Sign-In
Cart
Standard American English: Its Structure and Usage
Paperback
Please select the version of book you would like to purchase.
ISBN10: 1987565290
ISBN13: 9781987565294
Publisher: Createspace
Published: Apr 18 2018
Pages: 216
Weight: 1.13
Height: 0.46 Width: 8.50 Depth: 11.00
Language: English
ISBN13: 9781987565294
Publisher: Createspace
Published: Apr 18 2018
Pages: 216
Weight: 1.13
Height: 0.46 Width: 8.50 Depth: 11.00
Language: English
Standard American English Its Structure and Usage is an instructional handbook which explains standard grammar and punctuation rules as well as the terms and reasons for using them. The structure is presented in two formats: traditional grammar terms and generative, or transformational, grammar terms. You will become self-assured with standard usage by practicing your editing skills on sentences and paragraphs.
Grammatical structure refers to the intrinsic patterns of English, which are surprisingly similar to the patterns of most other languages, and should not be confused with standard usage. According to Noam Chomsky, America's foremost linguist, ungrammatical sentences are very rarely produced by humans; not even small children produce them. An ungrammatical sentence would violate the rules of grammar, which are hard-wired into our brains. Stroke or accident victims who have sustained brain damage do sometimes produce an ungrammatical sentence, but this is because their hard-wired programs have been injured or disturbed. An example of an ungrammatical sentence is 'Bob table on bringing'. This string of words does not fit any grammatical structures in English, whether they are described in traditional or generative grammar terms.
Rules of standard usage, on the other hand, are violated every day by countless speakers of every educational, social, regional, and ethnic background. These rules have been established by academia and include the use of 'who' or 'whom', 'see' or 'seen', 'good' or 'well', 'brang' or 'brought', and the like. People who violate the rules of standard usage may do so out of ignorance or as a matter of choice. Following the rules of Standard English is not necessary one hundred per cent of the time. For example, you may want to blend into a certain social situation in which nonstandard usage is the norm. Making language choices is much like deciding what to wear. Generally you try to choose what is appropriate for the occasion. Using Standard English in some circumstances may make you feel just as awkward as wearing a suit to the beach. However, you need to have that suit in your closet when formal situations, such as academic work or a job interview, do arise. Like it or not, you are judged by your use of language.
One of the main purposes of this book is to provide you with that suit. Once you are comfortable knowing that you can follow all the rules of Standard English when the occasion calls for them, you will be able to make the appropriate choices without worry. Unfortunately, there are no tricks, no easy formulas, no shortcuts on the path to learning Standard English. The only way to be certain of the rules is to first understand the structure of English, those intrinsic patterns that you were born with the ability to comprehend. In fact, none of the material presented here is beyond the cognition of a ten-year-old, but several years of instruction have been compressed into a single volume. If you had learned grammar in tandem with reading all through the grades, you might not need this book, but chances are that this has not happened.
By learning standard English, you will become better at both reading and writing. Knowing the meaning of every word in a string does not guarantee knowing the meaning of the sentence. Meaning comes from the way in which the words are connected, and that is grammatical structure. Becoming aware of different structures and how they can be changed or moved to add subtle meaning in your own writing will definitely enhance the effect of your communication skills.
Rules of standard usage, on the other hand, are violated every day by countless speakers of every educational, social, regional, and ethnic background. These rules have been established by academia and include the use of 'who' or 'whom', 'see' or 'seen', 'good' or 'well', 'brang' or 'brought', and the like. People who violate the rules of standard usage may do so out of ignorance or as a matter of choice. Following the rules of Standard English is not necessary one hundred per cent of the time. For example, you may want to blend into a certain social situation in which nonstandard usage is the norm. Making language choices is much like deciding what to wear. Generally you try to choose what is appropriate for the occasion. Using Standard English in some circumstances may make you feel just as awkward as wearing a suit to the beach. However, you need to have that suit in your closet when formal situations, such as academic work or a job interview, do arise. Like it or not, you are judged by your use of language.
