Our goal in this book is to help you learn about English grammar in as simple and straightforward a way as possible. The book was inspired by our students, most of whom panic when we say words like adjective, subject, and passive. We believe that panic will be replaced by knowledge and confidence as readers work their way through this user-friendly book.
Who is this book for? It's for anyone who needs or wants to understand English grammar. That includes readers who: (1) want to improve their writing; (2) are studying a foreign language; (3) are or want to be teachers; (4) are learning English as a second language; (5) are or want to be professionals such as speech–language pathologists and attorneys; (6) are interested in how English works. The book is self-guided and self-paced; it can be used alone or as part of a course.
The workbook approach used here will move you beyond simply labeling words to an understanding of how the different pieces of a sentence fit together. To help you achieve this understanding, we present information in small steps, with many opportunities to apply each newpiece of information in exercises before you move on to the next step.
Like all languages, English is a collection of dialects. While society views some of these dialects as having more social prestige than others, when we look at them objectively we find that all dialects are equal linguistically.