About the book
David Crystal explains grammar's rules and irregularities, shows how to navigate its snares and pitfalls, and explores its history and varieties. He gives practical guidance on how grammar may be used for different purposes and in different settings. He provides a series of insights into the stages by which children acquire grammar and shows how this can be used to guide its early instruction. He casts a mordant eye on what learned people have said about English grammar over the centuries and what they continue to say now. People have always been uneasy about points of grammar and worried that what they say may not always be what they mean. Grammar is complex but, Professor Crystal shows, it need not be daunting: the more we understand it, he argues, the more sense we shall make. Making Sense is as entertaining as it is instructive. David Crystal unites investigations of its nature, variations, history, learning, and teaching with a host of practical advice. Like its three companion volumes it will appeal to everyone interested in the English language and how to use it.
Reviews
Refreshing and briskly written ... Crystal shows that grammar is not nearly as tedious as it can seem.
Previous praise for David Crystal:Crystal's book is full of distractions and delights.
If the history of language is a sort of labyrinth, David Crystal is an excellent guide
Delicious revelations ... Crystal does an excellent job, not just of tracing the etymology of a word, but of relating it to social history, painting a picture of our times through words
An engaging account of the history and structure of our language. Crystal is a prolific author with a talent for describing the sometimes arcane and obscure recesses of grammatical history in a fresh and accessible way.