One of the main purposes of this book is to provide you with that suit. Once you are comfortable knowing that you can follow all the rules of Standard English when the occasion calls for them, you will be able to make the appropriate choices without worry. Unfortunately, there are no tricks, no easy formulas, no shortcuts on the path to learning Standard English. The only way to be certain of the rules is to first understand the structure of English, those intrinsic patterns that you were born with the ability to comprehend. In fact, none of the material presented here is beyond the cognition of a ten-year-old, but several years of instruction have been compressed into a single volume. If you had learned grammar in tandem with reading all through the grades, you might not need this book, but chances are that this has not happened.
By learning standard English, you will become better at both reading and writing. Knowing the meaning of every word in a string does not guarantee knowing the meaning of the sentence. Meaning comes from the way in which the words are connected, and that is grammatical structure. Becoming aware of different structures and how they can be changed or moved to add subtle meaning in your own writing will definitely enhance the effect of your communication skills.
Also in
Writing Instruction
1000 Words: A Writer's Guide to Staying Creative, Focused, and Productive All Year Round
Attenberg, Jami
Hardcover
$11.99
Publication Manual (Official) 7th Edition of the American Psychological Association
American Psychological Association
Paperback
From $14.99
Steering the Craft: A Twenty-First-Century Guide to Sailing the Sea of Story
Le Guin, Ursula K.
Paperback
$15.29
The Well-Spoken Thesaurus: The Most Powerful Ways to Say Everyday Words and Phrases
Heehler, Tom
Paperback
$18.99
Blasting Through Blocks: An Artist's Way Guide to Unleashing Your Inner Creativity
Cameron, Julia
Paperback
$18.05
Paying for College, 2027: Everything You Need to Maximize Financial Aid and Afford College
Chany, Kalman
Martz, Geoffrey
The Princeton Review
Paperback
$24.69
The Language of the Night: Essays on Writing, Science Fiction, and Fantasy
Le Guin, Ursula K.
Paperback
$17.09
Empire of Ink: The Printers, Rogues, and Radicals Who Invented the American Newspaper
Wright, Alex
Hardcover
$30.60
Libro de caligrafía para adultos: Explorando la belleza de las letras - Mi primer cuaderno de caligrafía creativa
Style, Life Daily
Paperback
$13.74
The Modern Guide to Querying Literary Agents: From Rejection to Representation in 8 Steps
McDonald, Patrick
Matesic, Alyssa
Paperback
$19.95
Write a Novel in 100 Days: The Busy Writer's Guide to Finishing Your Book Fast
Purcell, Kim
Paperback
$16.20
The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Character Expression (Second Edition)
Puglisi, Becca
Ackerman, Angela
Paperback
$23.99
Plot Twist: Life, Craft, and the Messy First Draft: A Memoir on Writing (Large Print Edition)
Coben, Harlan
Paperback
$32.78
Save the Cat! Writes a Novel: The Last Book on Novel Writing You'll Ever Need
Brody, Jessica
Paperback
$19.00
Sit Write Here: 6 Mindfulness Practices to Help You Write More and Suffer Less
Dávila, April
Paperback
$18.05
Verb Your Enthusiasm: How to Master the Art of the Verb and Transform Your Writing
Kaufman, Sarah L.
Hardcover
$25.20
Publication Manual (Official) 7th Edition of the American Psychological Association
American Psychological Association
Paperback
$69.59
Page One to Done: Finish Your Novel in 30 Days with the Fast Drafting Method
Brody, Jessica
Paperback
$18.99
Take It from Me: An Agent's Guide to Building a Nonfiction Writing Career from Scratch
Habib, Alia Hanna
Hardcover
$25.20
The Writing Rope: A Framework for Explicit Writing Instruction in All Subjects
Sedita, Joan
Paperback
$59.33
Seberson Method: New Sat(r) Vocabulary Workbook: Over 700 High-Frequency Words to Master
Seberson, Katya
Paperback
$18.99
How to Take Smart Notes: One Simple Technique to Boost Writing, Learning and Thinking
Ahrens, Sönke
Paperback
$21.24
Read These Banned Books: A Journal and 52-Week Reading Challenge from the American Library Association
American Library Association (ALA)
Paperback
From $6.99
AP English Language and Composition Premium, 2027: Prep Book with 8 Practice Tests + Online Practice
Schanhals, Michael
Paperback
$28.49
Smart Brevity: The Power of Saying More with Less (Revised and Updated)
Vandehei, Jim
Allen, Mike
Schwartz, Roy
Hardcover
From $12.99
Publication Manual (Official) 7th Edition of the American Psychological Association
American Psychological Association
Hardcover
$85.54
Princeton Review AP English Language & Composition Premium Prep, 21st Edition: 8 Practice Tests + Digital Practice Online + Content Review
The Princeton Review
Paperback
$26.59
Handwriting Practice Book for Kids Ages 6-8: Printing workbook for Grades 1, 2 & 3, Learn to Trace Alphabet Letters and Numbers 1-100, Sight Words, 10
Lalgudi, Sujatha
Hippidoo
Paperback
$11.99
AP English Literature and Composition Premium, 2027: Prep Book with 8 Practice Tests + Online Practice
Schanhals, Michael
Paperback
$23.74
A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, Ninth Edition: Chicago Style for Students and Researchers
Turabian, Kate L.
