Acknowledgements................................................................................................. iv

Foreword by Professor Ambrose Yeo-chi King................................................................ v

Preface.................................................................................................................... vii



PART 1 Getting Oriented

1. What Hinders You from Writing Good English?................................................................ 2

2. What is Good Written English?.......................................................................................... 9

3. Learning English Skills.................................................................................................... 16



PART 2 Learning the Skills

4. Recognize the Main Word Classes................................................................................... 20

5. Use Verbs Correctly......................................................................................................... 31

6. Observe Subject-Verb Agreement.................................................................................... 56

7. Distinguish between Countable and Uncountable Nouns................................................. 73

8. Observe Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement and Keep Pronoun References Clear............... 91

9. Know When to Use Articles (a/an, the).......................................................................... 100

10. Use Adjectives and Adverbs to Modify...........................................................................114

11. Use Prepositions to Say Many Different Things............................................................ 141

12. Know Your Phrases and Clauses.................................................................................... 167

13. Distinguish between Restrictive and Non-restrictive Relative Clauses.......................... 178

14. Use Participial Phrases to Say Something About the Subject......................................... 188

15. Use Coordination or Subordination to Show the Relative Importance of Two Ideas...... 199

16. Use Conditional Sentences to Talk about Real and Unreal Possibilities..........................211

17. Put Related Items in Parallel Structure........................................................................... 222

18. Strengthen Your Word Skills.......................................................................................... 235

19. Use Punctuation Carefully to Enhance Your Writing...................................................... 257

20. Know How to Write Reported Speech............................................................................ 283

21. Write Clearly and Effectively I...................................................................................... 300

22. Write Clearly and Effectively II..................................................................................... 315



PART 3 Guide to Using Words Properly.......................................................... 338

Appendix (Irregular verbs)................................................................................ 411

Answers to Exercises (Chapters 4-22)............................................................... 416

Suggested References (with annotations)......................................................... 437

Index...................................................................................................................... 443



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Preface



Why I wrote this book



　　Learning English is a common experience among students, but not many have learned it well enough to be able to use English competently and confidently. Errors of grammar and usage keep appearing in the writing of students at both secondary and tertiary levels. Deficiencies in English skills follow them as they enter the work world and could well hold them back in their career development. In a global world of multifaceted communications across all fields and occupations, good English skills matter enormously. The sooner learners of English realize this and the more actively they strengthen their English ability, the more likely they are to gain in confidence, self-esteem, and social recognition, and thus the greater their chances of doing better in life, whatever jobs they may hold.



　　I believe firmly that if one is willing and determined to put one’s mind to learning the basic elements of how English words are organized into meaningful sentences and is ready to cultivate languageuse habits that serve to sharpen language awareness, there is no reason why one cannot gradually master the language to express ideas properly and effectively. It is with this conviction that I have written this book, which, I hope, should help committed learners of English to attain their goal.



　　How this book came about



　　During my teaching career (in sociology) at The Chinese University of Hong Kong from 1971 to 2015, I often paid special attention to students’ grammatical errors and various other deficiencies (e.g., incoherence, wordiness, inadequate vocabulary) in their English written work. In 1994, my Department recognized the need for offering a specially designed course to enhance students’ English writing ability and asked me to fill this role. I gladly accepted and designed a new course, called initially “Writing for Sociology” and later “Research Writing”. I started teaching it in 1995 until 2015 when I retired. The course covered the whole academic writing process, with considerable attention given to matters of grammar, proper usage, and effective sentences.



　　After teaching the writing course for about seven years, I wrote a text-cum-reference book titled Effective Writing: A Guide for Social Science Students, published by The Chinese University Press in 2003. The course, with Effective Writing as textbook, was warmly received by students every year. That rewarding experience inspired me to work on the present book soon after I retired. This new volume differs from Effective Writing in that it focuses on a much broader range of grammatical and usage topics. Familiarity with them surely helps to develop the ability to write well. This new work will offer help to students and non-students alike who want to improve their English writing competence.



