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Wilson
Follett devoted his last years to composing a book on a subject he had studied all his life: the usage of American English. However, when he died more than two-thirds of the manuscript were still in first draft. People who had read this draft felt that it would be intolerable for this work
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wrote that
Follett's book was "the most highminded book of its kind since Fowler, and perhaps the only book with comparable credentials, sensibilities, and standards."
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undertook the task of finishing and revising the work on the understanding that he would have help. This came from a group of writers and teachers of
English:
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185:, in both hardback and paperback editions. In 1979, an edition edited by Erik Wensberg appeared and this was reissued in hardback in 1998.
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wrote "This is a book that any conscientious writer will continue to consult as long as he lives."
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was "Sensible, vigorous, and cogent ... Follett deserves a place on the shelf beside Fowler."
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As the quotations that follow show, Follett was generally compared favourably with
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in collaboration with six other editors. It is a usage guide for contemporary
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covers issues of usage, prose composition, and style, including
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at his death. It was completed and edited by his friend
204:The novelist, poet, literary critic and journalist
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108:which was left in draft form and unfinished by
225:wrote: "A work comparable to Fowler's classic
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181:The first edition was published in 1966 as
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145:never to be published, so his friend
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290:A Dictionary of Modern English Usage
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363:Style guides for American English
101:Follett's Modern American Usage
342:Garner's Modern American Usage
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319:, the authoritative guide to
232:Eliot Fremont-Smith wrote in
316:The Chicago Manual of Style
259:Disputes in English grammar
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177:Editions and related books
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331:The Complete Plain Words
358:1966 non-fiction books
245:The critic and author
20:Modern American Usage
16:Book by Wilson Follett
323:publishing style and
301:The Elements of Style
276:Modern American Usage
240:Modern American Usage
183:Modern American Usage
122:Modern American Usage
106:Modern American Usage
227:Modern English Usage
134:literary techniques
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247:Louis Kronenberger
235:The New York Times
208:reckoned that the
155:Frederick W. Dupee
336:Sir Ernest Gowers
278:by Wilson Follett
264:Elegant variation
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82:Publication place
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321:American English
215:Poet and critic
167:Phyllis McGinley
118:American English
73:Publication date
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295:Henry W. Fowler
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223:Clifton Fadiman
199:British English
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171:Lionel Trilling
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140:Pre-publication
126:English grammar
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66:Hill & Wang
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217:Mark Van Doren
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56:Style guide
352:Categories
270:References
189:Reception
62:Publisher
253:See also
44:Language
52:Subject
47:English
325:markup
306:Strunk
195:Fowler
169:, and
132:, and
130:syntax
34:Author
310:White
304:, by
293:, by
210:Guide
90:Pages
308:and
77:1966
334:by
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93:436
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