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| In 1959 Randolph Quirk, who has died aged 97, embarked on a long-term project to produce a comprehensive analysis of British English as it is actually used in the present day, rather than as reflected in the distorting mirrors of ivory-tower linguists and armchair pedants. In doing so he came to have an enormous influence on the development of English language studies worldwide, particularly through his advocacy of Standard English, the common written ground maintained despite variations in speech, as a way of opening doors educationally. | In 1959 Randolph Quirk, who has died aged 97, embarked on a long-term project to produce a comprehensive analysis of British English as it is actually used in the present day, rather than as reflected in the distorting mirrors of ivory-tower linguists and armchair pedants. In doing so he came to have an enormous influence on the development of English language studies worldwide, particularly through his advocacy of Standard English, the common written ground maintained despite variations in speech, as a way of opening doors educationally. |
| On his appointment the following year as professor at University College London, he read a paper to the Philological Society laying out the ground plan for a large-scale Survey of English Usage. Its goals were to compile and investigate a corpus or databank of spoken and written English. In Quirk’s view, deeply unfashionable at that time, good, reliable accounts of the language must rest securely on a wide sampling of authentic, observed language in use. To rely on the intuition of a native speaker was not enough. | On his appointment the following year as professor at University College London, he read a paper to the Philological Society laying out the ground plan for a large-scale Survey of English Usage. Its goals were to compile and investigate a corpus or databank of spoken and written English. In Quirk’s view, deeply unfashionable at that time, good, reliable accounts of the language must rest securely on a wide sampling of authentic, observed language in use. To rely on the intuition of a native speaker was not enough. |
| For this balanced corpus it was important to collect equally large and varied amounts of both writing and speech, eventually 500 texts of 2,000 words each, to give 1m words. This – in the days of heavy reel-to-reel tape-recorders – required a vast investment of time and effort by the survey’s research team in the collection and detailed transcription of the spoken language in all its variety. Hence a first product of the survey was a concentrated study of the grammar, intonation and many other aspects of spoken English, which up to that point had been little studied outside phonetics departments. | For this balanced corpus it was important to collect equally large and varied amounts of both writing and speech, eventually 500 texts of 2,000 words each, to give 1m words. This – in the days of heavy reel-to-reel tape-recorders – required a vast investment of time and effort by the survey’s research team in the collection and detailed transcription of the spoken language in all its variety. Hence a first product of the survey was a concentrated study of the grammar, intonation and many other aspects of spoken English, which up to that point had been little studied outside phonetics departments. |
| Over the 1960s and 70s, the survey built up a worldwide reputation for sound, innovative, empirical research. By 1981, when Quirk gave up his directorship of it (though not his involvement), its corpus of language data was more or less complete, and its new methods of language study had become well-known through many publications. It had provided an apprenticeship for an emerging generation of internationally well-known English language scholars – notably Jan Svartvik, David Crystal and Sidney Greenbaum – the last of whom continued Quirk’s leadership as the survey’s new director. With three other grammarians, Greenbaum, Svartvik and myself, he used the survey’s methods and materials to produce a series of analytical works, from A Grammar of Contemporary English (1972) to A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language (1985). | Over the 1960s and 70s, the survey built up a worldwide reputation for sound, innovative, empirical research. By 1981, when Quirk gave up his directorship of it (though not his involvement), its corpus of language data was more or less complete, and its new methods of language study had become well-known through many publications. It had provided an apprenticeship for an emerging generation of internationally well-known English language scholars – notably Jan Svartvik, David Crystal and Sidney Greenbaum – the last of whom continued Quirk’s leadership as the survey’s new director. With three other grammarians, Greenbaum, Svartvik and myself, he used the survey’s methods and materials to produce a series of analytical works, from A Grammar of Contemporary English (1972) to A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language (1985). |
| As a natural teacher and broadcaster, Quirk communicated his learning, understanding and enthusiasm for language far beyond the university sphere. It embraced such concerns as the status of English as a world language, and the teaching of English as a native language in Britain. | As a natural teacher and broadcaster, Quirk communicated his learning, understanding and enthusiasm for language far beyond the university sphere. It embraced such concerns as the status of English as a world language, and the teaching of English as a native language in Britain. |
