COBUILD english grammar NEW 4th edition collins COBUILD grammar 2017

Copyright Published by Collins An imprint of (arperCollins Publishers Westerhill Road Bishopbriggs Glasgow G QT Fourth Edition © (arperCollins Publishers Collins® and COBU)LD® are registered trademarks of (arperCollins Publishers Limited www.collinsdictionary.com www.collinselt.com All rights reserved under )nternational and Pan-American Copyright Conventions By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this ebook on screen No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of (arperCollins Entered words that we have reason to believe constitute trademarks have been designated as such (owever, neither the presence nor absence of such designation 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valuable data FOUND)NG ED)TOR-)N-C()EF: John Sinclair FOR T(E PUBL)S(ER: Maree Airlie, Robin Scrimgeour, Lisa Todd, Celia Wigley CONTR)BUTORS: Penny (ands, Kate Mohideen, Julie Moore, Damian Williams Acknowledgements The publishers would like to acknowledge the following for their invaluable contribution to the third edition: Managing Editor Penny (ands Editorial Consultant Roger Berry Lingnan University, (ong Kong Project Manager Senior Corpus Researcher Lisa Sutherland Kate Wild The Grammar of Academic English Corpus Researchers University of Glasgow Language Centre George Davidson Dr Esther Daborn Kate Mohideen Anneli Williams Elizabeth Potter Louis (arrison Elspeth Summers Laura Wedgeworth The Grammar of Business English American English Consultant Simon Clarke Orin (argraves Founding Editor-in-Chief John Sinclair We would also like to thank the following people for their contributions to previous editions of the text: Maree Airlie, Mona Baker, (enri Béjoint, Adriana Bolívar, Jane Bradbury, David Brazil, Dominic Bree, Nicholas Brownlees, Tony Buckby, Stephen Bullon, Annette Capel, Michela Clari, Jane Cullen, John Curtin, Richard Fay, Gwyneth Fox, Richard Francis, )ria Garcia, Gottfried Graustein, John (all, M.A.K (alliday, Patrick (anks, Ron (ardie, Anthony (arvey, Lorna (easlip, Michael (oey, Roger (unt, Sue )nkster, Andy Kennedy, Lorna Knight, Ramesh Krishnamurthy, Tim Lane, Marcel Lemmens, (elen Liebeck, Alison Macaulay, Elizabeth Manning, Agnes Molnar, Rosamund Moon, Sue Ogden, Charles Owen, Georgina Pearce, Georgina Pert, Anne Pradeilles, Christopher Pratt, Christina Rammell, Clare Ramsey, Ramiro Restrepo, Christopher Royal-Dawson, Toňi Sanchez, Katy Shaw, Sue Smith, Mary Snell-(ornby, Tom Stableford, John Todd, Bob Walker, Laura Wedgeworth, (erman Wekker, Douglas Williamson, Jane Winn, Deborah Yuill About COBU)LD When the first COBU)LD dictionary was published in , it revolutionized dictionaries for learners )t was the first of a new generation of language reference materials that were based on actual evidence of how English was used, rather than lexicographer intuition Collins and the University of Birmingham, led by the linguist John Sinclair, developed an electronic corpus in the s, called the Collins Birmingham University )nternational Language Database COBU)LD This corpus, which for several years was known as the Bank of English®, became the largest collection of English data in the world COBU)LD dictionary editors use the corpus to analyse the way that people really use the language The Collins Corpus now contains billion words taken from websites, newspapers, magazines and books published around the world, and from spoken material from radio, TV and everyday conversations New data is added to the corpus every month, to help COBU)LD editors identify new words, grammatical structures, and meanings from the moment they are first used All COBU)LD language reference books are based on the information our editors find in the Collins Corpus Because the corpus is so large, our editors can look at lots of examples of how people really use the language The data tells us how the language is used; the function of different structures; which words are used together; and how often these words and structures are used All of the examples in COBU)LD language materials are examples of real English, taken from the corpus The examples have been carefully chosen to demonstrate typical grammatical patterns, typical vocabulary and typical contexts COBU)LD English Grammar is no exception: Collins editors and researchers have been able to use this wealth of information to establish a unique and full description of English grammar, and to track the development of certain grammatical structures over time The corpus lies at the heart of COBU)LD, and you can be confident that COBU)LD will show you what you need to know to be able to communicate easily and accurately in English )f you would like to learn more about COBU)LD and the Collins Corpus, go to www.collinselt.com and click on 'COBU)LD Reference' Contents Cover Title Page Copyright Acknowledgements About Cobuild )ntroduction (ow to use this Grammar Glossary of grammatical terms Chapter Nouns Referring to people and things • 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 • )ndefinite pronouns • Reciprocal pronouns • Relative pronouns • )nterrogative pronouns Determiners • Definite determiners: the • Definite determiners: this, that, these and those • Possessive determiners: my, your, their, etc • The possessive form: apostrophe s s • )ndefinite determiners: all, some, many etc • )ndefinite determiners: a and an • Other indefinite determiners Chapter Adjectives Giving information about people and things • 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 Chapter Types of verb )ntransitive verbs Q qualifiers expanding the noun phrase , qualitative adjectives , – qualitative -ed adjectives compound qualitative adjectives intensifying qualitative adjectives – reducing the effect of qualitative adjectives linking qualitative adjectives quantity expressions – numbers as quantity expressions questions – yes/no-questions – indirect questions question tags – either/or-questions without a verb , rhetorical questions , with modals reporting questions wh-questions – question tags – forming question tags checking statements replying to tags other uses all-purpose question tags with modals quite , – quotation marks , quotes , R rarely – rather