Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

English Grammar in Use

English Grammar in Use Book without Answers: A Reference and Practice Book for Intermediate Learners of English

Rate this book
English Grammar in Use Fourth edition is an updated version of the world's best-selling grammar title. It has a fresh, appealing new design and clear layout, with revised and updated examples, but retains all the key features of clarity and accessibility that have made the book popular with millions of learners and teachers around the world. This 'without answers' version is suitable for reinforcement work in the classroom. An online version, book with answers and book with answers and CD-ROM are available separately.

342 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1985

742 people are currently reading
8728 people want to read

About the author

Raymond Murphy

129 books152 followers
Raymond Murphy's legendary titles are known and loved the world over, and have given literally millions of students the tools they need to tackle English grammar head-on. Raymond taught English as a foreign language for 17 years in Germany and the UK, but since 1988 has been a full-time writer of EFL materials.

He is the author of the following best-selling Cambridge titles:
Essential Grammar in Use, English Grammar in Use, Basic Grammar in Use, Grammar in Use.

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
1,161 (59%)
4 stars
476 (24%)
3 stars
185 (9%)
2 stars
56 (2%)
1 star
83 (4%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 134 reviews
Profile Image for Exina.
1,269 reviews413 followers
March 18, 2019
English Grammar in Use was a required reading for my studies and I still use it sometimes. It's one of my favorite language books.
Profile Image for Salem.
231 reviews5 followers
March 8, 2016

هذا الكتاب من أشهر كتب القرامر
ولا يحتاج كثير من التقديم...

ولكن لمن لم يسمع به من قبل
فهذا مرجع بسيط مصمم لتدرسه بنفسك
من دون الحاجة إلى معلم

يتكون من 145 وحدة
شاملة لأغلب قواعد الانجليزية
كل وحدة تتكون من صفحتين متقابلتين
واحدة للشرح وأخرى للتمارين
" التمارين الكثيرة والمنوعة أهم ميزة لهذا الكتاب "

وهو مخصص لمن هم في المستوى المتوسط أو دون المتوسط
pre-intermediate/intermediate
أما أصحاب المستوى المتقدم فأنصحهم بهذا الكتاب
Advanced Grammar in Use: A Self-Study Reference and Practice Book for Advanced Learners of English
وهو من نفس سلسلة In-Use books

همسة:
تعلم القرامر أمر مهم
ولكن الأهم منه
كثرة التمرين والممارسة




Profile Image for Preetam Chatterjee.
5,366 reviews247 followers
December 11, 2024
#English Grammar books and me -- an unending love affair:

This book is a gold standard for intermediate English learners, offering a rock-hard foundation for mastering grammar. Its ordered construction, real-world exercises, and self-study compatibility make it an obligatory tool. Though it may need supplementary materials for progressive fluency or communication practice, its strengths far outweigh its limitations. Whether you are a student, teacher, or independent learner, Murphy’s book is an investment in linguistic confidence and competence. Firstly, the book addresses a wide range of grammar topics, from basic verb tenses to more nuanced issues like modal verbs and reported speech. Each concept is explained with precision, ensuring that learners can grasp the rules easily. Moreover, one of the book's most appreciated features is its clear, dual-page format. Each left-hand page presents and elucidates a grammar point with examples, while the analogous right-hand page affords exercises for practice. This arrangement is specifically helpful for those who prefer learning in small segments. The inclusion of answers makes this edition ideal for self-learners, allowing them to self-reliantly check their progress and correct errors. As an English instructor, I have observed that the exercises are varied and attentively designed, encouraging learners to apply grammatical rules in various contexts. This practical approach aids retention and helps bridge the gap between theory and real-world usage. As a staple reference for intermediate learners of English. Designed with clarity and practicality in mind, this book is highly effective for both self-study and classroom use. Its enduring popularity is a testament to its utility and quality. Either you're a student or a teacher, grab a copy immediately.
Profile Image for Danceangel.
177 reviews12 followers
January 8, 2012
If I could give this book a 10, I definitely would. This is the very book I learned and polished my grammar with, just by sitting and doing all the exercises, one by one, every day. Highly recommend!
Profile Image for Suzanne.
32 reviews
July 16, 2012
Grammar bible - my constant companion for over 18 years as a teacher of English as a foreign language.
Profile Image for Earl Grey Tea.
704 reviews34 followers
June 4, 2013
The order of the grammar points presented were not what I would consider the most ideal order. Also, a few items (especially conditionals) were not explained in away that would be intuitive to someone learning this for the first time.

