Elvis Ho Ping Kwong wrote: > > I am a fresh graduate from a local university in Hong Kong. Luckily I > will have a chance to teach at a local secondary school in the next > school year. I would like to read some grammar reference books. Should I > obtain a copy of A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language by R. > Quirk, et al? A comprehensive grammar is a very good reference to have. Here in the States it now sells for about $175. Given the situation you are in, I would recommend to grammars specifically designed for non-native speakers. 1) Cobuild Grammar. It is specifically designed for non-native speakers. It describes British English; however, that should probably be the target grammar in Hong Kong. (In the States, this almost impossible to find.) 2) For understanding the structure of English with recommendations for teaching those structures to non-native speakers, I recommend The Grammar Book (2nd ed.) by Celce-Murcia and Larsen-Freeman. This is written by Americans, but I think you will find references to British English when there are marked differences from American English. Bob Yates, Central Missouri State University