before a comparative would rather reason clauses – reciprocal pronouns – reciprocal verbs , – referring back – , – , – , – with determiners – demonstratives referring to things – demonstratives referring to sentences with former and latter – referring to pieces of writing with so with adjectives with adverbials – referring forward – using this and these – using following using next using below using such reflexive pronouns – used as object – used as object of preposition used for emphasis or contrast – , – in reported speech reflexive verbs – in the passive refusal , – regret relative clauses – with superlatives with indefinite place adverbs punctuation in use after pronouns relative pronouns – , – who and whom which that whose referring to people in defining clauses referring to things in defining clauses referring to people in non-defining clauses referring to things in non-defining clauses reported speech , – reported questions , – reporting verbs – , – indicating the way that something is said negatives in reporting clauses position of reporting verb – position of reported clauses time reference tense of verb in reported clause modals in reported clauses – making your reference appropriate avoiding mention of the person speaking or thinking – referring to the speaker and hearer – use of passive – , nouns used with reported clauses passive of reporting verbs reporting verbs – , – , – showing the purpose of speaking – reporting speech and thought in informal spoken English – reporting statements and thoughts reporting questions reporting requests – reporting suggestions – reporting intentions and hopes – reporting uncertain things reporting conditional statements used for performing an action – mentioning the hearer – reporting someone s actual words see direct speech requests , – , polite additions to requests reporting requests – result clauses – rhetorical questions , S s form of verbs R –R s see apostrophe s same – same as – say , , seem – , – , seldom , – semi-modals – dare and need – inflected forms use with other modals use with used to – negatives sentence adverbials – sentence connectors – indicating an addition indicating a similar point contrasts and alternatives showing cause showing sequence in time putting points in order conjunctions several , – , , several of , , shall talking about the future , , R expressing certainty shall not for forbidding giving formal instructions making suggestions – expressing intentions shan t she – , should expressing certainty expressing expectation – should not for undesirable actions should like for requests making offers of help making suggestions expressing wishes expressing importance , being polite shouldn t similarity things with the same quality – with like – same as – adjectives meaning the same since with present perfect , in time clauses in reason clauses singular nouns – so so, so that and so as to in purpose clauses – so and so that in result clauses – so as a substitute for something already mentioned – if so so with reporting verbs some – structures used with some- as indefinite determiner some of – , somebody – someone – something – somewhere – split infinitive split sentences , – it as the subject using what and all – focusing on the topic focusing on what someone wants or needs statements – stative verbs , R –R still with comparatives , for existing situations for expected situations subject pronouns – ) you he and she it – we , they submodifying adverbs – used with other adverbs subordinate clauses , – , R subordinating conjunctions – substituting for something already mentioned: using so and not – such with not used in result clauses – as a determiner as a predeterminer as an adjective referring forward suffixes – , , , suggestions , , – polite suggestions superlative adjectives , – , R used in front of a noun used after a linking verb structures used after superlatives – used with other adjectives used as nouns – used with ordinal numbers the least superlative adverbs – , R –R –R T take list of nouns used after delexical take , for duration tenses, formation of R –R than , that as demonstrative pronoun – for joining clauses , – as determiner , – for referring back – that-clauses following an adjective for reporting speech – for expressing purpose – with impersonal it – the – pronouncing the with a noun specific places and organizations generalizing about people and things using adjectives as nouns formal generalizations – with longer noun phrases with uncountable nouns emphasizing the with indefinite determiners with numbers with comparatives and superlatives , – with days of the week their – theirs – , them – , themselves – , , – then referring back or forward , in conditional clauses with if , , there as subject , , – with be , , – saying that something exists – saying that something happened describing something that is happening contractions: there s, there d and there ll with verbs other than be formal and literary uses – these as demonstrative pronoun , as determiner , informal use for referring back for referring forward – they , this as demonstrative pronoun – as determiner – informal use for referring back , for referring forward – those as demonstrative pronoun , as determiner – instead of the for referring back though , – as though – thousand – thousands used for emphasis time on time at the same time every time and each time by which time time position of time adverbial referring to an earlier or a later time – , – time adverbials and prepositional phrases – previously mentioned time specific clock times – , – clock times times of the day months, seasons, and dates years, decades, and centuries in for periods of time in for specific time on – ordering of approximate times – over events that happen at the same time time adverbials – with reference to the present – with reference to the past – with reference to the future – to indicate past, present, or future time clauses – tenses in time clauses – saying when a situation began saying when a situation ends – time expressions see also time adverbials used for modifying nouns – time reference in reported speech titles of people , – used without names used as countable nouns of works to after predicative adjectives expressing