Making a point : the Persnickety story of English punctuation /

"The triumphant concluding volume in David Crystal's classic trilogy on the English language combines the first history of English punctuation with a complete guide on how to use it. Behind every punctuation mark lies a thousand stories. The punctuation of English, marked with occasional r...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Crystal, David, 1941- (Author)
Format: Book
Language:English
Published: New York : St. Martin's Press, 2015.
Edition:First U.S. Edition.
Subjects:
Online Access:Cover image
Description
Summary:"The triumphant concluding volume in David Crystal's classic trilogy on the English language combines the first history of English punctuation with a complete guide on how to use it. Behind every punctuation mark lies a thousand stories. The punctuation of English, marked with occasional rationality, is founded on arbitrariness and littered with oddities. For a system of a few dozen marks it generates a disproportionate degree of uncertainty and passion, inspiring organizations like the Apostrophe Protection Society and sending enthusiasts, correction-pens in hand, in a crusade against error across the United States. Professor Crystal leads us through this minefield with characteristic wit, clarity, and commonsense. In David Crystal's Making a Point, he gives a fascinating account of the origin and progress of every kind of punctuation mark over one and a half millennia and offers sound advice on how punctuation may be used to meet the needs of every occasion and context"--
Physical Description:xiii, 378 pages : illustrations, 22 cm
Bibliography:Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN:9781250060419
1250060419