About Raymond Murphy and his textbook. English Grammar in Use by R.Murphy - Legendary grammar of the English language Raymond Murphy in English

Interview with linguist Raymond Murphy.

The famous “blue book” and best-selling book on English grammar by Raymond Murphy turns 30 this year. The author of “English Grammar in Use” came to Moscow at the invitation of the British Council and gave an interview to Kommersant.

Raymond, I know that once upon a time you tried to learn Russian, but for some reason things didn’t go any further. Why?

What the Russian taught is, of course, a slight exaggeration. I went to school in the 1950s and 1960s. As you know, in the 1960s there was significant technological progress in the USSR, in space programs and beyond. I think that at some point many people thought that the USSR was the future. Much the same way we think about China now. Therefore, there were certain aspirations to start teaching Russian at school. At least they said it might be a good idea, because usually schoolchildren in Britain learned French, sometimes German, Spanish, but mostly French.

Our French teacher, back then in 1963 or so, spoke Russian quite well. And our school launched additional classes in the Russian language. These classes took place during lunch. I’m not sure how long I studied Russian—two or three months, probably. I've learned the alphabet and I can still read a word slowly, and if it matches the English version, quite quickly. For example, the name of a place, I can even write it. Although, of course, I don’t know the words themselves, I can write the letters. And when I hear a speech, something periodically pops up in my memory.

From your point of view, when is the best time to start learning a foreign language?

From scratch. (Laughs.) Seriously, though, from scratch. You don’t even perceive it as foreign if you’ve heard it since birth. If a child learns a language at that magical time when he has every opportunity to perceive the language without studying it as such, or rather even accept it, then this is an ideal option. Therefore, the sooner the better. The best process of learning a language is life itself, the process of growing up, so that the child constantly hears the language. If, for example, parents speak different languages ​​to a child, he will know both. I haven't had that experience, but I know that the older you get, the harder it is for you to speak the language. If you are 70–80 years old, then this is extremely difficult. If you are a child, then it is much easier.

How is your famous textbook evolving? Reissues, additions, versions...

For example, we are working on the Russian version of the book. This will be the “red book” - “Essential Grammar in Use”. There are already versions in European languages ​​and several Asian ones. This will be translation and adaptation. Theoretical material was translated, examples were translated if necessary. The adaptation will consist of some things being changed to make certain aspects of English clearer to Russian speakers. I think many English learners have similar problems, at least in the same areas.

Russians often have a problem with articles, just like native speakers of any other language where there are no articles, as in Russian. There are probably no articles in most languages. This is what adaptation will consist of – small changes in theory and examples with the goal of making it as easy and understandable as possible for those for whom Russian is a native language. We will also highlight if an English construction has a Russian equivalent. For example, the passive voice - and vice versa, if there is no equivalent, as in the case of the article, we will also indicate this.

Do you think English will always be so popular or will it be replaced by another language?

English will remain very important and we are still seeing an increase in the number of people around the world learning English. And this is reflected in the amount of materials we prepare. Russia in this regard is a very fast growing market, although China remains number one here. We are also actively increasing the amount of educational material for Spanish speakers in Latin America. And when it comes to learning a language, the primary issue here is a matter of necessity. For example, the British do not need to know Chinese to do business with China, but if you are from China, you will most likely need to know English.

Have the Internet and the latest technologies made language learning easier?

The Internet opens up new opportunities for language learning that did not exist before. But the results are not entirely clear-cut. For example, a large number of people sign up for online courses with British councils, but some of them do not even start classes. And about 20% make it to the end. And it is, of course, a success that these 20% completed the courses, but the indicators would be different if all these people studied in a class with a teacher.

Of course, courses with a teacher are more expensive. Therefore, in my opinion, it is necessary to maintain a balance between these two teaching methods. Digital technologies offer a large number of alternative ways of learning - phone applications, e-books. And if they are used as an addition to work with a teacher, then this will be most effective. Therefore, the ideal option: a class, a teacher, a book (possibly an e-book), some additional online courses - something like a collection of different methods.

There are a huge number of free applications now. Many people are now creating free applications that do not bring money to their owners now, but in the future they count on profit, as in the story with Facebook. Also a huge advantage of the Internet is the availability of audio. Although in book format there are often applications in CD form, this is still quite inconvenient. While audio is an integral part of learning. The availability of audio in the online learning format is a very big plus.

