Premium English Grammar: A Self-Study Guide

After several years of teaching English language and winning prizes/recognition for same, I wrote Premium English Grammar to help users of English who (like you) are in pursuit of excellence.

This comprehensive grammar guide goes over each grammar topic with a fine-tooth comb; it doesn’t scratch the surface. This book is a one-stop source for your grammar needs. Whether you are college student struggling with poor grades in English or you are teacher in need of a foolproof textbook for your grammar class, PEG is designed to help you reach your goal.

Praises for PEG

PEG is delightfully simple and exhaustive. It is a comprehensive introduction to the English language and the rudiments of teaching and learning it. It is written in an easy-to-read manner. I wholeheartedly recommend PEG to students and teachers of the English language at all levels. I am confident they will find it an important learning resource that will broaden and deepen their knowledge of the English language.

Funmi Gaji,
Editor, Cactus Global
Communications

***
This is a deeply challenging but enormously valuable English language textbook that could change your life if you do the work. Uncovering the ways in which we should disallow terrible grammar usages may be painful to discover, but ultimately powerful, enlightening and liberating. This exceptional work written by Oluyemisi is truly profound and thoroughly transformational.

Adaobi Udokwu,
Lead Tutor, THC Study Centre (IELTS/TOEFL/GMAT/GRE)

Excerpt

A verb is finite or non-finite, depending on its responsiveness to the singularity/plurality of the subject and the tense. A finite verb is a verb that changes as the number of subject changes and as the time of the action changes. Study the different mutations of this sentence:

51. I ������������ my tea without sugar.
52. Sandra �������������� her tea without sugar.
53. My late grandfather ������������������ his tea without sugar.

In Sentence 51, the subject is first person singular; the only conjugation of the verb “prefer” that can be used with the subject is “������������”. The subject of Sentence 52 is third person singular and the only conjugation of the verb “prefer” that is suitable for that subject is “��������������”. Sentence 53 expresses past tense; the only conjugation of the verb “prefer” that is suitable for the subject is “������������������”.

We can, therefore, say “prefer” is a finite verb.

Non-finite verbs do not respond to the singularity/plurality of the subject, neither do they respond to tenses. Study the variations below:

54. I love ���� ���������� with a bottle of Coke.
55. He loves ���� ���������� with a bottle of Coke.
56. You love ���� ���������� with a bottle of Coke.
57. My late grandfather loved ���� ���������� with a bottle of Coke.

Did you observe that while the verb “love” changes in response to the number of persons and time in each sentence, the verb “to relax” remains constant in all the sentences regardless of the change in subject or tense?

The verb “���� ����������” is, therefore, a non-finite verb, whereas “��������” is a finite verb.

About the Author

Susan April was the winner of the 2020 AWA Prize for Creative Nonfiction and a co-winner of the 2021 Ogun Academic Laureate. She holds a master’s degree in English.She is a full-time teacher of the English language in the classroom and in the virtual space. Susan has three other publications to her credit. She is an ambassador for many education initiatives, including the International Model United Nations.

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