Despite these flaws, the book did have a lot of explanations that could help people understand some of the finer points of different grammar patterns. Even the conditionals sections had some explanations of different aspects that could help clarify or reinforce the grammar point to students who already have a fairly solid understanding of conditionals.

I really like the explanation of 'adjectives + prepositions' and 'verbs + prepositions' at the end. They were lots of pages with lists of common preposition patterns and explanations to the meaning of these phrases. I think that this would especially helpful to Korean students since the wide variety of prepositions is not found in their language, and the average Korean learning English is prone to overlook the word when producing a sentence.

A lot of the practice problems were focus on accuracy with most of the activities being finishing the sentence with the correct pattern discussed on the previous page. There were a few activities that had the students describing a picture of situation with the correct grammar. I feel this is a much better form of practice (with a certain answer that can be found in the answer key) since it forces the student to learn to place the grammar pattern onto an appropriate situation.

There were lots of things that I was able to take away from this book and actually start using in my classroom right away. It will definitely be a book that I keep on hand when I need for information to explain a concept to my students.
Profile Image for Lord Beardsley.
383 reviews
Read
November 14, 2010
Can't really give this a star rating because...well...it's a text book. I had to read it for the Celta course (which is probably the reason any English speaker would read it). Yep, it gets the job done. Sometimes the British English made me question 1.) my sanity 2.) my language 3.) my humanity.
Profile Image for Ira Bespalova.
118 reviews84 followers
April 8, 2011
All Murphy's textbooks are awesome manuals to the English language. There are all levels from beginner to advanced. Loads of exercises, rules, useful advice. A free tutor of English at home!
Profile Image for Sergey Barsamyan.
55 reviews18 followers
August 19, 2011
Absolutely THE BEST ESL GRAMMAR BOOK. Raymond Murphy should've got Nobel for this masterpiece.
Profile Image for Katsumi.
652 reviews
July 18, 2012
This is one of the best grammar books I've ever found! Very didadict and with an easy to use step by step format (138 units) it's a very good source to the self-student (every unit has a lot of exercises and the book provide you with an answers guide at its end).
Profile Image for Vladimir.
123 reviews
March 31, 2018
This is the best self-study grammar book in the world!
Do you want to learn an English grammar from scratch? Or may be you just need to brush up your grammar skills. Nevermind, welcome to start reading.
You won't be disappointed.
Profile Image for Najia.
2 reviews
September 15, 2012


مبسط وجميل ياريت يدرس في المدارس بدل الكتب المعقدة التي لا يستفيد منها الطلبة
Profile Image for Eastofoz.
636 reviews403 followers
February 28, 2008
The second book in the "Grammar In Use series". Just as good as the first. Excellent grammar guide with simple rules and progressively difficult exercises. Review section is very good as is the summary pull-out grammar guide at the back. The entire "In Use" is top notch!
Profile Image for Tracey.
5 reviews6 followers
January 31, 2012
THE grammar resource for students (and teachers!). And the layout is completely user-friendly. Clear explanations and examples on the left, exercises on the right. My fave book for my ESL students for the past 12 yrs.
3 reviews
September 11, 2009
Best book in teaching GRAMMAR. Taught me all I know.
Profile Image for Mehrnoosh HKH.
81 reviews27 followers
September 18, 2021
کتاب خیلی خوبی بود.پر از مثال و تمرین و جواب.
به درد معلم های تازه کاری مثل من که توی توضیح دادن گرامر میلنگند میخوره.
باعث میشه بیشتر تسلط داشته باشی روی اون گرامر.
و البته که یه بخشی هم داره که گرامر های مرتبط با اون بخش رو به خوبی توضیح میده.
Profile Image for Fabio.
54 reviews
February 5, 2020
Indicado por minha grande professora de inglês, Carla Figueiredo Vieira ( carlafigueiredovieira@gmail.com ).
Profile Image for Mehdi Taba.
10 reviews1 follower
May 14, 2021
Simply the best English grammar book that I ever read in my entire life.

