English Grammar: Understanding the Basics

This text is designed to help readers learn about English grammar in as simple and straightforward a way as possible. The authors use a friendly and encouraging tone and easy to understand language with a minimum of terminology, helping readers to overcome “grammar phobia.” The book can be used alone or as part of a course. It assumes no prior knowledge of grammar.

Using a workbook approach, the present information in small steps, with objective techniques to help readers apply new concepts. Numerous exercises, with answers, allow readers to test themselves after information is presented. “Quick Tips” provide convenient “tricks” to help readers master the material and also highlight the main concepts in each lesson. Short sections called “To Enhance Your Understanding” are for readers who are interested in more than basic information. Overall, the text provides readers with an important learning experience as well as a useful reference book.

Resources within the text: * numerous exercises with answers allow readers to test themselves after new information is presented; exercises gradually incorporate more knowledge while building on prior information; * “Quick Tips” that help mastery of the material and highlight the main points provide “tricks” to help readers master the material and help readers focus on the main points of each lesson; * “To Enhance Your Understanding” sections for readers who want more than the basics provide further information for readers interested in more than the basics; can be skipped by beginners; * an extensive glossary for easy reference; * answers to the “Getting Started” section of each exercise.

Resources on the companion website: *Table of Contents: provides readers with an overview of the contents; *searchable index: allows readers to look for specific information; *sample lesson *review exercises for each unit, with answers (17 review exercises, each with ten items) allow readers to review and further monitor their progress; *answers to the “More Practice” section of each exercise; *additional exercises, with answers, available only to instructors, for use as homework and/or tests.

Table of Contents

Part I: Kinds of words
Unit 1: Nouns
Unit 2: Verbs
Unit 3: Determiners
Unit 4: Adjectives
Unit 5: Prepositions
Unit 6: Conjunctions
Unit 7: Pronouns
Unit 8: Adverbs

Part II: Kinds of phrases
Unit 9: Noun phrases
Unit 10: Prepositional phrases
Unit 11: Verb phrases
Unit 12: Auxiliary phrases
Unit 13: Subjects and objects
Unit 14: Compound phrases

Part III: Getting started with sentences
Unit 15: The functions of sentences
Unit 16: Combining sentences
Unit 17: Related sentences