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Quote by Van Wyck Brooks

“As against having beautiful workshops, studies, etc., one writes best in a cellar on a rainy day.”

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This book delves into the introspective world of Oliver Allston, offering readers a glimpse into his personal opinions and the complexities of his life. more

Author

Van Wyck Brooks

Van Wyck Brooks was a prominent American literary critic and historian, recognized for his substantial contributions to the study of American literary history. He is particularly known for his studies on the New England transcendentalists and the American Renaissance. Brooks's writing was marked by its intellectual depth and its ability to engage with both literary and historical issues. more

“English grammar is so complex and confusing for the one very simple reason that its rules and terminology are based on Latin - a language with which it has precious little in common. In Latin, to take one example, it is not possible to split an infinitive. So in English, the early authorities decided, it should not be possible to split an infinitive either. But there is no reason why we shouldn't, any more than we should forsake instant coffee and air travel because they weren't available to the Romans.”

“For most of us the rules of English grammar are at best a dimly remembered thing. But even for those who make the rules, grammatical correctitude sometimes proves easier to urge than to achieve. Among the errors cited in this book are a number committed by some of the leading authorities of this century. If men such as Fowler and Bernstein and Quirk and Howard cannot always get their English right, is it reasonable to expect the rest of us to?”

Ifs Men Writing Book Sometimes Numbers Achieve Century Easier Prove Authority Errors Committed Remembered Reasonable Urges Grammar Quirks English Grammar

Author:Bill Bryson

“Those who sniff decay in every shift of sense or alteration of usage do the language no service. Too often for such people the notion of good English has less to do with expressing ideas clearly than with making words conform to some arbitrary pattern.”

People Writing Ideas Language Notion Patterns Decay Conform Arbitrary Usage Alterations Expressing Ideas

Author:Bill Bryson

Quote by Van Wyck Brooks

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