Available Formats
Paperback, 2nd edition
Published: 17th October 2019
Paperback, 3rd edition
Published: 11th December 2025
Hardback, 3rd edition
Published: 11th December 2025
Advanced English Grammar: A Linguistic Approach
By (Author) Ilse Depraetere
By (author) Dr Chad Langford
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Bloomsbury Academic
11th December 2025
3rd edition
United Kingdom
Professional and Scholarly
Non Fiction
Language acquisition
428.24
Hardback
552
Width 156mm, Height 234mm
With more than 50 years of teaching experience between them, Ilse Depraetere and Chad Langford present a grammar pitched precisely at advanced learners of English who need to understand how the English language really works without getting stalled in the complex specifics.
Now fully updated and revised throughout, the third edition of this book pulls all of the relevant ideas from linguistic theory to support the language student to fully understand English grammar. After introducing form and function, the authors cover verbs, nouns, aspect and tense, modality and discourse. Readers are led through the underlying principles of language use, with the book presupposing only a basic grasp of linguistic terminology and focusing on the critical issues.
This new edition includes updated examples from the press to represent a wider breadth of English language publications, including examples not only from The Guardian and the New York Times, but also from Indian and African publications. The new system to cross-reference all exercises with the core text in each chapter with discreet marginal notes makes the link between theory and practice more explicit. This edition also includes a new appendix of important phrasal verbs at an advanced level.
Full of challenging exercises and supported by a companion website featuring an extensive answer key, a glossary and further exercises for study, this is the reference grammar of choice for both native and non-native English speakers.
In my opinion Advanced English Grammar is the best available pedagogical reference grammar of English. Though informed by concepts from functional and structural linguistics, the book shines with clear and accessible description, centred around real-life examples of how English is spoken and written. * Cliff Goddard, Professor inLinguistics, Griffith University, Australia *
This book will serve advanced students, teachers, and language professionals as a reliable guide on English grammar. It also lays the groundwork for the study of linguistics, introducing key terminology, alongside many exercises to train students linguistic awareness. The book stands out for its clarity and ambitious yet balanced coverage. * Professor Hendrik De Smet, University of Leuven, Belgium *
I highly recommend this third edition of Depraetere and Langford's Advanced English Grammar. I have used the first and second editions with undergraduates for over a decade. They provide precise yet accessible grammatical explanations. Well-designed exercises help students engage with the theoretical concepts, enhancing their command of English. * Philip Miller, Professor of English Linguistics, Universit Paris Cit, France *
Ilse Depraetere is Professor of English Linguistics at the University of Lille, France.
Chad Langford is Head of Foreign Language Teaching for Continuing Studies at the Centre for Languages (CLIL) at the University of Lille, France.