Clear, communicative, and teachable, Focus on Grammar: A Basic Course for Reference and Practice, by Irene E. Schoenberg, provides enough context, practice, and interaction to make any classroom come alive. Focus on Grammar features clear visual presentation of grammar, concise grammar explanations, and fully contextualized grammar presentation and practice in all four skills. The Focus on Grammar series is a five-level course, Introductory through Advanced.
Table of Contents:
INTRODUCTION
PART 1: THE VERB BE: PRESENT AND PAST
The Mystery of Rocky
Unit 1 THE PRESENT AFFIRMATIVE OF BE
A story: Milt's a detective.
Unit 2 THE PRESENT NEGATIVE OF BE
Thoughts:
My work is not easy.
Unit 3 THE PRESENT OF BE: YES / NO QUESTIONS
A conversation:
Are you new here?
Unit 4 THE PAST TENSE OF BE; PAST TIME MARKERS
A thank you note:
You were wonderful.
Review or SelfTest
From Grammar to Writing:
CAPITALIZATION
Writing a postcard
PART II: NOUNS, ADJECTIVES, AND PREPOSITIONS; THE PRESENT PROGRESSIVE
Wonderful Sons, Lucky Daughters-in-law
Unit 5 COUNT NOUNS; A / AN
A conversation:
My grandson is a chef and an athlete.
Unit 6 DESCRIPTIVE ADJECTIVES
A thank you note:
The cookies are delicious.
Unit 7 PREPOSITIONS OF PLACE
A visit to the eye doctor:
The W is between the Q and the Z.
Unit 8 PRESENT PROGRESSIVE
A telephone conversation:
Pete's doing the laundry.
Review or SelfTest
From Grammar to Writing:
SUBJECTS AND VERBS
Writing about people
PART III: WH- QUESTIONS; POSSESSIVES; PREPOSITIONS OF TIME
The Winston Family
Unit 9 QUESTIONS WITH WHO, WHAT, AND WHERE
A visit:
What's a secret?
Unit 10 POSSESSIVE NOUNS AND POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES;
QUESTIONS WITH WHOSE
A class discussion:
Whose composition is this?
Unit 11 QUESTIONS WITH WHEN AND WHAT + NOUN; PREPOSITIONS; ORDINAL NUMBERS
School holidays:
When is Election Day?
Unit 12 QUESTIONS WITH WHO, WHOM,AND WHY; WH- QUESTIONS AND THE PRESENT PROGRESSIVE
A telephone conversation:
Why is Lulu watching TV in bed?
Review or SelfTest
From Grammar to Writing:
PUNCTUATION I: The Apostrophe, The Comma, The Period, The Question Mark
I nterviewing and writing about a classmate
PART IV: THE SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE
Clothes for a Teenager
Unit 13 SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE: AFFIRMATIVE AND
NEGATIVE STATEMENTS
A letter to a psychologist:
My son loves clothes.
Unit 14 SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE: YES / NO QUESTIONS AND
SHORT ANSWERS
A roommate questionnaire:
Do you listen to loud music?
Unit 15 SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE: WH- QUESTIONS
Night owls and early birds:
What time do you get up?
Unit 16 SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE AND THIS / THAT / THESE / THOSE
Cleaning a closet:
This is my favorite sweater.
Unit 17 SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE AND ONE / ONES AND IT
Borrowing clothes:
There are two big ones and one small one.
Review or SelfTest
From Grammar to Writing:
TIME WORD CONNECTORS
Writing about a routine
PART V: THE SIMPLE PAST TENSE
The Winstons' Thanksgiving Day
Unit 18 SIMPLE PAST TENSE: REGULAR VERBS–AFFIRMATIVE AND
NEGATIVE STATEMENTS
A postcard:
Last night we walked along the SeineRiver.
Unit 19 SIMPLE PAST TENSE: IRREGULAR VERBS–AFFIRMATIVE AND
NEGATIVE STATEMENTS
A Chinese folktale:
He always said, "You never know what will happen."
Unit 20 SIMPLE PAST TENSE: YES / NO AND WH- QUESTIONS
Lost and found:
What did Norma lose?
Review or SelfTest
From Grammar to Writing:
PUNCTUATION II: The Exclamation Point, The Hyphen, Quotation Marks
Writing a story you heard as a child
PART VI: IMPERATIVES; SUGGESTIONS; THERE IS / THERE ARE
Let's stop for pizza.
Unit 21 IMPERATIVES; SUGGESTIONS WITH LET'S, WHY DON'T WE . . .?;
WHY DON'T YOU . . .?
Person in the news: Luigi Paolini:
Why don't we step into my office?
Unit 22 SUBJECT AND OBJECT PRONOUNS; DIRECT AND INDIRECT OBJECTS
A conversation:
It's my yutaka. My mom sent it to me last month.
Unit 23 THERE IS / THERE ARE / IS THERE . . .? / ARE THERE . . .?
Shopping malls:
Is there a mall around here?
Unit 24 NUMBERS, QUANTIFIERS, AND QUESTIONS WITH HOW MANY …?
Complaints:
How many do you want?
