With a fresh new design and a host of updated exercises and activities, the popular Focus on Grammar series is more practical and accessible than ever. Known for its focus on English grammar through contextualized listening, speaking, reading, and writing activities, this lively integrated skills course helps students bridge the gap between comprehending grammatical structures and actually using them.
Centered on thematic instruction, Focus on Grammar combines controlled and communicative practice in a consistent approach that’s a proven success among students at all levels. Each unit progresses through four steps: Grammar in Context, Grammar Presentation, Focused Practice, and Communication Practice, using a unique format that makes the program easy for students to understand — and for teachers to implement.
Each Student Book features:
- Clear presentations and charts that make grammar easy to learn.
- Creative activities that stimulate communication.
- New high-interest readings that are rich in content.
- From Grammar to Writing sections that build composition skills.
- Review Tests to confirm progress and improve scores on standardized tests.
- New Internet activities for individual, pair, or group work.
Other Focus on Grammar Course Components (Available Separately):
- Workbook offers a wealth of additional exercises.
- Audio CD provides opportunities for both task-based and extended listening.
- CD-ROM software features contextualized, interactive activities for listening, reading, and writing practice.
Table of Contents:
INTRODUCTION
PART I THE VERB BE: PRESENT AND PAST
INTRODUCING YOURSELF: The First Day of Class
UNIT 1 The Present of Be: Statements
A magazine article:
David Beckham is a soccer player.
UNIT 2 The Present of Be: Yes/No Questions
A conversation:
Am I late for class?
UNIT 3 The Past of Be
Telephone messages:
The party was great.
FROM GRAMMAR TO WRITING
Capitalization Writing a postcard
REVIEW TEST
PART II NOUNS, ADJECTIVES, PREPOSITIONS, WH- QUESTIONS
UNIT 4 Count Nouns; Proper Nouns Photo captions:
This is a photo by Henri Cartier-Bresson.
UNIT 5 Descriptive Adjectives An article about cave homes:
It is an unusual place.
UNIT 6 Prepositions of Place Making an appointment and seeing a doctor:
That’s between Madisonand Fifth Avenues.
UNIT 7 Wh- Questions
A college art history class:
Why is this painting unusual?
FROM GRAMMAR TO WRITING
Connectors And and But
Story about a change in life
REVIEW TEST
PART III THE SIMPLE PRESENT
UNIT 8 The Simple Present: Affirmative and Negative Statements A magazine article about teens and clothes:
Yumi and her friends buy the same things.
UNIT 9 The Simple Present: Yes/No Questions and Short Answers
A roommate questionnaire:
Do you study with the TV on?
UNIT 10 The Simple Present: Wh-Questions
A radio talk show about dreams:
What does that mean?
FROM GRAMMAR TO WRITING
Time Word Connectors: First, Next, After that, Then, Finally
Writing about a routine
REVIEW TEST
PART IV WHEN, WHAT + NOUN; PREPOSITIONS OF TIME; POSSESSIVES; THIS / THAT / THESE / THOSE; ONE / ONES
UNIT 11 When, What + Noun; Prepositions of Time; Ordinal Numbers
A conversation about school holidays:
When is Election Day?
UNIT 12 Possessive Nouns and Possessive Adjectives; Questions with Whose
A class discussion:
Whose composition is this?
UNIT 13 This / That / These / Those; Questions with or
A conversation about a trip:
These are my best photos.
UNIT 14 One / Ones / It
Conversations of a shopper and salespeople:
This one has pockets and that one has a hood.
FROM GRAMMAR TO WRITING
Punctuation I: The Apostrophe, The Comma, The Period, The Question Mark
An invitation to a classmate
REVIEW TEST
PART V PRESENT PROGRESSIVE; IMPERATIVES; SUGGESTIONS: LET’S , WHY DON’T WE; CAN / CAN’T
UNIT 15 The Present Progressive, Affirmative and Negative Statements Events through the years:
Yukiko and Hiro Suzuki are visiting Mexico.
UNIT 16 The Present Progressive: Yes/No and Wh- Questions A conversation about a TV show:
What are you watching?
UNIT 17 The Imperative A magazine contest rules:
Don’t write more than 100 words.
UNIT 18 Can/Could An internet article about an amazing bird:
He can say almost 1,000 words.
UNIT 19 Suggestions and Responses, Let’s / Why don’t we…
Why don’t you…
A conversation among friends:
Let’s spend the afternoon at the beach.
FROM GRAMMAR TO WRITING
Subjects and Verbs
Writing about people
REVIEW TEST
PART VI THE SIMPLE PAST
UNIT 20 The Simple Past: Regular Verbs--Affirmative and Negative Statements A postcard from Rio:
In the afternoon we climbed Sugarloaf.
UNIT 21 The Simple Past: Irregular Verbs–Affirmative and Negative Statements A Chinese folktale:
Two days later the horse ran away.
UNIT 22 The Simple Past: Yes/No and Wh- Questions
Questions and Answers about J.R.R.Tolkien:
What did he like to do as a child?
FROM GRAMMAR TO WRITING
Punctuation II: The Exclamation Point, The Hyphen, Quotation Marks
Writing a story from your childhood
REVIEW TEST
PART VII THERE IS / THERE ARE; PRONOUNS; QUESTIONS WITH HOW MANY
UNIT 23 There Is /There are? / Is There…? / Are There…?
An advertisement:
There are more than 800 stores in the mall.
