Understanding and Using English Grammar with Essential Online Resources

For nearly forty years, Understanding and Using English Grammar has been the go-to grammar resource for students and teachers alike. Its time-tested approach blends direct grammar instruction with carefully sequenced practice to develop all language skills.

• Pretests at the start of each chapter enable learners to check what they already know.
• Updated grammar charts reflect current usage and highlight differences between written and spoken English.
• A new chapter on article usage.
• A variety of high-interest readings include reviews, articles on current topics, and blogs that focus on student success.
• Additional incremental practice helps learners better grasp concepts, while thematic exercises and integrated tasks offer more contextualized language use.
• Step-by-step writing activities are supported by writing tips and pre-writing and editing tasks.

MyEnglishLab (access code provided in the book)

• Rich online practice for all skill areas: grammar, reading, writing, speaking, and listening.
• Instant feedback and remediation.
• Grammar videos.
• Bonus material not included in the Student Book, including additional expanded practice of gerunds and infinitives.
• Robust assessments.
• Gradebook and diagnostic tools. 

Preface to the Fifth Edition

Acknowledgments

Chapter 1  PRESENT AND PAST; SIMPLE AND PROGRESSIVE

1-1     Simple Present and Present Progressive

1-2     Simple Present and Present Progressive:  Affirmative, Negative, Question Forms

1-3     Verbs Not Usually Used in the Progressive (Stative Verbs)

1-4     Simple Past Tense

1-5     Simple Past vs. Past Progressive

1-6     Unfulfilled Intentions:  Was/Were Going To

Chapter 2  PERFECT AND PERFECT PROGRESSIVE TENSES

 2-1    Regular and Irregular Verbs

 2-2    Irregular Verb List

 2-3    Present Perfect:  Since and For

 2-4    Present Perfect:  Unspecified Time and Repeated Events

 2-5    Have and Has in Spoken English

 2-6    Present Perfect vs. Simple Past

 2-7    Present Perfect Progressive

 2-8    Past Perfect

 2-9    Hadin Spoken English

 2-10  Past Perfect Progressive

Chapter 3  FUTURE TIME

 3-1    Simple Future:  Forms of Will and Be Going To

 3-2    Will vs. Be Going To

 3-3    Expressing the Future in Time Clauses

 3-4    Using the Present Progressive and the Simple Present to Express Future Time

 3-5    Future Progressive

 3-6    Future Perfect and Future Perfect Progressive 

Chapter 4  REVIEW OF VERB TENSES

Chapter 5 SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT

5-1     Final -s/-es: Use and Spelling

5-2     Basic Subject-Verb Agreement

5-3     Collective Nouns

5-4     Subject-Verb Agreement: Using Expressions of Quantity

5-5     Subject-Verb Agreement: Using There + Be

5-6     Subject-Verb Agreement: Some Irregularities

Chapter 6  NOUNS

6-1     Regular and Irregular Plural Nouns

6-2     Nouns as Adjectives

6-3     Possessive Nouns

6-4     More About Expressing Possession

6-5     Count and Noncount Nouns

6-6     Noncount Nouns

6-7     Some Common Noncount Nouns

6-8     Expressions of Quantity Used with Count and Noncount Nouns

6-9     Using A Few and Few; A Little and Little

6-10   Singular Expressions of Quantity: One, Each, Every

6-11   Using Of in Expressions of Quantity

Chapter 7  ARTICLES

7-1     Articles (A, An, The) with Indefinite and Definite Nouns

7-2     Articles:  Generic Nouns 

7-3     Descriptive Information with Definite and Indefinite Nouns

7-4     General Guidelines for Article Usage

7-5     Using The or Ø with Titles and Geographic Names                   

Chapter 8  PRONOUNS

8-1     Pronouns and Possessive Adjectives

8-2     Agreement with Generic Nouns and Indefinite Pronouns

8-3     Personal Pronouns: Agreement with Collective Nouns

8-4     Reflexive Pronouns

8-5     Using You, One, and They as Impersonal Pronouns

8-6     Forms of Other

8-7     Common Expressions with Other

Chapter 9  MODALS, PART 1

9-1     Basic Modal Introduction

9-2     Expressing Necessity:  Must, Have To, Have Got To

9-3     Lack of Necessity (Not Have To) and Prohibition (Must Not)

