Common Errors in English Usage, 3rd Edition Paperback – October 15, 2013

Love this book! Have purchased for all the grandkids and family friends!

"It" being writing or speaking. And Paul Brians makes it fun. No easy task for someone writing about word usage. A worthy addition to the desk or bookshelf, where it will find frequent and happy use. And pay no attention to the three negative reviews. Their complaint is only that the book is about the use of the right word, and not about grammar, punctuation, or spelling. This complaint reminds me of the fellow who bought a camel and complained that it was not a sailboat. The complainers must not have read the "Look Inside" material from the book that is available on the Amazon website. If they had, they would have seen that the book is all about the choice of the right word. And the title of the book, Common Errors in English Usage, actually signals its content. The dictionary definition of "usage" tells us that it means the way in which a word or phrase is normally and correctly used. People simply should not buy a well-advertised and properly labeled camel and then complain that it is not a sailboat. It is not fair to the camel.

I really would have given this book 5 stars, had I not seen a grammatical error in the very first sentence written. This would be the dedication itself, which reads:DedicationFor my wife, Paula Elliot. Her sharp editorial eye, sense of style and support have helped make this book what it is.There should be a comma (,) immediately after the word "style". While this is a debatable topic, this assertion is based on the author's own recommendation from his website: "...but if you are on your own, I suggest you use the final comma. It often removes ambiguities.". In addition, the final comma is, in fact, used throughout the rest of the text — just not in the dedication.The book itself is outstanding, and I appreciate both the author and the years of painstakingly-gathered data it represents. Highly recommended!

I recommend this book for folks who wish to write concisely and correctly - such as many reviewers here. ;^) The back section of the book - Category Listings - is especially useful.

I've been referring to Paul Brians' work on common errors in English for many years, starting when it was available only as a web site. I recently purchased a copy of the paper version. I have recommended both of these sources to both graduate and undergraduate students. The clarity and good humor with which Dr. Brians explains the multitude of common confusions about English is beautiful to behold. As a few examples -- do you know when to use affect vs effect, lie vs lay, do vs due? Read this book, or refer to it as needed, and you may find yourself spontaneously speaking/writing better English! I highly recommend it.

I have been visiting Paul Brians' website for years and finally decided to spring for the book. Unlike the website it is organized alphabetically and then indexed by the type of error. It is a great reference tool and I appreciate that Brians is good about specifying when there is disagreement about a specific matter. The physical book doesn't have the highest quality paper or binding but it is much nicer than a pocket dictionary.

Useful as a quick reference although not always perfect. Also, entertaining for browsing.

A great book, with a number of links to similar, interesting websites. Really easy to find things you have been curious about.