MASTERING

ENGLISH GRAMMAR
MACMILLAN MASTER SERIES

Banking Hairdressing
Basic Management Italian
Biology Keyboarding
British Politics Marketing
Business Communication Mathematics
Chemistry Modern British History
COBOL Programming Modern World History
Commerce Nutrition
Computer Programming Office Practice
Computers Pascal Programming
Data Processing Physics
Economics Principles of Accounts
Electronics Social Welfare
English Grammar Spanish
English Language Statistics
English Literature Study Skills
French Typewriting Skills
German Word Processing

OTHER BOOKS BY S. H. BURTON INCLUDE

Comprehension Practice
English Study and Composition
Modern Precis Practice
A Comprehensive English Course
People and Communication
Mastering English Language
The Criticism of Poetry
The Criticism of Prose
 MASTERING
ENGLISH GRAMMAR

S. H. BURTON

M
MACMILLAN
© S. H. Burton 1984

All rights reserved. No part of this publication

may be reproduced or transmitted, in any form
or by any means, without permission

First published 1984 by

MACMILLAN EDUCATION LTD
Houndmills, Basingstoke,
Hampshire, RG21 2XS,
and London
Companies and representatives
throughout the world

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

Burton, S. H.
Mastering English grammar.
1. English language- Grammar- 1950-
I. Title
428.2 PE1112
ISBN 978-0-333-36368-3 ISBN 978-1-349-17519-2 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-1-349-17519-2
 CONTENTS
Preface ix
Acknowledgement X

1 What is grammar? 1.1 Language and communication

1.2 Making sense 1
1.3 Grammar and sense 2

2 Phrases and sentences 2.1 Word groups 4

2.2 Phrases 4
2.3 Sentences 5
2.4 Four kinds of sentences 7
2.5 The punctuation of written
sentences 8

3 Subject and predicate 3.1 The two parts of the sentence 10

3.2 The functions of the two parts 11
3.3 Subject and predicate (1) 12
3.4 Subject and predicate (2) 13

4 Words in sentences 4.1 Words at work 19

4.2 Different work for the same
word 20

5 An introduction to the 5.1 The eight parts of speech 22

parts of speech 5.2 Nouns 23
5.3 Verbs 25
5.4 Pronouns 29
5.5 Adjectives 30
5.6 Adverbs 33
5.7 Prepositions 38
5.8 Conjunctions 41
5.9 Interjections 42
5.10 Family groups and word
behaviour 43

6 The parts of the simple 6.1 Definition of the simple

sentence sentence 44
6.2 Subject and predicate 45
6.3 The subject and the
subject-word 45
CONTENTS
6.4 Subject-word and words
qualifying subject-word 46
6.5 Predicate: the verb and words
modifying the verb 47
6.6 Predicate: the direct object 48
6.7 Predicate: the indirect object so
6.8 Predicate: predicative words
(or complement) 52
6.9 A tabular list of all the parts
of the simple sentence 54

7 Finite verbs and non-fmite 7.1 Finite verbs 56

verbs 7.2 Non-fmite verbs 58
7.3 Participial phrases 63
7.4 Gerundive phrases 65
7.5 Infinitive phrases 66

8 Simple sentence analysis 8.1 Tabular analysis 68

8.2 Descriptive analysis 69
8.3 Graphic analysis 72
8.4 Analysing phrases 76

9 Clauses and sentences 9.1 What is a clause? 82

9.2 Main clauses 83
9.3 Co-ordinating conjunctions 83
9.4 Double sentences 83
9.5 Multiple sentences 85
9.6 Complex sentences 86
9.7 Kinds of sentences: a check-list 87
9.8 Summing up 88

10 Subordinate clauses and 10.1 Introduction 89

the work they do 10.2 Adjective-clauses 90
10.3 Adverb-clauses 95
10.4 Noun-clauses 101

11 The analysis of complex 11.1 Method 105

double and multiple 11.2 Procedure 106
sentences 11.3 Notes on procedure 106
11.4 Worked examples: complex
sentences 107
 vii

11.5 Double and multiple sentence

analysis 110
11.6 Tests in analysis 113

12 The parts of speech: a 12.1 Introduction 115

chapter for reference 12.2 Nouns 116
12.3 Pronouns 119
12.4 Adjectives 121
12.5 Verbs 124
12.6 Adverbs 137
12.7 Prepositions 139
12.8 Conjunctions 140
12.9 Interjections 140
12.10 'It' as a provisional subject 140
12.11 'There' as an introductory
adverb 141

13 Common errors and 13.1 Introduction 142

debatable points 13.2 Agreement 142
13.3 Case 149
13.4 Verb-forms 152
13.5 The rule of proximity 153
13.6 Woolly use of pronouns 155
13.7 Defming and non-defming
phrases and clauses 156
13.8 Chopping and changing 157
13.9 Tests 158

Answers to tests 160

Index 175
 ix

PREFACE
This book is an exploration of the behaviour of English words in English
sentences. All the grammatical terms and concepts necessary to a thorough
understanding of the simple sentence are first explained and illustrated, for
the simple sentence is the bedrock on which fluent, accurate and elegant
English expression is based.
Later, the more intricate structures of double, multiple, and complex
sentences are examined. Those sentences are enlargements of the simple
sentence and they are well made when they conform to its basic patterns.
I must emphasise that Chapter 12 is what it is called: a chapter for
reference. It supplies information about grammatical terms that you may
need to look up; and it gathers together the facts that are treated at length
and in the course of discussion throughout the rest of the book. A source
of quick reference is useful, but it is a back-up to, not a substitute for, the
expositions given elsewhere.
Grammar cannot explain everything. The English language is living,
changing, flexible. Some of its nimble improvisations defy precise expla-
nations. Yet that seems no sound argument for rejecting the very con-
siderable help that grammar can give. I believe that this grammar book will
help you as you use the language.

S. H. BURTON
X

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The author and publishers are grateful for permission to reproduce cartoons
from The Complete Molesworth, copyright© 1958 by Ronald Searle.