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GRAMMAR —IN— CONTEXT Proficiency Level English Hugh Gethin NEW EDITION Collins ELT London & Glasgow Collins ELT 8 Grafton Street London W1X 3LA © Hugh Get hin 1983, 1990" 10 9 8 7 6 5 43 2 1 First edition published 1983 This revised edition first published 1990 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior . permission in writing of the Publisher. Printed in Great Britain by Mackays of Chatham PLC ISBN 0 00 370 333 9 Acknowledgements I should like to thank the Directors of the Anglo-Continental Educational Group, Bournemouth, for facilities afforded me in the earlier stages of preparation of this book; and Arnunio Ciumei ('Jimmy'), the Group's xeroxer, for his efficient and cheerful help. To my erstwhile colleague, David Marchesi, goes my warm gratitude for a fruitful partnership of several years, during which he shared with me the use of most of this book in draft form. The cooperation and comments of a person of his mature judgement did much to encourage me to proceed with the enterprise. This, in its later stages, came under the scrutiny of Rosalind Grant-Robertson, whose knowledge of EFL is wide and deep. Any improvements I have latterly been able to make in the text have in large measure been due to her careful and constructive criticism, for which I am indeed grateful. I should also like to thank Christian Kay for her stimulating comments, particularly those on the earlier sections; Caroline Egerton for her informed and penetrating reading and sensible suggestions, which have contributed so much to the text’s final form; and Gordon Jarvie, whose lively professional interest in the book has led to its publication. To my wife I am indebted as always, both for sustaining me and helping to resolve the various problems of authorship. Contents Introduction 5 For the learner 5 For the teacher 8 1 Verb tenses 10 1A 1B 1C 1D 1E 1F The past tense of certain verbs 10 Tense use for fact: review 12 Use of present for future tenses 20 Tense use for non-fact: supposition 25 Tense use for non-fact: wish 31 Fact and non-fact: summary of tense use 34 2 Adverbials 39 2A 2B Adverbs against adjectives 39 Position 43 3 Linking: result, cause 50 3A 3B Relation between result and cause 50 Result expressed with too or enough 54 4 Linking: purpose 60 4A 4B Standard constructions 60 Shortened constructions 63 5 Linking: concession 66 6 Linking: cause, purpose, concession (alternative) 70 7 Linking: time 73 8 Linking: relatives 78 8A 8B 8C Links and clause types: review 78 Sentence building with relatives 84 Shortened constructions 89 9 Linking: similarity and comparison 94 10 The infinitive and -ing 100 10A 10B 10C 10D The infinitive 100 The -ing form as gerund 103 Verbs taking a full infinitive or –ing (gerund) according to meaning 109 Verbs taking the infinitive or –ing (participle) according to meaning 113 11 Auxiliary verbs: particular uses 117 11A 11B 11C 11D 11E 11F Ability, permission, possibility 118 Past activity, habit, refusal etc. 122 Expectation, assumption, conclusion 126 Obligation, absence of obligation 129 Duty and arrangement, with non-fulfilment 132 Use of should for suggestions, opinions, feelings etc. 136 12 Reported speech 139 12A Tense and word changes: general review 139 12B 12C Possible changes in auxiliary verbs 145 Suggestions, requests and commands 149 13 The passive