201:). It was expanded to cover English more broadly in the 2016 fourth edition, under the present title. The work covers issues of usage, pronunciation, and style, from distinctions among commonly confused words and phrases to notes on how to prevent verbosity and obscurity. In addition, it contains essays about the English language. An abridged version of the first edition was also published as
216:
In a study that compared Garner's usage guide to Henry W. Fowler's, Robin
Straaijer said that the two have many similarities. He pointed out that Garner (who had expressed his admiration for Fowler's work) had organized his book in a similar format and agreed with Fowler on many usage debates.
349:
of WorldWideWords.org said in his review that usage guides "row a course against the current of modern lexicography and linguistics", which are descriptive fields that often fail to "meet the day-to-day needs of those users of
English who want to speak and write in a way that is acceptable to
321:(dictionary writers) face. Garner's dictionary is prescriptive in aiming to uphold good English usage, but also concedes to variant forms and usage errors that are so widespread that there is no lexicographical hope of changing them.
299:
said, "The fact of the matter is that Garner's dictionary is extremely good .... Its format ... includes entries on individual words and phrases and expostulative small-cap
632:
417:"Modern English usage from Britain to America: Bryan Garner follows Henry Fowler from A Dictionary of Modern American English Usage to Garner's Modern English Usage"
705:
27:
606:
560:
516:
350:
educated opinion." Quinion opined that Garner lays down rules without falling victim to "worn-out shibboleths or language superstitions".
303:." (An unabridged, much lengthier version of Wallace's essay, "Authority and American Usage", appeared in his 2005 anthology of essays
213:
16th edition in 2017. The latter includes three sections titled "Grammar", "Syntax" and "Word Usage", each with several subcategories.
549:
499:
375:
118:
700:
465:
416:
240:, with one-third more content than the original edition. A third edition was published under that title in August 2009.
586:
280:
275:
129:
595:
310:
314:
174:
162:
65:
710:
571:
391:
305:
296:
565:
340:
332:
256:
26:
278:, May 2016), Garner's major expansion of his chapter on the topic in the last several editions of
576:
444:
524:
259:
to compare some 2,300 ratios of standard versus variant forms of usages, e.g., "Current ratio (
495:
436:
371:
113:
649:
428:
324:
188:
166:
346:
248:
244:
158:
37:
554:
336:
178:
694:
600:
448:
469:
318:
580:
331:
one of the five most influential books in his library. Other critics, including
170:
55:
620:
When Bad
Grammar Happens to Good People: How to Avoid Common Errors in English
432:
440:
94:
16:
Usage dictionary and style guide by
American writer Bryan A. Garner
236:
In 2003, the second full edition was published under the title
614:
The Most Common Errors in
English Usage and How to Avoid Them
343:
have praised the book's clear, simple, and nuanced guidance.
517:"Tense Present: Democracy, English, and the Wars over Usage"
229:, and released in an abridged, paperback edition in 2000 as
494:(5th ed.). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
270:
This was followed by something of a companion volume,
370:. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. p. 55.
272:
The
Chicago Guide to Grammar, Usage, and Punctuation
124:
112:
101:
89:
81:
71:
61:
51:
43:
33:
466:"World Wide Words: Garner's Modern American Usage"
460:
458:
231:The Oxford Dictionary of American Usage and Style
204:The Oxford Dictionary of American Usage and Style
191:, which it retained for the next two editions as
207:in 2000 and a similar version was published in
523:. Harper's Magazine Foundation. Archived from
633:Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of English Usage
396:www-chicagomanualofstyle-org.byu.idm.oclc.org
8:
19:
685:How to Be Brief: An Index to Simple Writing
251:was released in April 2016 under the title
225:The first edition was published in 1998 as
140:/garners-modern-english-usage-9780197599020
287:The fifth edition was published in 2022.
25:
18:
673:Dos, Don'ts & Maybes of English Usage
358:
309:.) He commended Garner's stance on the
267:): 170:1" (Garner 2016, p. 452).
646:The New Fowler's Modern English Usage
227:A Dictionary of Modern American Usage
184:A Dictionary of Modern American Usage
7:
607:The Cambridge Guide to English Usage
561:A Dictionary of Modern English Usage
515:Wallace, David Foster (April 2001).
181:. It was first published in 1998 as
667:Writer's Guide and Index to English
591:by the University of Chicago Press
14:
706:Style guides for American English
661:The Standard of Usage in English
657:by H. W. Fowler and F. G. Fowler
255:. It was notable for using the
329:Garner's Modern American Usage
238:Garner's Modern American Usage
194:Garner's Modern American Usage
177:dictionary') for contemporary
20:Garner's Modern English Usage
1:
492:Garner's Modern English Usage
392:"The Chicago Manual of Style"
368:Garner's Modern English Usage
253:Garner's Modern English Usage
150:Garner's Modern English Usage
243:An updated edition covering
587:The Chicago Manual of Style
281:The Chicago Manual of Style
276:University of Chicago Press
210:The Chicago Manual of Style
727:
490:Garner, Bryan A. (2022).
433:10.1017/S0266078418000317
415:Straaijer, Robin (2018).
366:Garner, Bryan A. (2016).
24:
675:by Theodore M. Bernstein
596:The Complete Plain Words
311:linguistic descriptivism
163:Oxford University Press
66:Oxford University Press
701:1998 non-fiction books
663:by Thomas R. Lounsbury
572:The Elements of Style
550:Modern American Usage
628:by Christopher Lasch
306:Consider the Lobster
297:David Foster Wallace
669:by Porter G. Perrin
257:Google Ngram Viewer
21:
681:by William Zinsser
655:The King's English
636:by Merriam-Webster
187:, with a focus on
687:by Rudolf Flesch.
