practical english usage

Michael SwanENGLISHPRACTICALUSAGEThird EditionOXTORDUNIVERSITY PRESS

Contents OverviewThis overview gives a general picture of the topics covered in the book; it is not acomplete guide to the contents. References are to entry numbers. To findinformation about a particular point, consult the Index on pages 624-658,verbs, tense and aspect-ing form or infinitive afterfuture 211-221remember, go on etc 299-ing and -ed forms used aspresent tenses 461-466adjectives (participles) 408-411past simple and progressive 421-422perfect verb forms 427verbs: other pointspresent perfect 455-460active verb forms 10past perfect 423^25passives 412^20progressive (continuous)verb forms 470-472subjunctive 567past verb form with present orlink verbs: be, seem, look etc 328future meaning 426irregular verbs 304tense simplification in subordinateclauses (present for future, pastverb complementation (what canfor would etc) 580follow a verb?) 606verbs with two objects 610be, do, have and modalverb + object + complement 607auxiliariestwo-part verbs: phrasal verbs 599;prepositional verbs 600auxiliary verbs 85be 89-92verbs of movementthere is 587(she ran in etc) 608do 158-162turning verbs into nouns 598have 234-239older English verb forms 392modal verbs 353-354can and could 121-125nounsmay and might 338-344singular and plural 523-532can, could, may and mightcountable and uncountable nounscompared 345148-149must 358-361gender (references to males andought 403females) 222should 518-521piece- and group-wordsshould, ought and must compared(a bar of chocolate, a bunch520of flowers etc) 430will 629would 633possessive 's 439-440noun + noun 385-386infinitives and participlescomplementation (what can followinfinitives 279-292a noun?) 384-ing forms 293-294-ing forms used like nouns(gerunds) 295-298page xiTo find the answer to a specific question, see the Index •

pronounspersonal pronouns(/, me, you etc) 428-9reflexive pronouns (myself etc) 493each other and one another 171indefinite pronouns (somebody,someone, anything etc) 548interrogative which, what, who etc622-624one: substitute word (a big one etc)395possessives and demonstratives: seedeterminersrelative who, whom, which, that etc494-497whoever, whatever etc 625determiners (the, my, some,several etc)introduction 154articles (a/an and the) 61-70possessives (my, mine etc) 441-443demonstratives(this, that, these, those) 589-590all 35-40another and other(s) 54any 55any and every 56both 110each 169each and every 170every (one) 193either 174enough 187half 231less and fewer 320least and fewest 318(a) little and (a) few 329[a] lot 333more 355most 356much and many 357neither (of) 372no, none and not a/any 376so much and so many 542some 546some and any 547too much and too many 596Contents Overviewadjectivesposition 12-14order before nouns 15complementation (what can followan adjective?) 19adjectives with and 16adjectives without nouns 17pronunciation of aged, naked etc 18adverbsposition 21-25adverbs of manner and adjectives 26adverbs or adjectives? confusingcases 27adverb particles 20comparisonstructures 135as ... as; as much/many as 136comparative and superlativeadjectivesand adverbs 137-141prepositionsgeneralintroduction 448at the ends of clauses 452before conjunctions 453before -ing forms 454before and after particular wordsand expressions 449-450prepositional verbs 600expressions without prepositions451particular prepositionsabout and on 4above and over 6according to 8across, over and through 9along 45(a)round and about 60at/in and to 80at, on and in: place 81at, on and in: time 82before and in front of 98page xii

•AContents Overviewbelow, under, underneathso that and in order that 543and beneath 100that-clauses 583between and among 105omission of that 584by: time 117unless 601by and near 118when and if 618by (method, agent) or ... 620(tools etc) 119whether and if 621due to and owing to 166during and for 167during and in 168word order and sentencefor: purpose and cause 207organisationfor, since, in and from: time 208basic word order 509in and into, on and onto 269inversion (verb before subject)in and to 270302-303in spite of 272fronting (e.g. People like thatinstead of 301I can't stand) 513like and as: similarity, function 326information structure 512near (to) 365emphasis 184opposite, facing and in front of 402out of 404various structuresthrough: time 592until 602questions 480-486up and down 603question tags 487-488with 631negative structures 367-371imperatives 268, 323 (let)conjunctionsexclamations 195generaldirect speech: reporting verbs andconjunctions 510word order 156sentence structure 511indirect speech(reported speech) 274-278particular conjunctionsand 52relativesand after try, wait, go etc 53(the person who ... etc): 494-498as and though: special word order 71whoever, whatever etc 625as if and as though; like 74if 256-265as long as 75preparatory it: 446-447as well as 78cleft sentences: what I need is abecause 94before 97holiday 130; it was my secretaryboth ... and 111who ... or 175ellipsis (leaving out words) 177-182how 252immediately, the moment etc 267understanding complicatedit's time (that) 306sentences 515lest 321neither ... nor 373constructing textneither, nor either 374discourse markers (linkingnot only ... 383expressions) 157now (that) 387paragraphs 406once 394repetition 500page xiiiTo find the answer to a specific question, see the Index •

correspondenceletters 146emails and text messages 147spoken grammarcontractions 143spoken structures and tags 514short answers (Yes, he can etc) 517reply questions (Was it? Did you?) 484special kinds of languageabbreviations and acronyms 2idioms, collocations andfixed expressions 255politenessusing questions 435distancing verb forms 436softening expressions 437'social' language 545varieties and styles of EnglishAmerican and British English 51standard English and dialects 308correctness 309spoken and written English 310formality 311variation and change 312abbreviated styles 1headlines 240slang 533taboo words and swearwords 575topic areasage 32dates 152meals 347measurements: 'marked' and'unmarked' forms 350names (Florence, Homer etc) 362names and titles (Peter, Mr Lewis) 363nationalities, countries andregions 364numbers 389telephoning 578telling the time 579spelling and punctuationspelling 556-565punctuation 473-479Contents Overviewpronunciationstress and rhythm 554intonation 555weak and strong forms 616word-buildingprefixes and suffixes 445confusable words andexpressionsaccept and agree 7all right and alright 41allow, permit and let 42almost and nearly; practically 43alone, lonely, lonesome and lone 44also, as well and too 46-47alternately and alternatively 48although, though, but and however:contrast 49altogether and all together 50arise and rise 59as, because, since and for 72as, when and while:simultaneous events 73at first and first 84(a)wake and (a)waken 86back and again 87bath and bathe 88beat and win 93begin and start 99beside and besides 101besides, except and apart from 102big, large and great 106born and borne 108borrow and lend 109bring and take 112bring up and educate 113Britain, the United Kingdom,the British Isles and England 114broad and wide 115care: take care (of), care (about) andcare for 127changes (become, get, go, grow etc) 128city and town 129classic and classical 254close and shut 132cloth and clothes 133come and go 134comic and comical 254page xiv

Contents Overviewcontinual(ly) and continuous(ly) 142road and street 502dead, died and death 153say and tell 504east and eastern, north and northernsensible and sensitive 508etc 172shade and shadow 516economic and economical 254small and little 534efficient and effective 173so (conjunction) and then 537electric and electrical 254sometime, sometime and sometimes 549end and finish: verbs 185soon, early and quickly 550especial(ly) and special(ly) 188such and so 569except and except for 194speak and talk 553expect, hope, wait and look forward 196thankful and grateful 582experiment and experience 197travel, journey, trip and voyage 597fairly, quite, rather and pretty:whose and who's 627adverbs of degree 199far and a long way 200other words and expressionsfarther and further 201[be] able to 3female and feminine; maleactual(ly) 11and masculine 203afraid 28finally, at last, in the endafter: adverb 29and at the end 204after: conjunction 30fit and suit 206after all 31forget and leave 209ago 33fun and funny 210alike 34get and go: movement 225any (any better etc) 57hear and listen (to) 241appear 58here and there 245as: structures 581high and tall 246as such 76hire, rent and let 247as usual 77historic and historical 254ask 79holiday and holidays 248at all 83how like? 253before: adverb 96ill and sick 266bet 103in case and if 271better 104its and it's 305[a] bit 107last, the last, the latest 314but meaning 'except' 116later and in 315call 120lay and lie 316can't help 126long and (for) a long time 330contrary 144lose and loose 332control 145loudly and aloud 334country 150magic and magical 254dare 151maybe and perhaps 346different 155next and the next; nearest 375divorce 337no more, not any more, no longer 379doubt 163not and no 382dress 164opportunity and possibility 400drown 165play and game 432elder and eldest 176politic and political 254else 183politics and policy 438enjoy 186price and prize 468even 189principal and principle 469eventual(ly) 190page xvTo find the answer to a specific question, see the Index •

ever 191ever so, ever such 192explain 198feel 202finished 205first (this is etc): tenses 591get: meanings and structures 223-224give with action-nouns 226go/come for a ... 227go/come .. .ing 228gone with be 229had better 230happen to ... 232hardly, scarcely and no sooner 233hear, see etc + object + verb form 242hear, see etc with that-clause 243help 244home 249hope 250hopefully 251indeed 273just 307know 313last (this is etc): tenses 591learn 317left 319let: 322-323life: countable or uncountable 324like: verb 325likely 327look 331make: 335-336marry 337mean 348means 349mind (do you mind etc) 351miss 352need 366no (no better etc) 57no doubt 377no matter 378nowadays 388of course 390often 391once: adverb 393only: focusing adverb 398open 399opposite (adjective): position 401own 405part 407place (a place to live, etc) 431Contents Overviewplease and thank you 433point of view 434prefer 444presently 467quite 489rather 490-491reason 492remind 499[the] rest 501[the] same 503see 505see, look (at) and watch 506seem 507smell 535since: tenses 522so: adverb meaning 'like this/that' 536so: degree adverb (so tired, so fast) 538so (and not) with hope, believe etc 539so with say and tell 540so-and-so; so-so 544sort of, kind of and type of 551sound 552still, yet and already: time 566such 568suggest 570suppose, supposing and what if 571supposed to 572surely 573sympathetic 574take: time 576taste 577than: structures 581the matter (with) 585there 586think 588time 593tonight 594too 595used to 604[be] used to .. .ing 605very and very much 611wait 612want 613-wards 614way 615well 617where (to) 619why and why not 628wish: tenses 630worth 632yes and no 634page xvi