If you ask anyone who has ever studied English which textbook they used to learn grammar, 9 out of 10 will answer you that it is Raymond Murphy. I knew Murphy myself when I was a schoolgirl more than 13 years ago. Now this textbook is still one of the main tools for teaching English to children and adults in my library.

So what makes Raymond Murphy's English Grammar in Use so legendary?

Firstly, the textbook format is perfect for both classroom classes and self-study. Each textbook consists of 100 - 130 units with detailed descriptions and exercises to reinforce the material.

This is exactly how the author offers his grammar lessons. All the left pages contain rules and examples, and the right pages contain exercises. I really like the way the author approaches the presentation of the rules. He first shows everything using an example from real life, compares, and only then explains the rule itself.

Secondly, Murphy's Grammar is a wonderful reference book. If you need to remember this or that rule, you can easily find the information you need in a matter of seconds. Many applications at the end of the textbook cover almost all grammatical material of the English language.

Within one textbook, units are grouped into groups: Present and Past, Future, Modals, Passive, Question, etc. This means that you will move from simple to complex in a consistent manner and will be able to practice different aspects of the same grammatical category, such as Present Simple or Passive Voice.

However, it should be noted that an important drawback of Murphy's textbooks is the presence of a small number of exercises for both simple and complex topics. Thus, it is not always possible to practice the material covered; you have to turn to additional collections of exercises, for example.

Despite the lack of exercises, I can say that the grammatical material is provided in the amount necessary for fluent communication in the language and understanding most of what is said and read. Moreover, in my opinion, “English Grammar in Use” is suitable for. Overall, a very good book, tested by time and more than one generation of students.

You can buy Murphy's grammar in the online store My-Shop.ru or Labyrinth:

You can download the books English Grammar in Use from R. Murphy in PDF using the following links:

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One of the best English grammar textbooks in the world. Author Raymond or Raymond Murphy (Essential Grammar in Use), German, worked in Cambridge.
This is a self-instruction manual and practical textbook for beginners (elementary) students. The website English03.ru> will help you easily start working with this textbook.

More information about the next editions of this book>. A continuation of Red Murphy, a book was published for the intermediate level, approximately 2nd year of study (Blue Murphy) - English Grammar in Use> You see the first edition, in paperback, in the book markets people call it Red Murphy. In my opinion, it is a very good option and, most importantly, economical:) One of the advantages of the textbook is the very carefully selected vocabulary (words). Everything you need, within the “1st thousand”. This publication is published consistently every year. This is a beginner level, the basics of English grammar. Everything in the book is in English, so starting to learn English on your own is problematic. The explanations are brief, without “water”, and sometimes sketchy. Lots of illustrations. The continuation of this textbook was Murphy's Blue, for intermediate students. The logic is the same, but the dictionary is already “2nd thousand” and the material is given much deeper.

Preface to Raymond Murphy's book "Essential Grammar in Use" (short translation):

For a student (working independently): ...Don't study all the chapters from beginning to end. It is better to select the chapters that you need, where you have problems. Use the book like this: - Look through the table of contents and select the chapter you need - Study the left side (the theory is there) - Do the exercises on the right - Check the result in the keys - If necessary, repeat the theory again

Uto the reader:- this is first of all a grammar, and not a book like a generally accepted English textbook - this is a book for beginners, but not from a complete “0” (and does not cover all the grammar) - it combines both a reference book and exercises - it can be used as a self-instruction manual or as a additional material

Book structure:— 107 chapters (units) independent of each other — 6 additions (appendix) — keys to exercises (keys)

Level- not only for beginners, but can be used by intermediate-level students whose grammar is “lame” - explanations for beginning students, so they are as simple and short as possible - the vocabulary in the book is strictly limited (1 thousand words for beginners - my note .)

How to use the book- can be used for independent study, as well as as additional material for any course - can be used as an elementary reference book - when used in courses, can be used to instantly consolidate the material covered or further return to what has been covered and work on mistakes. — you can use the left side for explanations in class, but remember, the book is more suitable for independent study and as a reference. - in most cases, the teacher is recommended to independently explain the material, give exercises, and then use the left side as a reference when checking the house. tasks. — it would be good for the teacher to use the book to review what has been covered and for students to independently work on mistakes in the relevant chapters (units).

