norman@batcomputer.UUCP (03/07/86)
Does anyone out there know of
1) A good English grammar. Neither my state education nor my BA saw
fit to teach me any English grammar; everything I know is from Latin.
Some examples of things I would like to know:
When to use "which" vs "that"
When to use the subjunctive
What is the difference between "consist of" and
"consist in"?
2) A good etymological dictionary that a starving student can afford.
I have the OED (a gift from thoughtful relatives), and I'm looking
for a modern dictionary of American English to supplement it.
3) A good dictionary of American English -- I'm incredibly fed up with
the "collegiate" dictionaries. AS a test, it should have the correct
technical definiton of the word "ohmic", to wit: exhibiting behavior
consistent with Ohm's law.
Anybody out there have any ideas?
--
Norman Ramsey norman@tcgould.tn.cornell.edu Pianist at Largealbert@kim.berkeley.edu (Anthony Albert) (03/09/86)
As a good American dictionary, I nominate the Webster's Third New International
Dictionary. It is the dictionary of choice for libraries. Its definition of
ohmic:
1. of or relating to an ohm: measured in ohms
2. relating to a material or an electrical contact for which the electrical
resistance is not dependent on the applied voltage.
The latest version is 1961, with updates every five years; last update was 1981.
(By the way, does anyone know if a new update is coming out this year?). It
costs about $80 new, though it can be found used for half price.
Anthony Albert
..!ucbvax!kim!albert
albert@kim.berkeley.educharli@cylixd.UUCP (Charli Phillips) (03/10/86)
In article <382@batcomputer.TN.CORNELL.EDU> norman@batcomputer.UUCP (Norman Ramsey) writes: >Does anyone out there know of > >1) A good English grammar. Neither my state education nor my BA saw > fit to teach me any English grammar; everything I know is from Latin. If you can only get one book, get _Modern American Usage_ by Wilson Follett (paperback, about $10). If you can afford two, get that and _The Elements of Style_ by William Strunk Jr. and E. B. White (paperback, about $3). I write for a living, and I find they cover everything I ever want to know, and then some. I'm sure you would find your questions answered in these books. (Follett, for example, spends 5 and a half pages on that and which.) regards, Charli Phillips