Common Errors in English Usage, 3rd Edition

I bought it for entertainment. It's a lot of fun. Could be very useful for students and anyone who's not quite sure about a particular phrase.

I have been visiting Paul Brians' website for years and finally decided to spring for the book. Unlike the website it is organized alphabetically and then indexed by the type of error. It is a great reference tool and I appreciate that Brians is good about specifying when there is disagreement about a specific matter. The physical book doesn't have the highest quality paper or binding but it is much nicer than a pocket dictionary.

Useful as a quick reference although not always perfect. Also, entertaining for browsing.

I recommend this book for folks who wish to write concisely and correctly - such as many reviewers here. ;^) The back section of the book - Category Listings - is especially useful.

"It" being writing or speaking. And Paul Brians makes it fun. No easy task for someone writing about word usage. A worthy addition to the desk or bookshelf, where it will find frequent and happy use. And pay no attention to the three negative reviews. Their complaint is only that the book is about the use of the right word, and not about grammar, punctuation, or spelling. This complaint reminds me of the fellow who bought a camel and complained that it was not a sailboat. The complainers must not have read the "Look Inside" material from the book that is available on the Amazon website. If they had, they would have seen that the book is all about the choice of the right word. And the title of the book, Common Errors in English Usage, actually signals its content. The dictionary definition of "usage" tells us that it means the way in which a word or phrase is normally and correctly used. People simply should not buy a well-advertised and properly labeled camel and then complain that it is not a sailboat. It is not fair to the camel.

Love this book! Have purchased for all the grandkids and family friends!

I really would have given this book 5 stars, had I not seen a grammatical error in the very first sentence written. This would be the dedication itself, which reads: Dedication For my wife, Paula Elliot. Her sharp editorial eye, sense of style and support have helped make this book what it is. There should be a comma (,) immediately after the word "style". While this is a debatable topic, this assertion is based on the author's own recommendation from his website: "...but if you are on your own, I suggest you use the final comma. It often removes ambiguities.". In addition, the final comma is, in fact, used throughout the rest of the text — just not in the dedication. The book itself is outstanding, and I appreciate both the author and the years of painstakingly-gathered data it represents. Highly recommended!

Very succinct and witty. It contains a lot of comparisons of similar terms and phrases that are frequently confused and explanations of when to use them. I find it very useful. It would be great for someone whose knowledge of American idiom is just developing.

Great for those for whom English is second language and even those who think they know the language. Plenty of amusing examples although it's little painful to see the effort the author makes to be politically correct. Recommended.

Used this book for research.

Muito útil, prático e bem feito. Pode ser usado tanto por quem domina o inglês como por estudantes e pessoas apenad interessadas em questões pontuais.

初版（2002）、第２版（2009）に次ぐ第3版である。英語のネイティブスピーカー向けに書かれたものなのでaffect/effect, adapt/adoptといった日本人学習者にはあまり必要がない見出し項目を含むが、米国の黒人をいうのに最も政治的に妥当な(politically correct)語はAfrican-American であるといった文化的情報や、group は単一体として扱う場合は単数扱い(The group was ready to go on stage)、個々の成員に焦点がある場合は複数扱い(The group were in disagreement about where to go for dinner.)といった語法情報があり、日本人学習者にも役立つ語法辞典である。概ね記述主義的であるが、ところによっては規範主義的な戒めのことばがあって読んでいて爽快な感じがする。語法辞典には珍しく随所に語法解説を視覚的に補ってくれる挿絵があって楽しい。

I particularly appreciated the complete contents as one quickly adopts the common every day usage/mistakes of the English language. Keeps on sharp and attuned to the "proper" usage of the English language. A very good book indeed!