a range of numbers list of nouns usually followed by to in prepositional phrase containing indirect object in reported speech , with relative pronoun as indirect object to-infinitive after adjectives – , after ordinal numbers after nouns – used when commenting – after verbs – verbs followed by for and a to-infinitive used with not in reported speech – , showing purpose – , , – in impersonal it structures – form R too , transitive verbs – , – , different types of object – human objects – that need to be followed by an adverb or prepositional phrase – of position and movement – reflexive verbs – transitive phrasal verbs – , – transitive phrasal verbs with prepositions – transitive three-word phrasal verbs – transitive compound verbs – with an -ing participle with a to-infinitive with an infinitive without to linking transitive verbs with an object complement U uncertainty uncountable nouns – list of uncountable nouns – ending in -s uncountable -ing nouns – used with the used with a or an undesirable actions – until , , , unwillingness , – , us , used to – , – V verbs • auxiliary verbs – , , • compound verbs – • delexical verbs – – , , – ,R –R • ditransitive verbs verbs with two objects , – , • ergative verbs – • intransitive verbs – , • linking verbs – • performative verbs verbs used to perform an action – • phrasal verbs – , , • reciprocal verbs , – • reflexive verbs – • reporting verbs – , – , – • stative verbs , R –R • transitive verbs , – , list of verbs of position verbs that can be used both with and without an object list of verbs that can be transitive or intransitive depending on the meaning verbs that not always need an object – list of transitive verbs that can be used without an object verbs that can take an object or a prepositional phrase – verbs of movement verbs that involve people affecting each other with the same action verbs that can have two objects – verbs that usually have both a direct object and an indirect object verbs with object complements verbs that relate to causing something to happen verbs that relate to giving someone a job or role verbs of opinion – using two main verbs together – verbs followed by an -ing participle – verbs followed by a to-infinitive – verbs with an infinitive without to verbs followed by for and a to-infinitive list of verbs used to specify position verbs of thinking and knowing verbs of learning and perceiving – verbs that describe the way in which something is said – verbs used with that-clauses verbs usually used in the passive list of verbs rarely used in the passive list of verbs often used in split sentences about needs and wants list of verbs that can have impersonal it as object list of verbs used with impersonal it to describe the weather verb forms R –R pronunciation R , R , R formation of participles R –R list of verbs with irregular past forms and -ed participles R forms of auxiliaries R formation of tenses R formation of infinitives very , , , vivid narrative vocatives – with reporting verbs –R –R and participles R , –R W want , , , we , weather what as interrogative pronoun – in wh-questions – , what about and what of in questions – in nominal relative clauses – in split sentences – in exclamations – whatever in wh-questions in conditional clauses in nominal relative clauses , whatsoever wh-clauses – when in wh-questions – , in time clauses – , in relative clauses – whenever , where in wh-questions – , with adjectives such as necessary and possible in place clauses – in relative clauses – , wherever in wh-questions with adjectives such as necessary and possible in conditional clauses in place clauses whether in reported speech – , in conditional clauses – which as relative pronoun as interrogative pronoun – in wh-questions – , of which in relative clauses – whichever , while in time clauses , in concessive clauses , whilst in time clauses in concessive clauses , who and whom as relative pronouns , , , as interrogative pronouns – in wh-questions – of whom whoever in wh-questions in conditional clauses in nominal relative clauses whose as relative pronoun , – as interrogative pronoun – in wh-questions – , wh-questions – , , , , reporting wh-questions – wh-words – • how • what • when and where • which • why • whatever, wherever, whoever • who and whom • whose as subject as object or adverb used to report wh-questions – why in suggestions in defining clauses will talking about the future , , R expressing general truths expressing certainty – , expressing likelihood will not and won t for forbidding giving instructions and appeals for help giving firm instructions making offers and invitations expressing intentions – will not and won t for refusal in reported speech wishes – , – with after adjectives in reported speech in the passive – within , won t , , , , , , word order , , , , , , , – , , , – , , , position of adjectives – , – position of numbers , , position of objects , – , , position of adverbs and adverbials , – , – , , , , in negatives – , – , , – in reported speech – , , worse and worst , , R would talking about things that happened regularly in the past thinking about the future would not for refusal , expressing likelihood expressing certainty would have for possibility giving instructions and appeals for help making offers and invitations expressing wishes – would rather, would sooner would have for wishes – being polite used in reported speech – would like giving instructions making requests wouldn t , , XYZ yes/no-questions – , reporting yes/no-questions – yet used with comparatives and superlatives , referring to expected situations – used to link words and clauses , , – you , , your – yours – , yourself – , , – yourselves – , – About the Publisher Australia (arperCollins Publishers Australia Pty Ltd Level , Elizabeth Street Sydney, NSW , Australia http://www.harpercollins.com.au Canada (arperCollins Canada Bloor Street East - th Floor Toronto, ON, M W, A , Canada http://www.harpercollins.ca New Zealand (arperCollins Publishers New Zealand Limited P.O Box Auckland, New Zealand http://www.harpercollins.co.nz United Kingdom (arperCollins Publishers Ltd London Bridge Street London SE GF http://www.harpercollins.co.uk United States 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