How do we design sentences to fit their purposes and how do we combine them to communicate complex, contextualised meanings? In this witty and incisive book, Scott Thornbury takes discourse apart to show how it is organised and how it aids communication. Starting with an examination of genre, he goes on to look at how we structure written and spoken text and how we use these structures in comprehending meaning. Scott shows how insights into discourse can - and should - affect our work as language teachers. The idea that we need to help students work 'at the level of text' as well as make correct sentences is not a new one. But here you will find suggestions - backed up by practical, fun activities - for how you can achieve this in your classroom.