A Comprehensive Grammar of Contemporary English in Higher Education Studies

A COMPREHENSIVE GRAMMAR 
OF CONTEMPORARY ENGLISH 
IN HIGHER EDUCATION STUDIES
Е.Ю. АНДРЕЕВА
Москва
ИНФРА-М
2025
УЧЕБНИК

УДК 811.111+33(075.8)
ББК 81.432.1:65я73
 
А65
Андреева Е.Ю.
А65  
A Comprehensive Grammar of Contemporary English in Higher 
Education Studies : учебник / Е.Ю. Андреева. — Москва : ИНФРА-М, 
2025. — 359 с. : ил. + Доп. материалы [Электронный ресурс]. — (Высшее 
образование). 
ISBN 978-5-16-020949-4 (print)
ISBN 978-5-16-113655-3 (online)
Цель учебника — помочь студентам успешно освоить грамматические правила 
и структуры английского языка, необходимые для их профессиональной деятельности и академических исследований.
Состоит из 13 теоретических и 13 практических частей, охватывающих основные 
аспекты английской грамматики, содержит образцы тестов по всем рассматриваемым темам и приложения, в том числе словарь грамматических терминов. В конце 
каждой теоретической главы предлагается список вопросов для повторения и темы 
для презентаций. Также имеются ключи ко всем грамматическим упражнениям и тестам.
Разнообразные практические задания, разделены по уровням сложности 
(Intermediate — Upper-Intermediate и Advanced — Profi cient), что предполагает их 
успешное использование в совершенно различных академических группах (например, 1–2 курсы — Intermediate — Upper-Intermediate; 3–4 курсы — Advanced — 
Profi cient).
Практические задания и тесты подходят для самостоятельной подготовки студентов, а также облегчают работу преподавателя по подбору необходимого материала для обучающихся разных уровней.
Адресован 
студентам 
направлений 
подготовки 
45.03.02 
«Лингвистика» 
и 38.03.01 «Экономика» для аудиторной и внеаудиторной работы по дисциплинам 
«Грамматика основного иностранного языка», «Иностранный язык», «Иностранный 
язык в профессиональной сфере», «Практика устной и письменной речи основного иностранного языка», «Основы деловой и публичной коммуникации», а также 
преподавателям английского языка. Теоретический и практический материал будет 
также полезен всем, кто хочет усовершенствовать навыки использования различных 
грамматических структур в письменной и устной речи.
УДК 811.111+33(075.8)
ББК 81.432.1:65я73
Р е ц е н з е н т ы:
Арутюнян В.С., кандидат филологических наук, доцент, доцент 
кафедры иностранных языков и межкультурной коммуникации Финансового университета при Правительстве Российской Федерации;
Конурбаев М.Э., доктор филологических наук, доцент, профессор 
кафедры английского языкознания филологического факультета 
Московского государственного университета имени М.В. Ломоносова
ISBN 978-5-16-020949-4 (print)
ISBN 978-5-16-113655-3 (online)
Материалы, отмеченные знаком 
, 
доступны в электронно-библиотечной системе Znanium
© Андреева Е.Ю., 2025

A COMPREHENSIVE GRAMMAR 
OF CONTEMPORARY ENGLISH 
IN HIGHER EDUCATION STUDIES
E.YU. ANDREEVA
Moscow 
INFRA-M
TEXTBOOK

Andreeva E.Yu.
  
