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THE UNIVERSITY
OF 811UUNCHAlil
first edition 2004
(previously published as Collins COBUILD Student's Grammar)
C HarperCollins Publishers 2004
latest reprint 2004
HarperCollins Publishers
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Great Britain
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ISBN 0-00-716347-9
Acknowledgements
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provided the impetus for this book.
CONTENTS
50
25 Other uses of'the'
Note: numbers in bold are unit numbers.
52
26 'A' and 'an'
•• 27 All, most, no, none 54
Introduction VII
56
How to use the Grammar vllI-ix 28 Both, either. neither
• 29 Quantity 1: much, little, many, few, 58
Guide to the CD-ROM IX-X
Glossary of grammar terms xi-xvi more, less, fewer
30 Quantity 2: some, any, another, other, 60
Grammar units
each, every
BASIC SENTENCE STRUCTURE ADJECTIVES
1 Clauses and sentences 2 31 Position of adjectives 62
2 Noun groups 4 32 Order of adjectives 64
3 6
The verb group 33 Adjectives with 'to'· infinitive or 66
4 The imperative and 'let' 8 'that'-clauses
34 '-ing' and '-ed' adjectives 68
QUESTIONS
5 Questions 10
COMPARISQN
6 'Wh'· questions 12 35 Comparison: basic forms 70
7 14
Question tags: forms 36 Comparison: uses 72
8 Questions tags: uses 16 37 Other ways of comparing 74
9 Indirect questions 18
ADVERBIALS
10 Short answers 20
38 Adverbiats 76
NEGATIVES 39 Adverbials of manner 78
11 Sentences with 'not' 22
40 Adverbials of time 80
41 Adverbials of frequency and probability 82
12 Negative words 24
42
Adverbials of duration - already, yet, still 84
NOUNS
43 Adverbials of degree 86
13 Count nouns 26
PREPOSITIONS AND PHRASAL VERBS
14 Singular and plural: singular, plural and 28
44 Prepositions of place and direction 88
collective nouns
15 Uncount nouns 30 45 Prepositions of place - at. in, on 90
46 Prepositions with forms of transport 92
PRONOUNS AND POSSESSIVES
47 Adjective + preposition 94
16 Personal pronouns 32
46 Noun + preposition 96
17 Impersonal subject 'it' 34
49 Verb + preposition 98
18 Impersonal subject'there' 36
50 Phrasal verbs 100
19
Demonstrative pronouns: this, that, 38
TRANSITIVITY: VERBS AND OBJECTS
these, those, one, ones
51
Verbs and objects: transitive and 102
20 Reflexive pronouns 40
21 intransitive verbs
Indefinite pronouns 42
52
22 Possession Verbs with two objects 104
44
53 Reflexive verbs 106
DETERMINERS
54 Reciprocal verbs 108
23 Determiners
46
55 Ergative verbs 110
24
Main uses of'the' 48
58 Common verb + noun patterns 112
•
IV
CONTENTS
TENSES 86 Suggestions: could, may, might, shall 174
57 Auxitiary verbs - be. have, do 114 87 Offers and invitations: can, could. will, 176
58 The present tenses 116
would
59 The past tenses 118
88 Wants and wishes: would like, would
60 The continuous tenses 120
rather, wouldn't mind 178
61 The perfect tenses
122
89 Obligation and necessity 1: have to, 180
62 Talking about the present 124
have got to, must mustn't
63 Talking about the past 126
90 Obligation and necessity 2: need to, 182
64 'will' and 'going to' 128
needn't, not have to
65 Present tenses for future 130
91 Mild obligation and advice: should, 184
CONDITIONALS AND HYPOTHETICAL SITUATIONS
ought, should/oughtn't to have,
66 Conditionals using 'if' 132
had better
67 Conditional clauses using modals 134
RELATIVE CLAUSES AND PARTICIPLE CLAUSES
and 'unless'
92 Defining relative clauses 186
68 'I wish: 'if only:'. .. as if' 136
93 Non-defining relative clauses 188
-ING CLAUSES AND INFINITIVES
190
94 Participle clauses
69 Verbs with'- jng' clauses 138
95 Other ways of adding to a noun group 192
70 Verbs with 'to' -infinitive clauses 140
71 Verbs with 'to'-infinitive or '-jng' clauses 144 OTHER KINDS OF CLAUSES
