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How to Write Clearly Rules and Exercises on English Composition
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74 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1883
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290 people want to read
About the author
Edwin A. Abbott
214Ìýbooks772ÌýfollowersPeople best know British theologian and writer Edwin Abbott Abbott for his imaginative satirical novella
Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions
(1884).
This English schoolmaster authored of the mathematical satire.
He was educated at the city of London school and at college of Saint John, Cambridge, where he as fellow took the highest honors in classics, mathematics, and theology. In 1862, he took orders. After holding masterships at school of king Edward, Birmingham, and at Clifton college, he succeeded G.F. Mortimer as headmaster of the City of London School in 1865 at the early age of 26 years. He was Hulsean lecturer in 1876.
He retired in 1889, and devoted himself to literary and theological pursuits. Liberal inclinations of Abbott in theology were prominent both in his educational views and in his books. His Shakespearian Grammar (1870) is a permanent contribution to English philology. In 1885 he published a life of Francis Bacon. His theological writings include three anonymously published religious romances - Philochristus (1878), Onesimus (1882), and Sitanus (1906).
More weighty contributions are the anonymous theological discussion The Kernel and the Husk (1886), Philomythus (1891), his book The Anglican Career of Cardinal Newman (1892), and his article "The Gospels" in the ninth edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica, embodying a critical view which caused considerable stir in the English theological world. He also wrote St Thomas of Canterbury, his Death and Miracles (1898), Johannine Vocabulary (1905), Johannine Grammar (1906). Flatland was published in 1884.
Sources that say he is the brother of Evelyn Abbott (1843 - 1901), who was a well-known tutor of Balliol College, Oxford, and author of a scholarly history of Greece, are in error.
This English schoolmaster authored of the mathematical satire.
He was educated at the city of London school and at college of Saint John, Cambridge, where he as fellow took the highest honors in classics, mathematics, and theology. In 1862, he took orders. After holding masterships at school of king Edward, Birmingham, and at Clifton college, he succeeded G.F. Mortimer as headmaster of the City of London School in 1865 at the early age of 26 years. He was Hulsean lecturer in 1876.
He retired in 1889, and devoted himself to literary and theological pursuits. Liberal inclinations of Abbott in theology were prominent both in his educational views and in his books. His Shakespearian Grammar (1870) is a permanent contribution to English philology. In 1885 he published a life of Francis Bacon. His theological writings include three anonymously published religious romances - Philochristus (1878), Onesimus (1882), and Sitanus (1906).
More weighty contributions are the anonymous theological discussion The Kernel and the Husk (1886), Philomythus (1891), his book The Anglican Career of Cardinal Newman (1892), and his article "The Gospels" in the ninth edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica, embodying a critical view which caused considerable stir in the English theological world. He also wrote St Thomas of Canterbury, his Death and Miracles (1898), Johannine Vocabulary (1905), Johannine Grammar (1906). Flatland was published in 1884.
Sources that say he is the brother of Evelyn Abbott (1843 - 1901), who was a well-known tutor of Balliol College, Oxford, and author of a scholarly history of Greece, are in error.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
February 15, 2013
“Almost every English boy can be taught to write clearly, so far at least as clearness depends upon the arrangement of words.�
I am neither English, nor a boy but I thought maybe I also can be taught how to write clearly, or at least what passed for clearly in the 19th century.
It was an interesting book if you can get past its obvious misogyny. Actually, misogyny is not the right word. It is not that Abbott hates women; he just doesn’t acknowledge their existence. In all hundreds of examples used in this book there is only ONE which talks about a woman. (Funnily enough, it is used to explain the concept of bathos). Abbott even excludes female pronouns. One of his rules reads: “Be careful in the use of "he," "it," "they," "these," &c.�
It is quite ironic coming from a man who wrote Flatland, which among other things is a satire on the discrimination of women. Makes you think: maybe it wasn’t a satire after all?
When it comes to writing Edwin A. Abbott thinks that the biggest threat to it is ambiguity. He trusts very little the intelligence of the reader or helpful context. He provides many helpful rules on how to avoid ambiguity. If you stick to them, you’re sure to never risk another double-entendre ever. Oh, Edwin, Edwin. But the ambiguity is the spice of life!!