 
A Comprehensive Grammar of Contemporary English in Higher 
Education Studies : textbook / E.Yu. Andreeva. — Moscow : INFRA-M. — 
359 p. : ill. + Suppl. Materials [Electronic resource]. — (Higher Education). 
ISBN 978-5-16-020949-4 (print)
ISBN 978-5-16-113655-3 (online)
The purpose of the present textbook is to help students successfully master the 
grammatical rules and structures of the English language necessary for their professional 
activities and academic research.
The textbook consists of 13 theoretical and 13 practical parts covering the main 
aspects of English grammar, contains sample tests on all discussed topics and appendixes, 
including a glossary of grammatical terms. At the end of each theoretical chapter there is 
a list of review questions and topics for presentations. There are also keys to all grammar 
exercises and tests.
The various practical tasks presented in the textbook are divided by levels of diffi  culty 
(Intermediate — Upper-Intermediate and Advanced — Profi cient), which implies their 
successful use in completely diff erent academic groups (e.g. 1–2 courses — Intermediate — 
Upper-Intermediate; 3–4 courses — Advanced — Profi cient).
A variety of practical tasks and tests are suitable for independent training of 
undergraduate students, as well as facilitate the work of the teacher to select the necessary 
materials for students of diff erent levels.
The textbook is addressed to undergraduate students of 45.03.02 — Linguistics and 
38.03.01 — Economics for classroom and extracurricular work in the disciplines ‘Grammar 
of the Main Foreign Language’, ‘Foreign Language’, ‘Foreign Language in the Professional 
Sphere’, ‘Practice of Oral and Written Speech of the Main Foreign Language’, ‘Basics of 
Business and Public Communication’, as well as teachers of English. The theoretical and 
practical material in this textbook will also be useful for anyone who wants to improve 
their skills in using various grammatical structures in writing and speaking.
 
Р е ц е н з е н т ы:
Arutyunyan V.S., Associate Professor, Department of Foreign 
Languages and Intercultural Communication, Financial University under 
the Government of the Russian Federation, PhD Philology;
Konurbaev M.E., Professor, Department of English Linguistics, Faculty 
of Philology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Dr. Habil. in Philology
ISBN 978-5-16-020949-4 (print)
ISBN 978-5-16-113655-3 (online)
© Andreeva E.Yu., 2025

Contents  
0.  Introduction ........................................................................................................................................... 8 
Purpose of the Manual ............................................................................................................................... 8 
Overview of English Grammar ................................................................................................................. 8 
1. Introduction into Syntax: Sentence Structure ................................................................................... 13 
SPOM ........................................................................................................................................................ 13 
Sentence Types .......................................................................................................................................... 15 
Question Types .......................................................................................................................................... 17 
English Punctuation: General Remarks ................................................................................................. 19 
1. Parts-of-Speech Classification ............................................................................................................. 20 
2. Noun ....................................................................................................................................................... 22 
Types of Nouns .......................................................................................................................................... 22 
Number ...................................................................................................................................................... 23 
Agreement ................................................................................................................................................. 28 
Case ............................................................................................................................................................ 29 
Gender ....................................................................................................................................................... 30 
Compound Nouns ..................................................................................................................................... 31 
3. Pronoun ................................................................................................................................................. 34 
Personal Pronouns .................................................................................................................................... 34 
Impersonal Pronouns ............................................................................................................................... 35 
Possessive Pronouns ................................................................................................................................. 36 
Reflexive Pronouns ................................................................................................................................... 37 
Emphatic Pronouns .................................................................................................................................. 38 
Reciprocal Pronouns ................................................................................................................................ 38 
Demonstrative Pronouns .......................................................................................................................... 39 
Indefinite Pronouns .................................................................................................................................. 40 
Interrogative Pronouns ............................................................................................................................ 47 
Conjunctive Pronouns .............................................................................................................................. 48 
4. Verb ........................................................................................................................................................ 50 
Verb Tense and Aspect ............................................................................................................................. 51 
Present Simple........................................................................................................................................... 52 
Present Continuous................................................................................................................................... 53 
Present Perfect Simple ............................................................................................................................. 56 
Present Perfect Continuous ..................................................................................................................... 57 
Past Simple ................................................................................................................................................ 58 
Past Continuous ........................................................................................................................................ 61 
Past Perfect Simple ................................................................................................................................... 62 
Past Perfect Continuous ........................................................................................................................... 63 
Future Simple ............................................................................................................................................ 64 
Be going to ................................................................................................................................................. 66 
Be to + infinitive ........................................................................................................................................ 67 
Future Continuous .................................................................................................................................... 68 
Future Perfect Simple .............................................................................................................................. 69 
Future Perfect Continuous ...................................................................................................................... 70 
Future-in-the-Past .................................................................................................................................... 70 
Other Expressions with Future Meaning ............................................................................................... 74 
Passive Voice.............................................................................................................................................. 75 
Verbs not Used in the Passive .................................................................................................................. 76 
Complex Passive Structures .................................................................................................................... 77 
Have/Get Something Done ....................................................................................................................... 77 
Have Somebody Do Something ............................................................................................................... 78 
5

