Nichts sagt mehr über eine Person aus, als die Beherrschung der Sprache - jeder, der Erfolg haben will, ob beruflich oder sozial, muß seine Muttersprache richtig sprechen. Dies zu lernen, kann schwierig sein - eine Hilfe beim Erlernen des Englischen gibt dieses Buch, dessen Autorin die Meinung vertritt, das Verständnis der Grammatik einer Sprache und nicht die Kenntnis unzähliger Regeln sei der Schlüssel zum richtigen Sprechen. (01/99)

PATRICIA OSBORN, a professional editor and writer, taught grammar for many years and was chair of the English Department at Bowsher High School in Toledo, Ohio.

THE ESSENTIALS OF LANGUAGE. What is Grammar, Anyway? Nouns: The Building Blocks of Sentences. Verbs: The Energy of Sentences. Complements: The Completion of the Verb. Pronouns: Getting Personal. Adjectives: The First Add-On. Adverbs: Add-On Number Two. Prepositions: Relating One Word to Another. Coordinating Conjunctions: One and One Makes Two. ACTION AND INTERACTION: THE SYSTEM AT WORK. Word Order is Part of Meaning. Just Enough Punctuation. The 5 W's and an H. The Amazing Word Be and its Many Faces. More About Pronouns and Nouns. Introducing the Verbals. More Punctuation: I Said, "May I Have Your Attention Please?" Combining Sentences. Keeping It Simple, Even When Sentences Get Complex. Verbs Do More: The Fine Points of Using Verbs. Questions of Usage: How Can Words Agree with One Another When People Don't. Forming Comparisons Correctly: A Matter of Degree. The Complete Sentence: Putting It All Together. Making the Right Choice. Index.