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jonbrammer's review against another edition
4.0
_The Language Wars_ is a wide-ranging discussion of perceptions of English usage. Hitchings strenuously attempts to mediate between the prescriptivist and descriptivist camps, implying that those who take strong positions are usually proven wrong by history.
I especially appreciate his explanations of how usage "rules" were developed and defended by the high priests of grammar. What we think of as iron-clad grammar rules can often prove a barrier to clarity and understanding;"correct" pronoun antecedent agreement, for example, sometimes leads to confusing sentences. As an English teacher, this will lead me to be less dogmatic and more flexible with my students' writing and speaking. Ultimately, the standards should be:
1. Is your use of language intelligible?
2. Is your use of language the best way to express your ideas?
3. Does your use of language reflect meaningful, complex, higher-order thinking?
I especially appreciate his explanations of how usage "rules" were developed and defended by the high priests of grammar. What we think of as iron-clad grammar rules can often prove a barrier to clarity and understanding;"correct" pronoun antecedent agreement, for example, sometimes leads to confusing sentences. As an English teacher, this will lead me to be less dogmatic and more flexible with my students' writing and speaking. Ultimately, the standards should be:
1. Is your use of language intelligible?
2. Is your use of language the best way to express your ideas?
3. Does your use of language reflect meaningful, complex, higher-order thinking?
kaygray78's review against another edition
1.0
The premise was interesting, unfortunately it was boring as hell.
shayneh's review against another edition
4.0
Like a "right and wrong" grammar book, but with much more historical depth. As Hitchings explores the rules of English past, he paints a wonderful picture of a language we are all perpetually building.
sarahjsnider's review
4.0
Standard popular history of the English fare, for the most part. Later chapters that get into multiculturalism, technology, and the changes in offensive terminology were fresher to me, and therefore felt more interesting than the same old summaries of Otto Jespersen I read in The Mother Tongue 20-odd years ago (NB: I am quite old).