Full Description
For teachers, one of the most challenging student reactions to being taught grammar is this: 'I understand how to use this structure, but why do I have to use it?'
In this book, George Yule focuses on the grammar topics that give rise to these why-questions. His explanations link form, meaning, and real-life use, and are supported throughout by exercises and discussion points.
Contents
Acknowledgments ; Preface ; 1. Introduction ; Overview ; Basic Forms ; - On terminology ; - On being ungrammatical ; - On good English ; Basic meanings ; - 'I am more interesting in English Grammar' ; - Why can I say 'I shot the sheriff', but not *'I smiled the sheriff'? ; - Linguistic distance ; Meanings in context ; - Discussion topics and projects ; - Teaching ideas ; - Further reading ; 2. Articles ; Overview ; Basic forms ; - An article machine ; Basic meanings ; - Countability ; - Singular or plural? ; - Individuation ; - Conceptual structure: classifying and identifying ; Meanings in context ; - Already given: anaphoric and cataphoric (the) ; - Clearly given (zero article) ; - A note on a new article ; - Discussion topics and projects ; - Teaching ideas ; - Further reading ; 3. Tense and aspect ; Overview ; Basic forms ; - The basic structure ; Basic meanings ; - Tense ; - Aspect ; - Lexical aspect ; - Grammatical aspect ; Meanings in context ; - In a magazine article ; - In academic writing ; - In narratives ; - In a news report ; - In spoken discourse ; - Discussion topics and projects ; - Teaching ideas ; - Further reading ; 4. Modals ; Overview ; Basic forms ; - The simple modals ; Basic meanings ; - Epistemic modality ; - Root modality ; - Necessary and possible ; Meanings in context ; - The potential of can ; - The possibility of may ; - The necessity of must ; - The likelihood of will ; - The requirements of should ; - Negation and modals ; - Discussion topics and projects ; - Teaching ideas ; - Further reading ; 5. Conditionals ; Overview ; Basic forms ; - Factual conditionals ; - Predictive conditionals ; - Hypothetical conditionals ; - Counterfactual conditionals ; Basic meanings ; - What happens if ... ? ; - What will happen if ... ? ; - What would happen if ... ? ; - What would have happened if ... ? ; Meanings in context ; - Restating ; - Contrasting ; - Listing alternatives ; - Giving examples ; - End-weight ; - Uncertainty and politeness ; - Exceptional and concessive conditionals ; - Discussion topics and projects ; - Teaching ideas ; - Further reading ; 6. Prepositions and particles ; Overview ; Basic forms ; Prepositions ; Basic meanings: prepositions ; - Location in space ; - Location in time ; - Location in metaphor ; Particles ; Basic meanings: particles ; - Up and down ; - Off, on, out, and away ; Meanings in context ; - End-weight ; - Discussion topics and projects ; - Teaching ideas ; - Further reading ; 7. Indirect objects ; Overview ; Basic forms ; - Types of verbs ; - Basic structures: origins and pronunciation ; Basic meanings ; - Humans, transfer, and having ; - Transfer and not having ; - Creating, getting, and benefiting ; Meanings in context ; - End-weight ; - Linguistic distance ; - Discussion topics and projects ; - Teaching ideas ; - Further reading ; 8. Infinitives and gerunds ; Overview ; Basic forms ; Basic meanings ; - Group 1: verbs with only finite (that ...) complements ; - Group 2: verbs with only to-V non-finite complements ; - Group 3: verbs with only V-ing non-finite complements ; - Group 4: verbs with both to-V and V-ing complements ; Meanings in context ; - Noun-like events ; - Verb-like actions ; - Deny and refuse ; - Types of verbs ; - Linguistic distance ; - Discussion topics and projects ; - Teaching ideas ; - Further reading ; 9. Relative clauses ; Overview ; Basic forms ; - Subject relatives ; - Object relatives ; - After-preposition relatives ; - Possessive relatives ; - Basic structures ; Basic meanings ; - Who, which, that ; - Where, when, why ; Meanings in context ; - Introducing new information ; - Connecting with given information ; - End-weight ; - Discussion topics and projects ; - Teaching ideas ; - Further reading ; 10. Direct and indirect speech ; Overview ; Basic forms ; Basic meanings ; - Direct speech as drama ; - Indirect speech as narrative ; - Summarized reports ; - Reporting verbs ; - 'The teachers were saying ...' ; Meanings in context ; - Free indirect discourse ; - Constructed dialogue ; - Discussion topics and projects ; - Teaching ideas ; - Further reading ; Glossary ; Bibliography ; Answers to exercises ; Index