Mood .......................................................................................................................................................... 78 
Modal Verbs .............................................................................................................................................. 80 
Ability/Possibility (Can, Could, Be able to) ............................................................................................ 82 
Possibility (May, Might) ........................................................................................................................... 83 
Obligation/Prohibition/Necessity (Must, Have to, Should, Ought to, Shall, Need) ............................ 83 
Speculation/Expectation (Must, Can’t, Could, May, Might, Should) .................................................. 85 
Prediction/Habits/Willingness/Imaginary situation (Will/Won’t, Would, Shall) ................................ 87 
Conditionals .............................................................................................................................................. 88 
Present and Future Conditions ................................................................................................................ 89 
0) Zero Conditional .................................................................................................................................. 89 
1) First Conditional .................................................................................................................................. 89 
Unreal and Past Conditions ..................................................................................................................... 90 
2) Second Conditional .............................................................................................................................. 90 
3) Third Conditional ................................................................................................................................. 91 
Mixed Conditionals .................................................................................................................................. 92 
Other Ways of Making Conditionals ...................................................................................................... 92 
Wish and If Only ...................................................................................................................................... 93 
Subjunctives and the ‘Unreal’ Past ......................................................................................................... 93 
Verbals ....................................................................................................................................................... 95 
Infinitive Patterns ..................................................................................................................................... 96 
The -ing Form ......................................................................................................................................... 100 
Verb + Infinitive or the -ing Form? ....................................................................................................... 102 
The Participle .......................................................................................................................................... 103 
5. Adjective .............................................................................................................................................. 107 
Types of Adjectives ................................................................................................................................. 107 
Compound Adjectives ............................................................................................................................ 108 
Semantically Related Adjectives............................................................................................................ 109 
Comparative and Superlative Forms of Adjectives ............................................................................. 111 
Idiomatic Comparisons .......................................................................................................................... 115 
Substantivized Adjectives ...................................................................................................................... 119 
Order of Adjectives ................................................................................................................................. 121 
6. Adverb ................................................................................................................................................. 123 
Types of Adverbs ..................................................................................................................................... 123 
Forms of Adverbs ................................................................................................................................... 124 
Adverb Position ...................................................................................................................................... 125 
Degrees of Comparison of Adverbs ....................................................................................................... 126 
7. Numeral ............................................................................................................................................... 128 
Types of Numerals .................................................................................................................................. 128 
Syntactic functions of numerals ............................................................................................................ 129 
8. Preposition ........................................................................................................................................... 133 
Types of Prepositions .............................................................................................................................. 133 
Prepositional Phrases ............................................................................................................................. 135 
9. Conjunction ......................................................................................................................................... 137 
Types of Conjunctions ............................................................................................................................ 137 
10. Particle ............................................................................................................................................... 139 
Types of Particles and Their Functions ................................................................................................ 139 
Phrasal Verbs .......................................................................................................................................... 139 
11.  Article ................................................................................................................................................ 143 
The Definite Article ................................................................................................................................ 143 
The Indefinite Article ............................................................................................................................. 146 
The Zero Article ...................................................................................................................................... 149 
12.  Interjection ....................................................................................................................................... 153 
Types of Interjections ............................................................................................................................. 153 
6

13.  Word Formation in English ............................................................................................................ 155 
Appendix 1 .............................................................................................................................................. 159 
Appendix 2 .............................................................................................................................................. 159 
Appendix 3 .............................................................................................................................................. 159 
Appendix 4 .............................................................................................................................................. 159 
Appendix 5 .............................................................................................................................................. 160 
Appendix 6 .............................................................................................................................................. 160 
Appendix 7 .............................................................................................................................................. 162 
Appendix 8 .............................................................................................................................................. 167 
Glossary of Grammatical Terms ........................................................................................................... 168 
Exercises .................................................................................................................................................. 175 
1. Introduction into Syntax: Sentence Structure ................................................................................. 175 
2. Noun ..................................................................................................................................................... 182 
3. Pronoun ............................................................................................................................................... 193 
4. Verb ..................................................................................................................................................... 207 
™ 
Present Tenses ......................................................................................................................... 207 
™ 
Past Tenses .............................................................................................................................. 222 
™ 
Future Tenses .......................................................................................................................... 232 
™ 
Passive Voice ........................................................................................................................... 242 
™ 
Modal Verbs ............................................................................................................................ 249 
™ 
Conditionals ............................................................................................................................ 271 
™ 
Verbals ..................................................................................................................................... 283 
5. Adjective .............................................................................................................................................. 301 
6. Adverb ................................................................................................................................................. 321 
7. Numeral ............................................................................................................................................... 331 
8. Preposition........................................................................................................................................... 335 
9. Conjunction ......................................................................................................................................... 338 
10. Particle ............................................................................................................................................... 342 
11. Article ................................................................................................................................................ 344 
12. Interjection ........................................................................................................................................ 349 
13.  Word Formation .............................................................................................................................. 350 
Bibliography ............................................................................................................................................ 356 
 
