| Chapter 1: Understanding Grammar |
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WORD FUNCTIONS
PARTS OF SPEECH |
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Words that make statements: verbs
Words that name: nouns and pronouns
Words that modify: adjectives and adverbs
Words that connect: prepositions and conjunctions |
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SENTENCES |
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Essential elements in a sentence: the subject and the verb
Additional elements in a sentence: modifiers and connectors
Subjects and objects
Analyzing sentences to show the functions of words
Practice with analyzing sentences |
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BASIC SENTENCE PATTERNS |
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1.Subject + verb
2.Subject + verb + direct object
3.Subject + verb + indirect object + direct object
4.Subject + verb + subject complement
5.Subject + verb + direct object + object complement |
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EXPANDED SENTENCES
SUBJECT AND OBJECT POSITIONS |
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Subject positions
Object positions |
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IT AS THE SUBJECT OF THE SENTENCE
SUBORDINATE CLAUSES AS SUBJECTS AND OBJECTS
FINER POINTS |
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Further use of that
Clauses within clauses |
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COMMON RELATED ESL PROBLEMS |
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Incorrect word order
Omitting essential words
Adding extra words
Problems with indirect objects |
| Chapter 2: Articles and Nouns |
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THE MEANING OF ARTICLES IN ENGLISH
FORMS OF ARTICLES |
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The indefinite article
The definite article |
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COUNT AND NONCOUNT NOUNS |
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A count noun indicating no particular one
A count noun indicating a particular one
Some common noncount nouns
Nouns that can be count or noncount
Plurals
Irregular plurals |
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SPECIAL NOUN FORMS |
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Compound nouns
Collective nouns
Nouns formed from adjectives |
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ALTERNATIVES TO ARTICLES
FINER POINTS |
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Article usage
Appositives |
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COMMON RELATED ESL PROBLEMS |
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Problems caused by interference from a speaker's first language |
| Chapter 3: Verbs |
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THE ENGLISH VERB TENSE SYSTEM |
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Time period represented
Focal point in time
Action in progress or not in progress |
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THE PRINCIPAL PARTS OF ENGLISH VERBS |
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Uses of the first principal part
Use of the second principal part
Uses of the third principal part |
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THE FORMS OF THE TWELVE VERB TENSES
THE SIMPLE PRESENT
THE PRESENT PROGRESSIVE |
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THE SIMPLE PAST |
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Different times in the past
Regular past tense forms
Pronunciation of past tense forms
Irregular past tense forms
Repeated actions or situations in the past |
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THE PAST PROGRESSIVE
THE SIMPLE FUTURE
THE FUTURE PROGRESSIVE
OTHER WAYS OF EXPRESSING THE FUTURE |
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Expressing the future with be going to
Expressing the future with be about to
Expressing the future with the present progressive
Expressing the future with the simple present
The present tense for future ideas in subordinate clauses |
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NONACTION VERBS |
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Verbs normally used in the simple form |
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THE PERFECT TENSES
THE CONCEPT OF THE PERFECT TENSES
THE PRESENT PERFECT |
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Irregular passive participle forms
Uses of the present perfect |
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THE PAST PERFECT
THE FUTURE PERFECT
SENTENCES BEGINNING WITH THERE
QUESTION-WORD QUESTIONS
TAG QUESTIONS
NEGATION
SHORT ANSWERS |
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MOODS OF VERBS |
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THE SUBJUNCTIVE |
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The present subjunctive
The past subjunctive
The past perfect subjunctive |
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THE CONDITIONAL |
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A real condition in the present
A real condition in the past
A real condition in the future
An improbable or imaginary condition
A past (impossible) condition
Alternative conditional forms |
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THE IMPERATIVE AND SIMILAR FORMS |
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Basic commands
Third person imperatives
First person imperatives
Similar forms
Polite requests |
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EXPRESSING PREFERENCE
EXPRESSING PERMISSION
THE CAUSATIVE
TRANSITIVE AND INTRANSITIVE VERBS |
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Verbs with different transitive and intransitive forms |
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FINER POINTS |
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Further distinctions between the simple and progressive forms
The progressive form with an action ongoing for a purpose
The progressive form with a repeated action
The simple present for present and future scheduling
The historical present |
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The present tense in discussions of literary and artistic works |
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Be going to and be about to with tenses other than the future
Question tags not reversed |
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COMMON RELATED ESL PROBLEMS |
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Misuse of verb tenses
Confusing answers to negative tag questions
Misplacement of not
Mistakes in syllabication |
| Chapter 4: The Passive |
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PASSIVE FORMS
THE INDIRECT OBJECT AS SUBJECT IN A PASSIVE SENTENCE
THE IMPERSONAL PASSIVE
GET WITH PASSIVE CONSTRUCTIONS
ACTIVE AND PASSIVE FORMS OF PARTICIPLES
COMMON RELATED ESL PROBLEMS |
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Faulty passive form
Confusion between active and passive participles.
