Collins Cobuild English Grammar by Cobuild, Collins -- Read -- Imperial Library of Trantor

Index

About Cobuild Introduction How to use this Grammar Glossary of grammatical terms 1 Referring to People and Things

Nouns

Countable nouns Uncountable nouns Singular nouns Plural nouns Collective nouns Proper nouns Nouns that are rarely used alone Adjectives used as nouns Nouns referring to males or females -ing nouns Compound nouns

Pronouns

Personal pronouns Possessive pronouns Reflexive pronouns Generic pronouns Demonstrative pronouns Indefinite pronouns Reciprocal pronouns Relative pronouns Interrogative pronouns

Determiners

Definite determiners: the Definite determiners: this, that, these and those Possessive determiners: my, your, their, etc. The possessive form: apostrophe s (’s) Indefinite determiners: all, some, many etc. Indefinite determiners: a and an Other indefinite determiners

2 Giving Information About People and Things

Adjectives

Qualitative adjectives Classifying adjectives Colour adjectives Showing strong feelings Postdeterminers Adjectives that are only used in front of a noun Adjectives that always follow a linking verb Position of adjectives in noun phrases -ing adjectives -ed adjectives Compound adjectives

Comparatives Superlatives Saying things are similar Talking about different amounts of a quality Saying things are different Noun modifiers Talking about amounts of things Numbers

Cardinal numbers Ordinal numbers Fractions Measurements Age

Approximate amounts and measurements Expanding the noun phrase

with prepositional phrases with adjectives Nouns followed by to-infinitive, -ed participle, or -ing participle

3 Types of Verb

Intransitive verbs Transitive verbs Reflexive verbs Delexical verbs: verbs with little meaning Verbs that can be used both with and without an object Verbs that can take an object or a prepositional phrase Changing your focus by changing the subject Reciprocal verbs Verbs that can have two objects Phrasal verbs Compound verbs Linking verbs

Adjectives after linking verbs Nouns after linking verbs Other verbs with following adjectives

Describing the object of a verb Using a prepositional phrase after a linking verb Using two main verbs together

4 Expressing Time: Tenses and Time Adverbials

The present

The present simple The present progressive Time adverbials with reference to the present

The past

The past simple The past progressive The present perfect The past perfect Time adverbials with reference to the past

Expressing future time

Indicating the future using will Other ways of talking about the future Time adverbials with reference to the future

Other uses of verb forms Using time adverbials to indicate past, present, or future Yet, still, already, etc. Time adverbials and prepositional phrases Non-specific times Expressing frequency and duration

5 Modals, Negatives, and Ways of Forming Sentences

Making statements: the declarative form Asking questions: the interrogative form

Yes/no-questions Question tags Wh-questions

The imperative Other uses of the declarative, the interrogative, and the imperative Forming negative statements

Broad negatives

Using modals

Special features of modals Uses of modals Expressions used instead of modals Semi-modals

6 Expressing Manner and Place

Adverbs

Types of adverb Comparative and superlative adverbs Adverbs of manner Adverbs of degree Adverbs of place Destinations and directions

Prepositions

Position of prepositional phrases After verbs indicating movement Showing position Showing direction Other uses of prepositional phrases Prepositions used with verbs Prepositional phrases after nouns and adjectives Extended meanings of prepositions

Other ways of giving information about place

7 Reporting what People Say or Think

Using reporting verbs Reporting someone’s actual words: direct speech Reporting in your own words: reported speech

Reporting statements and thoughts Reporting questions Reporting orders, requests, advice, and intentions Reporting uncertain things Time reference in reported speech

Using reporting verbs to perform an action Avoiding mention of the person speaking or thinking Referring to the speaker and hearer Other ways of indicating what is said Other ways of using reported clauses

8 Combining Messages

Clauses and conjunctions

Time clauses Conditional clauses Purpose clauses Reason clauses Result clauses Concessive clauses Place clauses Clauses of manner Relative clauses

Nominal that-clauses Non-finite clauses Linking words, phrases, and clauses together

9 Changing the Focus in a Sentence

The passive Split sentences Taking the focus off the subject: using impersonal it Introducing something new: there as subject Focusing using adverbials Emphasizing Putting something first Introducing your statement Focusing on the speaker’s attitude Exclamations Addressing people

10 Making a Text hold Together

Referring back Referring forward Showing connections between sentences: sentence connectors Linking parts of a conversation together Leaving words out

Reference Section The Grammar of Business English The Grammar of Academic English Index Copyright

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