Can I read Plain words : a guide to the use of English on EtoBox?

Plain words : a guide to the use of English by Ernest Gowers; Rebecca Gowers is a reference work available to read on EtoBox.

What is Plain words : a guide to the use of English about?

'Be short, be simple, be human.' When Sir Ernest Gowers first wrote Plain Words , it was intended simply as a guide to the proper use of English for the Civil Service. Within a year, however, its humour, charm and authority had made it a bestseller. Since then it has never been out of print. Six decades on, writer Rebecca Gowers has created a new edition of this now-classic work that both revises and celebrates her great-grandfather's original. Plain Words has been updated to reflect numerous changes in English usage, yet Sir Ernest's distinctive, witty voice is undimmed. And his message remains vital: our writing should be as clear and comprehensible as possible, avoiding superfluous words and clichés - from the jargon of 'commercialese' to the murky euphemisms of politicians. In a new preface, this edition draws on an extensive private archive, previously hidden away in family cupboards and attics, to tell the story behind a book that has become an institution: the essential guide to making yourself understood.

Who reads Plain words : a guide to the use of English?

Author

Ernest Gowers; Rebecca Gowers

Publisher

Penguin UK

Published

2014

Language

EN

ISBN

9780241960356

Category

reference

Rating

4.5 / 5 (96 ratings)

Updated

2026-03-14