Understanding English Grammar
7th Edition
Published on 28. June 2005
Book
Hardback
480 pages
978-0-321-31683-7 (ISBN)
Description
This market-leading text for advanced grammar courses is a comprehensive description of sentence structure that encourages students to recognize and use their innate language expertise as they study the systematic nature of sentence grammar.
A practical blend of the most useful elements of both traditional and new linguistic grammar, the text emphasizes whole structures, most specifically the ten basic sentence patterns introduced in Chapter 2. Two key features separate this book from others: its clear organization and its user-friendly, accessible language. Both students and teachers appreciate the self-teaching quality that incremental exercises provide throughout the chapters, with answers at the end of the book.
A practical blend of the most useful elements of both traditional and new linguistic grammar, the text emphasizes whole structures, most specifically the ten basic sentence patterns introduced in Chapter 2. Two key features separate this book from others: its clear organization and its user-friendly, accessible language. Both students and teachers appreciate the self-teaching quality that incremental exercises provide throughout the chapters, with answers at the end of the book.
More details
Edition
7th edition
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Publishing group
Pearson Education (US)
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Dimensions
Height: 248 mm
Width: 152 mm
Thickness: 23 mm
Weight
738 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-321-31683-7 (9780321316837)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
New editions
Book
11/2008
8th Edition
Pearson
€94.23
Article exhausted; check for reprint
Previous edition
Martha J. Kolln | Robert W. Funk
Understanding English Grammar
Book
08/2002
6th Edition
Pearson
€83.09
Article exhausted; check for reprint
Content
Contents
Preface xv
Part I
Introduction 1
Chapter 1
The Study of Grammar: An Overview 3
The English Grammarians 3
Three Definitions of Grammar 5
Modern Linguistics 6
Structural Grammar 6
Transformational Grammar 7
The Issue of Correctness 8
Language Variety 10
Language Change 11
Language in the Classroom 12
Key Terms 13
Further Reading 13
Classroom Applications 14
Part II
The Grammar of Basic Sentences 15
Chapter 2
Sentence Patterns 17
Chapter Preview 17
Words and Phrases: An Overview 18
Nouns 18
Noun Phrases 19
Verbs 20
Verb Phrases 21
Adjectives and Adverbs 21
Prepositional Phrases 23
The Phrase Structure of Sentences 24
The Sentence Slots 26
The Be Patterns 28
The Linking Verb Patterns 32
The Optional Slots 34
The Intransitive Verb Pattern 35
Exceptions to the Intransitive Pattern 36
Intransitive Phrasal Verbs 37
The Transitive Verb Patterns 39
Transitive Phrasal Verbs 40
The Indirect Object Pattern 41
The Object Complement Patterns 44
Compound Structures 47
Exceptions to the Ten Sentence Patterns 48
Imperative Sentences (Commands) 49
Punctuation and the Sentence Patterns 50
Diagramming the Sentence Patterns 50
Notes on the Diagrams 52
The Main Line 52
The Noun Phrase 52
The Verb Phrase 53
The Prepositional Phrase 54
Compound Structures 55
Punctuation 55
Key Terms 55
Sentences for Practice 56
Questions for Discussion 57
Classroom Applications 59
Chapter 3
Expanding the Main Verb 60
Chapter Preview 60
The Five Verb Forms 60
