A Student's Introduction to English GrammarThis groundbreaking undergraduate textbook on modern Standard English grammar is the first to be based on the revolutionary advances of the authors' previous work, The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language (2002). The analyses defended there are outlined here more briefly, in an engagingly accessible and informal style. Errors of the older tradition of English grammar are noted and corrected, and the excesses of prescriptive usage manuals are firmly rebutted in specially highlighted notes that explain what older authorities have called 'incorrect' and show why those authorities are mistaken. This book is intended for students in colleges or universities who have little or no previous background in grammar, and presupposes no linguistics. It contains exercises, and will provide a basis for introductions to grammar and courses on the structure of English not only in linguistics departments but also in English language and literature departments and schools of education. |
Contents
Introduction | 1 |
A rapid overview | 11 |
Verbs tense aspect and mood | 29 |
Clause structure complements and adjuncts | 63 |
Nouns and noun phrases | 82 |
Adjectives and adverbs | 112 |
Prepositions and preposition phrases | 127 |
Negation and related phenomena | 149 |
Relative clauses | 183 |
Grade and comparison | 195 |
Nonfinite clauses and clauses without verbs | 204 |
Coordination and more | 225 |
Information packaging in the clause | 238 |
Morphology words and lexemes | 264 |
Further reading | 291 |
Glossary | 295 |
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A Student's Introduction to English Grammar Rodney Huddleston,Geoffrey K. Pullum No preview available - 2005 |
Common terms and phrases
accept adjectives adjunct adverb answer applies auxiliary base basic belong called closed comparative complement consider construction containing contrast coordination definition dependent described determiner direct discussed distinction distinguish element English examples expressions fact function genitive give given grammatical head illustrated imperative indicates inflectional inflectional forms interpretation interrogative kind language less lexeme lexical licensed main clauses marked meaning modal modifier negative nominative non-finite normally Note noun object occur passive past past participle perfect person phrase plain plural position possible predicative complement preposition present present tense preterite primary pronoun properties question reference relative relative clause seen semantic sense sentence simply singular situation speakers speech Standard structure subordinate clause suffix syntactic term tion underlined understood usually verb writing