9-4     Advisability/Suggestions: Should, Ought To, Had Better, Could

9-5     Expectation:  Be Supposed To/Should

9-6     Ability:  Can, Know How To, and Be Able To

9-7     Possibility:  Can, May, Might

9-8     Requests and Responses with Modals

9-9     Polite Requests with Would You Mind

9-10   Making Suggestions: Let’s, Why Don’t, Shall I /We

Chapter 10 MODALS, PART 2

10-1   Using Would to Express a Repeated Action in the Past

10-2   Expressing the Past: Necessity, Advice, Expectation

10-3   Expressing Past Ability

10-4   Degrees of Certainty: Present Time

10-5   Degrees of Certainty: Present Time Negative

10-6   Degrees of Certainty: Past Time

10-7   Degrees of Certainty: Future Time

10-8   Progressive Forms of Modals

10-9   Combining Modals with Phrasal Modals

10-10 Expressing Preference: Would Rather

10-11 Summary Chart of Modals and Similar Expressions

Chapter 11  THE PASSIVE

11-1   Active vs. Passive

11-2   Tense Forms of the Passive

11-3   Using the Passive

11-4   The Passive Form of Modals and Phrasal Modals

11-5   Stative (Non-Progressive) Passive

11-6   Common Stative (Non-Progressive) Passive Verbs + Prepositions

11-7   The Passive with Get

11-8   -ed/-ing Adjectives

Chapter 12  NOUN CLAUSES

12-1   Introduction

12-2   Noun Clauses with Question Words

12-3   Noun Clauses with Whether or If

12-4   Question Words Followed by Infinitives

12-5   Noun Clauses with That

12-6   Quoted Speech

12-7   Reported Speech

12-8   Reported Speech: Modal Verbs in Noun Clauses

12-9   The Subjunctive in Noun Clauses

Chapter 13  ADJECTIVE CLAUSES

13-1   Adjective Clause Pronouns Used as the Subject

13-2   Adjective Clause Pronouns Used as the Object of a Verb

13-3   Adjective Clause Pronouns Used as the Object of a Preposition

13-4   Using Whose

13-5   Using Wherein Adjective Clauses

13-6   Using Whenin Adjective Clauses

13-7   Using Adjective Clauses to Modify Pronouns

13-8   Punctuating Adjective Clauses

13-9   Using Expressions of Quantity in Adjective Clauses

13-10 Using Which to Modify a Whole Sentence

13-11 Reducing Adjective Clauses to Adjective Phrases

Chapter 14  GERUNDS AND INFINITIVES, PART 1

14-1   Gerunds and Infinitives: Introduction

14-2   Common Verbs Followed by Gerunds

14-3   Common Verbs Followed by Infinitives

14-4   Infinitives with Objects

14-5   Common Verbs Followed by Either Infinitives or Gerunds

14-6   Using Gerunds as the Objects of Prepositions

14-7   Go + Gerund

14-8   Special Expressions Followed by -ing

14-9   It + Infinitive; Gerunds and Infinitives as Subjects

14-10 Reference List of Verbs Followed by Infinitives

14-11 Reference List of Verbs Followed by Gerunds

14-12 Reference List of Preposition Combinations Followed by Gerunds

Chapter 15  GERUNDS AND INFINITIVES, PART 2

15-1   Infinitive of Purpose: In Order To

15-2   Adjectives Followed by Infinitives

15-3   Using Infinitives with Too and Enough

15-4   Passive Infinitives and Gerunds:  Present

15-5   Past Forms of Infinitives and Gerunds

15-6   Using Gerunds or Passive Infinitives Following Need

15-7   Using Verbs of Perception

15-8   Using the Simple Form After Let and Help

15-9   Using Causative Verbs: Make, Have, Get

15-10 Using a Possessive to Modify a Gerund

Chapter 16  COORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS

16-1   Parallel Structure

16-2   Parallel Structure: Using Commas

16-3   Punctuation for Independent Clauses; Connecting Them with And and But

16-4   Paired Conjunctions: Both . . . And; Not Only . . . But Also; Either . . . Or; Neither . . . Nor