Auxiliary-Verb Combinations 63
The Modal Auxiliaries 67
The Subjunctive Mood 69
Tense and Aspect 70
Using the Verb Forms 71
Exceptions to the Rule 73
The Stand-In Auxiliary Do 73
The Passive Voice 75
Changing Active Voice to Passive 75
Recognizing Passive Voice 77
The Passive Get 79
The Transitive-Passive Relationship 80
Changing Passive Voice to Active 81
Diagramming the Passive 83
The Verb System of African American
Vernacular English 86
Key Terms 87
Sentences for Practice 87
Questions for Discussion 88
Classroom Applications 90
Chapter 4
Transforming the Basic Patterns 92
Chapter Preview 92
Interrogative Sentences 93
Do Support 97
Emphatic Sentences 97
Imperative Sentences 98
Exclamatory Sentences 100
Other Sentence Transformations 101
The There Transformation 101
The Cleft Sentence 105
Key Terms 106
Sentences for Practice 107
Questions for Discussion 107
Classroom Applications 109
Part III
Expanding the Sentence 111
Form and Function 111
Chapter 5
Modifiers of the Verb: Adverbials 114
Chapter Preview 114
Adverbs 116
Prepositional Phrases 118
Nouns and Noun Phrases 121
Verb Phrases 124
Dangling Infinitives 126
Clauses 127
Punctuation of Adverbials 130
Key Terms 132
Sentences for Practice 132
Questions for Discussion 133
Classroom Applications 134
Chapter 6
Modifiers of the Noun: Adjectivals 136
Chapter Preview 136
The Determiner 138
Adjectives and Nouns 139
Prepositional Phrases 144
Relative Clauses 146
Participial Phrases 151
Prenoun Participles 154
Passive Participles 155
The Participle as Object Complement 155
Movable Participles 157
Dangling Participles 158
Participles as Adverbials 160
Punctuation of Clauses and Participles 161
Avoiding Comma Errors 163
Multiple Modifiers 165
Other Postnoun Modifiers 167
Infinitives 167
Noun Phrases 167
Adjectives 168
Adverbs 168
Key Terms 170
Sentences for Practice 171
Questions for Discussion 172
Classroom Applications 174
Chapter 7
The Noun Phrase Functions: Nominals 176
Chapter Preview 176
The Nominal Slots 176
Appositives 177
Punctuation of Appositives 178
Noun Phrase Substitutes 179
Gerunds 179
The Pattern of the Gerund 182
The Subject of the Gerund 184
Dangling Gerunds 185
Infinitives 186
The Subject of the Infinitive 188
Nominal Clauses 190
The Expletive That 191
Interrogatives 193
Yes/No Interrogatives 195
Punctuation of Nominal Clauses 196
Nominals as Delayed Subjects 197
Key Terms 198
Sentences for Practice 198
Questions for Discussion 199
Classroom Applications 201
Chapter 8
Sentence Modifiers 203
Chapter Preview 203
Nouns of Direct Address: The Vocatives 207
Interjections 207
Subordinate Clauses 208
Punctuation of Subordinate Clauses 209
Elliptical Clauses 210
Absolute Phrases 213
Appositives 215
Relative Clauses 216
Key Terms 218
Sentences for Practice 218
Questions for Discussion 219
Classroom Applications 221
Chapter 9
Coordination 223
Chapter Preview 223
Coordination Within the Sentence 223
Punctuation 223
Elliptical Coordinate Structures 225
Subject-Verb Agreement 227
Parallel Structure 228
Coordinating Complete Sentences 229
Conjunctions 229
Semicolons 230
Colons 231
Diagramming the Compound Sentence 232
Key Terms 233
Sentences for Practice 234
Questions for Discussion 235
Classroom Applications 236
Part IV
Words and Word Classes 239
Chapter 10
Morphemes 242
Chapter Preview 242
Bases and Affixes 244
Bound and Free Morphemes 244
Derivational and Inflectional Morphemes 245
Allomorphs 248
Homonyms 249
