This volume is a description of English as it is spoken and used in India. The volume focuses mostly on those features that are pan-Indian. Regional differences are touched upon, to some extent, where relevant. Since India is a country of continental proportions, as the cliché goes, it is not possible to cover every linguistic detail or the variation across all the regions. The book focuses on the more important or common features in evidence across the country. Indian English is classified in this book as standard, non-standard and informal and features of these form the core of the book. At the same time, the attempt has been to cover standard Indian English as much as possible. One chapter deals with history and presents the events that led to the institutionalisation of English in India. The first chapter provides the context and current position of this language especially in relation to the cultural factors of the country.

This work is meant for students who are just beginning to be familiar with linguistic terminology. It is also a book meant for people who may be generally interested in language and (Indian) English. Since both these groups of readers are likely to be unfamiliar with terminology, it has been kept to a minimum. Every attempt has been made to keep the description simple and accessible. Where terminology and phonetic symbols have been unavoidable, they have been explained.