Making a Point: The Persnickety Story of English Punctuation - Hardcover

Crystal, Honorary Professor Of Linguistics David

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1250060419 ISBN 13: 9781250060419

Publisher: St. Martin's Press, 2015

Synopsis

With its unique mixture of logic and eccentricity, English punctuation excites both anxiety and fiercely held opinion. What other area of language has produced an organization such as the Apostrophe Protection Society? With wit, clarity and common sense, this entertaining volume offers both a history of English punctuation from medieval scribes to the internet and a complete guide to how to use it. From the question mark to the semi-colon, the book is packed with both amusing anecdote and sound practical advice.

About this title

Review:

"The best word book to come down the pike in many a moon . . . An ingenious idea, and only David Crystal could have pulled it off." --"Patricia T. O'Conner and Stewart Kellerman, authors of Origins of the Specious: Myths and Misconceptions of the English Language and bloggers at Grammarphobia.com, on The Story of English in 100 Words"

"Brisk [and] exuberant . . . Crystal delights in exposing all the many wacky ways we English speakers make new words." --"San Francisco Chronicle on The Story of English in 100 Words"

The best word book to come down the pike in many a moon . . . An ingenious idea, and only David Crystal could have pulled it off. "Patricia T. O'Conner and Stewart Kellerman, authors of Origins of the Specious: Myths and Misconceptions of the English Language and bloggers at Grammarphobia.com, on The Story of English in 100 Words"

Brisk [and] exuberant . . . Crystal delights in exposing all the many wacky ways we English speakers make new words. "San Francisco Chronicle on The Story of English in 100 Words""

The best word book to come down the pike in many a moon . . . An ingenious idea, and only David Crystal could have pulled it off. Patricia T. O'Conner and Stewart Kellerman, authors of Origins of the Specious: Myths and Misconceptions of the English Language and bloggers at Grammarphobia.com, on The Story of English in 100 Words

Brisk [and] exuberant . . . Crystal delights in exposing all the many wacky ways we English speakers make new words. San Francisco Chronicle on The Story of English in 100 Words

"

"The best word book to come down the pike in many a moon . . . An ingenious idea, and only David Crystal could have pulled it off." --Patricia T. O'Conner and Stewart Kellerman, authors of Origins of the Specious: Myths and Misconceptions of the English Language and bloggers at Grammarphobia.com, on The Story of English in 100 Words

"Brisk [and] exuberant . . . Crystal delights in exposing all the many wacky ways we English speakers make new words." --San Francisco Chronicle on The Story of English in 100 Words

About the Author:

DAVID CRYSTAL is Honorary Professor of Linguistics at the University of Wales, Bangor. His many books range from clinical linguistics to the liturgy and Shakespeare. He is the author of The Story of English in 100 Words and Spell It Out: The Singular History of English Spelling, both published by Profile. His Stories of English is a Penguin Classic. He lives in the United Kingdom.

About this edition

• Publisher: St. Martin's Press
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 1250060419
• ISBN 13: 9781250060419
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 400