Compound Words 250
Key Terms 251
Questions for Discussion 251
Classroom Applications 253
Chapter 11
The Form Classes 254
Chapter Preview 254
Nouns 255
Noun Derivational Suffixes 255
Noun Inflectional Suffixes 257
The Meaning of the Possessive Case 259
Irregular Plural Inflections 260
Plural-Only Forms 261
Collective Nouns 261
Semantic Features of Nouns 262
Verbs 264
Verb Derivational Affixes 264
Verb Inflectional Suffixes 265
Adjectives 266
Adjective Derivational Suffixes 267
Adjective Inflectional Suffixes 267
Subclasses of Adjectives 269
Adverbs 271
Adverb Derivational Suffixes 272
Adverb Inflectional Suffixes 273
Key Terms 275
Questions for Discussion 275
Classroom Applications 278
Chapter 12
The Structure Classes 280
Chapter Preview 280
Determiners 280
The Expanded Determiner 284
Auxiliaries 285
Qualifiers 288
Prepositions 290
Simple Prepositions 290
Phrasal Prepositions 292
Conjunctions 293
Coordinating Conjunctions 294
Correlative Conjunctions 294
Conjunctive Adverbs
(Adverbial Conjunctions) 295
Subordinating Conjunctions 296
Relatives 297
Interrogatives 297
Expletives 298
There 298
That 298
Or 299
As 299
If and Whether (or not) 300
Particles 301
Key Terms 301
Questions for Discussion 302
Classroom Applications 303
Chapter 13
Pronouns 305
Chapter Preview 305
Personal Pronouns 306
Case 307
Gender 308
Reflexive Pronouns 311
Intensive Pronouns 313
Reciprocal Pronouns 313
Demonstrative Pronouns 314
Relative Pronouns 315
Interrogative Pronouns 316
Indefinite Pronouns 316
Key Terms 319
Questions for Discussions 319
Classroom Applications 321
Part V
Grammar for Writers 323
Chapter 14
Rhetorical Grammar 325
Chapter Preview 325
Sentence Patterns 326
Basic Sentences 326
The Linking Be and Metaphor 327
Cohesion 327
Sentence Rhythm 329
End Focus 330
Sentence Transformations 332
Choosing Verbs 333
The Overuse of Be 335
The Passive Voice 336
The Abstract Subject 339
The Shifting Adverbials 341
The Adverbial Clause 342
The Adverbs of Emphasis 345
The Common Only 346
Metadiscourse 346
Style 348
Word Order Variation 349
Ellipsis 350
The Coordinate Series 350
The Introductory Appositive Series 351
The Deliberate Sentence Fragment 352
Repetition 353
Using Gender Appropriately 354
Key Terms 359
Chapter 15
Purposeful Punctuation 360
Chapter Preview 360
Making Connections 361
Compounding Sentences 361
Compounding Structures Within
Sentences 362
Connecting More Than Two
Parts: The Series 362
Separating Prenoun Modifiers 363
Identifying Essential and Nonessential
Structures 364
Signaling Sentence Openers 365
Signaling Emphasis 365
Using Apostrophes for Contraction and Possessive Case 366
Part VI
Glossary of Grammatical Terms 369
Answers to the Exercises 385
Index 443
Preface xv
Part I
Introduction 1
Chapter 1
The Study of Grammar: An Overview 3
The English Grammarians 3
Three Definitions of Grammar 5
Modern Linguistics 6
Structural Grammar 6
Transformational Grammar 7
The Issue of Correctness 8
Language Variety 10
Language Change 11
Language in the Classroom 12
Key Terms 13
Further Reading 13
Classroom Applications 14
Part II
The Grammar of Basic Sentences 15
Chapter 2
Sentence Patterns 17
Chapter Preview 17
Words and Phrases: An Overview 18
Nouns 18
Noun Phrases 19
Verbs 20
Verb Phrases 21
Adjectives and Adverbs 21
Prepositional Phrases 23
The Phrase Structure of Sentences 24
The Sentence Slots 26
The Be Patterns 28
The Linking Verb Patterns 32
The Optional Slots 34