Using passive forms with intransitive verbs |
| Chapter 5: Modal Auxilaries and Related Forms |
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WAYS OF EXPRESSING POSSIBILITY OR CAPABILITY |
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Can
Could
Be able |
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WAYS OF EXPRESSING PROBABILITY |
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May
Might and could
May have, might have, could have
Should/Ought to |
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WAYS OF EXPRESSING DEDUCTION |
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Cannot
Must
Can't have, couldn't have, must have
Should have |
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WAYS OF EXPRESSING NECESSITY |
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Must
Have to
Should/Ought to
Had better |
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QUESTION FORMS AND NEGATIVES WITH MODALS
PASSIVE FORMS WITH MODALS
GET WITH MODALS
FINER POINTS |
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Be supposed to
Be to
Would like
Might have and could have meaning should have
Need not |
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COMMON RELATED ESL PROBLEMS |
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May be/maybe
Got to used as a modal |
| Chapter 6: Pronouns and Related Forms |
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PERSONAL PRONOUNS |
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Position of personal pronouns |
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FORMS OF ONE |
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With count nouns and pronouns:
With noncount nouns and pronouns: |
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FORMS OF OTHER
FORMS OF THIS AND THAT |
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WORDS WITH DIFFERENT SINGULAR AND PLURAL FORMS |
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Few/a few and little/a little
A number of/the number of |
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WORDS WITH THE SAME SINGULAR AND PLURAL FORMS
OF WITH EXPRESSIONS OF QUANTITY
OTHER INDEFINITE PRONOUNS
REFLEXIVE PRONOUNS
RELATIVE PRONOUNS |
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That
Who
Whom
Which
Whose |
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ESSENTIAL AND NONESSENTIAL INFORMATION
-EVER WORDS
POSSESSIVE PRONOUNS AND ADJECTIVES
FINER POINTS |
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Articles with possessives formed from nouns
Anyone/any one
One and you
Each other and one another
Much, many, and other expressions |
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COMMON RELATED ESL PROBLEMS |
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Article errors in conjunction with pronouns and related forms
Faulty comparisons
Problems with relative clauses
Who with a plural verb |
| Chapter 7: Gerunds, Participles, and Infinitives |
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GERUNDS |
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Possessives with gerunds |
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PARTICIPLES |
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Active (present) participles
Passive (past) participles |
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INFINITIVES |
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It + an infinitive
Infinitives replacing subordinate clauses
In order to |
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INFINITIVES AND GERUNDS AFTER VERBS |
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Go + gerund |
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FINER POINTS |
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Need + gerund
Infinitives and participles with verbs of perception
Gerunds and nouns
Participles and adjectives |
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COMMON RELATED ESL PROBLEMS |
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Errors with gerunds and infinitives after certain verbs
Confusion between active and passive forms |
| Chapter 8: Adjectives, Adverbs, and Related Modifiers |
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ADJECTIVES |
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Form
Uses of adjectives
Comparison of adjectives
Positions in sentences
Order of adjectives
Be and get with adjectives and participles
Active and passive modifiers
Adjectives and pronouns with similar forms |
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ADVERBS |
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Form
Uses of adverbs
Comparison of adverbs
Positions in sentences |
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MAKING COMPARISONS OF EQUALITY
CONFUSING MODIFIERS |
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Confusing adjectives
Confusing adverbs
Be supposed to
Enough, very, and too
No and not
So and such |
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FINER POINTS |
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Adjectives with the same forms as the related nouns
What/which and whatever/whichever
Be to |
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COMMON RELATED ESL PROBLEMS |
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Adding s to adjectives in the plural
Get or become + a modifier
Adjectives in different constructions
Misplaced adverbs |
| Chapter 9: Connecting Ideas |
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PREPOSITIONS
CONJUNCTIONS |
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Coordinating conjunctions
Subordinating conjunctions
Adverbial conjunctions |
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CONNECTING TIME IDEAS |
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Sequence of tenses |
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Reported speech |
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FINER POINTS |
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Between and among
Additional and contrasting information expressed in short forms
Reduction of subordinate clauses
Confusing conjunctions |
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COMMON RELATED ESL PROBLEMS |
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Interrogative word order in subordinate clauses
Inappropriate subordinate clauses |
| Chapter 10: Achieving Variety of Expression |
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FORMS AND FUNCTIONS |
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Naming
Making a statement
Modifying
Connecting |
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TYPES OF SENTENCES |
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Simple
Compound
Complex
Compound-complex |
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ADDING EMPHASIS
TRANSITIONS |
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Punctuation with transitions |
| Appendix 1: Writing Correct Sentences |
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FRAGMENTS (INCOMPLETE SENTENCES) |
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Missing subject
Missing verb
Missing main clause
Added information fragment |
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Incomplete subordinate clause |
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RUN-TOGETHER SENTENCES |
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Using punctuation to make independent statements
Using coordinating conjunctions to connect statements
Using adverbial conjunctions to connect statements
Using subordinating conjunctions to connect main and subordinate clauses |
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PUNCTUATION AND CAPITALIZATION |
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End punctuation
Commas
Colons, dashes, and parentheses
Quotation marks
Capitalization |
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MODIFIER ERRORS
AGREEMENT ERRORS
SHIFTS IN VERB TENSE
SHIFTS IN PERSON
ERRORS IN PARALLELISM |
Appendix 2: Irregular Verbs
Answer Key
Index |