Collins Cobuild English Grammar

How to use this Grammar

The Collins COBUILD English Grammar is designed to be used both for quick reference and for in-depth study.

Organization of the main text

The main text of the Grammar is divided into ten chapters. The first two chapters deal with the noun phrase, chapters 3, 4, and 5 with the verb phrase. Chapter 6 deals with adverbs and prepositions, chapter 7 with reporting, chapter 8 with joining words, phrases and clauses, and chapters 9 and 10 with continuous text.

Each chapter consists of a series of main topics and each topic is divided into sections. Paragraphs in the chapter are numbered, so that chapter 1 runs from 1.1 to 1.251, chapter 2 from 2.1 to 2.302 and so on.

This numbering system makes it easy for the user to refer to different but related points. There are cross-references throughout the text, either pointing to the main place where a topic is dealt with or to another paragraph where more information is given.

Most paragraphs also have a heading, saying in a few words what it deals with, especially which grammatical structure is being explained. Some paragraph headings do not show specifically what the paragraph deals with, but indicate information of a different kind. These paragraphs have the headings ‘Be careful’, ‘Be Creative’, and ‘Usage Note’.

‘Be Careful’ highlights points where people often have problems with a particular grammatical feature of English, for example because it is a feature where English is different from many other languages.

‘Be Creative’ indicates that the rule that has been mentioned can be applied in English to a very large number of words. For example, it is nearly always possible to make the -ing participle of a verb into an adjective that is used in front of a noun. By taking note of these features, you can use the rules that have been presented in a creative and original way, giving you greater freedom to express yourself in English. ‘Be Creative’ features are explained in greater detail in the Introduction.

‘Usage Note’ gives information about the use of individual words or small groups of words. This information is important but cannot be generalized into a grammatical rule. The Usage Notes help you to understand points that are important for the understanding of particular words, rather than points that relate to large numbers of words.

The U.S. flag symbol highlights paragraphs containing information about typical American English usage.

The speech bubble symbol identifies paragraphs describing structures that are most commonly found in spoken English.

Most of the grammatical explanations are followed by examples showing how the structure is used. These examples are all taken from the Collins corpus, and show how the structures are used naturally in speech or writing. The examples therefore give important information about the typical use of a structure, the words it is frequently used with, and the contexts in which it is likely to occur.

Throughout the book, grammatical explanations are followed by lists of the words that typically illustrate that grammatical point. For example, in Chapter 3, the point is made that many verbs can be either transitive or intransitive with the same meaning. This is followed by a list of verbs that are frequently used in this way.

The lists go beyond the actual examples of use that are given, to other words that behave in similar ways. They show whether the point being made can be applied to a small number or a large number of words. If the group is small, all members of it are given. If it is large, then the most frequently used words are given.

These lists can be used to help you increase your vocabulary and to check that you are using newly learned English words correctly.

Additional contents

In addition to the main text, there are various other sections which are included to help you to get the most out of this Grammar. These additional sections are described below.

Glossary of grammatical terms

The Glossary explains the meaning of grammatical terms. It covers the terms that are used in this grammar, and also includes terms that are used in other grammars, with a cross-reference to the term used in this book, where appropriate. For example, this grammar talks about the present progressive, whereas some other grammars call it the present continuous. Both of these terms are mentioned in the Glossary, with the explanation being given at present progressive.

The Reference Section

This section at the back of the book provides an easy-to-use reference guide that shows how the following groups of words are formed:

• plurals of nouns

• the comparative and superlative of adjectives

• ‘-ly’ adverbs formed from adjectives

• the comparative and superlative of adverbs

• tenses

• other verb forms

• passives

• principal parts of irregular verbs

The Reference Section also includes other topics. For example, it starts with a pronunciation guide, to remind you of the sounds of English. There are also lists of numbers, and an explanation of how numbers are expressed aloud.

Index

The Index is a comprehensive list of everything dealt with in the Grammar. It covers:

(i) the grammatical and functional topics dealt with in the Grammar;

(ii) individual words where they are used as examples of a particular grammatical point;

(iii) grammatical terms, both those used in this book and those commonly used in other books.