I need to swot up on my grammar so what books would you recommend?

last updated 16th July 2009

Look for anything with the name Michael Swann on it. For me, he’s the grammar guru and you’ll always find a well-thumbed Michael Swann reference book on my teacher’s desk. He has a very neat and simple way of explaining things and his books are always well-indexed. The book I have is called Practical English Usage by Michael Swann.
Another great writer of English grammar books is Raymond Murphy. His Essential Grammar in Use series is wonderful because it has the explanation of the grammar point on the left-hand side (with lots of examples) and student exercises on the right-hand side. If you’ve got Mr Murphy and Mr Swann in your teacher’s bag - you can’t go wrong!
A series of grammar books that many teachers seem to like (and I absolutely hate) is by Betty Azar. The books are so badly organized it’s not true. Steer well clear of them.

View all Jobs »
TEFL and TESOL Training Courses
View all Resumes »
Schools that need Teachers

Ajarn Guests

Fear of change?

In Thailand the government has set 2012 as English Speaking Year with a goal of encouraging students to converse in English every Monday. Such policies are useful but the major leap of enacting legislation to make English an official language for Thailand is also needed

Software for student tests

The integration of internet and computers with education and English learning is something students find normal, and classrooms without some access to educational software may seem quaint. Some students may even feel they can get more ‘professional' teaching from the numerous online ELT sites if a school is behind in IT.

Whatever happened to the shopping mall teacher?

They are the shopping mall English teachers - gliding like pale, undernourished phantoms amid the hordes of weekend Thai shoppers. The main reason I empathize with the shopping mall teacher is because I was once one myself. I know how desperate and soul-destroying it can be.

About Ajarn.com

Ajarn.com was started as a small hobby website in 1999 by Ian McNamara. It was a simple way for one Bangkok teacher to share his Thailand experiences and pass on advice. The website developed a loyal and enthusiastic following. In 2004, Ian handed over the reins to Phil Williams and 'Bangkok Phil' has run the ajarn website ever since.

Ajarn.com has grown enormously and is now the most popular TEFL site in Thailand - possibly even South East Asia. Although best-known for its vibrant jobs page, Ajarn has a wealth of articles, blogs, features and help and advice. But one principle has always remained at Ajarn's core - to tell things like they are and to do it with a sense of humor. Thailand can be Heaven or Hell for an English teacher. It's always been Ajarn.com's duty to present both sides of the equation. Thanks for stopping by.