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Loading... The Mother Tongue - English And How It Got That Way (original 1990; edition 1990)by Bill Bryson
Work InformationThe Mother Tongue by Bill Bryson (1990)
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Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. Linguists and scholars could nitpick this one to pieces, but as a general history of English for laymen and casual readers it's great. A bit dated, but very well written, funny and entertaining. I have to ding it a bit for it's inaccuracies (especially on languages other than English) but still a delightful read. ( ) I haven't finished it yet. I liked the part about how the English language got this way, spelling, etymology, history, dialects... Really interesting stuff. But i just got to the chapter about grammar and I just want to throw the book out of the window. Bill Bryson has absolutely no knowledge about grammar and acts with an authoritative voice,disregarding very basic concepts,like what present tense is, what it is used for, the difference between present tense and bare infinitive, or between present tense and future tense for the same matter. He doesn't understand the difference between verbs and nouns, and the role they play in sentences. Quotation: "A noun is a noun and a verb is a verb because grammarians say they are" wow. Awesome logic Brill. Such good arguments. You really convinced me. Of course he doesn't explain why grammarians say they are a noun and a verb, cause he's got no idea. He makes fun of all the grammar rules, saying how they don't apply to the English language, but then goes on saying how English is sooooo complex and confusing and impossible to make sense of. Sorry Bill , I think the only one confused here is yourself. Grammar rules make sense. You suck. no reviews | add a review
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With dazzling wit and astonishing insight, Bill Bryson-the acclaimed author of The Lost Continent-brilliantly explores the remarkable history, eccentricities, resilience and sheer fun of the English language. From the first descent of the larynx into the throat (why you can talk but your dog can't), to the fine lost art of swearing, Bryson tells the fascinating, often uproarious story of an inadequate, second-rate tongue of peasants that developed into one of the world's largest growth industries. No library descriptions found. |
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)420.9Language English English and Old English (Anglo-Saxon) English language--historyLC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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