Grammar in Use Intermediate with Answers: Self-study Reference and Practice for Students of English [Paperback]

Raymond Murphy (Author), William R. Smalzer (Author)

Book Description

Series: Grammar in Use | Publication Date: August 15, 2000

Each unit of the Student's Book is a two-page spread that teaches a specific grammar point on the left-hand page, and provides practice exercises on the right. The new edition includes an Audio CD and nine units of new material. Two entirely new sections have also been added: Additional Exercises, which give students the opportunity to consolidate what they have learned; and the Study Guide, which helps students figure out which units they need to study. An answer key is included in the back of the book. An edition without answers is also available.

Editorial Reviews

Book Description

Each unit of the Student's Book is a two-page spread that teaches a specific grammar point on the left-hand page, and provides practice exercises on the right. The new edition includes an Audio CD and nine units of new material. Two entirely new sections have also been added: Additional Exercises, which give students the opportunity to consolidate what they have learned; and the Study Guide, which helps students figure out which units they need to study. An answer key is included in the back of the book. An edition without answers is also available.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press; 2 edition (August 15, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 052162598X
• ISBN-13: 978-0521625982
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #255,731 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

75 of 78 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Concise, Clear, and Practical, April 2, 2003

By 

Eric H. Roth "English teacher/conversationali... (Venice Beach, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Grammar in Use Intermediate with Answers: Self-study Reference and Practice for Students of English (Paperback)

Raymond Murphy's "Grammar in Use" series (Cambridge University Press) provides concise exercises, clear examples, a simple format, and a systematic approach to learning English grammar. It's almost ideal for self-study since each lesson (unit) can stand alone and unit answers can be easily found and understood.

Plus, the "Grammar in Use" books cost about half as much as the other "classsic" texts like Betty Azar's overrated and impractical "Fundamentals of English Grammar." Administrators and teachers, especially ones working with immigrants and refugees, should consider price and practicality when choosing texts.

Just compare "Grammar in Use" with Azar's "Fundamentals of English Grammar." Murphy's text uses 340 pages to explain esential grammar points while Azar takes almost 600 pages to overwhelm students with exceptions to rules. Murphy's book focuses on common expressions and everyday language; Azar's thick book offers the drill and kill approach to learning languages.

Granted, many ESL teachers have an almost religious faith in the Azar series. They can recycle their grammar lessons year after year. But the Azar series costs far too much, weighs too much, and contains far too many impractical exercises of limited practicality. ESL Teachers may find the Azar's grammar charts fascinating, but adult students will find Murphy's series helps them actually using English at work, school, home, and shopping. What is the goal, anyway?

Since immigrants and refugees don't need, want, or have the time to master these often silly grammar distinctions without a difference, I strongly recommend Cambridge University' "Grammar in Use" series. Don't busy adult students deserve an accessible, practical grammar text?

I don't usually like requiring grammar books for adult ESL classes. The desire to speak "correct" English can sometimes morph into a strange cult of some idealized English that one can't find spoken in American cities. Still, Murphy's clear exercises avoid this common pitfall by focusing on essential grammar points, using practical examples, and skipping over the peculiar oddities that mesmerize too many grammar fundamentalists. This affordable book lives up to its title and helps students learn English by using the language.

Finally, "Grammar In Use" stands out as the most student-friendly grammar series that I've seen in a decade of teaching English composition and ESL. Buy it.

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best self-study book out there, January 29, 2004

By 

Timothy Farnsworth (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Grammar in Use Intermediate with Answers: Self-study Reference and Practice for Students of English (Paperback)

As a teacher of ESL, I can wholeheartedly recommend the Murphy books as a grammar reference. The clear explanations and succint, usable exercises promote understanding and don't bog students down with less-than-useful detail. It works well for self-study and especially for homework exercises. Murphy might also be useful for the beginning teacher of ESL, who often is expected to teach grammar that he/she is unprepared to explain. Overall, the book does exactly what it sets out to do.

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A good fit for some students, a bad fit for others. . ., February 7, 2007

By 

a writing teacher (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Grammar in Use Intermediate with Answers: Self-study Reference and Practice for Students of English (Paperback)

This book does *not* teach English the way academics say it ought to be spoken and written; it teaches English the way most people speak it. (For instance, it teaches students to write "None of them are. . ." instead of "None of them is. . .", a classic usage mistake very common among native speakers.) Whether this is good or bad depends on the goals of your students.

I have taught from this book for four years, but have never come to rely on it fully, because it is a bad fit for any student who is preparing for college in the U.S. The SAT Writing (and many other high-stakes exams) require *academically correct* grammar. So do most high school and college instructors.

Since absolute, academic correctness is not the primary goal of this book, it does not go into the detail of Azar's Fundamentals of Grammar. On the one hand, this makes it a less informative, less complete text. On the other hand, it's a much friendlier, easy-to-understand introduction.

I often teach a concept from this book first, and then, if necessary, I go over the same concept in Azar's Fundamentals of Grammar. However, that's an expensive option because it requires two textbooks. I would say that this book is your best bet *if* you are looking for an intermediate textbook geared toward "getting along" in the English language. However, if your students are aiming to excel in the U.S. education system, you should look elsewhere.