Synopsis
Many introductory textbooks on syntax either concentrate on formal models or the syntactic structures of English alone. This introduction, now in its second edition, is distinctive in explaining basic concepts and their application to language work of any kind. Written to aid both student and teacher, it covers a range of topics, drawing on languages other than English. Chapters are supplemented with exercises and essay material is also provided. For this edition, several chapters have been revised or rewritten and additional chapter-end exercises provided. The book is designed for any student who requires a basic grounding in the subject, whether for the study of English, foreign languages, EFL, speech pathology, or on communication courses. It should also be useful reading for those undertaking advanced work in syntax.
From the Back Cover
The study of syntax is fundamental to linguistics and language study, but it is often taught solely within the framework of transformational grammar. This book is unique in several respects: it introduces the basic concepts used in the description of syntax, independently of any single model of grammar. Most grammatical models fail to deal adequately with one aspect of syntax or another, and the authors argue that an understanding of the concepts used in any full description of language is crucial for assessing the strengths and weaknesses of formal grammars. Formal approaches to some of these concepts are critically examined. This book will train students, of either linguistics or language, to understand and make the best use of any grammar they encounter. Secondly, the book deals with the whole of syntax from immediate constituents and relations between sentences. It also examines concepts like subject and object, agent and patient, topic, comment and theme. Thirdly, there is a section on morphology, and a discussion of the relationship between syntax and morphology. As a book which explains, in a lucid and approachable way, why linguists have adopted certain solutions to problems and not others, this will be an invaluable introductory text. It is profusely illustrated with diagrams, and there are sets of exercises for every chapter which can be used in class, or by students working independently. This second edition has been extensively revised to take account of recent developments in syntactic studies.
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