One of the most famous and evergreen guides to English grammar, this book by Wren and Martin has catered to generations, beginning in 1935 when it was first published. This particular hardcover publication came out in 2005. J.C Nesfield’s The Manual of English Grammar & Composition was an influential source for the authors when they first wrote the book.
While High School English Grammar & Composition has served as the ultimate grammar reference at the school-level throughout India for almost 80 years now, it was originally written for the purpose of educating the school-going children of British officials in India in colonial times. Over time, the book gained immense popularity among Indian teachers and students too.
The book has been divided into two parts, Grammar and Composition. The second part was added later, and has been subdivided into four other parts, which aim to help the readers to understand and practise correct usage, forming sentences, writing composition, and analysing and transforming sentences.
The book has been updated a couple of times, owing to the ever-evolving nature of the English language, and the updated versions are available online too. The revisions include a larger number of examples and practice questions. The book is popular and widely acclaimed not only in the Indian subcontinent, but abroad as well.
About the Author
Born in South London on the 1st of November, 1875, Percival Christopher Wren worked as a schoolteacher and a boxer before he achieved recognition as a writer. He started writing fiction in 1912.
Other books written by Wren include Odd - But Even So: Stories Stranger Than Fiction, Beau Geste, Stepsons of France, Snake and Sword, Valiant Dust, Dew and Mildew: Semi-Detached Stories From Darabad, India, Beau Ideal, Beau Sabreur, Action and Passion, and Lures and Failures: A Tale of Hindustan.
Most of his books, apart from Beau Geste, consisted of simplistic characters and dramatic storylines. He was influenced by H. R. Haggard and Frederick Marryat, amongst others.
Wren married Alice Shovelier and the couple had a daughter, Estelle. Estelle died of whooping cough at the age of nine. Alice passed away in 1914. He remarried Isabel in December, 1927. Wren died in 1941 and was survived by his son Percival Rupert Christopher Wren and his adopted son Richard Alan Graham-Smith.
