Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 11
 Excellent Book August 29, 2010
K
Excellent book, does just what it says on the can - perfect for students and teachers of English
Very handy June 16, 2010
Morgane Saukel (France)
From all the English grammar books that i have..and i do have quite a few, this one is one of my favorite...it's pleasantly presented and very well explained.I definitely recommand it.
 A reasonably sound investment July 24, 2009
Steve Keen (Herts, UK)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
It's one thing, I found out when I first thought of retraining as an English teacher, having an implicit knowledge of English grammar and usage. It's quite another making that knowledge explicit so you can share it with others. I needed help.
A visit to the local library was unsatisfactory - they had books, but they left much to be desired. Leech et al's A-Z was on the college's recommended reading list, so I thought I'd give it a try.
The first thing to underline about this book is that it is very much a reference work: it's not something that will fascinate if you decide to sit down and read it end to end. As such the format works reasonably well, with key topics being given their own entries, some clear explanations of terminology and some good examples given.
However, perhaps it's just me, but there are times when the authors make a sweeping generalisation that contradicts usage, and times when actually getting to an answer to your question seems like too much effort, as for example when I wanted to find out about Tenses. What I was expecting from this was a definition of the word Tense, and at least a clear list of what the tenses are. Instead the entry for Tenses gives examples of tenses, and refers the reader forward in the book to Verb Phrases, and back to Present Tense and Past Tense. Still the question is not answered when you go there, and in fact you have to know to look for Present Simple, Present Perfect and so on to find out about the tenses themselves, and the closest to any clear tabulation of tenses is in a section called Time Lines. This all contrasts poorly with, for example, the treatment of Spanish tenses in Kendris and Kendris's 501 Spanish Verbs which, whilst itself not being perfect, is at least coherent and to the point.
There are also some moments of ambiguity, as for example in the list of irregular verbs where "awoke" is given as the past participle, and there is a reference to "wake". Surely the past participle is "awoken"; and why the reference out?
So, although I would recommend this book, it is only with some reservations. But I'm also pretty sure that much of the book will come in useful in years to come, so a reasonably sound investment.
The best and most useful grammar I know. May 14, 2009
A. P. Byrne (UK)
An A-Z of English Grammar and Usage (2nd Edition)
I am also amazed at the negative reactions to this book. They should try reading things like "Practical English Usage" by Swan or Parrot's grammar, which are much more technical, but equally good in their own way. I found this easy to use. If you want to find a "conditional" you will find it under "conditional" or "if". The explanations are clear and concise.
I had a real problem understanding more technical grammars and the A-Z enabled me to understand things quickly and easily. It also got me through a CELTA .Since then I have used it in lesson preparation and found it extremely useful.
An E.F.L. teacher's must have !!! October 16, 2006
S. Garner (England)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
I have used this book teaching EFL for 5 years in Ecuador and it has been a God send. Foreign learners always want to know why you say something and this book explains it all when you don't exactly know why . It is not a novice book and is clearly laid out though not as well as the earlier edition.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 11
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