Description

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The English Grammar: Step by Step series gives beginning adult ESL students excellent practice in mastering basic grammatical concepts through their simple explanations, extensive practice, and clear, easy-to-use layout. The Level 1 grammar book begins with very basic grammar points such as the ability to use to be and to have in simple sentences, contractions, statements, and questions. Level 1 also teaches capitalization, punctuation, and parts of speech (nouns, verbs, and adjectives). The books are organized into five chapters. Each chapter has the same format: The left-hand page contains an explanation of the grammar point with several examples; the facing page provides practice exercises including fill-in-the-blanks, word-order unscrambles, and reading-comprehension questions related to a chart or paragraph. In both the Level 1 and Level 2 books, each chapter ends with a summary followed by three pages of review exercises that can also be used as a chapter test. Each book has an answer key in the back of the book, making it possible for students to use these books independently. Each book also includes a bilingual dictionary with pronunciation so that students can look up the spelling of words they need to complete the exercises. A free teacher’s manual called Teaching English: Step by Step – available as a gratis download at ProLinguaLearning.com – suggests ways in which the instructor can offer communicative lessons and put student knowledge of grammar to use in real world situations. Beyond these speaking activities, each teacher s book also includes many reproducible activity pages with vocabulary cards, listening exercises, and dictation. One characteristic that sets the Step by Step grammar series apart from other grammar books is that the differences between English and Spanish grammar are explicitly noted. Another highlight of these books is that they present material in smaller chunks than other grammar texts, making the grammar more manageable.

About the Author

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Elizabeth Weal, author of the English Grammar: Step by Step series, is an ESL teacher in Redwood City, CA. Most of her students are from Latin America. When she found that there was no easy book that explained English grammar in simple, easy-to-follow language, she wrote this series to address that important need. She is also the author of Writing in English: Step by Step, published by Pro Lingua Learning.