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    Useful Grammar of English
    Useful Grammar of English
    Useful Grammar of English
    Ebook144 pages1 hour

    Useful Grammar of English

    By Martin Manser

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    About this ebook

    This basic English grammar is aimed at those who are taking their first steps in learning English. It will also be helpful to native speakers who want to improve their grasp of the grammatical rules of English.

    The text is divided into sections consisting of several units, each of which considers an aspect of English grammar, for example: nouns, pronouns, adjectives, verbs, adverbs, prepositions and conjunctions.

    English grammar is not easy, but this introduction will make it less difficult.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBookBaby
    Release dateApr 22, 2015
    ISBN9781483553580
    Useful Grammar of English
    Author

    Martin Manser

    Martin Manser is a professional writer and researcher. He is responsible for ‘The Penguin Wordmaster’ and ‘The Guinness Book of Words’.

    Read more from Martin Manser

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      Book preview

      Useful Grammar of English - Martin Manser

      sentences

      INTRODUCTION

      This introduction to English grammar is aimed equally at those who are taking first steps in learning English and at native speakers or who are trying to improve a basic grasp of the grammatical rules that underpin the English language. It is grammar that gives any language its character and its practical usefulness, and an understanding of grammatical rules and conventions is as important as mastery of the vocabulary to achieve any degree of fluency.

      English has a complex grammar and it is sometimes difficult to know which form of words to use. Sometimes the rules are logical and predictable, but on many occasions words do not behave as they might be expected to. Furthermore, often the speaker or writer must choose between two equally acceptable alternatives, the correct use of which depends entirely upon the context or the degree of formality involved. What may be acceptable in everyday conversation, for instance, may not be so acceptable when written down. Knowing how to choose the best option is where a guide like this one can prove indispensable.

      The text of this book is subdivided into sections comprising several units, each of which tackles a potentially problematic aspect of English grammar. Care has been taken in each unit to explain the topic in simple terms and with numerous examples illustrating how the rules of grammar are applied in real life. Where useful, additional information is added in boxes under the heading Grammar Extra. Cross-references guide the reader to relevant information elsewhere in the text.

      Nouns

      Countable and uncountable nouns

      One way in which nouns are thought of is to separate them into countable and uncountable.

      Most ordinary nouns are countable. Examples are boy, computer, phone, shirt, jacket, banana, washing-machine, bus, airport. If a noun is countable, this means it is possible to put a number in front of it: two boys, three computers. It is also possible to put a or an in front of a countable noun. (On the use of a or an, see articles). Countable nouns can appear in the plural: boys, computers, buses.

      Grammar extra

      Spellings of plurals

      Most countable nouns are made plural by adding -s: boys, computers, bananas.

      •   Nouns that end with the letters -ch, -s, -sh and -x generally add -es: batches, buses, crosses, fishes, boxes.

      •   Nouns that end in a consonant and -y have the plural -ies: armies, babies, cities, stories, territories. But proper nouns sometimes take the regular -s ending: the O’Reillys.

      •   Some nouns that end in -f or -fe add -s: beliefs, gulfs, roofs, while others end -ves: calves, halves, selves, thieves. No one rule covers every noun; you have to learn individual words. With certain words, the plurals -fs and -ves are both acceptable: dwarfs/dwarves; hoofs/hooves; scarf/scarves.

      •   Words that end in -is generally have -es in the plural: axis/axes, crisis/crises.

      •   Many nouns that end in -o add an -s in the plural: pianos, solos, videos. Others have an -es ending: echoes, tomatoes, volcanoes.

      •   Some words are completely irregular: the plural of mouse is mice (sometimes mouses for computer devices). Also: child/children, foot/feet, goose/geese, man/men, person/people and woman/women.

      Uncountable nouns cannot normally be used with a or an and cannot be counted or made plural; it is not possible to put a number in front of them. Examples of uncountable nouns are mud, rice, juice, money, traffic, congestion, ignorance.

      Uncountable nouns are words that refer to:

      With uncountable nouns, a phrase is often added that means ‘a quantity of’ or ‘a piece of’:

      advice: a piece of advice

      chocolate: a bar of chocolate

      luck: a stroke of luck

      rice: a grain of rice

      thunder: a clap of thunder

      Some nouns are both countable and uncountable:

      This year more coffee was grown in Kenya than last year [uncountable: refers to roasted powder or seeds from the coffee plant].

      Please can I have three coffees [countable: refers to a cup, mug or drink made from such powder or seeds].

      Words that refer to materials are uncountable, but when talking or writing about something made from that material, the word is a countable noun. For example, paper:

      We need some more photocopying paper [uncountable: the material].

      I’m going to buy this week’s local paper [countable: a newspaper].

      Grammar extra

      More on spellings of plurals:

      •   Some nouns, especially names of animals, have the same form in the singular and plural, for example: aircraft, crossroads, crew, deer, cattle, fish (though fishes is also found), series, and sheep. This class of nouns also includes some nationalities (e.g. Chinese).

      •   With nouns that come from other languages, the plural may be formed by adding -s in the usual way, or by following the rules of the original language, or both:

      words from French ending -eau: chateaus/chateaux; gateaus/gateaux

      words from Latin or Greek: criterion/criteria; phenomenon/phenomena; formula/formulas or formulae (especially in scientific contexts); appendix/appendices (additional material in a book) or appendixes (part of the body); index/indexes (alphabetical list) or indices (ratio).

      Often a general uncountable word has a particular countable word linked with it:

      Fewer is used with countable nouns and less with uncountable nouns. Similarly, more is used with countable nouns and much with uncountable nouns:

      There are more cars on the roads during school term than in the holidays.

      There is less traffic on the roads during the school holidays than in school terms.

      There is not much congestion outside the rush hours.

      There are fewer cars on the roads outside the rush hour.

      Nouns without articles

      An article is not used when general statements are being made, even if an adjective comes before the noun:

      •   with plural countable nouns:

      Dogs should be kept on a lead at all times.

      Birds of a feather flock together.

      Plants need sunlight to grow.

      The hotel has large rooms.

      I’m very interested in classical music.

      Reference books must be returned to the shelves after use.

      Railway trains will soon run from Shanghai to Beijing in four hours.

      In some countries, women are still paid less than men for the same work.

      Oranges are rich in vitamin C.

      Footballers earn massively more than nurses.

      Romanians are noted for their diversity in cuisine.

      Nurses have to work very hard.

      •   with uncountable nouns:

      Rice is the staple food for many people.

      I like Swiss cheese.

      They discussed love, death and happiness.

      Water is necessary for life.

      Wine is enjoyed by many

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