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Dreyer’s English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style cover art

Dreyer’s English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style

By: Benjamin Dreyer
Narrated by: Benjamin Dreyer, Alison Fraser
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Publisher's Summary

Random House presents the audiobook edition of Dreyer's English, written by Benjamin Dreyer, read by Benjamin Dreyer and Alison Fraser.

An indispensable, New York Times best-selling guide to the craft of writing from Random House’s longtime copy chief and one of Twitter’s leading language gurus.

We all write, all the time: books, blogs, tweets, emails, emails, emails - and we all want to write better. Benjamin Dreyer is here to help.

As Random House’s copy chief, Dreyer has upheld the standards of the legendary publisher for more than two decades. He is beloved by authors and editors alike - not to mention his followers on social media - for playfully, brilliantly deconstructing the English language. Dreyer's English is the distillation of everything he has learned from copy-editing thousands of books, the perfect guide not just for writers but for everyone who wants to put their best prose foot forward.

Both authoritative and amusing, Dreyer’s English offers lessons on punctuation, from the underloved semicolon to the enigmatic en-dash; the rules and nonrules of grammar, including why it’s okay to begin a sentence with 'and' or 'but' and to confidently split an infinitive; and why it’s best to avoid the doldrums of the Wan Intensifiers and Throat Clearers, including 'very', 'rather', 'of course', and the dreaded 'actually'.

And yes: 'Only godless savages eschew the Oxford comma'.

Stuffed with advice, insider wisdom, and fun facts, this audiobook will prove to be invaluable to everyone who wants to shore up their writing skills, mandatory for people who spend their time editing and shaping other people’s prose and - perhaps best of all - an utter treat for anyone who simply revels in language.

This audiobook is written in British English.

©2019 Benjamin Dreyer (P)2019 Random House Audiobooks

Critic Reviews

"An utterly delightful book to read, Dreyer's English will stand among the classics on how to use the English language properly." (Elizabeth Strout)

"Benjamin Dreyer's brilliant, pithy, incandescently intelligent book is to contemporary writing what Geoffrey Chaucer's poetry was to medieval English: a gift that broadens and deepens the art and the science of literature by illustrating that convention should not stand in the way of creativity, so long as that creativity is expressed with clarity and with conviction." (Jon Meacham)

"A complete joy. For those who care about words - and for those who don’t - Dreyer’s English is the book we have all been waiting for. Wise, funny, no-nonsense, stylish and brilliantly practical. Ditch the beach books this year; take this instead." (Rachel Joyce)

What listeners say about Dreyer’s English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style

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Pithy and funny, but too short.

I found this so captivating that I want to listen again, immediately. My punctuation is so out of date it needs brushing up repeatedly.

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  • Jay
  • 06-03-2023

Difficult to listen to

I’m sure the information is great, but it was very difficult to listen to. I might buy the book instead.

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