　　What I have seen over the past four decades or so in the English writing of tertiary students shows there is clearly a burning need for improvement. Chinese-speaking learners of English have a variety of characteristic difficulties with English to cope with (e.g., the number attribute of nouns, English Skills for Better Writing viii verb tenses, use of articles and prepositions, choice and use of words, idiomatic combinations of words, sentence structure). Unless they make a conscious effort to overcome these difficulties, they will keep making the same kinds of errors that prevent their writing from being clear and effective. Teachers of English in schools also need to induce their students to pay much greater attention to the basic facts of grammar and usage simply because these matters can make a big difference between poor and good writing. This book is written with such a purpose in mind.



　　What does this book cover?



　　The content of this book is divided into three main parts:



　　Part 1 Getting oriented. Two important questions must be clarified to set you going in the right direction: First, what hinders you from writing good English? Second, what counts as good written English? They are discussed in the first two chapters. I hope and expect that you will read them carefully to (a) have a clear idea of what good written English is, and (b) be aware of what it is that you have not done enough and what kind of attitude you need to adopt to improve your ability to write well in English.



　　Part 2 Learning the skills.



　　These skills are essential for writing good English. I have selected those skills that, in my opinion, play a significant role in writing sentences that are not only grammatically correct but also effective in expressing ideas clearly and idiomatically. Naturally, these skills cover a wide range of requirements that a careful writer should always bear in mind and strive to meet. I believe every learner of English should make a special effort to understand them well. Ideally, given sufficient attention and carefulness in writing practice, these skills should become habitual and even instinctive.



　　Exercises are given at the end of all the chapters (4 to 22) in this part of the book. I strongly encourage you to do them to reinforce your understanding of the material.



　　Part 3 Guide to using words properly.



　　This is a convenient guide to about 300 troublesome words and phrases that are often misused because of insufficient or inadequate knowledge. By studying the given explanations and example sentences, you will soon learn to use these words and phrases properly. The words and phrases that I have included are based on a large amount of student writing I have read over several decades.



　　Who will benefit from this book?



　　All learners and users of English who wish to improve their command of English should benefit from this book, especially when it contains over 2,000 example sentences. I have purposely written this book in English so that readers have more of an opportunity to accustom themselves to reading and understanding English. Learning English through English can be immensely effective. To Preface ix maximize your English competence, it is necessary to see the language in action. As you become more competent, you will be thinking in English too.



　　You may be (a) a senior secondary, undergraduate, or postgraduate student, (b) a schoolteacher of English, or (c) a holder of a job in which written English is much used. You can use the book on your own and delve into any topic that interests you after reading the first three chapters.



　　Students. Students preparing for public examinations or tests such as the HKDSE and IELTS will find the book helpful. Undergraduates and postgraduates can also learn much from the book to write better papers and theses.



　　The language used in the book is, as far as possible, plain, and clear, although you may sometimes need to consult a good dictionary (with English explanations and example sentences to illustrate correct usage). Looking up a dictionary is an important habit and a vital part of the effort needed to upgrade your English. A good dictionary should be your constant companion. Pay close attention to how words and expressions are used in the context of sentences and try to become familiar with various sentence patterns, which can serve as models for your learning.



　　Teachers. Not only students but schoolteachers of English will also find this book useful. Teachers can use this book to strengthen their understanding of how good grammar and proper usage of words can facilitate effective expression of ideas. Teachers can also use material in this book as reference in selecting those aspects of English grammar and usage that they wish to teach their students.



　　At the same time, they can raise their students’ awareness of the errors they commonly make and show them how such errors may be avoided. If little or no effort is made to recognize and correct language errors, they will tend to reappear and become ever harder to be got rid of. Writing infested with errors will remain poor in quality, becoming an obstacle to effective expression and communication.



　　Working adults. Adults working in jobs requiring much written communication in English can use this volume as a handbook to refresh and expand their knowledge of grammar and usage and to look up words whose use they are not sure of. This book can help them write better memos, announcements, business letters, minutes of meetings, project proposals, and reports of various kinds. A better writer can become a better colleague, team member, or manager because a better communicator earns more credibility and respect.



　　All set to go!



　　Now you are prepared to make the best use of this book to improve your English. Study it diligently and use it often to acquire a good grasp of how English works so that you will have a firm foundation upon which to develop your writing ability. Provided you work steadily and persistently through the book and do the exercises conscientiously (without looking at the answers first) and try to apply what you learn in anything you write, you will be surprised to see how much your written English will improve. I hope you will find reading this book rewarding.