This book traces the historical development of current attitudes toward language usage and, by examples and quotations, shows the steps in attitude change, including the creation and abandonment of rules. The book is based on the premise that standard English usage is open to different interpretations, and supports this premise with references to scholars, authors of usage manuals, dictionaries, and school textbooks. It is divided into three sections: Part 1 reviews the history of attitudes toward English usage from the eighteenth century to the present; Part 2 is an analysis of typical usage situations, providing illustrations derived from questions of structure, syntax, and propriety; and Part 3 contains specific recommendations for usage instruction at the elementary, junior high, and senior high levels. A 126-item selective bibliography concludes the volume. (RB)