Practical English Usage

What I like about this book:For anyone learning English as a Second Language, or anyone who has to teach it, this book is indispensable. It covers issues of usage, not grammar (eg: When is the present perfect tense used, not how to form it.) It is designed for international students etc. as can be seen in the entries on 'false friends' like 'sympathetic' with reference to other European languages. I love the way Swan deals with language as it is actually used (he weighs in on the who/whom debate by giving details on what people do say, rather than what they ought. Other good features include a list of swear-words with a rating to help give an indication of their strength. As a native English speaker, I too have found this book very useful (it is slowly teaching me the monstrous spelling rule and irregularities of the English language).What I dislike about this book:Can't fault it. Perhaps the SMS abbreviations are quite dated even a couple of years on. But documenting in print youth abbreviations in Email/SMS etc. are a problem with no solution.Where to from here:'Practical' 'English' Usage'. It does everything it says on the box, and does it well. If that is what you need, this is the book you need.

I found this book to be very useful during a Pre-intermediate ESOL class I was observing. Whilst the class were working and I were taking down some notes, Joanna (the teacher) kindly handed me Practical English Usage by Michael Swan. I thanked her, but thought aw yeah, this is going to be another one of those grammar books (where everything id hard to find. As I opened it though, I found it surprisingly easy to use. So much so, that I quickly noted down the book's name and author in bold.I looked in all the book stores in Browns Bay for it and disappointingly realizing this would be a specialized book order, went home and had to ordered it online.Thanks. This book will come in very handy in my future as an ESOL teacher.

There is truly no other book like it. It categorizes Common English Usage so easily that you can look up "over" and find what the difference is between "over" and "above". It explains things very clearly and I must say I have not run across any explanation than seems unclear or lacks detail. I used this book heavily while teaching English in Hungary and it is an excellent book for teachers to have, as well as learners of English. I must say though it is a rather advanced book in the sense that someone who does not understand basic English grammar already might have some problems with the explanations. Have fun reading guys!

Detailed and comprehensive guide to the usage of English in today's world. Swan managed to create an extremely thick book, along with indexes that facilitate word search. I wasn't really expecting the volume, but I guess it was a pleasant surprise; overwhelming actually. Highly recommended for linguists and intermediate/advanced learners of English.

Exelente libro. Lo recomendaria para personas que ya estan en pre intermedio en adelante.

Excellent book for those who wish to learn the particular nuances of the English language.I bought this book for someone from South Korea and most of the time he makes an error, I don't pay attention.His English was poor when we met. He's totally immersed in the English language now that he's living in Canada. When he asks me "why" a particular phrase is used, I am often stuck to explain the grammatical syntax. Fortunately, this book answers these questions, and then some...I'd highly recommend this book for those who have a foundation of the language and want to improve their grammatical skills.

Like it.

I have just started using this book and I already think that's actually useful. It is not an English course, it is more similar to an handbook. If I need an explanation about one grammar rule I don't remember it's very easy to find the right explanation on Practical English Usage. Every argument is clear and well explained with all the exceptions. I think the only defect is the complete absence of the phrasal verbs, but Oxford made also an addendum I didn't buy yet. This book I think it's not good for beginners but it could be useful for intermediate and advanced learners.