Chapter 17  ADVERB CLAUSES

17-1   Introduction

17-2   Using Adverb Clauses to Show Time Relationships

17-3   Using Adverb Clauses to Show Cause and Effect

17-4   Expressing Contrast (Unexpected Result): Using Even Though

17-5   Showing Direct Contrast: While

17-6   Expressing Conditions in Adverb Clauses: If-Clauses

17-7   Shortened If-Clauses

17-8   Adverb Clauses of Condition: Using Whether or Not and Even If

17-9   Adverb Clauses of Condition: Using In Case

17-10 Adverb Clauses of Condition: Using Unless

17-11 Adverb Clauses of Condition: Using Only If

Chapter 18  REDUCTION OF ADVERB CLAUSES TO MODIFYING ADVERBIAL PHRASES

18-1   Introduction

18-2   Changing Time Clauses to Modifying Adverbial Phrases

18-3   Expressing the Idea of “During the Same Time” in Modifying Adverbial Phrases

18-4   Expressing Cause and Effect in Modifying Adverbial Phrases

18-5   Using Upon + -ing in Modifying Adverbial Phrases

Chapter 19  CONNECTIVES THAT EXPRESS CAUSE AND EFFECT, CONTRAST, AND CONDITION

19-1   Introduction

19-2     Using Because Of and Due To

19-3   Cause and Effect: Using Therefore, Consequently, and So

19-4   Summary of Patterns and Punctuation

19-5   Other Ways of Expressing Cause and Effect: Such . . . That and So . . . That

19-6   Expressing Purpose: Using So That

19-7   Showing Contrast (Unexpected Result)

19-8   Showing Direct Contrast

19-9   Expressing Conditions: Using Otherwise and Or (Else)

Chapter 20  CONDITIONAL SENTENCES AND WISHES

20-1   Overview of Basic Verb Forms Used in Conditional Sentences

20-2   Expressing Real Conditions in the Present or Future

20-3   Unreal (Contrary to Fact) in the Present or Future

20-4   Unreal (Contrary to Fact) in the Past

20-5   Using Progressive Verb Forms in Conditional Sentences

20-6   Using “Mixed Time” in Conditional Sentences

20-7   Omitting If

20-8   Implied Conditions

20-9   Wishes About thePresent and Past

20-10 Wishes About the Future; Use of Wish + Would

Appendix         SUPPLEMENTARY GRAMMAR CHARTS           

Unit A: Basic Grammar Terminology

A-1     Subjects, Verbs, and Objects

A-2     Adjectives

A-3     Adverbs

A-4     Prepositions and Prepositional Phrases

A-5     Preposition Combinations with Adjectives and Adverbs

Unit B: Questions

B-1     Forms of Yes /No and Information Questions

B-2     Question Words

B-3     Shortened Yes/No Questions

B-4     Negative Questions

B-5     Tag Questions

Unit C: Contractions

Unit D: Negatives

D-1     Using Not and Other Negative Words

D-2     Avoiding Double Negatives

D-3     Beginning a Sentence with a Negative Word

Unit E:  Verbs

E-1     The Verb Be

E-2     Spelling of -ing and -ed Verb Forms

E-3     Overview of Verb Tenses

E-4     Summary of Verb Tenses

E-5     Regular Verbs:  Pronunciation of -ed Endings

E-6     Pronunciation of Final -s in Verbs and Nouns

E-7     Linking Verbs

E-8      Troublesome Verbs: Raise/Rise, Set/Sit, Lay/Lie

E-9     Irregular Verbs:  An Alphabetical Reference List

Listening Script

Index

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