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Essential English Grammar is packed with easy-to-follow explanations and summaries, practical tips on how to avoid common grammar mistakes, interesting facts about the historical and regional use of English and a special section on punctuation. This clear, straightforward guide to modern English grammar will help you to improve your knowledge of the language and perfect your grammar.
Essential English Grammar includes:
Chapter 1: The history of the English language Chapter 2: Dividing the word: syllables and morphemes Chapter 3: Nouns Chapter 4: Pronouns Chapter 5: Verbs Chapter 6: Modifiers: adjectives and adverbs Chapter 7: Function words: prepositions and conjunctions Chapter 8: Phrases and clauses Chapter 9: Kinds of sentence Chapter 10: Direct and indirect speech Chapter 11: Affixes: prefixes and suffixes Chapter 12: Gender and grammar Chapter 13: Register: formal and informal Chapter 14: Spelling and punctuation
Learn effortlessly with a new easy-to-read page design:
Author insights Lots of instant help with common problems and quick tips for success, based on the author's many years of experience.
Test yourself Tests in the book to keep track of your progress.
Five things to remember Quick refreshers to help you remember the key facts.
Try this Innovative exercises illustrate what you've learnt and how to use it.
Want to learn more? Why not check out Teach Yourself Languages Online? Over 65 languages all available online from Teach Yourself.
Arvustused
"Most grammar books either lose themselves in prescriptive (or worse, proscriptive) admonitions, which quickly become outdated or 'quaint', or are so badly laid out and presented that they are consulted only by the truly desperate. Ron Simpson's book, on the other hand, manages to be entertaining, informative and well-structured." * - Amazon.co.uk Customer Review *
Muu info
An in-depth guide to the basics of English grammar.
Meet the author |
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Only got a minute? |
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Only got five minutes? |
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1 The history of the English language |
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1 | (15) |
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English as a hybrid language |
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The sources of modern English |
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2 | (1) |
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3 | (1) |
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4 | (2) |
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6 | (2) |
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2 Dividing the word: syllables and morphemes |
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16 | (8) |
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16 | (2) |
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18 | (2) |
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20 | (4) |
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24 | (13) |
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24 | (1) |
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31 | (6) |
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37 | (21) |
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37 | (1) |
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38 | (8) |
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46 | (2) |
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48 | (3) |
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51 | (1) |
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Demonstrative pronouns and adjectives |
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52 | (1) |
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53 | (5) |
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Finite and non-finite verbs |
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63 | (1) |
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72 | (1) |
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73 | (2) |
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77 | (3) |
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Non-finite (non-tensed) verbs: the infinitive |
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83 | (2) |
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85 | (5) |
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Commas, subjects and participles |
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90 | (6) |
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6 Modifiers: adjectives and adverbs |
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96 | (29) |
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96 | (12) |
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The difference between adjectives and adverbs |
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108 | (17) |
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7 Function words: prepositions and conjunctions |
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125 | (16) |
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125 | (1) |
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126 | (7) |
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133 | (8) |
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141 | (26) |
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The difference between phrases and clauses |
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141 | (6) |
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147 | (5) |
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152 | (15) |
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167 | (21) |
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167 | (1) |
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168 | (4) |
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Complex sentences: choosing the main clause |
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172 | (9) |
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Compound-complex sentences |
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181 | (7) |
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10 Direct and indirect speech |
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188 | (15) |
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188 | (1) |
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189 | (1) |
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190 | (1) |
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Speech in the prose narrative |
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190 | (3) |
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193 | (3) |
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196 | (7) |
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11 Affixes: prefixes and suffixes |
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203 | (26) |
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What are prefixes and suffixes? |
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203 | (4) |
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207 | (7) |
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214 | (15) |
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229 | (8) |
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229 | (8) |
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13 Register: formal and informal |
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237 | (12) |
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237 | (2) |
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239 | (10) |
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14 Spelling and punctuation |
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249 | (19) |
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249 | (7) |
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Punctuation: terminal points |
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256 | (12) |
Test yourself answers |
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268 | (31) |
Taking it further |
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299 | (3) |
Glossary |
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302 | (10) |
Index |
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Ron Simpson has an MA (Oxon) in English Language and Literature and a PGCE from Birmingham University. He taught English for 30 years and, during his teaching career, was Head of English at King's School and Pontefract and Head of Sixth Form at Campsmount School, Doncaster. He has worked with JMB, now NEAB, as Review Panel Member (English GCE/GCSE) and is currently Moderator for the GCSE English/English Literature, GCSE Oral English and Certificate of Achievement English. He has also worked as a reviewer and News/Features Editor of the bi-monthly Jazz Rag magazine almost from its inception.