The Intransitive Verb Pattern 35
Exceptions to the Intransitive Pattern 36
Intransitive Phrasal Verbs 37
The Transitive Verb Patterns 39
Transitive Phrasal Verbs 40
The Indirect Object Pattern 41
The Object Complement Patterns 44
Compound Structures 47
Exceptions to the Ten Sentence Patterns 48
Imperative Sentences (Commands) 49
Punctuation and the Sentence Patterns 50
Diagramming the Sentence Patterns 50
Notes on the Diagrams 52
The Main Line 52
The Noun Phrase 52
The Verb Phrase 53
The Prepositional Phrase 54
Compound Structures 55
Punctuation 55
Key Terms 55
Sentences for Practice 56
Questions for Discussion 57
Classroom Applications 59
Chapter 3
Expanding the Main Verb 60
Chapter Preview 60
The Five Verb Forms 60
Auxiliary-Verb Combinations 63
The Modal Auxiliaries 67
The Subjunctive Mood 69
Tense and Aspect 70
Using the Verb Forms 71
Exceptions to the Rule 73
The Stand-In Auxiliary Do 73
The Passive Voice 75
Changing Active Voice to Passive 75
Recognizing Passive Voice 77
The Passive Get 79
The Transitive-Passive Relationship 80
Changing Passive Voice to Active 81
Diagramming the Passive 83
The Verb System of African American
Vernacular English 86
Key Terms 87
Sentences for Practice 87
Questions for Discussion 88
Classroom Applications 90
Chapter 4
Transforming the Basic Patterns 92
Chapter Preview 92
Interrogative Sentences 93
Do Support 97
Emphatic Sentences 97
Imperative Sentences 98
Exclamatory Sentences 100
Other Sentence Transformations 101
The There Transformation 101
The Cleft Sentence 105
Key Terms 106
Sentences for Practice 107
Questions for Discussion 107
Classroom Applications 109
Part III
Expanding the Sentence 111
Form and Function 111
Chapter 5
Modifiers of the Verb: Adverbials 114
Chapter Preview 114
Adverbs 116
Prepositional Phrases 118
Nouns and Noun Phrases 121
Verb Phrases 124
Dangling Infinitives 126
Clauses 127
Punctuation of Adverbials 130
Key Terms 132
Sentences for Practice 132
Questions for Discussion 133
Classroom Applications 134
Chapter 6
Modifiers of the Noun: Adjectivals 136
Chapter Preview 136
The Determiner 138
Adjectives and Nouns 139
Prepositional Phrases 144
Relative Clauses 146
Participial Phrases 151
Prenoun Participles 154
Passive Participles 155
The Participle as Object Complement 155
Movable Participles 157
Dangling Participles 158
Participles as Adverbials 160
Punctuation of Clauses and Participles 161
Avoiding Comma Errors 163
Multiple Modifiers 165
Other Postnoun Modifiers 167
Infinitives 167
Noun Phrases 167
Adjectives 168
Adverbs 168
Key Terms 170
Sentences for Practice 171
Questions for Discussion 172
Classroom Applications 174
Chapter 7
The Noun Phrase Functions: Nominals 176
Chapter Preview 176
The Nominal Slots 176
Appositives 177
Punctuation of Appositives 178
Noun Phrase Substitutes 179
Gerunds 179
The Pattern of the Gerund 182
The Subject of the Gerund 184
Dangling Gerunds 185
Infinitives 186
The Subject of the Infinitive 188
Nominal Clauses 190
The Expletive That 191
Interrogatives 193
Yes/No Interrogatives 195
Punctuation of Nominal Clauses 196
Nominals as Delayed Subjects 197
Key Terms 198
Sentences for Practice 198
Questions for Discussion 199
Classroom Applications 201
Chapter 8
Sentence Modifiers 203
Chapter Preview 203
Nouns of Direct Address: The Vocatives 207
Interjections 207
Subordinate Clauses 208
Punctuation of Subordinate Clauses 209
Elliptical Clauses 210
Absolute Phrases 213
Appositives 215
