If you could change places with a historic person for a day, then who would it be and why? It’s not very funny or glamorous, but at the age of 15 or 16, I got hold of the book Gone with the Wind, and I felt as wilful as Scarlett O’Hara. Today I wouldn’t change places with her, but I often use her saying “Tomorrow is another day”, meaning self-encouragement, I can, and I will. Tiiu Vitsut works as Public Engagement Specialist at the US Embassy in Tallinn. She was interviewed by EATE Committee members.
Reading Recommendations DEMYSTIFYING THE COMPLEX SPELLING OF ENGLISH Kärt Roomäe
MA student, University of Tartu
Dreyer’s English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style is an informal reference book written by Benjamin Dreyer, the copy chief of Random House USA Inc. The book was published in 2019 and it is meant for all language fans, including teachers and students. Thanks to its conversational style, clear of complex grammar terms, the book will spark students’ interest about topics typically considered boring, such as spelling. The main title, Dreyer’s English, is a testament to the book’s subjective approach, where an experienced copy editor shares his practical knowledge rather than referencing theory. For example, in Ch. 6, Dryer admits that he has a dislike for grammar jargon and mentions the implicit knowledge of native speakers that is based on intuition, rather than on reciting rules. The book is divided into two parts. The first is more philosophical, while the second includes lists of observations that could be used as a basis for home assignments and even dictations, and his honest opinion about the validity of common mistakes and interesting features of language. Dreyer admits that he too is unsure about some rules, such as comma usage when the word ‘too’ is ending a sentence. After giving two example sentences, he simply says, “I haven’t the foggiest. So to blazes with it.” (p. 32) He does not claim to know all the rules, making his statements trustworthy and his writing more approachable. Dreyer’s use of second-person narrative is personal, engaging the reader (“you, dear reader” on p. xvi), and the style is not too formal; for example, he uses contracted forms. On pages xvii-xviii, he even writes, “Let’s get started.” The tone is thus conversational and resembles a dialogue. Dreyer is opinionated at times: his comment concerning the usage of apostrophes as plural markers deserves the following quote: “Step back, I’m about to hit the CAPS LOCK key.” (p. 36) Readers can identify references to three participants in the text: the narrator, the reader, and the editor (whose suggestions are named in some of the footnotes).
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