This is a collection of previously unpublished papers on the topic of variation in language according to occasion of use, which is variously known as register, register variation, or style variation. It will be the first comprehensive treatment of the subject, and will not only draw attention to its importance but point the way to a unified approach to it.

"[A] significant collection....The book has succeeded admirably....An invaluable resource for those concerned with the socially situated side of language, whether it concerns dialect variation, interlanguage, or any other type of variation within language. This collection is a significant and useful contribution to sociolinguisics that is worthy of a `must read' designation."--Studies in Second Language Acquisition "Biber's studies raise a major methodological issue which has considerable ramifications for the view we take of language....A well-presented book."--Language in Society "[A] significant collection....The book has succeeded admirably....An invaluable resource for those concerned with the socially situated side of language, whether it concerns dialect variation, interlanguage, or any other type of variation within language. This collection is a significant and useful contribution to sociolinguisics that is worthy of a `must read' designation."--Studies in Second Language Acquisition "Biber's studies raise a major methodological issue which has considerable ramifications for the view we take of language....A well-presented book."--Language in Society