Grammatical terminology has been kept to an absolute minimum in the belief that it should be used only when there is no alternative. If a point can be explained in language already familiar to the student, then it is so explained. It is hoped that the many exercises will prove enjoyable as well as useful in reinforcing the points examined.Students are frequently very unadventurous in their sentence construction and the book also deals with the structure of the simple sentence and the different ways in which it can be extended. Exercises in synthesis, compression and the conversion of direct speech to indirect speech give an opportunity for experimentation with syntax which many students need. The book is for class use and for individual study. The exercises are designed to enable all students to score high marks if they apply carefully the straightforward principles embodied in the text. Those studying at home can check their work by referring to the answers at the back of the book. This arrangement also makes it possible for a teacher or lecturer to direct a student’s attention to a particular section if he or she is persistently making errors with one construction.A quarter of a century ago a disproportionate amount of teaching time was spent on teaching English grammar. Finer points of grammatical dispute and difficulty were relished and many of the exercises seemed especially designed to ‘catch out’ the unwary student. Few would advocate a return to such practice but some grammatical principles must be taught to our present-day students if they are not to be disadvantaged. It is for this reason that this book has been written.