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
7

0.  Introduction     
 
Purpose of the Manual 
 
What is the most important part of the English language, the part you cannot do 
without when learning the language? There are many aspects of English that need 
attention. These include reading, listening, reading and writing. However, without 
grammar – the foundation – these sections cannot be mastered. Grammar is the basis 
of communication in any language. 
The present manual has been crafted as a detailed guide to help students grasp 
and correctly apply the rules of English grammar. It pursues several key objectives: 
1. Educational Resource: Composed for university students, educators, and independent learners, this manual aims to deepen overall grammatical understanding of 
the English language. 
2. Rule Clarification: It presents the principles and structures of English grammar in a clear, straightforward manner. The given tables provide a clear presentation 
of the material in a clear and concise manner. 
3. Consistency in Usage: The guide promotes standardized, correct use of 
grammar across different contexts targeted especially at upper-intermediate, advanced 
and proficiency levels, with many examples drawn from the economic discourse.  
4. Quick Reference: The manual serves as a handy reference for resolving various grammar-related queries.  
5. Practical Application: With numerous examples and exercises, learners can 
practice and integrate grammar into their writing and speaking. 
6. Communication Enhancement: By establishing a solid grammatical foundation, it bolsters effective communication in English. 
7. Exam Support: It also aids learners in preparing for advanced language tests 
and university assessments.  
Overall, this manual is intended to simplify both teaching and learning processes 
and make the peculiar features of English grammar more accessible and comprehensible. 
 
Overview of English Grammar 
 
The structure of English grammar forms the cornerstone of clear communication 
by dictating how words combine into phrases and sentences to convey exact meanings. This section offers a comprehensive summary of the essential elements of English grammar, establishing the framework for detailed study and rigorous practice. 
To start, let us delve into the origins of English grammar. Its evolution mirrors 
the historical development of the language, shaped by a myriad of cultural, social, 
and political influences over the centuries. This overview tracks the progression of 
English grammar from the early beginnings to its modern form. 
8

The evolution of English is generally divided into three periods, although these 
phases gradually merge, so the specific dates assigned by scholars serve mainly as 
convenient markers. 
The first era, known as Old English (A.D. 449 to 1150), was heavily influenced 
by the Germanic tribes — the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes — that settled in Britain. The 
language also integrated Latin elements from the Roman occupation and Old Norse 
from Viking incursions. Grammatically, this period is noted for its extensive flectional system (e.g., car-u = care; will-an = will; help-að = they help), featuring complex 
declensions for nouns, pronouns, and adjectives, as well as verb conjugations that 
permitted flexible word order.  
The second era, Middle English (A.D. 1150–1500), is often referred to as the 
period of simplified inflections, marked by a dominant “e” ending (e.g., car-e, will-e, 
help-eth). The Norman Conquest of 1066 introduced a wealth of Norman French vocabulary that enriched the language and influenced its grammatical structure. During 
this time, the complex case system for nouns and adjectives was pared down, which 
led to a more fixed word order. Consequently, the Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) pattern 
emerged as the norm, laying the groundwork for modern syntax. Esteemed figures 
from this period include Geoffrey Chaucer in poetry and John Wycliffe in prose. 
The final phase is Modern English (A.D. 1500 to the present), characterized by 
a significant reduction in inflections (e.g., care, will, help). In the 18th century, there 
was a surge in prescriptive grammar, marked by influential publications aimed at establishing standards for “proper” English usage. Noteworthy works include Samuel 
Johnson’s A Dictionary of the English Language (1755) and Robert Lowth’s A Short 
Introduction to English Grammar (1762). Subsequent grammar guides — such as 
Lindley Murray’s English Grammar (1795) — helped solidify these rules. By the 
19th and 20th centuries, a more descriptive approach took hold, focusing on how 
English is actually used rather than merely prescribing rules. Influential scholars like 
Henry Sweet (A New English Grammar, 1892) and Otto Jespersen (A Modern English Grammar on Historical Principles, 1909–1949) have left an enduring mark on 
linguistic studies. 
Modern English grammar now reflects the language’s global reach and the 
impact of various dialects and creoles. As English is used, learned, and understood 
worldwide, it has become the global lingua franca. Moreover, rapid digitalization has 
introduced new communication methods — such as texting, social media, and video 
conferencing — that have influenced contemporary grammatical norms. The emergence of vast electronic corpora has also transformed the study of English grammar, 
enabling linguists to analyze language usage on an unprecedented scale. 
With this historical context in mind, we now turn to the core components of 
modern English grammar. We begin with sentence structure, typically divided into 
primary components (subject and predicate) and secondary elements (objects, modifiers, appositions, and attributes). As noted, a standard sentence generally comprises 
three main parts — subject, predicate (verb), and object — in line with the SVOstructure. Sentences may also be categorized by purpose (declarative, interrogative, 
imperative, exclamatory) and by structure (simple, complex, compound, compound9

