Cover
Title
Copyright
Dedication
Contents
Preface to the fourth edition
Introduction
What is grammar?
Grammar and other aspects of language
Grammars of English
National varieties of English
Standard English and non-standard English
Variation according to use
Descriptive rules and prescriptive rules
Why study grammar?
How this book is organized
PART I The grammar
1 The parts of a simple sentence
1.1 How we analyse sentences: form and function
1.2 Subject, predicate, verb
1.3 Operator
1.4 Do, be and have
1.5 Identifying the subject
1.6 Grammatical features of the subject
1.7 Transitive verbs and direct object
1.8 Linking verbs and subject complement
1.9 Intransitive verbs and adverbials
1.10 Adverbial complement
1.11 Direct object and indirect object
1.12 Direct object and object complement
1.13 Summary: the basic sentence structures
1.14 The meanings of the sentence elements
Exercises
Advanced exercises
2 Word classes
2.1 Open and closed classes
2.2 Word classes and word uses
Nouns
2.3 Noun suffixes
2.4 Noun classes
2.5 Number
2.6 Gender
2.7 Case
2.8 Dependent and independent genitives
Main verbs
2.9 Verb suffixes
2.10 Regular verbs
2.11 Irregular verbs
Auxiliary verbs
2.12 Classes of auxiliaries
2.13 The passive auxiliary
2.14 The progressive auxiliary
2.15 The perfect auxiliary
2.16 Auxiliary do
2.17 Modal auxiliaries
2.18 The meanings of the modals
Adjectives
2.19 Adjective suffixes
2.20 Adjective classes
2.21 Gradability and comparison
Adverbs
2.22 Adverb suffixes
2.23 Gradability and comparison
Pronouns
2.24 Pronoun classes
2.25 Personal pronouns
2.26 Possessive pronouns
2.27 Reflexive pronouns
2.28 Demonstrative pronouns
2.29 Reciprocal pronouns
2.30 Interrogative pronouns
2.31 Relative pronouns
2.32 Indefinite pronouns and numerals
2.33 Pronoun one
Determiners
2.34 Classes of determiners
2.35 Pre-determiners
2.36 Central determiners
2.37 Post-determiners
2.38 The articles and reference
Conjunctions
2.39 Coordinating conjunctions
2.40 Subordinating conjunctions
Prepositions
2.41 Simple prepositions
2.42 Complex prepositions
Exercises
Advanced exercises
3 The structures of phrases
3.1 Phrase types
The noun phrase
3.2 The structure of the noun phrase
3.3 Determiners
3.4 Modifiers
3.5 Relative clauses
3.6 Appositive clauses
3.7 Apposition
3.8 Coordination of noun phrases
3.9 Noun phrase complexity
3.10 Functions of noun phrases
The verb phrase
3.11 The structure of the verb phrase
3.12 Main verbs
3.13 Tense, person, and number
3.14 Aspect
3.15 Voice
3.16 Expressing future time
3.17 The ordering of auxiliaries
3.18 Finite and non-finite verb phrases
3.19 Mood
3.20 Multi-word verbs
The adjective phrase
3.21 The structure of the adjective phrase
3.22 Functions of adjective phrases
The adverb phrase
3.23 The structure of the adverb phrase
3.24 Functions of adverb phrases
The prepositional phrase
3.25 The structure of the prepositional phrase
3.26 Functions of prepositional phrases
Exercises
Advanced exercises
4 Sentences and clauses
4.1 What is a sentence?
4.2 Irregular sentences and non-sentences
4.3 What is a clause?
4.4 Sentence types
4.5 Declaratives
4.6 Interrogatives
4.7 Imperatives
4.8 Exclamatives
4.9 Speech acts
4.10 Active and passive sentences
4.11 Positive and negative sentences
4.12 Compound sentences
4.13 Complex sentences and subordinate clauses
4.14 Non-finite and verbless clauses
4.15 Functions of subordinate clauses
4.16 Sentence complexity
4.17 There-structures
4.18 Cleft sentences
4.19 Anticipatory it
Exercises
Advanced exercises
PART II The applications
5 Usage problems
Subjectβverb agreement
5.1 The general rules
5.2 And
5.3 Or, nor
5.4 With
5.5 Collective nouns
5.6 Indefinite pronouns
5.7 Quantity phrases
5.8 Singular nouns ending in -s
5.9 Who, which, that
5.10 What
5.11 There is, there are
5.12 Citations and titles
Case
5.13 Subject complement
5.14 Coordinated phrases
5.15 After as and than
5.16 After but
5.17 After let
5.18 Who, whom
5.19 Case with -ing clauses
Auxiliaries and verbs
5.20 Problems with auxiliaries
5.21 Lie, lay
5.22 Present tense
5.23 Past and -ed participles
5.24 Past and were subjunctive
5.25 Multiple negation
Adjectives and adverbs
5.26 Confusion between adjectives and adverbs
5.27 Comparison
5.28 Only
5.29 Dangling modifiers
Exercises
Advanced exercises
6 Style
6.1 Style in writing
Emphasis
6.2 End-focus
6.3 Front-focus
6.4 There-structures and cleft sentences
6.5 Parenthetic expressions
Clarity
6.6 End-weight
6.7 Misplaced expressions
6.8 Abstract nouns
6.9 Modifiers in noun phrases
6.10 Subordination
6.11 Parallelism
6.12 Repeated sounds
6.13 Pronoun reference
Consistency
6.14 Pronoun agreement
6.15 Tense consistency
Exercises
Advanced exercises
7 English in use
7.1 Register variation
7.2 Conversational English
7.3 Unscripted monologue
7.4 Sports commentary
7.5 English in emails and text messages
7.6 English in chatrooms, message boards, and tweets
7.7 The language of literature
Exercises
Advanced exercises
8 Punctuation
8.1 Punctuation rules
8.2 Sentence fragments and fragmentary sentences
8.3 Run-on sentences and comma splices
8.4 Coordinated main clauses
8.5 Direct speech
8.6 Citations
8.7 Questions
8.8 Restrictive and non-restrictive relative clauses
8.9 Restrictive and non-restrictive apposition
8.10 Adverbial clauses
8.11 Vocatives and interjections
8.12 Avoiding misunderstanding
8.13 Genitives of nouns
8.14 Genitives of pronouns
Exercises
Advanced exercises
9 Word formation and spelling
9.1 The structure of words
9.2 Morphemes
9.3 Derivation and inflection
9.4 Compounding
9.5 Blending and clipping
9.6 Acronyms and abbreviations
9.7 Combining forms and back formations
9.8 Spelling, pronunciation, and meaning
9.9 Spelling variants
9.10 Spelling rules for short and long vowel sounds
9.11 Spelling rules for adding suffixes
9.12 Spelling rules for adding prefixes
9.13 Other aids to spelling
9.14 Homophones: words pronounced similarly
Exercises
Advanced exercises
Glossary
Further reading
Index
