English Reference

  • American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 3rd ed. American Heritage Publishing Co., Inc. and Houghton Mifflin Co. 1996. ISBN 0-395-44895-6. Good usage notes, reflects current American usage in context.
  • Benson, M., Benson, E. and Illson, R. (Ed.). The BBI Combinatory Dictionary of English: A Guide to Word Combinations. John Benjamins, 1986. ASIN: 0-915-02780-1.
  • Celce-Murcia, M. and Larsen-Freeman, D. The Grammar Book: An ESL/EFL Teacher’s Course. Heinle & Heinle, 1998. ISBN: 0-838-44725-2
  • Fowler, H.W., R. W. Burchfield (Ed.) The New Fowler's Modern English Usage, 3rd rev. ed. Oxford University Press, 2000. ISBN 0-198-60263-4. Classic reference work on the fine points of English usage.
  • Greenbaum, S. and Quirk, R. A Student’s Grammar of the English Language. Addison-Wesley, 1990. ISBN 0-582-05971-2. A simplified version of A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language (see below).
  • Grossman, J. The Chicago Manual of Style: The Essential Guide for Writers, Editors, and Publishers, 14th ed. University of Chicago Press, 1993. ISBN 0-226-10389-7. Considered a definitive source by many.
  • Lederer, R. and Dowis, R. The Write Way. Pocket Books, 1995. ISBN 0-671-52670-7. A whimsical guide to good usage and writing.
  • Quirk, R., Svartvik, J., Leech, G. and Greenbaum, S. A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language. Addison-Wesley, 1989. ISBN: 0-582-51734-6. The bible of English grammar, expensive but worth every penny. Includes regional English from all over the world.
  • Spears, R. NTC’s Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs and Other Idiomatic Verbal Phrases. National Textbook Company, 1993. ISBN 0-8442-5462-2. Good for figuring out what preposition goes in those pesky verb phrases.
  • Strunk, W. and White, E.B. The Elements of Style, 4th ed. Allyn & Bacon, 2000. ISBN 0-205-30902-X. Another classic authority on English style and usage.
  • Swan, M. Practical English Usage. Oxford University Press, 1995. ISBN: 0-194-31197-X. As the title suggests, a more practical approach to English. Covers differences between British and American usage.
  • U.S. Government Printing Office. A Manual of Style. Wings Books, 1986. ISBN 0-517-60526-0. More comprehensive and up-to-date than Strunk & White or Fowler.