Pronoun Trouble: The Story of Us in Seven Little Words

(By John McWhorter)

Book Cover Watermark PDF Icon
Download PDF Read Ebook

Note: If you encounter any issues while opening the Download PDF button, please utilize the online read button to access the complete book page.

×


Size 25 MB (25,084 KB)
Format PDF
Downloaded 640 times
Status Available
Last checked 12 Hour ago!
Author John McWhorter

“Book Descriptions: With his trademark humor and flair, the bestselling linguist and renowned professor busts the myths and shares the history of the most controversial language topic of our pronounsThe nature of language is to shift and evolve—but every so often, a new usage creates a whole lot of consternation. These days, pronouns are throwing curve balls, and it matters, because pronoun habits die hard. If you need a refresher from eighth grade pronouns are short, used endlessly, and serve to point and direct, to orient us as to what is meant about who. Him, not her. Me, not you. Pronouns get a heavy workout, and as such, they become part of our hardwiring. To mess with our pronouns is to mess with us.    But many of today’s hot button controversies are nonsense. The singular “they” has been with us since the 1400s and appears in Shakespeare. In fact, many of the supposedly iron-clad rules of grammar are up for debate (Billy and me went to the store is perfectly logical!), and with tasty trivia, unexpected twists, and the weird quirks of early and contemporary English, McWhorter guides readers on a journey of how our whole collection of these little words emerged and has changed over time.”