recommend it.

3 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good overall dictionary, April 24, 2000

By 

Flemming (Aarhus, Denmark) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Oxford Dictionary of English Grammar (Oxford Paperback Reference) (Paperback)

I use the book as a tool of making my reports more readable, and it has never let me down... I strongly recommend this one over any dictionary i've used so far.

1 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Oxford Dictionary of English Grammar, March 29, 2000

By 

fabio mosquera (argentina) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Oxford Dictionary of English Grammar (Oxford Paperback Reference) (Paperback)

A great guide to students,highly recomended.