The Write Stuff deur DJ Dykman, JDU Geldenhuys en EE Viljoen-Smook, Pharos, 140 pp, R150,00

Die subopskrif is nie verniet ‘The style guide with a difference’ nie –′n mens kan

dié boek amper soos ′n storieboek lees. Die aanslag is lig, onderhoudend en

soms tong in die kies, en die leser word behendig op baie haakplekke by die

skryf van moderne Engels in Suider-Afrika bedag gemaak. En anders as baie

soortgelyke skryfgidse, voel die leser nie dat ′n beterweterige skrywer besig is

om ′n preek af te steek nie.

Die boek is eerstens gerig op almal in Suider-Afrika wat Engels skryf, en is ewe

nuttig vir gebruikers wie se eerste taal Engels is of vir wie Engels ′n tweede,

derde of hoeveelste taal is.

Die rubrieke strek van ‘Agreement between subject and verb’ (′n absoluut

noodsaaklike stukkie grammatika vir almal wat wil goed skryf) tot ‘Technobabble’

(méér oor uiters belangrike en insiggewende betekeniskwessies met ′n ligte

aanslag aangebied). Die aanslag van die boek bly lig op die voete, wat dit

werklik ‘n plesier maak om deur te lees, insig te kry en toevallig te leer.

Die uiteensetting onder ‘American and British English’ is duidelik, interessant,

leersaam en hoogs bruikbaar. As dit byvoorbeeld by rekenaarspeltoetsers kom,

aanvaar die meeste die Amerikaanse spelwyse en bots dus op interessante

wyse met die Britse konvensies wat in Suider-Afrika die botoon voer. Dus moet

sulke speltoetsers op die VK-verstekmodus ingestel word om onnodige angs te

vermy en korrektheid te verseker.

‘Bullet points always hit the target’ bevat inligting van onskatbare waarde oor die

uiteensetting van sakegeskrifte, stewig aangevul deur ‘Document standards –

what you need to know’. Die praktiese voorbeelde laat die teks leef en is nuttig.

‘Customer … client – UK, US and SA usage’ vat nuttige gebruiksonderskeidings

wat in hierdie verband op rekord is, gerieflik op een plek saam.

‘Globish/Globlish – the new English language’ is interessant en selfs filosofies in

die terug- en vooruitskouing van Engels oor die hele wêreld. In ‘-ise vs -ize – the

suffix quick fix’ lê hele taalwêrelde opgesluit, maar tog kort en bondig asook

nuttig uiteengesit. Die rubrieke ‘Prepositions – little words, big problems’ en

‘Propositions – specific and general’ sit kort en kragtig uiteen wat ′n skrywer

nodig het om te verseker dat betekenis ten beste in korrekte en idiomatiese

Engels oorgedra word.

‘That – some go to extremes to avoid it’ bied basiese grammatika innoverend en

skeppend aan. ‘The ABC of stylistic preferences in writing’ bevat bondige

inligting wat die skryf van moderne Engels nie net ′n plesier behoort te maak nie,

maar ook geweldig behoort te verbeter.

Die ligte en ingeligte aanslag van hierdie boek sal beslis ′n uiters waardevolle

bydrae tot die Engelse taalgebruik van enigiemand lewer. Die praktiese

oefeninge wat die boek kenmerk, dra ook mildelik hiertoe by. Boonop maak ′n

omvattende indeks agterin naslaanwerk kinderspeletjies

The Write Stuff word aanbeveel vir almal wat in Suider-Afrika Engels gebruik of

wil gebruik. Die klokhelder styl waarin dit geskryf is, maak die boek toeganklik vir

leerders, gewone taalgebruikers en entrepreneurs asook gevestigde sakeleiers

wat ernstig daaroor is om duidelik en eenvoudig te kommunikeer sodat lesers

bereik word.

The Write Stuff by DJ Dykman, JDU Geldenhuys and EE Viljoen-Smook,

Pharos, 140 pp, R150,00

The style guide with a difference, as the subtitle has it, indeed has a difference.

The tone throughout is playful, if not downright humorous. Points of grammar

and style are conveyed in a light and understandable, but still exact manner.

This book seems to combine science and art effortlessly in its felicitous style.

From ‘Agreement between subject and verb’ to ‘Techobabble (not to be taken

seriously)’, and many fascinating points in between, it swings and rings with

mischief and erudition. ‘American and British English’ cogently sets out the

differences and agreements between these two Englishes on both sides of the

Atlantic. Examples such as ‘check that the check (cheque) has been signed’

drive this distinction/agreement home. Also extremely useful advice is given on

electronic spelling checkers and their aberrations.

Foregrounding in ‘Bullet points always hit the target’ not only raises a smile of

understanding, but also inculcates some feeling of awe at the correctness of the

handy advice that follows. Anyone attempting to write a business or other report

absolutely has to follow these simple common-sense pointers summarised

clearly within a couple of pages and avoid a days’ long workshop to achieve

some semblance of writing ability. The business-directed examples adduced

throughout the guide in modern Southern African English not only lends a certain

style, but is also down-to-earth practical and useful. These pointers are further

expanded in ‘Document standards – what you need to know’ by way of a sample

text and an improved, annotated version plus generous explanations. The

accessible style of the guide plus the self-help exercises dotted throughout truly

make for a learn-by-doing exercise.

‘Globish/Globlish – the new English language’ with its philosophico-historical

stretch provides insightful background to the long development of English from

the language spoken by minor German tribes to the latter-day lubricant of the

vast international business world. Articles such as ‘Hanged/Hung … so what’s

the difference’ provide much-needed explanations to native and non-native

speakers of the language alike. Other articles such as ‘-ise vs -ize – the suffix

quick-fix’, while also underpinned by worlds of language development, give

simple and clear directions on how to spell certain words. The four articles on

prepositions put together information that can be obtained alternatively only by

wading long and seriously through myriads of other reference works.

‘Splitting the infinitive can be disastrous’ explains clearly what an infinitive is and

gives some sound advice on whether to split or not split it without dragging in

some abstruse Latin grammatical points. The ‘-ise vs -ize’ article does exactly

the same: gives clear advice without resorting to the hoary ‘it is easy: words

ultimately of Greek derivation are spelled with an -ize and words of final Latin

provenance take an -ise – what is your problem, do you not know Latin and

Greek and, if not, why are you trying to write English?’

In compiling this guide the compilers have consulted all the standard reference

works, evaluated their contents and presented the resulting distillate in a clear

but eminently readable manner. Anyone reading this guide from start to finish,

like a work of fiction, will greatly improve his or her ability to write good business

and other English. Then there is also a comprehensive and easy-to-use index,

which turns the guide itself into a major work of reference in which to look up vital

points of grammar and style to enhance all writing in English. The guide is laid

out in a concise and friendly way and is therefore thoroughly recommended as

the write stuff (another foregrounding) for all having to read and write modern

English.