Understanding English Grammar Book

All chapters have Chapter Previews.

Preface

Part I

Introduction

1. The Study of Grammar: An Overview

English: A World Language

Three Definitions of Grammar

Traditional School Grammar

Modern Linguistics

Structural Grammar

Transformational Grammar

The Issue of Correctness

Language Variety

Language Change

Language in the Classroom

Key Terms

Further Reading

Part II: The Grammar of Basic Sentences

All chapters in Part II have Key Terms, Sentences for Practice, Questions for Discussion, and Classroom Applications

2. Words and Phrases

Form Classes

Nouns and Verbs

The Noun Phrase

The Verb Phrase

NP + VP = S

Adjectives and Adverbs

Prepositional Phrases

The Structure Classes

3. Sentence Patterns

Subjects and Predicates

The Sentence Slots

The Be Patterns

The Linking Verb Patterns

The Optional Slots

The Intransitive Verb Pattern

Exceptions to the Intransitive Pattern

Intransitive Phrasal Verbs

The Transitive Verb Patterns

Transitive Phrasal Verbs

The Indirect Object Pattern

The Object Complement Patterns

Compound Structures

Exceptions to the Ten Sentence Patterns

Sentence Types

Interrogative Sentences (Questions)

Imperative Sentences (Commands)

Exclamatory Sentences

Punctuation and the Sentence Patterns

Diagramming the Sentence Patterns

Notes on the Diagrams

The Main Line

The Noun Phrase

The Verb Phrase

The Prepositional Phrase

Compound Structures

Punctuation

4. Expanding the Main Verb

The Five Verb Forms

The Irregular Be

Auxiliary–Verb Combinations

The Modal Auxiliaries

The “Future Tense”

The Subjunctive Mood

Tense and Aspect

Using the Verb Forms

Exceptions to the Verb=Expansion Rule

The Stand-In Auxiliary Do

The Verb System of African American Vernacular English

5. Changing Sentence Focus

The Passive Voice

The Passive Get

The Transitive-Passive Relationship

Patterns VIII to X in Passive Voice

Changing Passive Voice to Active Voice

The Passive Voice in Prose

Other Passive Purposes

The There Transformation

Cleft Sentences

Part III: Expanding the Sentence

All chapters in Part III have Key Terms, Sentences for Practice, Questions for Discussion, and Classroom Applications

Form and Function

6. Modifiers of the Verb: Adverbials

The Moveable Adverbials

Adverbs

Prepositional Phrases

Nouns and Noun Phrases

Verb Phrases

Dangling Infinitives

Participles as Adverbials

Clauses

Punctuation of Adverbials

7. Modifers of the Noun: Adjectivals

The Determiner

Adjectives and Nouns

Prenoun participles

Prepositional Phrases

Relative Clauses

Participial Phrases

Passive Participles

Movable Participles

The Participle as Object Complement

Participles as Adjectivals or Adverbials

Punctuation of Clauses and Participles

Multiple Modifiers

Other Postnoun Modifiers

Infinitives

Noun Phrases

Adjectives

Adverbs

8. The Noun Phrase Functions: Nominals

The Nominal Slots

Appositives

Punctuation of Appositives

Noun Phrase Substitutes

Gerunds

The Pattern of the Gerund

The Subject of the Gerund

Dangling Gerunds

Infinitives

The Subject of the Infinitive

Nominal Clauses

The Expletive That

Interrogatives

Yes/No Interrogatives

Punctuation of Nominal Clauses

Nominals as Delayed Subjects

9. Sentence Modifiers

Nouns of Direct Address: The Vocatives

Interjections

Subordinate Clauses

Punctuation of Subordinate Clauses

Elliptical Clauses

Absolute Phrases

Appositives

Relative Clauses

10. Coordination

Coordination within the Sentence

Punctuation

Elliptical Coordinate Structures

Subject–Verb Agreement

Parallel Structure

Coordinating Complete Sentences

Conjunctions

Semicolons

Colons

Diagramming the Compound Sentence

Part IV: Words and Word Classes

All chapters in Part IV have Key Terms, Questions for Discussion, and Classroom Applications

11. Morphemes

Bases and Affixes

Bound and Free Morphemes

Derivational and Inflectional Morphemes

Allomorphs

Homonyms

Compound Words

12. The Form Classes

Nouns

Noun Derivational Suffixes

Noun Inflectional Suffixes

The Meaning of the Possessive Case

Irregular Plural Inflections

Plural-Only Forms

Collective Nouns

Semantic Features of Nouns

Verbs

Verb Derivational Affixes

Verb Inflectional Suffixes

Adjectives

Adjective Derivational Suffixes

Adjective Inflectional Suffixes

Subclasses of Adjectives

Adverbs

Adverb Derivational Suffixes

Adverb Inflectional Suffixes

13. The Structure Classes

Determiners

The Expanded Determiner

Auxiliaries

Qualifiers

Prepositions

Simple Prepositions

Phrasal Prepositions

Conjunctions

Coordinating Conjunctions

Correlative Conjunctions

Conjunctive Adverbs (Adverbial Conjunctions)

Subordinating Conjunctions

Interrogatives

Expletives

There

That

Or

As

If and Whether (or not)

Particles

14. Pronouns

Personal Pronouns

Case

The Missing Pronoun

Reflexive Pronouns

Intensive Pronouns

Reciprocal Pronouns

Demonstrative Pronouns

Relative Pronouns

Interrogative Pronouns

Indefinite Pronouns

Part V: Grammar for Writers

15. Rhetorical Grammar

Sentence Patterns

Basic Sentences

Cohesion

Sentence Rhythm

End Focus

Focusing Tools

Choosing Verbs

The Overuse of Be

The Linking Be and Metaphor

The Passive Voice

The Abstract Subject

Who Is Doing What?

The Shifting Adverbials

The Adverbial Clause

The Adverbs of Emphasis

The Common Only

Metadiscourse

Style

Word Order Variation

Ellipsis

The Coordinate Series

The Introductory Appositive Series

The Deliberate Sentence Fragment

Repetition

Antithesis

Using Gender Appropriately

Key Terms

16. Purposeful Punctuation

Making Connections

Compounding Sentences

Compounding Structures within Sentences

Connecting More Than Two Parts: The Series

Separating Prenoun Modifiers

Identifying Essential and Nonessential

Structures

Signaling Sentence Openers

Signaling Emphasis

Using Apostrophes for Contraction and Possessive Case

Part VI

Glossary of Grammatical Terms

Appendix on Sentence Diagramming

Answers to the Exercises

Index