Generations of student writers have been subjected to usage handbooks that proclaim, 鈥淭his is the correct form. Learn it鈥濃�攂ooks that lay out a grammar, but don’t inspire students to use it. By contrast, this antihandbook handbook, presenting some three hundred sentences drawn from the printed works of a single, typical day in the life of the language鈥擠ecember 29, 2008鈥攖ries to persuade readers that good grammar and usage matter.
Using real-world sentences rather than invented ones, One Day in the Life of the English Language gives students the motivation to apply grammatical principles correctly and efficiently. Frank Cioffi argues that proper form undergirds effective communication and ultimately even makes society work more smoothly, while nonstandard English often marginalizes or stigmatizes a writer. He emphasizes the evolving nature of English usage and debunks some cherished but flawed grammar precepts. Is it acceptable to end a sentence with a preposition? It is. Can you start a sentence with a conjunction? You can. OK to split an infinitive? No problem.
A grammar and usage handbook like no other, One Day in the Life of the English Language features accessible chapters divided into 鈥淔undamentals,鈥� 鈥淔ine Tuning,鈥� and 鈥淒eep Focus,鈥� allowing readers to select a level most suited to their needs. It also includes a glossary, a teachers鈥� guide, and a section refuting some myths about digital-age English.
Awards and Recognition
- One of Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles for 2016
Frank L. Cioffi is professor of English at Baruch College, City University of New York, and has taught writing at 快色直播 and Indiana universities and at Bard and Scripps colleges. He is the author of The Imaginative Argument: A Practical Manifesto for Writers (快色直播), among other books.
"This little volume has several things going for it: it's compact, bound in the style of an industrial manual, so it can take a lot of punishment."鈥擬ary Norris, Times Literary Supplement
"Cioffi effectively employs a fast-paced narrative style that readers will find entertaining and insightful."鈥�Teaching Matters Monthly
"The work is accessible, fun to read, and packed with helpful information on almost every page. It will appeal to a wide audience鈥攏ot only those who love grammar but also those who do not."鈥�Library Journal
"For readers at any level who are seeking to improve their written English, One Day in the Life of the English Language helps to make grammar relatable and rewarding. . . . A creative alternative for students of all ages."鈥擲arah Powell, Reference Reviews
"Cioffi has created a different kind of grammar handbook, one that not only lays out the 鈥榬ules' of Standard English but also makes readers more sensitive to language and so better able to communicate ideas. . . . He used the material in this book in a freshman composition course, to good effect, and readers will find that this clever book sharpens their awareness."鈥�Choice
"One Day in the Life of the English Language is a welcome departure from the vast majority of grammar handbooks. Cioffi suggests that instead of memorizing tons of rules about sentence structure, students should internalize how sentences work鈥攁nd with the motivation he gives, students have the incentive to want to write well. I truly love this book."鈥擡lizabethada A. Wright, University of Minnesota
"One Day in the Life of the English Language is a book for all writers and teachers of writing鈥攚ithout getting mired in minutia. Cioffi examines the English language as it actually is written today, in the real world rather than how it 鈥榮hould' be written鈥攁 simple but powerful concept that easily lends itself to any classroom. Cioffi knows his subject inside out."鈥擱ebecca Chace, author of Leaving Rock Harbor
"Students will find Cioffi's approach intriguing and refreshing, since he is not merely telling them what they should do, but describing options currently in print. They will also enjoy his humorous and casual tone."鈥擫ydia McDermott, Whitman College