I also really enjoyed the ads of other books placed at the end of this digitized edition (apparently they were in the front of the original printed edition). They advertised other books by the publisher, including a few other numbers by Edwin A. Abbott, like ‘English Lessons For English People�. It was initially called ‘English Lessons for Boys� but the Abbott realised that “it is intended primarily for boys, but, in the present unsatisfactory state of English education, we entertain a hope that it may possibly be found not unfit for some who have passed the age of boyhood; and in this hope we have ventured to give it the title of English Lessons for English People.� For a second there I hoped that maybe he realised that not only boys can learn grammar but that it can also be taught to the fair sex. Sadly, no. He only believed that also grown-up boys could learn grammar and that’s what he meant by ‘people�.
My favourite ad was for the book titled “How To Parse�. It was beautifully apologetic, because it is rather hard to try to sell someone a book on parsing. After all, “Of all subjects of study, it may be safely admitted that grammar possesses as a rule the fewest attractions for the youthful mind�. It can hardly get more grammatical than parsing. I, however, love parsing. I don’t think the art of parsing is taught at English schools anymore but it is still part of the curriculum in Polish schools. I love parsing because it combines a few of my favourite things: logic, grammar and words. I can parse like no one’s business. I’m gonna go get my geek on and parse some.
Was this all clear enough for ya?
I am neither English, nor a boy but I thought maybe I also can be taught how to write clearly, or at least what passed for clearly in the 19th century.
It was an interesting book if you can get past its obvious misogyny. Actually, misogyny is not the right word. It is not that Abbott hates women; he just doesn’t acknowledge their existence. In all hundreds of examples used in this book there is only ONE which talks about a woman. (Funnily enough, it is used to explain the concept of bathos). Abbott even excludes female pronouns. One of his rules reads: “Be careful in the use of "he," "it," "they," "these," &c.�
It is quite ironic coming from a man who wrote Flatland, which among other things is a satire on the discrimination of women. Makes you think: maybe it wasn’t a satire after all?
When it comes to writing Edwin A. Abbott thinks that the biggest threat to it is ambiguity. He trusts very little the intelligence of the reader or helpful context. He provides many helpful rules on how to avoid ambiguity. If you stick to them, you’re sure to never risk another double-entendre ever. Oh, Edwin, Edwin. But the ambiguity is the spice of life!!
I also really enjoyed the ads of other books placed at the end of this digitized edition (apparently they were in the front of the original printed edition). They advertised other books by the publisher, including a few other numbers by Edwin A. Abbott, like ‘English Lessons For English People�. It was initially called ‘English Lessons for Boys� but the Abbott realised that “it is intended primarily for boys, but, in the present unsatisfactory state of English education, we entertain a hope that it may possibly be found not unfit for some who have passed the age of boyhood; and in this hope we have ventured to give it the title of English Lessons for English People.� For a second there I hoped that maybe he realised that not only boys can learn grammar but that it can also be taught to the fair sex. Sadly, no. He only believed that also grown-up boys could learn grammar and that’s what he meant by ‘people�.
My favourite ad was for the book titled “How To Parse�. It was beautifully apologetic, because it is rather hard to try to sell someone a book on parsing. After all, “Of all subjects of study, it may be safely admitted that grammar possesses as a rule the fewest attractions for the youthful mind�. It can hardly get more grammatical than parsing. I, however, love parsing. I don’t think the art of parsing is taught at English schools anymore but it is still part of the curriculum in Polish schools. I love parsing because it combines a few of my favourite things: logic, grammar and words. I can parse like no one’s business. I’m gonna go get my geek on and parse some.
Was this all clear enough for ya?
January 19, 2022
Este é um livro com várias sugestões interessantes sobre como construir escrita em inglês; boa parte do que tem nele tem uma grande chance de ajudar muito quem escreve em inglês, e parte do conteúdo é bastante sobre questões de estilo. Cada pessoa que ler e em seguida for escrever algo vai considerar ou não as recomendações que tem nele, de acordo com o que fizer sentido para a própria escrita.
March 29, 2013
You might be a great speaker, or great at maintaining relationships� But eventually business is going to come down to good, concise writing. This is especially true when writing documents that will became a part of a legal or binding agreement–like a contract or a proposal. Clear writing can be the different not only between understanding and winning business, but defending yourself when it comes to a dispute. This is not your average school grammar lesson: It has easy to remember tips to keep your grammar correct and concise. Though, the exercises do feel a bit like homework�
January 25, 2013
I found this mildly interesting. Abbott makes some good points. I was interested in his remarks about various trends in writing at the time, especially those that continue.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
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