Writely or Wrongly

Joanne Anderson has worked as a journalist on major publications in Australia and Hong Kong. She joined The Age's subediting team in 2004, eventually becoming chief desk editor, a role in which she herds thousands of words each day and adjudicates on tricky language questions. She has worked on in-house style guides and written a weekly newsletter on English use for staff at The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald and their sister publications. Joanne lives in Melbourne but does not like Aussie rules.Matt Goldingis a Melbourne-based cartoonist whose work has appeared in newspapers for more than two decades. Matt thinks in images and has a history of managing to write wrongly, even though his tiny pocket cartoons generally contain very few words. Jo has long been called upon to right his wrongs, and the making of this book was no exception. He too cares less about footy.

• First things firstChapter 1 A thing or two that got us hereChapter 2 Things to stay calm about: rules that aren't rulesChapter 3 That writing thing: are we clear?Chapter 4 Things that punctuate our livesChapter 5 More things that punctuate our livesChapter 6 Things that lie in wait to trap usChapter 7 The thing about American EnglishChapter 8 Befuddling thingsChapter 9 Things to use as argument starters at partiesChapter 10 Things this book might be asked if it couldbe asked thingsLast things lastAcknowledgmentsBibliographyIndex

'It's good to finally have a book to learn us how to use the English language proper' SHAUN MICALLEF'Handbook as much as playbook, here's a guide with grammar the subject, and pleasure the object.' DAVID ASTLE