Review or SelfTest
From Grammar to Writing:
SENTENCE COMBINING WITH AND AND BUT
Describing a street
Part VII: REVIEW OF THE SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE AND THE
PRESENT PROGRESSIVE
Roommate Trouble
Unit 25 PRESENT AND PRESENT PROGRESSIVE;HOW OFTEN . . .?;
ADVERBS AND EXPRESSIONS OF FREQUENCY
Radio talk show psychologist:
How often do you clean your apartment?
Unit 26 NON-ACTION VERBS
Vacation choices:
Bora Borahas perfect weather and white sand beaches.
Unit 27 VERBS PLUS NOUNS, GERUNDS, AND INFINITIVES
Career choices:
What do you enjoy doing?
Unit 28 POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES AND POSSESSIVE PRONOUNS
An apology:
I think that's mine.
Review or SelfTest
From Grammar to Writing:
ORGANIZATION: TIME MARKERS
Describing a day in the life of a friend or relative
PART VIII: REVIEW OF THE SIMPLE PAST TENSE; NEGATIVE QUESTIONS; THE FUTURE
Is Love Blind?
Unit 29 REVIEW OF THE SIMPLE PAST TENSE; NEGATIVE QUESTIONS
A May-December romance:
Isn't that an engagement ring?
Unit 30 WH- QUESTIONS IN THE SIMPLE PAST TENSE
A quiz show:
Who painted "The Night Watch"?
Unit 31 BE GOING TO FOR THE FUTURE; FUTURE AND PAST TIME MARKERS
A telephone conversation:
I'm going to see the ear, nose, and throat doctor.
Unit 32 WILL FOR THE FUTURE
TV news report about lottery winners:
I'll probably travel.
Review or SelfTest
From Grammar to Writing:
TIME CLAUSES WITH WHEN
Writing about your life
PART IX: NOUNS, ARTICLES, AND QUANTIFIERS; MODALS I
Carol and Yoko Have a Party
Unit 33 COUNT AND NON-COUNT NOUNS AND QUANTIFIERS
A recipe for vegetable soup:
There's one zucchini, a few carrots, and some yams.
Unit 34 QUESTIONS WITH ANY / SOME / HOW MUCH / HOW MANY;
QUANTIFIERS; CONTAINERS
Health and Fitness Magazine survey:
Are you getting enough exercise?
Unit 35 CAN AND COULD FOR ABILITY AND POSSIBILITY; MAY I, CAN I, AND COULD I FOR POLITE REQUESTS
A con artist:
In three weeks you can look like him.
Unit 36 MAY OR MIGHT FOR POSSIBILITY
A weather report:
By Thursday we might see the sun.
Unit 37 DESIRES, INVITATIONS, REQUESTS: WOULD LIKE, WOULD YOU LIKE . . .? WOULD YOU PLEASE . . .?
A modern matchmaker's questionnaire:
I'd like my spouse to be generous.
Review or SelfTest
From Grammar to Writing:
A BUSINESS LETTER
Writing a letter to a university
PART X: COMPARISONS; THE PAST PROGRESSIVE
You Can Win More Bears with Honey
Unit 38 COMPARATIVE FORM OF ADJECTIVES
Leaving a job:
He's much happier and much more relaxed.
Unit 39 ADVERBS OF MANNER AND COMPARATIVE FORMS OF ADVERBS
An essay about public speaking:
Speak briefly, slowly, and clearly.
Unit 40 ADJECTIVE + ENOUGH; TOO / VERY; AS + ADJECTIVE / ADVERB + AS
A perfectionist:
It's way too small.
Unit 41 THE PAST PROGRESSIVE
An embarrassing situation:
We thought they were having a party.
Review or SelfTest
From Grammar to Writing:
THE ORDER OF ADJECTIVES BEFORE NOUNS
Finishing a story, "I was walking down the street when . . ."
PART XI: MODALS II; THE SUPERLATIVE
Carol's News
Unit 42 SHOULD, SHOULDN'T, OUGHT TO, HAD BETTER, AND HAD BETTER NOT
White lies:
What should I say?
Unit 43 HAVE TO, DON'T HAVE TO, MUST, MUSTN'T
How people learn languages:
I don't have to learn everything perfectly.
Unit 44 SUPERLATIVE FORM OF ADJECTIVES AND ADVERBS
Interviews:
What are the best years of your life?
Review or SelfTest
From Grammar to Writing:
EXPRESSING AND SUPPORTING AN OPINION
Responding to an e-mail
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
REVIEW OF VERB TENSES AND MODALS
Teenagers and their parents
REVIEW OF VERB TENSES AND COMPARISONS
Comparing a big city and a small town
REVIEW OF VERB TENSES, NOUNS AND QUANTIFIERS
Weddings
APPENDICES
1 Map of the World
2 Map of the United 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 Plural Nouns: Spelling and Pronunciation Rules
8 Possessive Nouns
9 Non-count Nouns and Names of Containers
10 The Definite Article
11 Verb Tenses
12 Base Forms and Past-Tense Forms of Common Irregular Verbs
13 The Present Progressive: Spelling Rules
14 The Simple Present Tense: Spelling and Pronunciation Rules
15 The Simple Past Tense: Spelling and Pronunciation Rules
16 Comparisons with Adjectives and Adverbs
17 Models
18 Pronunciation Table
