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. You are invited to submit items for incorporation in this supplement to the webmaster.

books

• Dictionaries
• Grammar
• Books about words

pronunciation

• Speech examples
• Formant analysis
• Long and short vowels

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"