Reference grammars, practice grammars, linguistic grammars
| Index : | Reference grammars | Practice
grammars |
Choosing the right kind of grammar for your needs
Let's be quite clear from the start about one thing: in spite of what a lot of websites will tell you, there is no such thing as "the best English grammar book". English grammar books come in all shapes and sizes, and a grammar book that is designed for native-speaker university students of English linguistics (and most of the big grammar books fall into this category) will be totally unsuitable for anyone learning English as a second or foreign language below the CEF C2 level.Very few of the online guides to grammar mention this, since many book resource guides are Amazon affiliates and get a commission on the sales they generate... and the bigger and more expensive the book, the more commission they get. Linguapress.com is not an Amazon affiliate.
Still, grammar is vital for anyone studying or learning a language, as grammar provides the structural framework on which to base one's learning or one's teaching. Without grammar, teaching and learning any language is likely to be far harder, so most of us need a book and/or a teacher to explain the rules of grammar to us. And teachers (above all) need to know their grammar in order to be able to explain it to their students.
While a teacher can be consulted only at certain times, a grammar book can be consulted in any time of need. What kind of book one needs depends very much on how much one wants to know about grammar. There are big grammar books and small grammar books, books that just explain the rules, and books that present the rules and provide practice exercises to go with them. We call the first category reference grammars, and the second category practice grammars, and they have different qualities and advantages, and serve different purposes.
Almost by definition, reference grammars tend to be more complete, since a good proportion of any practice grammar is given over to exercises and the answers to go with them.
Below you will find essential details for 14 of the best grammar books available to teachers and students today. Before choosing your grammar book, make sure that it is suitable for your requirements and teaching or learning situation
For each title, click the ► details button to discover the book's information page on Amazon.
Dates indicated refers to a
book's most recent known edition.
Reference grammars
Reference grammars come in two types.- Compact
or concise
reference grammars, which cover all the important points of English
grammar, explain the main rules and conventions, and do so without
going into too much detail, avoiding obscure points that
may be of linguistic interest, but are of less interest to students or
learners.
Target readership: school teachers and their students, EFL / ESL. - Comprehensive
grammars of
English, thick volumes, mostly written by professors
of linguistics, which
analyse English grammar down to its fine detail. These are very full
and very complete, approaching English grammar as a linguistic system,
explaining the linguistic characterists of the
language, its morphology, its syntax, even its development over time.
The level of linguistic analysis in these grammars is far
beyond
the needs (and indeed the understanding) of most school students or
learners of English as a second or
foreign language.
Target readership: university students of English language and linguistics, and advanced level teachers of English..
Concise reference grammars
Barrett
- Perfect English Grammar
-
Zephiros 2016
238 pages - target readership: high school students. Scope: American English
"A short but thorough guide to English usage and the principles and practices of composition. It belongs in high school and college classrooms, as well as on office desks."
238 pages - target readership: high school students. Scope: American English
"A short but thorough guide to English usage and the principles and practices of composition. It belongs in high school and college classrooms, as well as on office desks."
► details
Rossiter - A
Descriptive grammar of English -
Linguapress , second edition 2023
206 pages - target readership: Teachers, students, EFL. Scope: British and American English.
"Clear and example-based explanations of how contemporary English works and is written and spoken... explaining the essentials of English grammar, including style, word-order and punctuation."
206 pages - target readership: Teachers, students, EFL. Scope: British and American English.
"Clear and example-based explanations of how contemporary English works and is written and spoken... explaining the essentials of English grammar, including style, word-order and punctuation."
► details
Strunk & White - Elements of style -
Pearson 2019
105 pages - target readership: US high school students. Scope: American English.
First published in 1959, "Elements of Style has grown to become the American English writing style guide often required in U.S. high school and university composition classes.."
105 pages - target readership: US high school students. Scope: American English.
First published in 1959, "Elements of Style has grown to become the American English writing style guide often required in U.S. high school and university composition classes.."
