The story of be
Subtitle: a verb's-eye view of the English language
By: David Crystal
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Published: 2017
Language: eng
Number of pages: 191
ISBN-13: 9780198791096
Subjects: Verb; Be (The English word); English language; Syntax
Description: It's the most simple, unassuming, innocent-looking verb: 'to be'. Yet it is jam-packed with more different meanings, forms, and uses than any other English word. As he reveals be's multiple incarnations, David Crystal takes us to the heart of our flexible and changing language. He tells the intriguing story in 26 chapters, each linked to a particular usage. We meet circumstantial 'be' ('how are you?'), numerical 'be' ('two and two is four'), quotative 'be' ('so I was like, "wow"'), and ludic 'be' ('oh no he isn't!'), and a whole swarm of other meanings. Bringing the ideas to life are a host of examples from sources as varied as 'Beowulf', Jane Austen, pantomime, 'Hamlet' (of course), and 'Star Wars', with cartoons from Ed McLachlan and Punch peppered throughout. Full of fascinating nuggets of information, it is a book to delight any lover of words and language.
Notes: Includes indexes.
Table of contents: title: To be or not to be : existential be; title: Being, as was : obituarial be; title: Time being : temporal be; title: Business is business : identifying be; title: I am to resign : obligational be; title: Has the doctor been? : visitational be; title: How are you? : circumstantial be; title: I've been with someone : sexual be; title: Two and two is four : numerical be; title: I might be being obsessive, but . . . : progressive be; title: My kids are all grown up : perfective be; title: Wannabes and has-beens : nominal be; title: That is to say : signifying be; title: You're cheeky, you are : repetitive be; title: Been and done it : eventive be; title: Have you been? : lavatorial be; title: So be it : factual be; title: I live in Wales, innit? : declarative be; title: So I was, like, 'wow ': quotative be; title: Woe is me : befalling be; title: All shall be well : membership be; title: How old are you? : chronological be; title: Is you is or is you ain't? : musical be; title: Oh no he isn't : ludic be; title: Lane closed ahead : missing be; title: It's just a book, is all : summarizing be.