Essential Grammar in Use" (4th Edition by Raymond Murphy) 📙

Detailed Explanation and Structure of “Essential Grammar in Use” (4th Edition by Raymond Murphy)

Overview

“Essential Grammar in Use” (4th Edition) by Raymond Murphy is a comprehensive self-study reference and practice book for elementary learners of English. It is designed for students with some basic knowledge of English who wish to consolidate and expand their understanding of grammar. The book is structured to allow both self-study and classroom use, focusing strictly on grammar (not vocabulary, pronunciation, or other language skills).

Book Structure and Layout

Front Matter

• Title and Author Information: The book is authored by Raymond Murphy and published by Cambridge University Press.
• Edition Details: Fourth Edition, with various ISBNs for versions with answers, without answers, and with supplementary exercises or eBook access.
• Acknowledgements and Prefaces: Includes sections “To the Student” and “To the Teacher,” explaining how to use the book effectively.

Main Components

1. Contents and Organization

• 115 Units: Each unit covers a specific grammar point, organized by topic (not by increasing difficulty).
• Unit Structure: Every unit spans two pages:
  • Left Page: Explanation of the grammar point with examples.
  • Right Page: Practice exercises related to the explanation.
• Appendices: Seven appendices provide quick-reference material (active/passive forms, irregular verbs, contractions, spelling, phrasal verbs).
• Additional Exercises: Mixed grammar practice at the back of the book.
• Study Guide: Helps students identify which units to study based on their needs.
• Answer Keys: Solutions to all exercises, additional exercises, and the study guide.
• Index: Comprehensive index for quick reference.

Detailed Breakdown of Content

Introduction and Guidance

• To the Student: Recommends not to study units in order, but to select based on personal needs. Encourages the use of the Contents, Index, and Study Guide to find relevant topics.
• To the Teacher: Emphasizes the book’s role as a grammar reference and practice tool, not a progressive coursebook. Suitable for self-study or supplementary classroom use.

Grammar Units (1–115)

The units are grouped by grammatical themes:

A. Present Tenses

• Units 1–9: Covers “am/is/are”, present continuous (I am doing), present simple (I do), negatives, questions, differences between present continuous and simple, and “have/got”.

B. Past Tenses

• Units 10–14: Introduces “was/were”, past simple (worked/got/went), negatives and questions in the past, past continuous (I was doing), and the contrast between past continuous and past simple.

C. Present Perfect

• Units 15–20: Explains present perfect forms (I have done), usage of “just”, “already”, “yet”, “ever”, “never”, “for”, “since”, and the difference between present perfect and past simple.

D. Passive Voice

• Units 21–22: Present and past passive forms (“is done”, “was done”), present continuous passive (“is being done”), and present perfect passive (“has been done”).

E. Verb Forms and Irregular Verbs

• Units 23–24: Usage of “be/have/do” in different tenses, regular and irregular verbs.

F. Future Forms

• Units 25–28: Present continuous for future, “going to”, “will/shall”, and their uses.

G. Modals and Related Forms

• Units 29–36: Covers “might”, “can/could”, “must/mustn’t/don’t need to”, “should”, “have to”, polite offers (“Would you like…?”), imperatives, and “used to”.

H. There and It

• Units 37–39: “There is/are/was”, “It is/was”, and related structures.

I. Auxiliary Verbs

• Units 40–43: Short answers, question tags, and negatives.

J. Questions

• Units 44–49: Question forms, “who/what/which/how”, indirect questions.

K. Reported Speech

• Unit 50: Indirect/reported statements and questions.

L. -ing and to… Forms

• Units 51–54: Gerunds and infinitives, verbs followed by -ing or to, and purpose (“to…”).

M. Common Verbs

• Units 55–58: Usage of “go”, “get”, “do”, “make”, “have” in various contexts.

N. Pronouns and Possessives

• Units 59–64: Subject/object pronouns, possessive adjectives and pronouns, reflexives, and possessive ’s.

O. Articles and Nouns

• Units 65–72: “a/an”, plurals, countable/uncountable nouns, “some/any”, and use of “the”.

P. Determiners and Quantifiers

• Units 73–86: Demonstratives, quantifiers (“some”, “any”, “no”, “every”, “all”, “both”, “either”, “neither”, “much”, “many”, “few”, “little”).

Q. Adjectives and Adverbs

• Units 87–92: Adjective and adverb forms, comparatives, superlatives, “enough”, “too”.

R. Word Order

• Units 93–96: Sentence structure, position of adverbs, word order in questions and commands.

S. Conjunctions and Clauses

• Units 97–102: Coordinating and subordinating conjunctions, conditionals (“if”), and relative clauses (“who”, “which”, “that”).

T. Prepositions

• Units 103–113: Time prepositions (“at”, “on”, “in”, “since”, “for”), place prepositions, prepositional phrases, verb + preposition combinations.

U. Phrasal Verbs

• Units 114–115: Introduction to phrasal verbs and their usage with or without objects.

Appendices (Pages 243–251)

• Appendix 1: Active and passive forms
• Appendix 2: List of irregular verbs (alphabetical)
• Appendix 3: Irregular verbs grouped by pattern
• Appendix 4: Short forms (contractions)
• Appendix 5: Spelling rules (especially for verb forms)
• Appendix 6: Phrasal verbs (basic list)
• Appendix 7: Phrasal verbs with objects

Additional Resources

• Additional Exercises (Pages 252–270): 35 exercises for mixed grammar practice, especially verb forms.
• Study Guide (Page 271): Diagnostic section to help students identify which units they need to study.
• Answer Keys:
  • Exercises (Pages 283–309)
  • Additional Exercises (Page 310)
  • Study Guide (Page 313)
• Index (Page 315): For quick reference to topics.

How to Use the Book

• Self-Study: Students are advised to use the Contents or Index to find topics they need, study the explanation page, complete the exercises, and check answers using the Key.
• Classroom Use: Teachers can assign units for consolidation, revision, or remedial work. The book is not designed to be followed sequentially, but rather as a reference.
• Level: Suitable for elementary (A1–A2) and some low-intermediate learners who need to strengthen their grammar foundation.

Summary Table of Major Sections

Conclusion

“Essential Grammar in Use” is a highly structured, user-friendly grammar reference and practice book for elementary English learners. Its modular design, clear explanations, abundant exercises, and comprehensive reference sections make it suitable for both independent study and classroom support. The book systematically covers all foundational grammar points needed at the elementary level, ensuring learners can both understand and practice each concept thoroughly.