How Grammar Works: A Self-Teaching Guide

ISBN-13: 9780471243885 / Angielski / Miękka / 1999 / 276 str.

Patricia Osborn

Opis

The theory behind this book is that effective language usage comes more easily to someone who has first understood the system of grammar than to someone who merely sets out to memorize a list of rules. Stressing the importance of effective English, this book gives readers the tools necessary to understand how and why grammar works.

Spis treści

THE ESSENTIALS OF LANGUAGE.

What is Grammar, Anyway?

Nouns: The Building Blocks of Sentences.

Verbs: The Energy of Sentences.

Complements: The Completion of the Verb.

Pronouns: Getting Personal.

Adjectives: The First Add–On.

Adverbs: Add–On Number Two.

Prepositions: Relating One Word to Another.

Coordinating Conjunctions: One and One Makes Two.

ACTION AND INTERACTION: THE SYSTEM AT WORK.

Word Order is Part of Meaning.

Just Enough Punctuation.

The 5 W′s and an H. The Amazing Word Be and its Many Faces.

More About Pronouns and Nouns.

Introducing the Verbals.

More Punctuation: I Said, "May I Have Your Attention Please?" Combining Sentences.

Keeping It Simple, Even When Sentences Get Complex.

Verbs Do More: The Fine Points of Using Verbs.

Questions of Usage: How Can Words Agree with One Another When People Don′t.

Forming Comparisons Correctly: A Matter of Degree.

The Complete Sentence: Putting It All Together.

Making the Right Choice.

Index.

O autorze

PATRICIA OSBORN, a professional editor and writer, taught grammar for many years and was chair of the English Department at Bowsher High School in Toledo, Ohio.

Blurb

Your English teacher wasn′t kidding.

Nothing says more about you than your command of language.

Here is a quick and easy way to brush up on the intricate system of grammar that powers the English language. The updated and expanded edition of this proven guide is a painless way to master parts of speech, syntax, and all the rules of good usage. Best of all, the self–teaching format enables you to learn at your own pace, when it is convenient for you.

Now you can learn to write and speak Standard American English effectively.

The task is easier if you have a solid understanding of how and why grammar "works" than if you try to memorize lists of rules. That′s why author Patricia Osborn emphasizes grammar in action, taking the rules out of the classroom and into everyday language. She explains the functions performed by the various parts of speech and provides a new glossary of frequently misused word pairs. You′ll discover:
∗ How grammar works to make communication clear and effective
∗ Techniques for improving your writing skills
∗ Simple ways to remember the rules and use them in everyday language
∗ The "magic" of word order in an English sentence.

Were you daydreaming in your English class? No one will ever have to know. This self–teaching guide takes all the confusion and mystery out of grammar. You′ll learn to speak and write with assurance, which is the first step in building confidence in yourself, in your personal life, and in your career.