Grammar, syntax & morphology – The Bell Bookshop

Dictionary of Fine Distinctions

Emma — Thu, 04 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

‘Delightful’ Steven Pinker | ‘A joy to read’ David Crystal | ‘Gulp it down’ Lucy Mangan | ‘A gem’ Simon GarfieldSwamp or bog? Guilt or shame? Clementine or tangerine? We like to think that we choose our words with care, but are we using them with any degree of accuracy – or should that be precision?For hair-splitters and language lovers, Dictionary of Fine Distinctions explores the world of the vanishingly small, teasing apart the terms that we tend to collapse, conflate, or confuse. An illustrated odyssey into minute differences in meaning, Eli Burnstein’s unputdownable guide will hone your wits, tickle your brain, and deepen your appreciation for the infinite (and infinitesimal) nuances all around us.

Prose & cons

Emma — Thu, 17 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

As fans of Just a Minute know, the key to the game is knowing your way around the English language: how it works, how it’s evolved, and how words connect, often in surprising ways. When it comes to the English language (and Just a Minute), Gyles Brandreth has seen it all – and now he’s ready to put you through your linguistic paces, to become a Just a Minute expert yourself.

In this wildly entertaining A to Z of verbal acrobatics, Gyles takes you on a whirlwind tour of our mother tongue – from the origins of words and correct grammar and punctuation, to similes, euphemisms and record breaking tongue twisters (try getting your mouth around floccinaucinihilipification!). An idiosyncratic blend of history, word play, anecdote, and hyperbole, all in 60-second instalments, this is Gyles Brandreth at his word-perfect, Just-a-Minute best. You’ll never mix your metaphors again…

The King’s English and how to use it

Emma — Thu, 07 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Constantly confused by the difference between adjectives and adverbs? Still can’t figure out how to use a semi-colon? Or simply want to refresh the English language knowledge you learnt from school?

The King’s English is the perfect handbook to tackle all of these challenges. Written by the President of the Queen’s English Society, this book covers the basics – grammar, spelling and punctuation – and offers tips and tricks on how to improve rhetoric, vocabulary and style, so you can confidently use the English language with flair.

Including amusing examples of what can happen when English is employed incorrectly, and sprinkled with illustrations to drive home key points and short exercises to reinforce essential lessons, this is an authoritative yet entertaining guide to one of the most widely used languages in the world.

Prose and cons

Emma — Thu, 26 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0000

‘A whirlwind tour of the joys of English, by the master of concision and wit.’ – Susie Dent

‘Gyles is very funny – and never lost for words!’ – Dame Judi Dench

How Words Get Good

Emma — Thu, 17 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000

‘A masterpiece’ – Daily Mail’A fascinating and funny look at what really goes into the making of a book’ Sunday Times’Inject this straight into my veins!’ Lucy Mangan’Engaging, informative, and fascinating!’ David Bellos, author of Is That a Fish in Your Ear? Once upon a time, a writer had an idea. They wrote it down. But what happened next?Join Rebecca Lee, professional word-improver, as she embarks on the fascinating journey to find out how a book gets from author’s brain to finished copy. She’ll learn the dark arts of ghostwriters, uncover the hidden beauty of typesetting and find out which words end up in books (and why). And along the way, her quest will be punctuated by a litany of little-known considerations that make a big impact: ellipses, indexes, hyphens, esoteric grammar and juicy errata slips. Whoops. From foot-and-note disease to the town of Index, Missouri – turn the page to discover how books get made and words get good. Or, at least, better.

Have You Eaten Grandma?

Emma — Thu, 01 Oct 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Pedantic about punctuation or scrupulous about spelling? You’ll love this hilarious and definitive guide to 21st century language from grammar-guru Gyles Brandreth

‘Brandreth excels . . . in all his linguistic joie de vivre’ Guardian

Don’t know if it’s, like, okay to say ‘like’?
Are your apostrophe’s in the wrong place?
Want to make fewer not less grammatical mistakes?

Then do not despair, Have You Eaten Grandma? is the definitive (and hilarious) guide to punctuation, spelling, and good English for the twenty-first century.

Self-confessed grammar guru Gyles Brandreth pokes fun at the linguistic foibles of our time, tells us where we’ve been going wrong (and how to put it right), and reveals his tips and tricks to make every one of us better, more confident users (not abusers) of the English language. End of.

Is ‘End of’ alright? Wait, is ‘alright’ all right?

You’ll find out right here . . .

This hilarious companion to 21st century language is perfect for anyone pedantic about punctuation or scrupulous about spelling.

‘A laugh-a-lot, spanning everything . . . great book, I’m loving this’ Chris Evans, BBC Radio 2

Swahili Grammar and Workbook

Emma — Mon, 20 Oct 2014 00:00:00 +0000

Swahili Grammar and Workbook provides a practical and comprehensive companion to Swahili grammar, filling in gaps left by other textbooks. Presenting the essentials of Swahili grammar in a highly accessible fashion, it reduces complex language topics to helpful rules and mnemonic aids, enabling maximum grammar retention and accurate usage. Grammar points are followed by multiple examples and exercises, allowing students to consolidate and practice their learning. No prior knowledge of linguistic terminology is required.

Key features include:

Twenty five language notes covering key topics such as: personal pronouns; the Swahili noun class system; special class combinations; the imperative, the subjunctive, and the conditional moods; the use of comparatives; the use of monosyllabic verbs; the passive form and various other forms of verb extensions; the relative clause
Clear, detailed and jargon-free grammatical explanations supported by an assortment of helpful diagrams, charts and tables and many relevant and up-to-date examples
A wide range of communication-oriented exercises to reinforce learning and develop students’ ability to use Swahili actively
Audio files to support pronunciation practice, clearly linked to relevant sections of the book and available for free download at http://www.routledge.com/books/details/9781138808263/?
Four appendices, Swahili-English and English-Swahili vocabulary lists, a bibliography and an index presented at the back of the book for easy access to information. ?

Written by a highly experienced instructor, Swahili Grammar and Workbook will be an essential resource for all students and teachers of Swahili. It is suitable for use both as a companion reference text in language courses and as a standalone text in independent grammar classes.

Eats Shoots & Leaves

Emma — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Anxious about the apostrophe? Confused by the comma? Stumped by the semicolon? Join Lynne Truss on a hilarious tour through the rules of punctuation that is sure to sort the dashes from the hyphens.

We all had the basic rules of punctuation drilled into us at school, but punctuation pedants have good reason to suspect they never sank in. ‘Its Summer!’ screams a sign that sets our teeth on edge. ‘Pansy’s ready’, we learn to our considerable interest (‘Is she?’) as we browse among the bedding plants.

It is not only the rules of punctuation that have come under attack but also a sense of why they matter. In this runaway bestseller, Lynne Truss takes the fight to emoticons and greengrocers’ apostrophes with a war cry of ‘Sticklers unite!’