Book Review: English Grammar in Use (4th edition)

Abstract

‘English Grammar in Use’ (4th edition) by Raymond Murphy, which contains 380 pages in total, was published by Cambridge University Press in 2012. The book is in its 9th edition of printing (2014) and is printed by Markono Print Media Pte Ltd in Singapore. Due to the writer’s vast experience in EFL teaching before becoming a full-time writer of ELT materials, coupled with the fact that the book has been printed multiple times since it was first published in 1985, it is necessary to review this book in order to find out its practical uses for learners and teachers who use it for learning and teaching grammar. The book is intended mainly to use as a self-study reference and practice book for intermediate level students who want to master select sentence structures suitable for their level. In fact, there have been countless number of grammar books on self study and subsequent practice work available in the market, yet ‘English Grammar in Use’ is one of the most-popular books among those who teach grammar to EFL learners. A thorough study of the way the units are structured, the explanation given for the grammar points, and the style of the practice exercises should help us to evaluate the usefulness of the book, for both the EFL learners and teachers.