Explaining English grammar

Author(s)

Bibliographic Information

Explaining English grammar

George Yule

（Oxford handbooks for language teachers）

Oxford University Press, 1998

  • : pbk

Available at  / 113 libraries

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Note

Includes bibliographical references (p. [308]-321) and index

Description and Table of Contents

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.

Table of 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

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