The Grammar Guru

Author(s):Patrick Duffley, Ryan Fisher

ISBN:9782924651452

Copyright:2017

Number of pages:209

Language:English

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Written in the form of a Socratic dialogue, the Grammar Guru is the first Grammar book written to instruct and entertain its readers – yes … entertain! Hirtle Walters, a.k.a. the Grammar Guru, is a retired linguistics professor who runs a pub-style restaurant not far from his former university campus. Louis Bonenfant is an English Studies student and aspiring English teacher who one day seeks out the Guru’s help. Through a series of weekly encounters with the Guru, Louis learns the difference between:

  • A verb’s state and action use.
  • The simple and progressive form as seen in sentences like I take three pills a day and I’m taking three pills a day or I like university and I’m liking university.
  • The simple past and present perfect form as in I lost my assignment and I’ve lost my assignment.
  • The present perfect and present perfect progressive form as in Your python has escaped and Your python has been escaping.
  • The modals can, could, may, might, will, shall, etc.
  • A real and an unreal condition.

Rather than inundate Louis with confusing rules and lifeless examples, the Guru instructs Louis on the meaning underlying the various grammatical forms. Through their encounters, Louis comes to the realization that the Guru’s meaning-based approach to teaching grammar and jocular character makes learning it much more rewarding and even fun. Also included in the book are a series of meaning-based exercises.

Patrick Duffley

Patrick Duffley

Patrick Duffley is a full-time linguistics professor at Laval University’s Faculté les lettres et sciences humaines. He has published extensively in the field of English semantics and is the author of the books The English Infinitive, The English Gerund-Participle and Sammy the Semanticist. He currently resides in Sillery, Quebec.

Publication(s) by this author

Ryan Fisher

Ryan Fisher

Ryan Fisher holds a Master’s degree in Linguistics from Laval University and has taught ESL at the Cégep and university level. In addition to co-authoring The Grammar Guru and The Return of the Grammar Guru he has also contributed to the series Looking Ahead and written The Grammar Geek. He currently teaches at Cégep Garneau in Quebec City and resides in Lévis, Quebec with his family.

Publication(s) by this author

In the same teaching field

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