The FAQ Supplement

This is a collection of FAQ-type material that is not contained in Mark Israel's FAQ or the AUE Intro documents.

The FAQ is not cast in stone. If you'd like to contribute a revision or an additional page, you're very welcome to do so. Usually it's best to post your text to the newsgroup in the first instance, so that others can offer comments and suggestions for improvement. Then please send your contribution to the webmaster.

books

• Grammar
• For reviews of English usage books, see also Michael Quinion's World Wide Words site

pronunciation

• Speech examples
• Formant analysis
• Long and short vowels
• Alternative pronunciation symbols

disputed usages

• "any more" and "anymore"
• "company is" and "company are"
• Is 'people' the plural of 'person'?
• "miss not having"
• What is prescriptivism?

grammar

• Does English have a subjunctive mood?
• Genitive is not always possessive
• Plural formation
• Thou, thee & archaic grammar

punctuation

• Quotes for emphasis

word origins

• "SOS"

spelling

• Comments on a proposal for reformed English spelling
• Exceptions to the 'i before e' rule
• Preferences, "e-mail" vs "email"
• Embarrassing error: "illitterate"

miscellany

• Britain/Great Britain/United Kingdom &c: Some common confusions
• The Correct Name For Ireland
• What is the UK? Is it the same as Britain, Great Britain or England?
• World-wide distribution of English-speakers
• Humorous Rules for Writing ("Fumblerules," "Perverse Rules," etc.)
• Newsreaders used by alt.usage.english posters, 1996-2006
• Comparison of definitions of "homograph", "homonym", and "homophone"