A spirited account of the life and times of one of the seminal figures in history of English grammar which dispels the myth of Lowth as the icon of prescriptivism, and establishes him as a key figure in the history of English grammar. It will appeal to everyone interested in the history of English the long-running debate on linguistic correctness.

This volume, originally published by Winthrop Publishers in 1977, discusses transformational grammar in relation to traditional and structural grammar, enabling students to relate the theory to what they already know about grammar. Although all important technical terms and processes are presented, non-technical language is used as much as possible. Examples from literature and from actual language usage are employed throughout the book, and one section is devoted to practical applications to writing, reading, and literary criticism, and the understanding of dialects. A comprehensive glossary is provided.

"This practical and informative course book is a fascinating, visual volume which leads the student through the development of the language from Old English, through Middle and Early Modern English to the establishment of Standard English in the eighteenth century." "At the core of this substantially expanded second edition lies a series of nearly 200 historical texts, of which more than half are reproduced in facsimile, and which illustrate the progressive changes in the language. The book is firmly based upon linguistic description, with commentaries which form a series of case studies demonstrating the evidence for language change at every level - handwriting, spelling, punctuation, vocabulary, grammar and meaning." "Such a wealth of texts, as well as the structured activities and the various case studies, allow the volume to be used not only as a stimulating course text, guiding students through the analysis of data, but also as a comprehensive resource book and invaluable reference tool for teachers and students at all levels."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved