Practical English Usage
by Michael Swan
Your indispensable guide to problems in English
Over 2 million copies sold worldwide
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Practical English Usage answers the questions that teachers and learners ask about English grammar and vocabulary, using clear, corpus-informed explanations and examples.
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28 sections covering all the grammar and usage that learners need to know, including:
- the grammar of speech and formal writing
- British-American differences
- changes in English
- questions of style and idiom
- lists of learners' most common mistakes
A comprehensive guide to vocabulary problems:
- rules for word formation and spelling
- a survey of high-priority vocabulary areas
- an A–Z guide to over 250 common word problems
Sample material
- When do we use will, going to or present progressive to talk about the future?
- Can they and them have a singular meaning?
- Why can't we say
'She's very interested in the nature'? - When do we use get as a passive auxiliary? For example: He got caught.
- The truth about conditionals
- When do we use bring and when do we use take?
- When do we use can, could, may or might to talk about permission?
- How do we read out an email address?
- How can we use a question to sound more polite?
- When do we use classic and when do we use classical?
- How do we use passives like 'Her sister was given the car'?
- Why can't we say
'I look forward to hear from you'? - When do we use do/does/did in questions beginning Who...? And when not?
Diagnostic Tests
Find out what you know and what you don't know about grammar and vocabulary problems with our Diagnostic Tests.