complex). There are four big groups of questions in English (closed questions, open 
questions, alternative questions, tag questions). Each of these types will be explored 
in detail later in this manual. As far as the English punctuation system is concerned, 
there are punctuation marks of vertical segmentation (full stop, question mark, exclamation mark, comma, semicolon, colon, dash, indented line) and the ones of horizontal stratification (double quotation marks, single quotation marks, brackets, double dashes, parenthetical commas, spacing, italics, capitalization). 
Regarding parts of speech, English words are sorted into two broad categories. 
The first group, known as categorematic words, includes those that carry independent 
meaning — nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and numerals. The second 
group, known as syncategorematic (corresponding) words, consists of words that derive meaning only in conjunction with others, such as prepositions, conjunctions, particles, articles, and interjections. 
Nouns, a fundamental part of speech, denote the names of people, places, objects, and ideas. They are classified as common (generic names) versus proper (specific names), and as concrete (perceptible by the senses) versus abstract (representing intangible concepts). Additionally, nouns are divided into countable (which can 
take articles like “a/an” and form plurals) and uncountable types. Compound nouns 
— formed by combining two nouns — provide more specific details about a person 
or thing. In sentences, nouns can serve various roles, such as subject, object, predicative, modifier, attribute, and apposition. 
Pronouns substitute for nouns or noun phrases to avoid repetition and promote 
cohesion in writing and speech. They are traditionally divided into ten groups: personal (specific entities), impersonal (general references), possessive (indicating ownership), reflexive (referring back to the subject), emphatic (providing emphasis), 
demonstrative (pointing to particular items), indefinite (non-specific references), reciprocal (denoting mutual actions), interrogative (for questions), and conjunctive 
(linking clauses). 
English verbs appear in numerous forms and are classified by their function into 
finite forms — which act as predicates — and non-finite forms (verbals). Finite 
verbs are marked for person (first, second, third), number (singular or plural), tense 
(present, past, future), aspect (simple, continuous, perfect simple, perfect continuous), voice (active or passive), and mood (indicative, imperative, subjunctive). A critical aspect of English, differing from some other languages, is the use of tenses and 
aspects to indicate the timing and nature of actions. English verbs have four principal 
forms (I. go – II. went – III. gone – IV. going) and can be either regular, following 
predictable patterns, or irregular, requiring memorization. In addition to the twelve 
basic tenses combined with four aspects (such as Present Simple, Past Continuous, 
etc.), there exist four Future-in-the-Past forms. Modal verbs (e.g., can, may, must) 
also play an essential role as well as conditional sentences which are categorized into four main types (Zero, First, Second, Third) with additional mixed conditionals. 
Non-finite forms include the infinitive, the -ing form, and the participle. 
Adjectives modify or describe nouns and pronouns by providing additional details about qualities, quantities, or other characteristics. Their primary grammatical 
10