From the free book table outside the university's English department.

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Many years ago, back when the Listener was still about literary and intellectual stimulation (instead of every second article being on house prices), professor of English Ian Gordon wrote a fascinating column on language use. A Word in Your Ear collects together some of his columns - some of them rather dated now (in the column on sexist language, for example, there's no mention of the singular they, rapidly gaining acceptance as an alternative to the clumsy he/she), but still a good read. Gordon treads nicely the line between unthinking pedantry and a total laissez-faire attitude to new usages, and is clear about the distinction between what is grammatical in informal spoken NZ English and what is acceptable in formal writing.

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On the "free stuff" table outside the English department.

Happy bookcrossing to the finder!

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P.S. If you live in the Christchurch area, you might like to join us at our monthly bookcrossing meetups. For details, see the BCNZ Yahoo Group.