For nearly forty years, Understanding and Using English Grammar has been 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. New to This Edition Pretests at the start of each chapter enable learners to check what they already know. Updated grammar charts reflect current usage and highlight differences between written and spoken English. A new chapter on article usage. A variety of high-interest readings include reviews, articles on current topics, and blogs that focus on student success. Additional incremental practice helps learners better grasp concepts, while thematic exercises and integrated tasks offer more contextualized language use. Step-by-step writing activities are supported by writing tips and pre-writing and editing tasks. MyEnglishLab (access code provided in the book) Rich online practice for all skill areas: grammar, reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Instant feedback and remediation. Grammar videos. Bonus material not included in the Student Book, including additional expanded practice of gerunds and infinitives. Robust assessments. Gradebook and diagnostic tools.

Table of Contents:
Preface to the Fifth Edition Acknowledgments Chapter 1 PRESENT AND PAST; SIMPLE AND PROGRESSIVE 1-1 Simple Present and Present Progressive 1-2 Simple Present and Present Progressive: Affirmative, Negative, Question Forms 1-3 Verbs Not Usually Used in the Progressive (Stative Verbs) 1-4 Simple Past Tense 1-5 Simple Past vs. Past Progressive 1-6 Unfulfilled Intentions: Was/Were Going To Chapter 2 PERFECT AND PERFECT PROGRESSIVE TENSES 2-1 Regular and Irregular Verbs 2-2 Irregular Verb List 2-3 Present Perfect: Since and For 2-4 Present Perfect: Unspecified Time and Repeated Events 2-5 Have and Has in Spoken English 2-6 Present Perfect vs. Simple Past 2-7 Present Perfect Progressive 2-8 Past Perfect 2-9 Hadin Spoken English 2-10 Past Perfect Progressive Chapter 3 FUTURE TIME 3-1 Simple Future: Forms of Will and Be Going To 3-2 Will vs. Be Going To 3-3 Expressing the Future in Time Clauses 3-4 Using the Present Progressive and the Simple Present to Express Future Time 3-5 Future Progressive 3-6 Future Perfect and Future Perfect Progressive Chapter 4 REVIEW OF VERB TENSES Chapter 5 SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT 5-1 Final -s/-es: Use and Spelling 5-2 Basic Subject-Verb Agreement 5-3 Collective Nouns 5-4 Subject-Verb Agreement: Using Expressions of Quantity 5-5 Subject-Verb Agreement: Using There + Be 5-6 Subject-Verb Agreement: Some Irregularities Chapter 6 NOUNS 6-1 Regular and Irregular Plural Nouns 6-2 Nouns as Adjectives 6-3 Possessive Nouns 6-4 More About Expressing Possession 6-5 Count and Noncount Nouns 6-6 Noncount Nouns 6-7 Some Common Noncount Nouns 6-8 Expressions of Quantity Used with Count and Noncount Nouns 6-9 Using A Few and Few; A Little and Little 6-10 Singular Expressions of Quantity: One, Each, Every 6-11 Using Of in Expressions of Quantity Chapter 7 ARTICLES 7-1 Articles ( A, An, The) with Indefinite and Definite Nouns 7-2 Articles: Generic Nouns 7-3 Descriptive Information with Definite and Indefinite Nouns 7-4 General Guidelines for Article Usage 7-5 Using The or Ø with Titles and Geographic Names Chapter 8 PRONOUNS 8-1 Pronouns and Possessive Adjectives 8-2 Agreement with Generic Nouns and Indefinite Pronouns 8-3 Personal Pronouns: Agreement with Collective Nouns 8-4 Reflexive Pronouns 8-5 Using You, One, and They as Impersonal Pronouns 8-6 Forms of Other 8-7 Common Expressions with Other Chapter 9 MODALS, PART 1 9-1 Basic Modal Introduction 9-2 Expressing Necessity: Must, Have To, Have Got To 9-3 Lack of Necessity ( Not Have To ) and Prohibition (Must Not ) 9-4 Advisability/Suggestions: Should, Ought To, Had Better, Could 9-5 Expectation: Be Supposed To/Should 9-6 Ability: Can, Know How To, and Be Able To 9-7 Possibility: Can, May, Might 9-8 Requests and Responses with Modals 9-9 Polite Requests with Would You Mind 9-10 Making Suggestions: Let’s, Why Don’t, Shall I /We Chapter 10 MODALS, PART 2 10-1 Using Would to Express a Repeated Action in the Past 10-2 Expressing the Past: Necessity, Advice, Expectation 10-3 Expressing Past Ability 10-4 Degrees of Certainty: Present Time 10-5 Degrees of Certainty: Present Time Negative 10-6 Degrees of Certainty: Past Time 10-7 Degrees of Certainty: Future Time 10-8 Progressive Forms of Modals 10-9 Combining Modals with Phrasal Modals 10-10 Expressing Preference: Would Rather 10-11 Summary Chart of Modals and Similar Expressions Chapter 11 THE PASSIVE 11-1 Active vs. Passive 11-2 Tense Forms of the Passive 11-3 Using the Passive 11-4 The Passive Form of Modals and Phrasal Modals 11-5 Stative (Non-Progressive) Passive 11-6 Common Stative (Non-Progressive) Passive Verbs + Prepositions 11-7 The Passive with Get 11-8 -ed/-ing Adjectives Chapter 12 NOUN CLAUSES 12-1 Introduction 12-2 Noun Clauses with Question Words 12-3 Noun Clauses