Plain Words

<p><b>'Be short be simple be human.'</b><br><br>When Sir Ernest Gowers first wrote <i>Plain Words</i> it was intended simply as a guide to the proper use of English for the Civil Service. Within a year however its humour charm and authority had made it a bestseller. Since then it has never been out of print.<br><br>Six decades on writer Rebecca Gowers has created a new edition of this now-classic work that both revises and celebrates her great-grandfather's original. <i>Plain Words</i> has been updated to reflect numerous changes in English usage yet Sir Ernest's distinctive witty voice is undimmed. And his message remains vital: our writing should be as clear and comprehensible as possible avoiding superfluous words and clich&#233;s - from the jargon of 'commercialese' to the murky euphemisms of politicians.<br><br>In a new preface this edition draws on an extensive private archive previously hidden away in family cupboards and attics to tell the story behind a book that has become an institution: the essential guide to making yourself understood.</p>