Dr. Yates, Thank you for your information. Actually I have one copy of the Cobuild Grammar, and have read about 2 out of the 10 chapters. The Cobuild Grammar costs about US$20 (HK$140) in Hong Kong. One of my professors who teaches pedagogical grammar also recommends me to buy the Grammar Book. Since I can't find one in any bookstore in Hong Kong, I ordered one copy from Amazon.com early last month, and I hope it will be shipped to me very soon. Best regards, Elvis Ho Bob Yates ????(R)e?¢X: > 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