Relative Clauses 216
Key Terms 218
Sentences for Practice 218
Questions for Discussion 219
Classroom Applications 221
Chapter 9
Coordination 223
Chapter Preview 223
Coordination Within the Sentence 223
Punctuation 223
Elliptical Coordinate Structures 225
Subject-Verb Agreement 227
Parallel Structure 228
Coordinating Complete Sentences 229
Conjunctions 229
Semicolons 230
Colons 231
Diagramming the Compound Sentence 232
Key Terms 233
Sentences for Practice 234
Questions for Discussion 235
Classroom Applications 236
Part IV
Words and Word Classes 239
Chapter 10
Morphemes 242
Chapter Preview 242
Bases and Affixes 244
Bound and Free Morphemes 244
Derivational and Inflectional Morphemes 245
Allomorphs 248
Homonyms 249
Compound Words 250
Key Terms 251
Questions for Discussion 251
Classroom Applications 253
Chapter 11
The Form Classes 254
Chapter Preview 254
Nouns 255
Noun Derivational Suffixes 255
Noun Inflectional Suffixes 257
The Meaning of the Possessive Case 259
Irregular Plural Inflections 260
Plural-Only Forms 261
Collective Nouns 261
Semantic Features of Nouns 262
Verbs 264
Verb Derivational Affixes 264
Verb Inflectional Suffixes 265
Adjectives 266
Adjective Derivational Suffixes 267
Adjective Inflectional Suffixes 267
Subclasses of Adjectives 269
Adverbs 271
Adverb Derivational Suffixes 272
Adverb Inflectional Suffixes 273
Key Terms 275
Questions for Discussion 275
Classroom Applications 278
Chapter 12
The Structure Classes 280
Chapter Preview 280
Determiners 280
The Expanded Determiner 284
Auxiliaries 285
Qualifiers 288
Prepositions 290
Simple Prepositions 290
Phrasal Prepositions 292
Conjunctions 293
Coordinating Conjunctions 294
Correlative Conjunctions 294
Conjunctive Adverbs
(Adverbial Conjunctions) 295
Subordinating Conjunctions 296
Relatives 297
Interrogatives 297
Expletives 298
There 298
That 298
Or 299
As 299
If and Whether (or not) 300
Particles 301
Key Terms 301
Questions for Discussion 302
Classroom Applications 303
Chapter 13
Pronouns 305
Chapter Preview 305
Personal Pronouns 306
Case 307
Gender 308
Reflexive Pronouns 311
Intensive Pronouns 313
Reciprocal Pronouns 313
Demonstrative Pronouns 314
Relative Pronouns 315
Interrogative Pronouns 316
Indefinite Pronouns 316
Key Terms 319
Questions for Discussions 319
Classroom Applications 321
Part V
Grammar for Writers 323
Chapter 14
Rhetorical Grammar 325
Chapter Preview 325
Sentence Patterns 326
Basic Sentences 326
The Linking Be and Metaphor 327
Cohesion 327
Sentence Rhythm 329
End Focus 330
Sentence Transformations 332
Choosing Verbs 333
The Overuse of Be 335
The Passive Voice 336
The Abstract Subject 339
The Shifting Adverbials 341
The Adverbial Clause 342
The Adverbs of Emphasis 345
The Common Only 346
Metadiscourse 346
Style 348
Word Order Variation 349
Ellipsis 350
The Coordinate Series 350
The Introductory Appositive Series 351
The Deliberate Sentence Fragment 352
Repetition 353
Using Gender Appropriately 354
Key Terms 359
Chapter 15
Purposeful Punctuation 360
Chapter Preview 360
Making Connections 361
Compounding Sentences 361
Compounding Structures Within
Sentences 362
Connecting More Than Two
Parts: The Series 362
Separating Prenoun Modifiers 363
Identifying Essential and Nonessential
Structures 364
Signaling Sentence Openers 365
Signaling Emphasis 365
Using Apostrophes for Contraction and Possessive Case 366
Part VI
Glossary of Grammatical Terms 369
Answers to the Exercises 385
Index 443