Fundamentals Of English Grammar

Preface to the

Third Edition

Fundamentals of English Grammar is a developmental skills text for lower-intermediate
and intermediate students of English as a second or foreign language. It combines clear
and understandable grammar information with a variety of exercises and activities.
FundammtaLF of English Gmmmar is the second in a series of three texts: Bmic English
, .. Gmmmar (red cover), Fundamentak ofEnglish Grammar (black cover), and Understanding
and Using English Grammar (blue cover).
.I The principal aims of all three texts in this series are to present clear, cogent
information about English grammar and usage, to provide extensive and varied practice
that encourages growth in all areas of language use, and to be interesting, useful, and fun
for student and teacher alike. The approach is eclectic, with the texts seeking to balance
form-focused language-learning activities with abundant opportunities for engaged and
purposeful communicative interaction.
The new editions of the texts in the Azar Grammar Series include these changes:
The communicative aspects are more fully developed and explicit in the third
editions. This edition of Fundamentals of English Grammar includes a greatly
increased number of "real communication" opportunites for the teacher to exploit.
The text often uses the students' own life experiences as context and regularly
introduces topics of interest to stimulate the free expression of ideas in structured as
well as open discussions.
The Azar Grammar Series texts support the view of many experienced teachers
that grammar-based and communicative approaches are not murually exclusive, but
rather mutually supportive, and can advantageously co-exist in the same language
program, even in the same class, even in the same lesson.
Similarly, the interactive aspects of the texts receive greater emphasis in the third
editions. Many of the exercises formerly designated ORAL or ORAL (BOOKS CLOSED)
are now reformatted to be more clearly available for pair work or group work, in
addition to still being viable as class work led by a teacher. This edition of
FundammtaLF of English Gmmmar encourages interactivity but leaves it open for the
users to decide what degree of interactivity best suits their needs.
There is now an even wider variety of exercise types. This edition has a much larger
number of free-response exercises and open-ended communicative tasks, while still
providing ample controlled-response exercises to aid initial understanding of the
form, meaning, and usage of the target structures. It also includes more writing
topics, more speaking activities, new error-analysis exercises in every chapter, and

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