Common Errors and Problems in English

An addition to the Penguin Writers' Guides series, which have sold over 30,000 copies since their launch in June 2005

Robert Allen is the consultant editor for all Penguin English Dictionaries and the series editor for the Penguin Writers' Guides. He edited a major new edition of the Concise Oxford Dictionary, was an associate editor of the Oxford Companion to English Language and directed work on Chambers 21st Century Dictionary. His recent titles for Penguin include Allen's English Phrases and How to Write Better English.

The Penguin Writers' Guides series provide authoritative, succinct and easy-to-follow guidance on specific aspects of written English. Whether you need to brush up your skills or get to gris with something for the first time, these invaluable Guides will help you find the best way to get your message across clearly and effectively. 
 
Common Errors in English is a thorough A-Z checklist of the mistakes that often crop up in all aspects of written English. It gives ready and authoritative guidance on today's usage difficulties, being up-to-date with all the latest controversies, pitfalls and oddities of our language. Written in a lively style, with plenty of interest and humour, Common Errors shouldn't be far from the fingertips of anyone who does any kind of writing.

Penguin Writers' Guides: How to Write Better English

Essential mass market guides for those getting to grips with these areas for the first time or those who need to brush up on their skills.

Robert Allen is the former editor of the Oxford Concise English Dictionary and consultant editor for all Penguin English Dictionaries.

The Penguin Writers' Guides series provides authoritative, succinct and easy-to-follow guidance on specific aspects of written English. Whether you need to brush up your skills or get to grips with something for the first time, these invaluable Guides will help you find the best way to get your message across clearly and effectively. 
 
This essential guide covers the key rules - and pitfalls - of written and spoken grammar. It covers such areas as: the building blocks of language, common errors and misconceptions, choosing the right level of expression, differences between British and American English, and political correctness. It also discusses various uses of language, from creative writing, CVs and reports to verbal presentations, and business and personal letters, with many useful suggestions for accurate and fluent English.

Robert Allen

Allen&rsquo;s Dictionary of English Phrases is the most comprehensive survey of this area of the English language ever undertaken. Taking over 6000 phrases, it explains their meaning, explores their development and gives citations that range from the Venerable Bede to Will Self. Crisply and wittily written, the book is packed with memorable and surprising detail, whether showing that 'salad days' comes from Antony and Cleopatra, that 'flavour of the month' originates in 1940s American ice cream marketing, or even that we&rsquo;ve been 'calling a spade a spade' since the sixteenth century. Allen&rsquo;s Dictionary of English Phrases is part of the Penguin Reference Library and draws on over 70 years of experience in bringing reliable, useful and clear information to millions of readers around the world &ndash; making knowledge everybody&rsquo;s property.

Robert Allen

Books by Robert Allen

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