Resources for Students

How to use Grammar and Vocabulary

The Routledge English Language Introductions are 'flexi-texts', which you can use to suit your own style of study. The books, including Grammar and Vocabulary are divided into four 'sections'. Each section is made up of a number of 'units'.

A. Introduction: Key Concepts in Grammar and Vocabulary

The eight units in this section are foundational. They introduce you step-by-step to the basic terms and concepts in the study of grammar and vocabulary, and they provide you with the essential categories and analytical tools. By the end of this section you will a good overview of the subject matter of the book.

B. Development: Further Concepts in Grammar and Vocabulary

The eight units in this section add to your knowledge. Each B-unit builds on the ideas introduced in the corresponding A-unit, extends the scope of the topic, and provides more depth and detail. By the end of this section, your knowledge of English grammar and vocabulary will be consolidated, and a clearer picture of the subject will be emerging.

C. Exploration: Aspects of Investigation

The twenty-four units of this section develop the detail and explore some of the complexities of English grammar and vocabulary. Each group of three C-units corresponds to an A-unit and a B-unit, and each unit investigates closely a related topic, usually with examples from real texts. By the end of this section you will have a comprehensive understanding of English grammar and vocabulary, and you will be in a position to undertake your own detailed analyses of language data.

D. Extension: Readings in Grammar and Vocabulary

The eight units in this section provide key readings from the works of other writers. Each reading relates to the corresponding set of A-, B-, and C-units. The reading may show an alternative perspective on a topic, provide some theoretical context, or raise controversial issues. They are intended to stimulate your thinking and provide a bridge into other works on grammar and vocabulary. An introduction sets the reading in the context of the series of units, and after the reading some suggestions are made about how you can follow it up by further investigation. You may find that you need to read the extract more than once to grasp what the author is saying, and to make the connections with the units in the other sections.

You can read this book like a traditional textbook, 'vertically', straight through from beginning to end, starting with the A-units, then the B-units, and so on. This will take you comprehensively through the broad field of study. However, the Routledge English Language Introductions have been carefully designed so that you can read them in another dimension: 'horizontally', across the numbered Units. As indicated earlier, the numbered units across the sections are connected and deal with similar topics. So, you could begin with A.1, then read B.1, then C.1 and D.1. Alternatively, you could combine the two methods by, for example, reading all the Units in Section A (using the 'vertical' method), in order to get a basic overview of the subject matter, and then read 'horizontally' on each topic. Or you might want to leave all the Section D readings until last.

Each Unit in the book comprises a usually limited amount of exposition, together with a number of 'activities'. The activities are nearly always followed by a 'commentary', which either provides answers to the questions of the activity or discusses possible solutions to problems posed in the activity. The book is designed to be interactive. You should do what an activity suggests before you read the commentary that follows it. In this way your learning and understanding will develop more effectively.

Don't be fazed by grammatical terminology! Like any academic subject, grammar has its own set of terms. Some of these - like 'word' or 'sentence' - will already be familiar to you. Others may be less familiar or only hazy notions, which you may need to revise or even unlearn. Terminology is introduced in the units as it is needed. The Glossary provides an index of terms, a brief explanation, and reference to the Unit or Units in which the term is explained in detail. The terms will soon become familiar friends, and you will be able to use them to talk knowledgeably about grammar and vocabulary.