UNIT 24 Subject and Object Pronouns; Direct and Indirect Objects
A conversation:
I’m teaching her Japanese and she’s teaching me Portuguese.
UNIT 25 Count/Non-count Nouns; Articles
Restaurant reviews:
Some desserts were unexciting, but the apple pie was excellent.
FROM GRAMMAR TO WRITING
Noun-noun constructions
Describing a street
REVIEW TEST
Part VIII REVIEW AND CONTRAST: VERBS AND PRONOUNS
UNIT 26 The Simple Present and Present Progressive; How often…?
Adverbs and Expressions of Frequency
A radio talk show psychologist:
How often do you clean your apartment?
UNIT 27 Non-Action Verbs A conversation about Bora Bora:
It looks like paradise.
UNIT 28 Gerunds and Infinitives
Careers for different personalities:
I like to learn.
UNIT 29 Review of the Simple Past
Fifteen minutes of fame:
You pushed a button and it landed on one of several squares.
FROM GRAMMAR TO WRITING
Time Markers
Describing a day in the life of a friend or relative
REVIEW TEST
PART IX THE FUTURE
UNIT 30 Be Going to for the Future; Future Time Markers
Letters to the Editor:
This fitness center is going to cost a lot of money.
UNIT 31 Will for the Future
Predictions for 2050:
More people will be vegetarians.
UNIT 32 May or Might for Possibility
Weather Report:
By Thursday the weather may become milder. We might even see some sun.
FROM GRAMMAR TO WRITING
Time Clauses with When
Writing about your life
REVIEW TEST
PART X NOUNS, QUANTIFIERS, AND PRONOUNS
UNIT 33 Questions with Any/Some/How much/ How many; Quantity Expressions
Health and Fitness magazine survey:
How much time do you exercise each day?
UNIT 34 Too Much / Too Many / Too + Adjective
Magazine article about the best place to live:
It gets too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter. There’s too much snow.
UNIT 35 Possessives
Conversation:
Mine has a basket in the front.
FROM GRAMMAR TO WRITING
A Business Letter
Writing a letter to a university
REVIEW TEST
PART XI MODALS: PERMISSION / REQUESTS; DESIRES; OFFERS; ADVICE; NECESSITY
UNIT 36 Can or May for Permission
Different Diets:
You can eat any food, but you may not eat more than a certain number of points each day.
UNIT 37 Requests, Desires, and Offers: Would You Please…?, I’d like . . . , Would you like …?
Letter to a psychologist:
Could you water my plants and walk my dog?
UNIT 38 Advice: Should, Shouldn’t, Ought to, Had Better, Had Better Not
Advice for Business Travelers:
You ought to greet and shake hands with everyone.
UNIT 39 Necessity: Have to, Don’t Have to, Must, Mustn’t
A college history class:
You have to hand it in by the last day of class.
FROM GRAMMAR TO WRITING
Expressing and Supporting an Opinion
Responding to an e-mail
REVIEW TEST
PART XII COMPARATIVE AND SUPERLATIVE FORMS OF ADJECTIVES; ADVERBS
UNIT 40 Comparatives Two U.S. Cities:
Portland, Oregonis a little farther from the ocean.
UNIT 41 Adverbs of Manner Advice for Public Speaking:
In my next speech I spoke slowly and clearly.
UNIT 42 Enough; Too/Very; As . . . As; Same / Different
A Perfectionist:
That one’s way too small.
UNIT 43 The Superlative Article about Penguins:
The penguin is one of the funniest birds and one of the easiest birds to recognize.
FROM GRAMMAR TO WRITING
The Order of Adjectives Before Nouns
Completing a story
REVIEW TEST
APPENDICES
1 Map of the World
2 Map of the ed States and Canada
3 Numbers, Temperature, Months, Days, Seasons, Titles
4 Time
5 Parts of the Body; Medical Problems
6 Holidays in the United States and Canada
7 Base Forms and Past-Tense Forms of Common Irregular Verbs
8 Verb Tenses
9 Plural Nouns; Spelling and Pronunciation Rules
10 Possessive Nouns
11 Non-count Nouns and Names of Containers
12 The Definite Article
13 Phrasal Verbs (Two-Word Verbs)
14 Direct and Indirect Objects
15 The Present Progressive: Spelling Rules
16 The Simple Present: Spelling and Pronunciation Rules
17 The Simple Past of Regular Verbs: Spelling and Pronunciation Rules
18 Comparisons with Adjectives and Spelling Rules for Comparative and Superlative Adjectives
19 Modals
20 Pronunciation Table
About the Author :
Irene E. Schoenberg has taught ESL for more than two decades at Hunter College's International English Language Institute and at Columbia University's American Language Program. She has trained ESL and EFL teachers at Columbia University's Teachers College and at the New School University. She has given workshops and academic presentations at conferences, English language schools, and universities in Brazil, Chile, Dubai, El Salvador, Guatemala, Japan, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, Taiwan, Thailand, and throughout the United States.
Ms. Schoenberg is the author of Talk about Trivia; Talk about Values; Speaking of Values 1; Conversation and Listening; Topics from A to Z Books 1 and 2; and the basic level of Focus on Grammar, Second Edition. She is the co-author with Jay Maurer of the True Stories series and the introductory level of Focus on Grammar, Third Edition.
Ms. Schoenberg holds a master's degree in TESOL from Columbia University.