It's extremely informative, simple, great, useful, well-written and lots of other positive adjectives. LOL

If you know English and some grammar then it is your thing. Don't try to read books like this if you are an amateur, because it can make you bored and maybe even mislead you in some way. You need some basic backbone-like knowledge about English before starting something like this.

I've found a lot of questions with their simple answers and key to those dilemmas that I had in my mind for a long time in this book and thanked Mr Raymond Murphy in my head during reading this book more than a hundred times.

8.2/10
Profile Image for Michael Goodine.
Author 2 books12 followers
August 11, 2019
There are quite a few good grammar books available to students and teachers nowadays, but English Grammar in Use is still my favorite. A new fifth edition was published this year, and I will continue recommend it to students. Though it is advertised as a book for intermediate learners, I usually recommend it even to upper-intermediate and advanced students.

The 145 units in the book (and related appendices and extra exercises) make it a fairly comprehensive look at English grammar. With 34 years worth of revisions over the course of the book’s five editions some obvious thought has been put into how the information in the book is presented. It is remarkably easy to follow.

A moderate level of revision has occurred since the fourth edition was published in 2012. This seems to mostly have affected the organization of the exercises in the book, but the explanatory parts have been revised to some extent as well. On a shallower note, I’m happy to report that the illustrations in the book finally reflect a modern aesthetic – those in the fourth edition were not particularly attractive.

Overall, though, the book maintains the organization used since at least the second edition (the earliest I have in my collection). Each unit is two facing pages long. The left-hand page explains a specific grammar point, and the right-hand page includes exercises that students can work through. Answers are included at the end, though Cambridge does sell a version with those omitted. The seven appendices list verb forms, contractions, tricky spelling rules and notes about American English usage. There is also a study guide which might help students discover specific grammar points they should focus on.

Note that the units are grouped into logical chapters (present and past, modals, adjectives and adverbs, etc) rather than from “easy to difficult.” This isn’t a book that students work through from the beginning to end, but rather one where they focus on units covering their specific needs. The study guide might help, but they really need a teacher to show them the way. While the cover bills this as a “self-study guide,” it is better used as a supplement to classroom instruction or personal tutoring.

These activities pair well with Cambridge’s companion text English Grammar in Use Supplementary Exercises. That text was updated in 2019 to match the new edition of the main book. Obviously, it provides additional practice which matches the units in the main book. Keep in mind, though, that this book lumps units together, and not always in chronological order.

A Note About Editions

There is an American version of the book called Grammar in Use Intermediate . I always get the original English version since it is usually published first. However, it seems that in 2018, for the first time ever, the American version was released first. Go figure. Note that the American version is very similar, with just a few small differences.

There is also a version for Android and Apple devices, but it is based on the older fourth edition and the pricing kind of stinks – one free chapter (six units) and about $2.00 per chapter after that.
Profile Image for Bùi Hải.
17 reviews2 followers
March 17, 2017
I bought the 2nd edition of this book from the 11th grade and used it until I graduated university.
It's a great book for your self study with practical examples and situations. I highly recommend it for English learners from beginning to intermediate levels.

I have just one advice for my Vietnamese fellows: don't buy the bi-lingual version (Vietnamse-English). Because the nature of the book is learning from reading the examples (in use), not from remembering the grammar rules. You cannot learn a lot of English by reading the explanations in Vietnamese.

Profile Image for عادل المشهداني.
8 reviews1 follower
October 1, 2012
I'm using this book to improve my English as well I use it as a reference. Wonderful book for learners,you can explore all grammar with variety of examples and simplified manner. It contains alot of exercises.
I recommend it highly.
5 reviews
March 21, 2009
A good source for EFL and ESL learners,, i highly recommend it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 134 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.