Explaining English Grammar

Abstract

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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