Garner’s Modern English Usage: Fourth Edition by Bryan Garner (2016)

Garner’s Modern English Usage: Fourth Edition
by Bryan Garner
Oxford University Press, 2016
1,120 pages

There are certain resource materials that every writer must possess in his arsenal, including a dependable dictionary and thesaurus. Words are the building blocks of language, and a dictionary and thesaurus will assist in putting one’s thoughts together in an understandable manner. Whether one is using those words appropriately, however, is another matter. In his massive Garner’s Modern English Usage: Fourth Edition, linguist Bryan Garner addresses the proper way to put words together.

In addition to more than 6,000 entries on grammar, syntax, punctuation, style, and more, Garner addresses the battle between prescriptive linguists and descriptive linguists. Prescribers are known to suggest how language should be used, while describers simply observe and report on how it is used. Garner falls more into the prescriptive camp, though he concedes there are some battles lost long ago that should not be resurrected. Garner does report on how language is used, utilizing modern tools such as Google’s ngrams to make this one of the most reliable linguistic guides ever, but he does not shy away from denouncing improper usage when needed.

As a resource, Garner’s Modern English Usage: Fourth Edition is a valuable tool. Not as indispensable as a standard dictionary or thesaurus, but it is a fantastic tool that can be used to give one’s writing more accuracy.

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Writing History: A Guide for Students by William Kelleher Storey (2015)

Writing History: A Guide for Students
by William Kelleher Storey
Oxford University Press, 2015
146 pages

Writing History, described as “a practical guide for beginning historians” by the author, arms students with the tools necessary to research and write historical essays. The book concisely covers several topics, including plagiarism, organization, and how to remain faithful to historical facts. Storey focuses on research essays, but his guidance can help those who are writing shorter pieces as well. Particularly helpful are the seventh and eighth chapters, “Writing Sentences in History” and “Choosing Precise Words,” which contain advice applicable to all writers (including bloggers). Writing History is highly recommended for those delving into historical research.

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It’s Been Said Before by Orin Hargraves (2014)

It’s Been Said Before
by Orin Hargraves
Oxford University Press, 2014
248 pages

An examination of clichés, It’s Been Said Before by author Orin Hargraves catalogs a large number of phrases that are sometimes overused or misused. He states in the introduction that the volume is not intended to be a dictionary of clichés, but the book reads like one.

Hargaves does not offer alternatives to the overused phrases, but simply groups them into categories: clichés that name things, adjectival and quantifying clichés, adverbial clichés, predicate clichés, framing devices, modifier fatigue, and clichés in tandem. It is dry and academic, but useful for writers that want to determine whether they are using common phrases effectively.

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