Creative Grammar by Indira Ramaswamy

About the book

A non-native speaker of the English language is generally apprehensive about grammar and perceives it as a tough area, often feeling intimidated by its nuances. The rules of grammar of any language offer challenges to be mastered. If these challenges are faced with an inquisitive and analytical mind putting vocabulary and grammar on the same platform, mastering a language will become an interesting as well as an enlightening experience. Creative Grammar aims at easing the apprehensions of non-native speakers of English through creative and interesting modes. The learning here is aimed at triggering the right side of the brain rather than the structured left side. In this aspect, this book is a little different from the traditional school-book grammar.

Language has two main components – vocabulary and grammar. If a sentence has to make sense, it has to be semantically and grammatically correct. The words that are chosen should be the most apt ones and the structure should be right. With this intention, the chapters in this book would deal with both these aspects. While grammar in its traditional form would be explained, the exercises and the explanations would be based on the real-time usage of words.

Creative Grammar is meant for those who have been exposed to the basics of grammar; it can be called a reinforcement of the technicalities learnt at the secondary and higher school levels and aims at perfecting the art of writing or speaking error-free English through a practical, analytical mode.

It is hoped that Creative Grammar would be of great help to students in learning the right usage of the English language.

About the author

Indira Ramaswamy, Associate Professor, Department of English, Christ University, Bangalore has been teaching ‘English Language and Literature’ at undergraduate level and ‘Communication’ at postgraduate level for the past 27 years. 

She has been a resource person for training programme for 12 batches of HAL Management Trainees on Communication Skills (between July 2006 and April 2007) and UGC sponsored workshop for BBM and BCA students at SJR College in Bangalore (in April 2008). She has also organized workshops on Interpersonal Skills for postgraduate students at Christ University.

Contents

Foreword 

Preface 

Acknowledgements 

1. The Link between Input and Structure

2. Make Grammatical Sense of Sentences

3. The World of Verbum 

4. Connect with Clauses and Phrases 

5. Articulate Well with Articles 

6. Proper Positioning of Prepositions 

7. Be Punctilious with Punctuation 

8. Communicate Clearly, Correctly and Creatively 

Appendices 

Appendix 1: Worksheets 

Appendix 2: Common Mistakes 

Keys to Tasks and Worksheets 

References 

Recommendations

Any other mediocre routine textbook would easily have taken ‘n’ number of chapters to explain similar concepts. However in Creative Grammar the coverage has been done very intelligently in a concise and exciting manner making this new book appealing for its ‘no burden’ approach.

Dr. Neera Singh (Indira Gandhi National Open University) 

This new book presents difficult concepts related to English grammar in a convincing manner, facilitating exciting ways of teaching and learning. The book is embedded with rich examples in the form of excerpts taken from multiple sources enabling the learner easily understand the various grammatical functions of English language.

Dr. Shashi S Singh (Amity Institute of English Studies and Research)