How Grammar Works: A Self-Teaching Guide

by Patricia Osborn

Overview

Your English teacher wasn't kidding.

Nothing says more about you than your command of language.

Here is a quick and easy way to brush up on the intricate system of grammar that powers the English language. The updated and expanded edition of this proven guide is a painless way to master parts of speech, syntax, and all the rules of good usage. Best of all, the self-teaching format enables you to learn at your own pace, when it is convenient for you.

Now you can learn to write and speak Standard American English effectively.

The task is easier if you have a solid understanding of how and why grammar "works" than if you try to memorize lists of rules. That's why author Patricia Osborn emphasizes grammar in action, taking the rules out of the classroom and into everyday language. She explains the functions performed by the various parts of speech and provides a new glossary of frequently misused word pairs. You'll discover:
* How grammar works to make communication clear and effective
* Techniques for improving your writing skills
* Simple ways to remember the rules and use them in everyday language
* The "magic" of word order in an English sentence.

Were you daydreaming in your English class? No one will ever have to know. This self-teaching guide takes all the confusion and mystery out of grammar. You'll learn to speak and write with assurance, which is the first step in building confidence in yourself, in your personal life, and in your career.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780471243885
Publisher:	Wiley
Publication date:	02/10/1999
Series:	Wiley Self-Teaching Guides , #168
Edition description:	REV
Pages:	272
Product dimensions:	7.50(w) x 9.20(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

PATRICIA OSBORN, a professional editor and writer, taught grammar for many years and was chair of the English Department at Bowsher High School in Toledo, Ohio.

Read an Excerpt

How Grammar Works
A Self-Teaching Guide Second Edition
Patricia Osborn
0-471-24388-4

(The figures and/or tables mentioned in this sample chapter do not appear on the web version.)

Chapter 1
What Is Grammar, Anyway?

Early people invented language, just as human beings have had to invent all of our other tools, from the simple stone axe to the latest technology. Almost all inventions are attempts to improve our quality of life, and language is no different. As the world becomes more complex, the tool of language adapts and changes with it.

No one questions the importance of language. It's very different with grammar.

Grammar is not merely a set of rules to memorize and follow so that you can speak correctly and write better. Grammar is really an analysis of language. Like a technical manual, a guide to English grammar goes beyond the surface to show you the essential parts of our language, how they relate to one another, and how they fit together into sentences. Just as knowledge about the operation of one combustion engine illustrates the principle behind all combustion engines, so a study of grammar teaches you the basic construction of all sentences. Even as they grow more complicated, they still operate on the same principle.

Using language is like driving a car. When you drive, you think about the road, the traffic, and your destination. As you drive along, you don't have to remind your hands to steer or your foot to press the proper pedal. If you did, you'd freeze at the steering wheel. There is too much going on at once.

To a driver, operating a car becomes automatic. It is much the same with language. When you talk, you don't think in terms of grammar. You think about ideas, about what you want to say. Your mind is not on the process but on the goal you want to reach with your words.

You can be a good driver without being able to name the parts of an engine and explain how they work, but knowledge of a car's mechanical system helps you judge its performance and anticipate its response. An engineer can diagram the mechanical system of an automobile to show its parts and their relationship to one another. (See Figure 1-1.)

In the same way, a grammatical diagram shows the parts of a sentence and their relationship to each other. (See Figure 1-2.) Both diagrams serve a similar purpose. When you check the diagram of a sentence, you discover the relationship of its parts, and their function becomes clearer.

Understanding the system that makes English work-its grammar-can help you spot and label problems in your speech and writing, then learn to eliminate them.
A study of grammar provides an inside understanding of language. You learn what the parts of speech are designed to do and why. This discovery enables you to cut through to the core words of a sentence and thus become a more effective reader.
In this way, knowledge of grammar gives you greater control of your language when you read, speak, and write.

Table of Contents

THE ESSENTIALS OF LANGUAGE.

What is Grammar, Anyway?

Nouns: The Building Blocks of Sentences.

Verbs: The Energy of Sentences.

Complements: The Completion of the Verb.

Pronouns: Getting Personal.

Adjectives: The First Add-On.

Adverbs: Add-On Number Two.

Prepositions: Relating One Word to Another.

Coordinating Conjunctions: One and One Makes Two.

ACTION AND INTERACTION: THE SYSTEM AT WORK.

Word Order is Part of Meaning.

Just Enough Punctuation.

The 5 W's and an H. The Amazing Word Be and its Many Faces.

More About Pronouns and Nouns.

Introducing the Verbals.

More Punctuation: I Said, "May I Have Your Attention Please?" Combining Sentences.

Keeping It Simple, Even When Sentences Get Complex.

Verbs Do More: The Fine Points of Using Verbs.

Questions of Usage: How Can Words Agree with One Another When People Don't.

Forming Comparisons Correctly: A Matter of Degree.

The Complete Sentence: Putting It All Together.

Making the Right Choice.

Index.