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Publisher:
Cambridge University Press
Online publication date:
November 2023
Print publication year:
2023
Online ISBN:
9781009231299
Creative Commons:
Creative Common License - CC Creative Common License - BY Creative Common License - NC Creative Common License - ND
This content is Open Access and distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/creativelicenses

Book description

People read and write a range of English every day, yet what counts as 'correct' English has been narrowly defined and tested for 150 years. This book is written for educators, students, employers and scholars who are seeking a more just and knowledgeable perspective on English writing. It brings together history, headlines, and research with accessible visuals and examples, to provide an engaging overview of the complex nature of written English, and to offer a new approach for our diverse and digital writing world. Each chapter addresses a particular 'myth' of “correct” writing, such as 'students today can't write' or 'the internet is ruining academic writing', and presents the myth's context and consequences. By the end of the book, readers will know how to go from hunting errors to seeking (and finding) patterns in English writing today. This title is also available as open access on Cambridge Core.

Reviews

‘A timely text that all readers can enjoy, and a refreshing counterpart to the many prescriptive writing/grammar texts being published … Recommended.’

P. J. Kurtz Source: CHOICE

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Contents

Full book PDF
  • You Can’t Write That
    pp i-ii
  • You Can’t Write That - Title page
    pp iii-iii
  • 8 Myths About Correct English
  • Copyright page
    pp iv-iv
  • Dedication
    pp v-vi
  • Contents
    pp vii-vii
  • Figures
    pp viii-viii
  • Tables
    pp ix-ix
  • Acknowledgements
    pp x-xii
  • Introduction: When Writing Means Correct Writing
    pp 1-11
  • Chapter One - Myth 1 You Can’t Write That
    pp 12-28
  • Or, Only One Kind of Writing Is Correct
  • Chapter Two - Myth 2 You Can’t Write That in School
    pp 29-47
  • Or, Schools Must Regulate Writing
  • Chapter Three - Myth 3 You Can’t Write That and Be Smart
    pp 48-66
  • Or, Writing indicates natural intelligence
  • Chapter Four - Myth 4 You Can’t Write That on the Test
    pp 67-85
  • Or, Tests Must Regulate Writing
  • Chapther Five - Myth 5 Chances Are, You Can’t Write
    pp 86-104
  • Or, Most Students Can’t Write
  • Chapter Eight - Myth 8 You Can’t Write That Because Internet
    pp 145-160
  • Or, New Technology Threatens Writing
  • Chapter Nine - Conclusion: Writing Continuum, Language Exploration
    pp 161-167
  • Acknowledging the Myth Glasses
  • Afterword
    pp 168-169
  • Notes
    pp 170-188
  • References
    pp 189-223
  • Index
    pp 224-227

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