English Grammar For Dummies, UK Edition

Lesley J. Ward, Geraldine Woods

• Publisher: For Dummies
• Year: 2011
• Print ISBN: 9780470057520
• eBook ISBN: 9780470687048
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Languages & Linguistics
• Subtopic: Grammar & Punctuation
• Index: Languages & Linguistics

If you're confused by commas, perplexed by pronouns, and plain terrified by tenses, English Grammar For Dummies will put your fears to rest. Packed with expert guidance, it covers everything from sentence basics to rules even your English teacher didn't know - if you want to brush up on your grammar, this is the only guide you'll ever need.

Discover how to: avoid common grammatical errors; get to grips with apostrophes; structure sentences correctly; use verbs and find the right tense; and decide when to use slang or formal English.

 

Part I

The Parts of Speech and Parts of the Sentence

In this part . . .

So it’s, like, communication, y’know?

Can you make a statement like that without bringing the grammar police to your door? Maybe. Read Chapter 1 for a discussion of formal and informal language and a guide to when each is appropriate. The rest of this part of the book explains the building blocks of the sentence. Chapter 2 shows you how to find the verb, and Chapter 3 tells you what to do with it once you’ve got it. Chapter 4 provides a road map to the subject of the sentence and explains the basics of matching subjects and verbs properly. Chapter 5 is all about completeness–why the sentence needs it and how to make sure that the sentence gets it. In Chapter 6, we explore the last building block of a sentence–the complement.

Chapter 1

I Already Know How to Talk. Why Should I Study Grammar?

In This Chapter

Distinguishing between formal and informal English

Understanding when following the rules is necessary

Deciding when slang is appropriate

Using computer grammar checkers properly

You may be reading this book for a number of reasons. Perhaps you’re hoping to impress your English teacher (if so, it’s a good idea to let her accidentally catch you reading it). Or maybe you’re hoping to become so eloquent that when you pluck up the courage to ask the most beautiful girl in your class out on a date she’ll say yes. Or perhaps you want to improve the letters you write at work so that your boss will give you a promotion.

Whatever your ultimate goal is, you have probably decided that learning better grammar is a good strategy. In this chapter we’ll look at how the definition of better grammar changes according to your situation, purpose and audience. We’ll also tell you what your computer can and can’t do to help you write proper English.

What is grammar anyway?

In the Middle Ages, grammar meant the study of Latin, because Latin was the language of choice for educated people. In fact, knowing Latin grammar was so closely associated with being an educated person that the word grammar was also used to refer to any kind of learning. That’s why grammar schools were called grammar schools; they were places of learning – and not just learning about how Latin and English work.

These days, grammar is the study of language – specifically, how words are put together to create meaning. Because of all those obsessive English teachers and their rules, grammar also means a set of standards that you have to follow in order to speak and write correctly. This set of standards is also called usage, as in standard and non-standard usage. Standard usage is the one that earns an A grade. It consists of the commonly accepted correct patterns of speech and writing that mark an educated person in our society. You’ll find standard usage in government documents, in newspapers and magazines, and in textbooks. Non-standard usage draws red ink from a teacher’s pen faster than a bullet cuts through butter. Non-standard usage includes slang, dialect and just plain bad grammar.

Living Better with Better Grammar

The curtain goes up and you step on stage. One deep breath and you’re ready. Ladies and gentlemen, it’s an honour to be speaking . . . to speak . . . to have spoken . . . to you this evening. You clear your throat. I offer my best efforts to whomever . . . whoever the committee decides . . . will decide should receive the nomination. You begin to sweat, but you go on. Now if everyone will rise to his . . . to his or her . . . to their . . . to your feet ....

Table of contents

• Cover
• Table of Contents
• Title Page
• Introduction
• Part I: The Parts of Speech and Parts of the Sentence
• Part II: Avoiding Common Errors
• Part III: No Garage, but Plenty of Mechanics
• Part IV: Polishing Without Wax-the Finer Points of Grammar
• Part V: Rules Even Your Great-Aunt's Grammar Teacher Didn't Know
• Part VI: The Part of Tens