How English Works: A Grammar Handbook with Readings

by Ann Raimes

• ISBN13: 9780521657587
• ISBN10: 052165758X
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1998-07-13
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

This book uses readings from newspapers, works of non-fiction, and college textbooks to illustrate the use of target structures. The Student's Book provides clear presentations of the basic principles of 27 important areas of English grammar, through a wide variety of exercises and tasks for writing and editing. It engages students with topics that range from artificial intelligence and laptop computers to the environment and economics. This important grammar text provides a real-world context that allows students to see how the English language really "works."

Table of Contents

Preface	ix
PART 1 GRAMMAR
BASIC SENTENCE STRUCTURE	2	(34)
Subject and Predicate	3	(12)
The independent clause
The verb phrase
Position of the subject
What not to do with the subject
Filler subjects it and there
Six basic requirements
Phrases and Clauses	15	(11)
Packing a sentence with information
Adding information at the beginning
Modifying and identifying the subject
Inserting additional information
Adding a verb
Expanding the object
Adding information at the end
Questions and Negatives	26	(10)
The form of questions
Why? and what for?
Negatives
Alternative forms of negation
Tag questions
Tag questions: summary
NOUN PHRASES	36	(33)
Proper Nouns	37	(8)
Categories
Article use: summary
Articles with singular proper nouns
Articles with plural proper nouns
Countable and Uncountable Nouns	45	(12)
Common nouns
Countable nouns
Plural forms of countable nouns
Uncountable nouns
Quantity words
Few and a few
Measure words
Articles	57	(12)
Determiners and articles
Specific reference: the
Generalizations
Articles with nouns: summary
Important points to remember
Idiomatic usage
VERB PHRASES	69	(78)
Verb Phrases	70	(8)
Complete
Active and passive
Present-future and past
Requirements for checking verb phrases
Verb Tenses: Overview	78	(12)
Basic time
Time before basic time
Progressive action at basic time
Verbs not used with progressive aspect
Perfect progressive aspect
Consistency of tenses
Verb Tenses: Past	90	(11)
Past cluster verb phrases
Basic past tense
Irregular verb forms
Past perfect
Past and past perfect progressive
Used to and would
Verb Tenses: Present and Future	101	(12)
Present-future phrases
Habitual action
Basic present verb forms
Perfect tenses
Progressive tenses
Perfect progressive
Modal Auxiliaries	113	(11)
Ability, permission, polite questions and statements
Advisability, necessity, no necessity, prohibition
Expectation, possibility, and logical deduction
Simple form after the modal auxiliaries
The uses of would
Summary chart
Active and Passive	124	(12)
Forms of the passive
Uses of the passive
Passive idioms with get and have
The passive with direct and indirect objects
Been and being
Participle to describe a situation
Verb Forms: Summary	136	(11)
Forms of the verb
Troublesome verb forms
The verb system at a glance
Phrasal verbs
MODIFIERS	147	(36)
Adjectives and Noun Modifiers	148	(12)
Form and position of adjectives
Nouns to modify nouns
Compound adjectives
Adjectives formed from -ing form or (-ed/-en) form
Adjectives in a series
Adjectives + prepositions
Adjectives introducing reduced clauses
Adverbs and Frequency Adverbs	160	(11)
Form and meaning of adverbs
Position of adverbs
Adverbs modifying specific constructions
Very, too, enough
Adverbs of frequency in middle positions
Adverbs of frequency: beginning and end
Time adverbs and verb tense
Comparisons	171	(12)
Forms for adjectives and adverbs
Irregular forms
Comparative structures
(not) as...as, like, but, however, whereas
Most, the most, and most of
Idiom: the more, the merrier
Figures of speech
AGREEMENT	183	(24)
Subject-Verb Agreement	184	(13)
The -s ending
Subjects and verbs
Verbs in a sequence
Tricky singular and plural subjects
Proximity and ellipsis
Agreement with adjectival clauses
There and one of
Pronouns and Pronoun Reference	197	(10)
Personal pronouns
Demonstrative pronouns
Pronoun agreement
Pronoun reference
Sentence structure
Possessive pronouns
VERBALS	207	(35)
Infinitives	208	(12)
Form and functions
As subject and subject complement
As object
After verb + noun phrase
To modify adjectives
To modify nouns
To express purpose
Special uses
-ing Forms (Gerunds and Modifiers)	220	(12)
Functions
Subject and subject complement (gerund in a noun phrase)
Object (gerund in a noun phrase)
Verbs followed by either -ing or infinitive (to + simple form)
After a preposition (gerund in a noun phrase)
After to as a preposition
As an adjective
Phrases substituting for clauses
Participle Forms	232	(10)
Functions
And -ing forms
After get
Used to
Clause substitute
CONNECTING SENTENCES	242	(18)
Coordinating Conjunctions	243	(9)
Connecting sentences
Avoiding run-ons and the comma splice
Connecting phrases and other parallel structures
Not only and nor
So, too, either, and neither
Transitions	252	(8)
Linking related sentences: the semicolon
Words and expressions
Problems: run-ons and the comma splice
In contrast and on the contrary
COMBINING SENTENCES	260	(50)
Adjectival Clauses	261	(15)
Form and function
Relative pronoun as subject
Relative pronoun as object
Possessive relative pronoun
Relative pronoun with preposition
Where, when, what, and the way
Punctuation
Quantity words with relative pronouns
Reduced adjectival clauses
Noun Clauses and Reported Speech	276	(10)
Form and function
Introduced by that
Included questions
Reported and direct speech
Documentation
Verb form in noun clauses
Adverbial Clauses	286	(12)
Position and punctuation
Time and place
Reason
Because and because of
Result and purpose
Contrast
Reduced adverbial clauses
Problems: fragments
Adverbial Clauses: Conditions	298	(12)
Features
Real conditions of fact
Real conditions of prediction
Hypothetical conditions: speculation and were
Hypothetical conditions of hindsight
Wishes
Summary of conditional adverbial clauses
Other conjunctions
Omitted if
PRINCIPLES OF WRITTEN DISCOURSE	310	(61)
Style	311	(7)
Clarity and directness
Wordiness
Repetition
Old information before new
Sentence variety
Cohesion
Punctuation	318	(53)
End-of-sentence
Semicolon
Comma
Colon
Dashes and parentheses
Apostrophe
Quotation marks
PART 2 READINGS
Appendix A: Irregular Verbs	371	(3)
Appendix B: Spelling	374	(7)
Index	381