Review Text - Practical English Usage

Same with all languages in this world, English is full of problems for the foreign learner. Many questions need the explanations and information clearly. The book which consists of many problem points in the language and the solutions for foreign learners and their teachers is very required.

This book is a practical references guide to all questions in English. Over of 600 points which are regularly cause problems for foreign students of English. Most of the points treat about grammar but there are also explanations of a certain number of common vocabulary problems. Another content of this book is numerous examples of natural spoken and written in British English with the illustrations of differences between British and American usage. Beside it, this book also has many illustrations of stylistic differences such as the differences between formal and informal usage and the differences between spoken and written language. With the examples of common mistakes, it will be most useful to a student who has made a mistake and wants to find out why it is wrong or a teacher who is looking for a clear explanation of a difficult point of grammar or vocabulary. In addition, every explanation is completed with the cross references between related entries. Furthemore, index at the back of this book will make you find the points that you need quickly.

In essentials, this book is good reference book for intermediate and advanced students and for teachers of English. Being a reference book, it contains information distinctly at various levels, ranging from relatively simple points to advance problems. On the other hand, this book is not a systematic course in English grammar therefore students should consult the other book for a systematically organized account of the whole of English grammar. It is because this book gives explanations of individual points usage but does not show how the separate points ‘fit together’. Nevertheless, Practical English Usage is much recommended for all learners and teachers who need a guide book in the learning and teaching process seriously and deeply.

Michael Swan, Published by Oxford University Press, 1995, 658 pages.