Catalan: A Comprehensive Grammar is a complete reference guide to modern Catalan grammar, presenting an accessible and systematic description of the modern language. It is the only comprehensive grammar of the language available in EnglishThe Grammar reflects the current reality of Catalan by acknowledging regional diversity and features Balearic and Valencian varieties alongside the language used in the Barcelona region.The combined specialist knowledge of ...

In day-to-day speech we use words and phrases without a passing thought as to why we use them or where they come from. Max Cryer changes all that by showing how fascinating the English language really is. Did you know that the former host of Today, Jane Pauley, claims to have coined the term “bad hair day,” or that a CBS engineer named Charley Douglass invented the name and use of “canned laughter” for television, or that “cold turkey” as a term for quitting something immediately ...

Why do I need to put a comma here? Why don't I use an apostrophe after that s? What was that rule about prepositions? What is a preposition? This pamphlet outlines the more common concerns associated with English grammar and punctuation and provides a straight forward answer that can be used immediately. Simple to read and simple to use. Simple.

Who doesn't dream of writing a novel while holding on to a day job? Robert J. Ray and coauthor Bret Norris can help readers do just that, with this proven practical and accessible step-by-step guide to completing a novel in just a year's worth of weekends. The Weekend Novelist shows writers of all levels how to divide their writing time into weekend work sessions, and how to handle character, scene, and plot. This new, revised version is f...

This book narrates the history of English spelling from the Anglo-Saxons to the present-day, charting the various changes that have taken place and the impact these have had on the way we spell today. While good spelling is seen as socially and educationally desirable, many people struggle to spell common words like accommodate, occurrence, dependent. Is it our spelling system that is to blame, and should we therefore reform English spelling to make it easier to learn? Or are such calls fo...

Gleaned from antiquated dictionaries, dialect glossaries, studies of folklore, nautical lexicons, historical writings, letters, novels, and miscellaneous sources, Informal English offers a captivating treasure trove of linguistic oddities that will not only entertain but also shed light on America's colloquial past. Among the gems are:Surface-coal: cow dung, widely used for fuel in TexasBone-orchard: in the Southwest sl...

Basic Welsh: A Grammar and Workbook comprises an accessible grammar handbook and related exercises in a single volume.The book presents forty grammar units, covering the core materials which beginning students would expect to encounter in the course of learning Welsh. User-friendly grammar points are followed by multiple examples and exercises which allow students to reinforce and consolidate their learning.Key features include:Clear, access...

The inspiring stories of 6 people who changed history.Contents:Glenn Miller, the leader of the most famous big band in the USAPérez Prado, the Cuban musician who was known as ‘the King of Mambo’Ella Fitzgerald, the most popular female jazz singer in the USALuciano Pavarotti, one of the world’s best opera singersJohn Lennon, member of the famous band The BeatlesBRITISH ENGLISHWord count: 7,530Headword count: 687Visit w...

Set in Malaysia, this book encompasses language and cultural policy challenges that many other multi-ethnic nations currently have to address. The people of Malaysia constitute a diverse ethnic, linguistic and cultural population and one of the continuing challenges is the development and establishment of the Malaysian people’s ethnic, national and global cultural identities. This challenge is evident in the journey of language and cultural policy from the post-independence period to the 2...

During the late 1920s and the 1930s, the Italian government sought various commercial and politically oriented solutions to cope with the advent of new sound technologies in cinema. The translation of foreign-language films became a recurrent topic of ongoing debates surrounding the use of the Italian language, the rebirth of the national film industry and cinema’s mass popularity.Through the analysis of state records and the film trade press, The Politics of Dubbing explor...

The topic of George Berkeley and common sense is challenging: Berkeley claims that matter does not exist and at the same time he writes a whole book (Three Dialogues between Hylas and Philonous) on how his system agrees with common sense. However, once we understand why he felt so confident that his immaterialism is not an affront to the plain man, we will get a better insight into the metaphysical system itself. The solution involves a more prominent role for science in immateria...

First published in 1902, this volume contains a detailed history of English literature beginning in the Anglo-Saxon Period and ending with contemporary literature. “A History of English Literature” is highly recommended for all students of literature, and it would make for a worthy addition to any collection. Contents include: “The Anglo-Saxon Period”, “The Norman-French Period”, “The Age of Chaucer”, “The Renaissance: Non-Dramatic Literature to the Death of Spenser”, “The Renaissance: Sha...