Question:
I'm looking for an extensive guide on English grammar, in
the form of a book. What would you recommend, especially for
a non-native speaker of English language?
I find that my "Chambers Essential English Dictionary"
(1995) is short of a myriad of words, the meanings of which
I don't know. Which dictionary, in your opinion, should I
purchase? I'd prefer a BrE one, however.
I'd gladly appreciate your instant replies, as I'm visiting
the book-market this Friday evening.
Answer:
It's an interesting, quirky and opinionated guide to English usage, but
it's not a guide to grammar of the kind I believe was intended by the
questioner. If a comprehensive guide to modern (chiefly British) usage
were being sought, much better would be:
R W BURCHFIELD (ed.): Fowler's Modern English Usage. 3rd ed, Oxford,
Clarendon Press, 1996. ISBN: 0 19 869136 2.
But neither is aimed at the foreign learner of English, who needs a text
covering points that would never occur to a native speaker needed any
explanation.
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