Oxford Grammar for EAP is an excellent resource for developing academic writing skills.
Even academic writers with a few minutes per day or per week can learn new skills and refine their existing ones using this self-study book. The division of each chapter into smaller sections makes this possible.
The clear explanations and exercises cover a comprehensive set of topics related to academic grammar. Experienced writers can select areas they would like to develop, while beginning academic writers can work through the book from beginning to end.
Each of the 20 chapters covers a different aspect of grammar, including functional grammar and usage. The comprehensive nature of the topics covered is evident even in a list of some of the chapters.
- tense review
- relative clauses
- connectors
- phrasal and prepositional verbs
- stating facts and opinions
- talking about cause and effect
- paraphrasing
- using defining language
The clear structure means that this book can also be used as a reference manual for looking up specific grammar topics. An academic word list is also included.
The level of the book is advanced (B1-C1), which makes it suitable for a wide range of academic writers. According to the book summary on the Oxford website, it is A practice book and grammar reference designed for students who plan to enroll in university courses taught in English and I do advise students planning studies or writing a thesis in English to work through the exercises in this book. Nevertheless, it is suitable for academic writers of various levels.
In short Oxford Grammar for EAP is an excellent resource for both new and experienced academic writers. Two copies can be found in the FSV library and it is a worthwhile investment for anyone serious about improving their academic writing.