Paperback
$20.90
The Vocabulary Builder Workbook: Simple Lessons and Activities to Teach Yourself Over 1,400 Must-Know Words
Lele, Chris
Magoosh
Paperback
$12.34
Korean Stories for Language Learners: Traditional Folktales in Korean and English (Free Online Audio)
You, Eunsun
Damron, Julie
Paperback
$17.09
Writing Fiction, Tenth Edition: A Guide to Narrative Craft
Burroway, Janet
Stuckey-French, Elizabeth
Stuckey-French, Ned
Paperback
$36.40
Scriptnotes: A Book about Screenwriting and Things That Are Interesting to Screenwriters
August, John
Mazin, Craig
Hardcover
$30.40
The Vocabulary Workbook for 7th Grade: Weekly Activities to Boost Your Word Power
McLellan, Kelly Anne
Paperback
$13.29
Self-Editing for Fiction Writers, Second Edition: How to Edit Yourself Into Print
King, Dave
Browne, Renni
Paperback
$18.04
Princeton Review AP English Literature & Composition Premium Prep, 27th Edition: 6 Practice Tests + Digital Practice Online + Content Review
The Princeton Review
Paperback
$26.59
Learn Russian with Beginner Stories: Interlinear Russian to English
Gettys, Serafima
Van Den End, Kees
Hyplern, Bermuda Word
Paperback
$17.99
Lonely Planet French Phrasebook & Dictionary: Learn Essential Phrases & Vocabulary 3,500 Word Two-Way Dictionary Pull-Out Fast Phrases Card Travel wit
Carillet, Jean-Bernard
Masclef, Jean-Pierre
Janes, Michael
Paperback
$11.39
Print and Cursive Handwriting Workbook: 35 Lessons to Improve Your Penmanship
Sanders, Sally
Paperback
$13.29
Word Power Made Easy: The Complete Handbook for Building a Superior Vocabulary
Lewis, Norman
Paperback
From $4.99
Thinking Through Writing: A Guide to Becoming a Better Writer and Thinker
Kaag, John
Van Belle, Jonathan
Paperback
$31.19
The Ultimate RPG Villain Backstory Guide: Prompts and Activities to Create Compelling Antiheroes, Enemies, and Bad Guys
D'Amato, James
Apelyan, Dillin
Paperback
$15.20
Fact & Fiction: How to Write a Novel Inspired by Family and History
Matsumoto, Constance Hays
Paperback
$24.69
Violent Phenomena: Essays Toward the Future of Literary Translation
Bhanot, Kavita
Tiang, Jeremy
Paperback
$17.09
The Poet's Companion: A Guide to the Pleasures of Writing Poetry
Laux, Dorianne
Addonizio, Kim
Paperback
$17.05
The Only Grammar Book You'll Ever Need, Updated Edition: Your One-Stop Source for Mastering English Grammar
Thurman, Susan
Paperback
$13.29
1100 Words You Need to Know + Online Practice: Build Your Vocabulary in Just 15 Minutes a Day!
Bromberg, Murray
Gordon, Melvin
Carriero, Rich
Paperback
$18.04
Chinese Writing Practice Book with Pinyin: Tian Zi Ge Notebook: Tian Zi Ge Notebook with Pinyin: Tian Zi Ge
Comtebarcelona
Paperback
$8.54