642:by Eric Partridge
640:Usage and Abusage
616:by Elaine Bender.
601:Sir Ernest Gowers
521:Harper's Magazine
161:and published by
146:
145:
82:Publication place
718:
650:R. W. Burchfield
537:
536:
534:
532:
527:on 18 March 2013
512:
506:
505:
487:
481:
480:
478:
477:
468:. Archived from
462:
453:
452:
412:
406:
405:
403:
402:
388:
382:
381:
363:
325:Garrison Keillor
302:
189:American English
167:usage dictionary
142:
139:
137:
135:
133:
131:
73:Publication date
29:
22:
726:
725:
721:
720:
719:
717:
716:
715:
691:
690:
679:On Writing Well
566:Henry W. Fowler
545:
540:
530:
528:
514:
513:
509:
502:
489:
488:
484:
475:
473:
464:
463:
456:
414:
413:
409:
400:
398:
390:
389:
385:
378:
365:
364:
360:
356:
347:Michael Quinion
300:
293:
249:World Englishes
223:
159:Bryan A. Garner
128:
107:(fifth edition)
90:Media type
74:
38:Bryan A. Garner
17:
12:
11:
5:
724:
722:
714:
713:
708:
703:
693:
692:
689:
688:
682:
676:
670:
664:
658:
652:
643:
637:
629:
623:
617:
611:
603:
592:
583:
568:
557:
555:Wilson Follett
544:
541:
539:
538:
507:
501:978-0197599020
500:
482:
454:
407:
383:
377:978-0190491482
376:
357:
355:
352:
337:William Safire
319:lexicographers
315:prescriptivism
292:
289:
222:
219:
179:Modern English
157:), written by
144:
143:
126:
122:
121:
116:
110:
109:
103:
99:
98:
91:
87:
86:
83:
79:
78:
75:
72:
69:
68:
63:
59:
58:
53:
49:
48:
45:
41:
40:
35:
31:
30:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
723:
712:
711:Plain English
709:
707:
704:
702:
699:
698:
696:
686:
683:
680:
677:
674:
671:
668:
665:
662:
659:
656:
653:
651:
647:
644:
641:
638:
635:
634:
630:
627:
624:
621:
618:
615:
612:
610:by Pam Peters
609:
608:
604:
602:
598:
597:
593:
590:
588:
584:
582:
578:
574:
573:
569:
567:
563:
562:
558:
556:
552:
551:
547:
546:
543:Similar works
542:
526:
522:
518:
511:
508:
503:
497:
493:
486:
483:
472:on 2008-02-22
471:
467:
461:
459:
455:
450:
446:
442:
438:
434:
430:
426:
422:
421:English Today
418:
411:
408:
397:
393:
387:
384:
379:
373:
369:
362:
359:
353:
351:
348:
344:
342:
338:
334:
330:
326:
322:
320:
316:
312:
308:
307:
298:
290:
288:
285:
283:
282:
277:
273:
268:
266:
262:
258:
254:
250:
246:
241:
239:
234:
232:
228:
220:
218:
214:
212:
211:
206:
205:
200:
196:
195:
190:
186:
185:
180:
176:
172:
168:
164:
160:
156:
152:
151:
141:
127:
123:
120:
119:9780197599020
117:
115:
111:
108:
104:
100:
96:
92:
88:
85:United States
84:
80:
76:
70:
67:
64:
60:
57:
54:
50:
46:
42:
39:
36:
32:
28:
23:
684:
678:
672:
666:
660:
654:
645:
639:
631:
625:
622:by Ann Batko
619:
613:
605:
594:
585:
570:
559:
548:
529:. Retrieved
525:the original
520:
510:
491:
485:
474:. Retrieved
470:the original
427:(4): 39–47.
424:
420:
410:
399:. Retrieved
395:
386:
367:
361:
345:
328:
323:
304:
294:
286:
279:
271:
269:
264:
260:
252:
242:
237:
235:
230:
226:
224:
215:
209:
208:
203:
202:
198:
193:
192:
183:
182:
175:prescriptive
154:
149:
148:
147:
106:
626:Plain Style
327:has called
317:issue that
301:mini-essays
265:harped back
261:harked back
171:style guide
56:Style guide
695:Categories
476:2008-02-18
401:2023-11-01
354:References
341:Bill Walsh
333:John Simon
247:and other
449:150332935
441:0266-0784
295:Novelist
291:Reception
136:/academic
95:Hardcover
77:1998–2022
62:Publisher
531:29 March
221:Editions
138:/product
44:Language
313:versus
245:British
165:, is a
125:Website
93:Print (
52:Subject
47:English
577:Strunk
498:
447:
439:
374:
339:, and
130:global
105:1,312
34:Author
581:White
445:S2CID
173:(or '
102:Pages
579:and
533:2013
496:ISBN
437:ISSN
372:ISBN
263:vs.
199:GMAU
169:and
155:GMEU
134:.com
132:.oup
114:ISBN
648:by
599:by
575:by
564:by
553:by
429:doi
697::
519:.
457:^
443:.
435:.
425:34
423:.
419:.
394:.
335:,
284:.
233:.
589:,
535:.
504:.
479:.
451:.
431::
404:.
380:.
274:(
197:(
153:(
97:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
