This book is based on our conviction that the teaching of a second language eventual aim is speaking, understanding, writing, reading, or all four
We believe that, in order to learn to speak, one must become familiar with the actual use of the language through repetition, until the patterns of pronunciation, structure and form become automatic. Our experience has made us certain that lengthy explanations or “rules” with their still lengthier list of exceptions, although possibly teaching the student a great deal about a language, don not teach him to use it.
Our aim has therefore been to present, though the use of example, the principal pattern of the English language as use by educated speakers in the united states, following these examples with practice, corrections, and original works within the frame work of the pattern in question.