with Whether or If 12-4 Question Words Followed by Infinitives 12-5 Noun Clauses with That 12-6 Quoted Speech 12-7 Reported Speech 12-8 Reported Speech: Modal Verbs in Noun Clauses 12-9 The Subjunctive in Noun Clauses Chapter 13 ADJECTIVE CLAUSES 13-1 Adjective Clause Pronouns Used as the Subject 13-2 Adjective Clause Pronouns Used as the Object of a Verb 13-3 Adjective Clause Pronouns Used as the Object of a Preposition 13-4 Using Whose 13-5 Using Wherein Adjective Clauses 13-6 Using Whenin Adjective Clauses 13-7 Using Adjective Clauses to Modify Pronouns 13-8 Punctuating Adjective Clauses 13-9 Using Expressions of Quantity in Adjective Clauses 13-10 Using Which to Modify a Whole Sentence 13-11 Reducing Adjective Clauses to Adjective Phrases Chapter 14 GERUNDS AND INFINITIVES, PART 1 14-1 Gerunds and Infinitives: Introduction 14-2 Common Verbs Followed by Gerunds 14-3 Common Verbs Followed by Infinitives 14-4 Infinitives with Objects 14-5 Common Verbs Followed by Either Infinitives or Gerunds 14-6 Using Gerunds as the Objects of Prepositions 14-7 Go + Gerund 14-8 Special Expressions Followed by -ing 14-9 It + Infinitive; Gerunds and Infinitives as Subjects 14-10 Reference List of Verbs Followed by Infinitives 14-11 Reference List of Verbs Followed by Gerunds 14-12 Reference List of Preposition Combinations Followed by Gerunds Chapter 15 GERUNDS AND INFINITIVES, PART 2 15-1 Infinitive of Purpose: In Order To 15-2 Adjectives Followed by Infinitives 15-3 Using Infinitives with Too and Enough 15-4 Passive Infinitives and Gerunds: Present 15-5 Past Forms of Infinitives and Gerunds 15-6 Using Gerunds or Passive Infinitives Following Need 15-7 Using Verbs of Perception 15-8 Using the Simple Form After Let and Help 15-9 Using Causative Verbs: Make, Have, Get 15-10 Using a Possessive to Modify a Gerund Chapter 16 COORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS 16-1 Parallel Structure 16-2 Parallel Structure: Using Commas 16-3 Punctuation for Independent Clauses; Connecting Them with And and But 16-4 Paired Conjunctions: Both . . . And; Not Only . . . But Also; Either . . . Or; Neither . . . Nor Chapter 17 ADVERB CLAUSES 17-1 Introduction 17-2 Using Adverb Clauses to Show Time Relationships 17-3 Using Adverb Clauses to Show Cause and Effect 17-4 Expressing Contrast (Unexpected Result): Using Even Though 17-5 Showing Direct Contrast: While 17-6 Expressing Conditions in Adverb Clauses: If-Clauses 17-7 Shortened If-Clauses 17-8 Adverb Clauses of Condition: Using Whether or Not and Even If 17-9 Adverb Clauses of Condition: Using In Case 17-10 Adverb Clauses of Condition: Using Unless 17-11 Adverb Clauses of Condition: Using Only If Chapter 18 REDUCTION OF ADVERB CLAUSES TO MODIFYING ADVERBIAL PHRASES 18-1 Introduction 18-2 Changing Time Clauses to Modifying Adverbial Phrases 18-3 Expressing the Idea of “During the Same Time” in Modifying Adverbial Phrases 18-4 Expressing Cause and Effect in Modifying Adverbial Phrases 18-5 Using Upon + -ing in Modifying Adverbial Phrases Chapter 19 CONNECTIVES THAT EXPRESS CAUSE AND EFFECT, CONTRAST, AND CONDITION 19-1 Introduction 19-2 Using Because Of and Due To 19-3 Cause and Effect: Using Therefore, Consequently, and So 19-4 Summary of Patterns and Punctuation 19-5 Other Ways of Expressing Cause and Effect: Such . . . That and So . . . That 19-6 Expressing Purpose: Using So That 19-7 Showing Contrast (Unexpected Result) 19-8 Showing Direct Contrast 19-9 Expressing Conditions: Using Otherwise and Or (Else) Chapter 20 CONDITIONAL SENTENCES AND WISHES 20-1 Overview of Basic Verb Forms Used in Conditional Sentences 20-2 Expressing Real Conditions in the Present or Future 20-3 Unreal (Contrary to Fact) in the Present or Future 20-4 Unreal (Contrary to Fact) in the Past 20-5 Using Progressive Verb Forms in Conditional Sentences 20-6 Using “Mixed Time” in Conditional Sentences 20-7 Omitting If 20-8 Implied Conditions 20-9 Wishes About thePresent and Past 20-10 Wishes About the Future; Use of Wish + Would Appendix SUPPLEMENTARY GRAMMAR CHARTS Unit A: Basic Grammar Terminology A-1 Subjects, Verbs, and Objects A-2 Adjectives A-3 Adverbs A-4 Prepositions and Prepositional Phrases A-5 Preposition Combinations with Adjectives and Adverbs Unit B: Questions B-1 Forms of Yes /No and Information Questions B-2 Question Words B-3 Shortened Yes/No Questions B-4 Negative Questions B-5 Tag Questions Unit C: Contractions Unit D: Negatives D-1 Using Not and Other Negative Words D-2 Avoiding Double Negatives D-3 Beginning a Sentence with a Negative Word Unit E: Verbs E-1 The Verb Be E-2 Spelling of - ing and -ed Verb Forms E-3 Overview of Verb Tenses E-4 Summary of Verb Tenses E-5 Regular Verbs: Pronunciation of - ed Endings E-6 Pronunciation of Final -s in Verbs and Nouns E-7 Linking Verbs E-8 Troublesome Verbs: Raise/Rise, Set/Sit, Lay/Lie E-9 Irregular Verbs: An Alphabetical Reference List Listening Script Index