Grammar Troublespots

Book excerpt: Grammar Troublespots, 3rd edition, provides an excellent aid for ESL writing students at the high intermediate level and above. It helps them identify and correct the typical errors that they are likely to make as they attempt to write, with the emphasis in this new edition on errors made in writing formal academic discourse. The book has 21 units. Each one examines an area of grammar, such as verb tense choice, article usage and modals, and then pinpoints the most troublesome grammar points within that area. Each unit provides a straightforward description of the grammar point, supported by plentiful clear examples, grammar charts and tables. The two-color new edition will be easier to use, with exercises such as error identification, error correction and sentence construction tasks consistently following each grammar point. Each unit ends with a writing assignment and a flowchart to help students diagnose their writing problems and edit their writing.