ジャパンナレッジ
When I first arrived in Japan, many years ago, people were still likely to explain to me that although Japanese students lacked an ability to speak English they were actually quite knowledgeable in matters of grammar. In fact, I was told, the most serious problem in Japanese English-language education at the secondary-school level was that too much time was being spent on the teaching of grammar. I was never quite sure how truly justified that particular complaint might be, but it is clear that there is little chance of its being made today.
In the study of any foreign language, gaining a solid knowledge of its grammar is the first step toward developing an ability to read that language with understanding and to write it so as to be understood. The grammar of a language tells us how sentences hold together logically and how actual meaning is expressed.
Before beginning work on this book, my previous experience with 英文法書 had been limited to the proofreading of English example sentences ― checking for accuracy and naturalness of expression. It did not extend to work on the Japanese translations of those sentences, nor did it include any participation in the writing of grammatical explanations. This time I have been involved in every aspect of the production, and it has been a very rewarding, if exhausting, experience.
In this, I have felt particularly blessed to have been given the opportunity to work with a truly gifted scholar, 綿貫陽先生. In the give-and-take correspondence that we have conducted over the years, I have been constantly amazed at the depth of his knowledge of the English language and sharpness of his insights into its inner workings. I have tried to learn as much from him as possible in this time, and, with respect to this book, I can say with certainty that it was his constant and unerring guidance that kept our project moving on a steady and accurate course.
I would like to join Prof. Watanuki in expressing my gratitude to the editorial staff at Ōbunsha, and in particular to Masayo Arakawa, for all the long hours and hard work that they have devoted to the task of trying to produce a new, reliable, and genuinely useful reference work on the grammar of the difficult (but always fascinating) English language.