72 Verbs with other types of clauses 146 96 Time clauses 194
73 link verbs 148 97 Purpose and reason clauses 196
198
98 Result clauses
REPORTED SPEECH
200
99 Contrast clauses
74 Reporting the past 150
100 Manner clauses 202
75 Reported questions 152
154 101 Changing the focus of a sentence 204
76 Reporting with'that'-clauses
156 102 Cohesion: making connections in 206
77 Other report structures
speech and writing
THE PASSIVE VOICE
78 The passive voice 158 Bank of further exercises
208
MODALS See next page for full details
160
79 Introduction to modals
Appendix: verb forms
162 240-241
80 Introduction to modals 2
81 Possibility; can, could, may, might 164
Index
242-249
82 Probability and certainty: cannot, can't, 166
must, ought, should, will
Key
250-267
83 Ability: can, could, be able to 168
84 Permission: can, could, may 170
Bank of further
268-272
85 Instructions and requests: can, could, 172
exercises key
will, would
v
BANK OF FURTHER EXERCISES CONTENTS
Note: numbers in bold are exercise numbers. 41 Common verbs with nouns for actions 221
BASIC SENTENCE STRUCTURE TENSES
1 The Imperative 208 42 Past simple and past perfect 222
43 Past continuous 222
QUESTIONS
44 Continuous tenses 222
2 Questions 208
45 Talking about the past 223
3 'Wh-' words 208
48 Review of tenses 223
4 Question tags 209
5 Statements, questions and commands 209 CONDITIONALS AND HYPOTHETICAL SITUATIONS
68 Review of mood 209
47
Conditional clauses 225
48 I wish - wants and wishes 225
NOUNS
9 plural nouns 210 '-lNG' CLAUSES AND INFINITIVES
49-51 Verbs with '-lng' clauses 225
PRONOUNS AND POSSESSIVES
Nouns with 'to'-infinitive clauses 226
52~4
10 'It' as impersonal subject 210
55 Verbs with 'to/-infinitive or'-jng' clauses 227
11 'There as impersonal subject
211
56 57 Verbs with other types of clauses 228
12 Reflexive pronouns 211
58 link verbs 228
13 Possession 211
REPORTED SPEECH
DETERMINERS
5960
Reporting the past 228
14 Determiners 212
61
15 Reported questions 229
'a; 'an: 'the' 212
62-63
16 Reporting 230
'all of' 212
17
'all: 'none: 'both: 'neither' 213
REPORTED SPEECH
18-19
Review of determiners 213
64 The passive voice 231
ADJECTIVES
MODAlS
20 Position of adjectives 214
65 Could - possibitity 231
21 Adjectives ending in '-ing' 214
66 Could have, couldn't have - possibility 232
22 '-jng' and '-ed' adjectives 214
67 Couldn't. couldn't have - possibility 232
COMPARISON
68 Must, must have - probability and 232
23
Comparative adjectives 214 certainty
24 69
Superlative adjectives 215 Be able to - ability 233
25 70
Comparative adjectives and other 215 Could have - ability 233
71
ways of comparing Can, can't - ability 233
26 72
Comparison 216 Might - suggestions
234
73
Ought to have - mild obligation 234
ADVERBIAlS AND PREPOSITIONS
74
Had better - mild obligation and 234
27
Position of adverbials 216
advice
28
Adverbials of time 216 75-76
Review of modals
235
29-00
Adverbials of degree 217
31
Review of adverbials 217 RELATIVE CLAUSES AND PARTICIPLE CLAUSES
32
Prepositions of place
218 77
Defining relative clauses
235
~ Review of adverbials 218
35 OTHER KINDS OF CLAUSES
Nouns with prepositions
219
78
Verbs with prepositions 219 nme clauses
236
39 39 Phrasal verbs 7980
220 Purpose and reason clauses
236
81-82
Result clauses
237
TRANSITIVITY: VERBS AND OBJECTS
83 84
Contrast clauses
238
40 Verbs with two objects
221 95
Changing the focus of a sentence
239
vi
INTRODUCTION
The COBUILD approach to grammar is simple and direct. We study a large collection of English
texts, and find out how people are actually using the language. We pick the most important points
and we show how the words and phrases are used by quoting actual examples from our text
col~
leetian. As a student of English, you can be sure that you are presented with real English, as it is
actually used.
