Get good guidance on using English well English is a hard language to get right. It's all too easy to make simple mistakes, whether writing or speaking—which can land you in embarrassing social situations or even cost you a job. Luckily, Basic English Grammar For Dummies UK Edition is here to help you get to grips with English. Without the complexity of formal grammar and through plenty of examples and brief exercises, it gets you up and running on common spelling errors, how to structure sentences to make yourself easily understood, and find the right tone and style for any situation, whether you're talking on the phone or writing a letter, email, or text.
Is it good or well? There, their or they're? Some people don't have to think twice about using proper English grammar, but for the rest of us it can become tricky and confusing. Easy to understand and free of jargon, this friendly and accessible guide sticks to the basics and makes it easy to build your English grammar skills. In no time, you'll leave the ‘me or I?' debate at the door and speak and write confidently and correctly.
- Includes quizzes and self-tests
- Provides guidance on composing letters, emails, and texts
- Uses easy vocabulary to make the content accessible to all
- Serves as a great guidebook to English grammar for overseas learners
If English is your second language or you simply missed or have forgotten the nuances that were taught in school, Basic English Grammar For Dummies UK Edition is the fast and easy way to brush up on your skills and make a good impression.
Geraldine Woods has more than 35 years of teaching experience. She is the author of more than 50 books, including English Grammar Workbook For Dummies and Research Papers For Dummies.
Introduction 1
Part I: Getting Started with Basic English Grammar 5
Chapter 1: Getting a Grip on Grammar 7
Chapter 2: Language in Action 21
Part II: The Parts of Speech 31
Chapter 3: People to See, Places to Go, Things to Remember: Recognising Nouns 33
Chapter 4: Practising Pronouns 47
Chapter 5: Doing and Being Words: Verbs 65
Chapter 6: Describing with Adjectives and Adverbs 83
Chapter 7: Little Things Mean a Lot: Prepositions 101
Chapter 8: Joining and Commenting: Conjunctions and Interjections 113
Part III: Creating Correct Sentences 125
Chapter 9: Making Progress: Verbs Ending in –ing 127
Chapter 10: Revisiting the Past: The Perfect Tenses 139
Chapter 11: Searching for Subjects 153
Chapter 12: Adding Meaning with Complements 169
Chapter 13: Finishing the Job: Writing Complete Sentences 183
Part IV: Punctuation and Capitalisation 197
Chapter 14: Small Punctuation Mark, Big Trouble: Apostrophes 199
Chapter 15: Pausing for a Rest: Commas 213
Chapter 16: Who Said What: Quotation Marks 229
Chapter 17: Big or Small? When to Write Capital Letters 243
Part V: Grammar in Action 259
Chapter 18: Writing with Electronic Media 261
Chapter 19: Presentation Slides and Bulleted Lists 273
Chapter 20: Writing at School and on the Job 285
Part VI: Common Errors 299
Chapter 21: Spelling Your Way to Perfection 301
Chapter 22: Tricky Word Traps 311
Chapter 23: Avoiding Common Mistakes 323
Part VII: The Part of Tens 333
Chapter 24: Ten Easy Ways to Improve Your Writing Skills 335
Chapter 25: Ten Mistakes to Avoid 341
Index 347
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