Schaum’s Outline of English Grammar

Grammar books should be as sparkling and as vivacious as may be, but not too superficial and trivial in style. These attributes can be found in Professor Eugene Ehrlich's book; the author presents a clear and lively picture of the English grammar. Available with answers -making it ideal for self-study-, the book seems to have been done to make material and exercises as straightforward as possible without any "catches" or special difficulties -including a glossary of grammatical terms that the author prepared with great care. In the first chapter, the one I liked most, Professor Ehrlich expounds the principal elements of the sentence (the verb, the subject, the direct and indirect object of the verb and modifiers) that no one bothers to comment. Furthermore, he stresses the difference between a clause (a logical grouping of words that DOES contain a subject or verb) and a phrase (a logical grouping of words that DOES NOT) a distinction that no one bothers to make. But as you peruse the book you will quickly realize the absence of major English grammar structures such as the rules that govern the possessive, the double genitive, an exaustive explanation of the use of articles, and phrasal verbs; topics that are a big headache for those who learn English as a foreign language. I certainly recommend the purchase of the book but I hope Professor Ehrlich will rectify these flaws in a fourth edition to deliver his wish expressed in the third ("...This third edition of English Grammar was developed to make the study of English grammar as current and as effective as possible for all students whether or not English in their first language...").