| He was seen as a hidden force behind the influential report by the committee headed by Sir John Kingman into the teaching of English (1988), passionately advocating the revival of learning about the mother tongue, but at the same time, as a self-denying grammarian, advising against the full-frontal teaching of grammar in schools. Grammar, he felt, should be taught well or not at all. The Kingman report emphasised the need for pupils to be able to master Standard English, “the written form used by all writers of English, no matter which dialect area they come from... used not only in Britain but by all writers of English throughout the world, with remarkably little variation”. | He was seen as a hidden force behind the influential report by the committee headed by Sir John Kingman into the teaching of English (1988), passionately advocating the revival of learning about the mother tongue, but at the same time, as a self-denying grammarian, advising against the full-frontal teaching of grammar in schools. Grammar, he felt, should be taught well or not at all. The Kingman report emphasised the need for pupils to be able to master Standard English, “the written form used by all writers of English, no matter which dialect area they come from... used not only in Britain but by all writers of English throughout the world, with remarkably little variation”. |
| With his second wife, Gabriele Stein, a leading German scholar of English and professor at Heidelberg, Quirk pursued this approach in two co-authored books, English in Use (1990) and An Introduction to Standard English (1993). He rejected any charge that Standard English was over-prescriptive, maintaining that it had to do with making words and meanings clear rather than suppressing accents. | With his second wife, Gabriele Stein, a leading German scholar of English and professor at Heidelberg, Quirk pursued this approach in two co-authored books, English in Use (1990) and An Introduction to Standard English (1993). He rejected any charge that Standard English was over-prescriptive, maintaining that it had to do with making words and meanings clear rather than suppressing accents. |
| His contributions to education debates as a crossbencher in the House of Lords, to which he was appointed in 1994, were wide-ranging, but were also frequently on the subject of English language education and on the educational problems of language disability. He emphasised the importance of teaching Standard English both to native and to non-native speakers. | His contributions to education debates as a crossbencher in the House of Lords, to which he was appointed in 1994, were wide-ranging, but were also frequently on the subject of English language education and on the educational problems of language disability. He emphasised the importance of teaching Standard English both to native and to non-native speakers. |
| Born on the Isle of Man, and quietly proud of his Celtic and Norse heritage, Randolph was the youngest child of Thomas and Amy. The Quirk family had farmed the same piece of land, Lambsfell, on the island since 1654. | Born on the Isle of Man, and quietly proud of his Celtic and Norse heritage, Randolph was the youngest child of Thomas and Amy. The Quirk family had farmed the same piece of land, Lambsfell, on the island since 1654. |
| After attending Cronk y Voddy school and Douglas high school, Randolph entered UCL to study English language and literature. At the age of 18, he determined not to take any money from his family’s slender resources, and so when the second world war compelled the college to evacuate to Aberystwyth, he eked out his small Manx student grant by now and then playing in a dance band. | After attending Cronk y Voddy school and Douglas high school, Randolph entered UCL to study English language and literature. At the age of 18, he determined not to take any money from his family’s slender resources, and so when the second world war compelled the college to evacuate to Aberystwyth, he eked out his small Manx student grant by now and then playing in a dance band. |
| Following service in the RAF (1940-45) he resumed his degree, and soon became a lecturer in English at UCL (1947-54), and then at Durham University reader, and from 1958 professor. His time at UCL from 1960 was followed by serving as vice-chancellor of of the University of London (1981-85), and his fellowship of the British Academy (1975) by its presidency (1985-89). He was knighted in 1985. | Following service in the RAF (1940-45) he resumed his degree, and soon became a lecturer in English at UCL (1947-54), and then at Durham University reader, and from 1958 professor. His time at UCL from 1960 was followed by serving as vice-chancellor of of the University of London (1981-85), and his fellowship of the British Academy (1975) by its presidency (1985-89). He was knighted in 1985. |
| He chaired a committee of inquiry into Speech Therapy Services (1969-72), was on the board of the British Council (1983-91), and took on public duties from the BBC archive committee to the English-Speaking Union, and many other institutions. Nonetheless, he kept on researching and writing. | He chaired a committee of inquiry into Speech Therapy Services (1969-72), was on the board of the British Council (1983-91), and took on public duties from the BBC archive committee to the English-Speaking Union, and many other institutions. Nonetheless, he kept on researching and writing. |
| His first publication had come in 1954, on Old English poetry, and the following year he and CL Wrenn produced A Grammar of Old English. His last academic book was Linguistics in Britain (2002), after which he looked back to his schooldays with Memories of Cronk y Voddy (2010). | His first publication had come in 1954, on Old English poetry, and the following year he and CL Wrenn produced A Grammar of Old English. His last academic book was Linguistics in Britain (2002), after which he looked back to his schooldays with Memories of Cronk y Voddy (2010). |
| In 1946 he married Jean Williams, and they had two sons, Eric and Robin. The marriage was dissolved in 1979, and his marriage to Gabriele came in 1984. She survives him, along with his sons. | In 1946 he married Jean Williams, and they had two sons, Eric and Robin. The marriage was dissolved in 1979, and his marriage to Gabriele came in 1984. She survives him, along with his sons. |
| • Charles Randolph Quirk, Lord Quirk, linguist, born 12 July 1920; died 20 December 2017 | |
| • Geoffrey Leech died in 2014 | • Geoffrey Leech died in 2014 |