Of course, such basic decency and consideration for others’ feelings is all “political correctness” really means. So he is, happily, on the side of the angels, in all his linguistic joie de vivre and amusing self-awareness. Indeed, if this Brandreth Rule were not more honoured in the breach than the observance, the world today would be a much better place. I particularly liked the section on mnemonics, a device to help you remember something. Some of Gyles Brandreth’s mnemonics are hilarious. This can be a help just if you can remember the mnemonic you have created for yourself.

An informal guide to punctuation, spelling and good English for the twenty-first century * Strong Words * Gyles Brandreth is one of Britain’s busiest after-dinner speakers and award ceremony hosts. He has won awards himself, and been nominated for awards, as a public speaker, novelist, children’s writer, broadcaster (Sony), political diarist (Channel Four), journalist (British Press Awards), theatre producer (Olivier), and businessman (British Tourist Authority Come to Britain Trophy). I’m a language obsessive and a punctuation perfectionist. (That doesn’t mean to say I always get it right, but I always aim to.) My mother was a teacher; my father was a lawyer; they brought me up with a love of words. And they sent me to good schools. I was educated by teachers of English who knew their grammar and the value of it. As a child I read dictionaries at breakfast and asked for a copy of Fowler’s Modern English Usage for my tenth birthday. I have loved word games all my life. When I was twenty-three, I founded the National Scrabble Championships. Since then, whether as a journalist or a broadcaster, an actor or a member of parliament, words have been central to my life. I am proud to be the longest-serving resident in Countdown’s Dictionary Corner on Channel 4, the host of BBC Radio 4’s Wordaholics, a regular on Just a Minute, a reporter on The One Show on BBC1, and the Chancellor of the University of Chester. Words are my everything.I was on the bus yesterday and I overheard a teenage schoolboy tell his friend: “I was like a bit late like, not like a lot late like, just a bit like late, but he like just went like ballistic, you know like, really totally mad. It was terrible like.’ It is a little daunti This is my guide to that minefield. When it comes to punctuation, spelling, and the use of English in today’s world, I’m here to tell you what’s right, what’s wrong, when it matters, and when it doesn’t.

Whether you are obsessed with getting grammar right, baffled by grammar or (like us) just in love with words, you are going to love this. A hilarious and definitive guide to 21st-century language * Newcastle Evening Chronicle *At times, this was laugh-out-loud funny, even though at times it felt a bit too long-winded and I found that I had to concentrate a lot and read carefully. One of the funniest moments has invented text acronyms for older people. I also learned a few things that I didn't know, which surprised me a lot at times; apparently I've been getting a few things wrong. Join Gyles Brandreth and Natalie Haynes as they rofl over the aubergine emoji, disagree on text speak and debate the intricacies of ‘lol’. He went from presenting Puzzle Party in the 1970s , to appearing in Countdown's Dictionary Corner for over 300 episodes. His career has since encompassed becoming an MP and appearing regularly on TV and radio, but writing is his true passion. I am passionate about the English language. It’s the richest language in the world. It’s our heritage—and our hope. All the research shows that the better the English you speak and write, the happier and more successful you will be. People with better English get better jobs because they write better CVs and communicate more effectively in interviews. People who punctuate poorly and spell badly get lower marks in examinations—and in life. People with better English are more likely to secure the partner of their dreams because (the research shows) when it comes to wooing, words are more important than looks, money, or sex appeal. People with better English are healthier and live longer because they can understand and communicate better with doctors, nurses, and caregivers. Good English makes all the difference. And, alarmingly, good English is under threat. He went from presenting Puzzle Party in the 1970s, to appearing in Countdown's Dictionary Corner for over 300 episodes. His career has since encompassed becoming an MP and appearing regularly on TV and radio, but writing is his true passion.

Ok, forget that. We’re starting off with the bad stuff in this book. Because it’s mostly bad. The bad Lies, lies, lies Photograph: John D Mchugh/AFP/Getty Images Gyles Brandreth counsels his audience to read ‘the rappers’ as well as Jane Austen. It can be much harder than it seems; commas, colons, semi-colons, and even apostrophes can drive us all mad at times, but it riles no one more than the longest-serving resident of Countdown’s Dictionary Corner, grammar guru Gyles Brandreth.In this brilliantly funny tirade on grammar, Brandreth anatomizes the linguistic horrors of our times, tells us where we’ve been going wrong (and why) and shows us how, in the future, we can get it right every time. Is ‘alright’ all right? You’ll find out right here. From dangling clauses to gerunds, you’ll also discover why Santa’s helpers are subordinate clauses.In Have You Eaten Grandma?, he waxes lyrical about the importance of language as, after all, it is what we use to define ourselves and is ultimately what makes us human. Have You Eaten Grandma? by Gyles Brandreth – eBook Details The problem with the good parts in this book are that you have to wade through the garbage to get to them. You will literally learn wrong things on your way to the good things. And this is knowledge that you can get other places – where it’s not sandwiched between two slices of moldy bread. Have you eaten grammar? Gyles Daubeney Brandreth is an British theatre producer, actor, politician, journalist, author, and TV presenter. Born in Germany, he moved to London at the age of three and, after his education at New College, Oxford, he began his career in television.

Join Gyles Brandreth and a group of fellow word nerds as they journey through the intricacies and everyday pitfalls of the English language In a recent survey, four out of five teachers expressed concern about the vocabulary range of their teenage pupils. Apparently, “many are unable to understand questions in GCSE [single-subject exams] and SATs test papers, leading in some cases to low self-esteem.” Some eleven-year-olds did not know words such as “complete,”“replace,” and “insert.” Some sixteen-year-olds struggled with “explain,”“identify,” and “analyze.” Another survey revealed that while nine out of ten primary school children in the UK could identify a Dalek, only a third could recognize and name a magpie. The world is changing and words are disappearing. The majority of primary school children these days are city-dwellers, and up to two-thirds of them, it seems, are unfamiliar with such lovely words as these: His past books include; Word Play, Oxford Dictionary of Humorous Quotations and Breaking the Code: Westminster Diaries. ALL THE RESEARCH!!! Does Brandreth cite any of all the research? No. Of course he doesn’t. You’ll just have to trust him that all. the. research. says this. Have you Eaten Grandma’ is a comprehensive guide to all those things we were taught by our parents and in English lessons at school and have now forgotten.

This episode they are joined by Shakespearean actor and producer Ben Crystal, Jill Taylor, editorial director at Penguin Books, and Mark Grist, Shetland's leading - and only - battle-rapper. It is steered mostly towards UK English so, while the author does cover American English and the differences between the two, I'm not sure how well it would go over with a non British reader. I also felt some sections were a little too long although this isn't really an issue if you're dipping in and out or skimming through to the parts you're most interested in (or have the most problems with). Brilliant, clear, entertaining, very funny and often outright silly. Brandreth excels . . . in all his linguistic joie de vivre and amusing self-awareness * Guardian *Have you Eaten Grandma?" Good question. And one you could legitimately ask of your brother, your sister, or any of your first cousins, should you suspect them of being cannibalistically inclined. And that’s acceptable, too. “End of” as a complete, two-word sentence has even appeared in Hansard, the official record of proceedings in the British Parliament. In 2018, a minister of the crown finished an official statement with a definitive sign-off. “End of,” he said, and sat down.