► details
Comprehensive reference grammars of English
Aarts - Oxford
Modern English grammar - OUP 2011
448 pages - target readership: teachers, university students, advanced (C2) EFL
"Coverage ranges from the very basic--such as word structure, simple and complex phrases, and clause types--to the more sophisticated topics that lie at the intersection of grammar and meaning"
448 pages - target readership: teachers, university students, advanced (C2) EFL
"Coverage ranges from the very basic--such as word structure, simple and complex phrases, and clause types--to the more sophisticated topics that lie at the intersection of grammar and meaning"
► details
Biber, Conrad & Leech Longman Student Grammar of
Spoken and Written English - Longman
2002
1779 pages - target readership: advanced university students
"A pedagogical coursebook for advanced students at university, or on teacher-training courses, and an invaluable reference grammar"
1779 pages - target readership: advanced university students
"A pedagogical coursebook for advanced students at university, or on teacher-training courses, and an invaluable reference grammar"
► details
Huddleston & Pullum - The Cambridge grammar of the
English language - CUP 2002
1860 pages - target readership: linguists, university students
"A comprehensive descriptive grammar of English that aims to bridge the gap between traditional grammar and the partial descriptions of English grammar proposed by those working in the field of linguistics"
1860 pages - target readership: linguists, university students
"A comprehensive descriptive grammar of English that aims to bridge the gap between traditional grammar and the partial descriptions of English grammar proposed by those working in the field of linguistics"
► details
Quirk Greenbaum Leech and Svartvik - A Comprehensive Grammar of the
English Language - OUP / Pearson First
published 1985
1800 pages - target readership: linguists, university students
"the most thorough and most definitive grammar of modern English ever written"
1800 pages - target readership: linguists, university students
"the most thorough and most definitive grammar of modern English ever written"
► details
Loberger & Schoup - New World English Grammar handbook
- Websters 2009
416 pages -An American grammar, target readership:students, writers
"Explanations of grammar rules and plenty of real-world examples and tips, this reference is just what you need to speak and write with confidence and ease."
416 pages -An American grammar, target readership:students, writers
"Explanations of grammar rules and plenty of real-world examples and tips, this reference is just what you need to speak and write with confidence and ease."
► details
Swan - Practical
English usage - OUP 2016
635 pages - target readership: teachers, university students, advanced EFL
"For any teacher, trainee teacher, or advanced-level student looking for answers to questions about the English language."
635 pages - target readership: teachers, university students, advanced EFL
"For any teacher, trainee teacher, or advanced-level student looking for answers to questions about the English language."
► details
Practice grammars
Practice grammars are designed specifically for students, whether they are studying English grammar as a first language, or learning it as a second or foreign language. They also come in different levels., meaning that different grammar points may be treated in different books. As the title practice grammar suggests, these grammars exist primarily to help students master points of English grammar; grammar points tend to be succinctly presented, and accompanied by exercises for students. Most come in a choice of versions, with or without answers, and under slightly different titles for different levels - basic, intermediate or advanced.Azar & Hagen - Fundamentals of
English Grammar - Pearson 2011
512 pages - target readership: teachers, students, teachers
"The go-to grammar resource for students and teachers alike. Its time-tested approach blends direct grammar instruction with carefully sequenced practice to develop all language skills."
512 pages - target readership: teachers, students, teachers
"The go-to grammar resource for students and teachers alike. Its time-tested approach blends direct grammar instruction with carefully sequenced practice to develop all language skills."
► details
Eastwood - Oxford
practice grammar, intermediate - OUP
2019
384 pages - target readership: students, self-study
"A three-level English grammar practice series for the classroom or self-study. Its tried and trusted methodology provides clear explanations and lots of extra practice"
(Also available at advanced and basic levels)
384 pages - target readership: students, self-study
"A three-level English grammar practice series for the classroom or self-study. Its tried and trusted methodology provides clear explanations and lots of extra practice"
(Also available at advanced and basic levels)
► details
Huddleston & Pullum - A Student's Introduction to
English Grammar - CUP New edition 2022
320 pages - target readership: students
"Contains exercises, and will provide a basis for introductions to grammar and courses on the structure of English, in linguistics departments ... English language and literature departments and schools of education."
320 pages - target readership: students
"Contains exercises, and will provide a basis for introductions to grammar and courses on the structure of English, in linguistics departments ... English language and literature departments and schools of education."
► details
Murphy -
English Grammar in Use: A Self-Study Reference and
Practice Book for Intermediate Learners of English - CUP 2019
340 pages - target readership: linguists, university students
"Is for intermediate (B1-B2) learners and covers all the grammar required at this level. It is a self-study book with simple explanations and lots of practice exercises."
(Also exists for basic and advanced level)
340 pages - target readership: linguists, university students
"Is for intermediate (B1-B2) learners and covers all the grammar required at this level. It is a self-study book with simple explanations and lots of practice exercises."
(Also exists for basic and advanced level)
► details
Straus, Kaufman and Stern The Blue Book of Grammar and
Punctuation - Wiley 2014
224 pages - target readership:students, writers
"From the very basics―parts of speech and subject-verb agreement―to more advanced topics like the subjunctive mood,...with clear examples and self-assessment quizzes"
224 pages - target readership:students, writers
"From the very basics―parts of speech and subject-verb agreement―to more advanced topics like the subjunctive mood,...with clear examples and self-assessment quizzes"
► details
This list of grammar books is by no means complete, but it covers a carefully chosen selection of the main titles available worldwide today. It excludes English grammar books written in other languages, of which there are many.
And for the record... Linguapress is not affiliated to Amazon and does not earn commission on sales generated from your visit.
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