Paul Desmond Ruse was educated mainly at Perth Modern School and the University of Western Australia. During World War 2 he served for four years in the army and the air force. After the war he taught chemistry at several private schools. He has always had an interest in the English language. Among his favourite authors are Shakespeare, Dickens, Kipling, and Ogden Nash. He has been strongly influenced by Fowler’s Modern English Usage and The King’s English, which he thinks should be recommended reading for all aspiring writers. That influence may be seen in this volume.