Textbook “Essential Grammar in Use” ( Practical grammar basics) was written by American teacher Raymond Murphy. He taught English classes for foreigners, so the book contained all his experience of working with people for whom English is a second language. That is why this textbook is so popular among foreign students who are starting to study English on their own.

Particularly beloved is the first red paperback edition, called Murphy Red. Murphy's first work is more suitable for the elementary level, the second edition in blue binding is slightly expanded and intended for the intermediate level. Maybe it’s the complexity, or maybe the price (or just taste), but the second textbook did not cause much enthusiasm, although in vain - it has more words and topics. Let's focus on the first edition for now.

I would like to warn you right away that Murphy is in English, and although the explanatory part is presented very clearly, you still need an initial level of English to study it. But this problem is easily solved: there are many sites on the Internet where it is explained in detail how to work with the textbook and you can also download the textbook itself and download the keys to the exercises.

Many people who went abroad studied independently using this textbook. This is no wonder due to the convenient presentation of educational material. The left side of the book presents the grammar, the right side contains exercises, after completing which you can then check the answers (keys)

Advantages of Murphy's red and its structure


Why, after all, did this Murphy so “sink” into the souls of English lovers, as they say?

  1. The grammar presentations are very accessible and concise, and are even illustrated with explanatory drawings
  2. The vocabulary is selected at a basic level (Basic English) - the “golden thousand words” are used
  3. This is a self-sufficient work: it can be used simultaneously as a reference book and a collection of exercises, so it’s easy to learn from it yourself
  4. Parallel presentation of theory and implementation of exercises allows you to immediately consolidate knowledge in practice, and this most important property of the textbook is reflected, as you noticed, in its title
  5. The textbook is suitable for students and even teachers, but of course, primarily for those who themselves like to overcome all obstacles

The structure of the textbook is simple, it includes:

  • 107 separate chapters (so-called units), not interconnected
  • 6 additional sections (with the funny name appendix)
  • Answer keys

How to work on a book

Murphy himself gave the following advice to his students:

  • There is no need to study the textbook from cover to cover: it is better to use the table of contents to find the material that causes difficulty
  • The sequence of working with the book should be as follows:
    • introduction to the theory in the left turn
    • performing exercises on the right side
    • checking correct answers using keys
    • return to theory with disappointing results

It is quite possible to learn English according to Murphy on your own, so this book can also serve as a self-teacher

The book is complemented by audio lessons.

Video:

The total circulation of this manual is more than ten million copies. The blue Murphy, as teachers from the UK call this textbook, enjoys well-deserved recognition among both teachers and English language learners.
This textbook is designed for people who speak English at an intermediate level.
It can be used both in the classroom and for independent study.

The level of this textbook, however, is slightly higher than the Intermediate level in the Headway textbook, the scale of levels of which is considered the main one in English language courses. In fact, the grammar in English Grammar in Use is given in a volume sufficient to pass the First Certificate in English (FCE), which corresponds to the Advanced level on Headway. However, all aspects of the grammar are explained in simple language, so understanding even the most complex questions should not cause difficulties.

The book successfully combines both a reference book on English grammar and a collection of exercises to consolidate what has been learned.
It is divided into 136 sections (Units), each of which explains and reinforces a certain aspect of grammar and takes up an entire spread: theory on the left half, practice on the right. All units are independent and can be completed in any order.

On this page you can download not only four editions of Murphy’s textbook, but also computer and audio disks, manuals with additional exercises, etc.

This book for intermediate and more advanced students combines reference grammar and practice exercises in a single volume.
English Grammar in Use Third edition is a fully updated version of the classic grammar title. It retains all the key features of clarity and accessibility that have made the book so popular with students and teachers. This new edition is designed to be flexible. The book is available both with and without answers, so it can be used in class or for homework. The "with answers" version of the book comes with a handy pullout reference panel which allows students to review key grammar points.

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 "with answers" version is ideal for self-study. An online version, book without answers, and book with answers and CD-ROM are available separately.

*click on title to download - click on title to download
*click on number - more information

Second edition:
  • - textbook 1st and 2nd edition + additional exercises
  • - a dictionary for Raymond Murphy's grammar. Potapenko T.A. 2001
  • - audio version of the textbook 2nd edition