Collins Cobuild English Grammar (2 page)

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 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.

Glossary of grammatical terms

abstract noun
a noun used to describe a quality, idea, or experience rather than something physical or concrete; e.g.
joy
,
size
,
language
. Compare with
concrete noun
.

active
used for describing verb phrases such as
gives
, and
has made
, where the subject is the person or thing doing the action or responsible for the action. Compare with
passive
.

adjectival clause
another name for
relative clause
.

adjective
a word used to tell you more about a thing, such as its appearance, colour, size, or other qualities; e.g. …
a
pretty blue
dress
.

adverb
a word that gives more information about when, how, where, or in what circumstances something happens; e.g.
quickly
,
now
. There are several different kinds of adverb; adverbs of degree, manner, place, time, duration, and frequency. There are also
focusing adverbs
.

adverbial
a word or combination of words added to a clause to give more information about time, place, or manner. See also
sentence adverbial
and
sentence connector
.

adverb of degree
an adverb indicating the amount or extent of a feeling or quality; e.g.
extremely
.

adverb/adverbial of duration
an adverb or adverbial indicating how long something lasts; e.g.
briefly
,
for a long time
.

adverb/adverbial of frequency
an adverb or adverbial indicating how often something happens; e.g.
often
,
once a week
.

adverb of manner
an adverb indicating the way in which something happens or is done; e.g.
carefully
.

adverb of place
an adverb that gives more information about position or direction; e.g.
Move
closer
.

adverb particle
an adverb used as part of a phrasal verb; e.g.
hide
out
,
sit
up
,
turn
round
.

affirmative
not containing a negative word. Also called
positive
.

agent
another name for
performer
.

agreement
the relationship between a subject and its verb, or between a number or determiner and its noun; e.g.
I look/she looks
…
one bell/three bells
. Also called
concord
.

apostrophe s
an ending (’s) added to a noun to mark possession; e.g. …
Harriet’s
daughter
…
the professor’s
husband
…
the Managing Director’s
secretary
.

article
see
definite article
,
indefinite article
.

aspect
the use of verb forms to show whether an action is continuing, repeated, or finished.

attributive
used for describing the position of adjectives when they are used in front of a noun. Compare with
predicative
.