In this book we give explanations of the most important, frequent, and typical points of English
grammar along with a lot of practice material so that you can put the knowledge to use immedi
ately_ This makes the book suitable both as a classroom text, and also for private study_ This is a
grammar of meanings as well as structures. The exercises help you to link the meanings and struc
tures, not just to practice the structures. A key to all the exercises is provided.
The grammar is often very direct and easy to understand. Sometimes English speakers and writers
prefer a simple structure and only very advanced students need to know more than that. At other
times we give more details, because they are necessary for clear understanding and accurate
usage.
This book has been developed from the same database which was used in the Collins COBUILD
English Grammar. It is designed for use by anyone who has enough English to understand the
explanations, which we expect to be intermediate and above. This new edition is accompanied by a
version of the text on a CD-ROM, which also gives you access to a 5-million word corpus of current
English so that you can check your understanding of grammatical points with reference to a cor
pus.
John Sincfair
Founding Editor in Chief, COBUILD
President, The Tuscan Word Centre
..
VII
HOW TO USE THE GRAMMAR
This book is divided into 102 units. each of which covers a different grammatical area. You may want to
study the units in sequence to develop your grammatical understanding systematically. However, if you
have problems with particular areas of grammar, you can also select units which relate to these areas.
Finding what you want
Contents
The Units are grouped under various headings to help you, for example 'Nouns: 'Questions' and
'ModalsThere is a complete list of contents on pages iv to v which gives you the numbers and titles of
all the Units.
Index
There is an Index at the back of the book on pages 242 to 249. The Index is an alphabetical list of
grammar points covered in this book. For each point, the Index gives the Unit number and paragraph
number where the point is explained. Grammar terms such as 'adjectives: 'nouns: and 'verbs' are in bold
letters. The ideas that you can express, such as 'ability' and 'age: are also in bold letters. The actual
words and forms explained in the grammar, such as 'able' and 'this: are in italic letters.
Glossary
There is a Glossary on pages xi to xvi. The Glossary explains the meaning of the grammar terms used in
this book, and illustrates them with examples. The terms are listed in alphabetical order.
Using the grammar units
Each Unit has two parts. The left-hand page contains an explanation in simple English of the grammar
rules and patterns. The right-hand page contains practice material, with carefully graded exercises
covering the unit material. This allows you to put the grammar into practice and to build on your
understanding of the explanations.
Left-hand pages
The left-hand page has two columns. At the top of the first column you will find a box headed 'Main
points~This is a summary of the important information given in the Unit. You will find more detailed
0'"
information about the point in the numbered paragraphs the same page.
Each point is illustrated with example sentences printed in italic letters.
When particular words in the example sentences show the point that is being explained, the words are
underlined. All of the examples are real English from the Bank of English® corpus, so you can be sure
that they show you English as it is really used.
With many rules and patterns, a number of words are used in the same way.
When this is the case, a list of the words is given. For some points, a complete list of the words would
be very long, so only the commonest and most useful words are included.
=
A 'WARNING' label WARNING is used before points of English grammar which frequently cause
learners to make mistakes.
Sometimes they are exceptions to a rule. Sometimes the rules are d ifferent in other languages. You
should pay particular attention to these points.
A cross-reference symbol .. is used to show you where you can find more information about a
particular grammar rule or pattern in another Unit.
Right-hand pages
The right-hand page contains practice material for you to do. There are many different types of
exercise, so you should read the instructions carefully.
The 'Bank' symbol ~ Bank indicates that you will find more practice material on the same topic in the
'Bank of further exercises' at the back of the book.
For each exercise, the first answer has been supplied. You can use this as a model for the rest of the
exercise.
viii
