An Introduction to the Grammar of English

Syntactic arguments and socio-historical background

Author
Elly van Gelderen | Arizona State University
HardboundReplaced by new edition
ISBN 9789027225887 (Eur)
ISBN 9781588112002 (USA)
 
PaperbackReplaced by new edition
ISBN 9789027225863 (Eur)
ISBN 9781588111579 (USA)
 
e-BookReplaced by new edition
ISBN 9789027297143
 
Google Play logo
 
Netlibrary e-BookNot for resale
ISBN 9780585462479
This Introduction provides a lively and clearly written textbook. It introduces basic concepts of grammar in a format which inspires the reader to use linguistic arguments. The style of the book is engaging and examples from poetry, jokes, and puns illustrate grammatical concepts.The focus is on syntactic analysis and evidence. However, special topic sections contribute sociolinguistic and historical reasons behind prescriptive rules such as the bans on split infinitives, dangling participles, and preposition stranding.The book is structured for a semester-long course. It provides exercises, keys to those exercises, and sample exams. It also includes a comprehensive glossary and suggestions for further reading.
[Not in series, 111] 2002.  xxiv, 200 pp.
Publishing status: Obsolete
Table of Contents
“A very clearly expressed, very lucid and very successful introduction to English grammar. It introduces basic concepts of grammar in a format which can easily lead on to discussions of syntactic theory at a higher level, but which is at the same time a measured and self-contained introduction to grammar for students who only take one course at the university level.”
“This is a book that is geared towards students who will not take many linguistics classes and who need a practical introduction to analyzing English sentences. What makes this book stand out are the author's conscious choices to keep the book student-friendly without oversimplifying the material that is discussed. [...] Van Gelderen's focused contribution to the textbook shelf for English grammar classes is highly welcome. It balances linguistic argumentation and practical answers in a student-friendly manner and draws a clear line between what can be achieved in a one-semester introductory class and what should be left to further exploration.”
“This textbook is ideally pitched for teaching syntax to the many students who take ‘Structure of English’ courses across America every year. Special about this text is that it integrates syntactic analysis into the wider field of English studies by showing how syntactic analysis applies to literature, to some of the dialect issues central to English education, as well as to the historical development of the English language.”
“With the practical application of grammar to coherent texts, syntactic structures are filled with meaning, and they are embedded in their functional context, so that the students learn to consider sentences as meaningful building blocks of larger units. [...] thoroughly reader-friendly, since it contains numerous exercises with keys. Additionally, there are extensive reviews decelerating the speed of the course, valuable suggestions for class discussions, and conclusions at the end of the chapters, which guarantee a comprehensible presentation.[...] a lucid and thus worthwhile introduction to English phrase and sentence structure geared towards the needs of first-year students. As it contains numerous helpful exercises which can be utilized in teaching English syntax at University level, the book is of practical value for both lecturers and students.”
“Another student-friendly element are the exercises throughout the book, which are generally followed by model answers. The point of the model answers is to provide feedback to the students. There is no implication that there is only one acceptable answer to a question. Students will also like the `special topics’ despite all affirmative nods to a descriptive approach they still expect a grammar class to tell them `what is right’, or at least `why some people think that some things are right and others are not’.”
Cited by

Cited by 23 other publications

Davis, Wayne A.
2022. Quotational reports. Linguistics and Philosophy 45:5  pp. 1063 ff. DOI logo
Ringe, Don
2018. An Introduction to Grammar for Language Learners, DOI logo
van Gelderen, Elly
[no author supplied]
2014. 10. Conclusion. In A History of the English Language,  pp. 283 ff. DOI logo
[no author supplied]
2014. Appendix II: How to use the OED. In A History of the English Language,  pp. 311 ff. DOI logo
[no author supplied]
2014. Preface to the revised edition. In A History of the English Language,  pp. xii ff. DOI logo
[no author supplied]
2014. 6. Middle English. In A History of the English Language,  pp. 115 ff. DOI logo
[no author supplied]
2014. 8. Modern English. In A History of the English Language,  pp. 207 ff. DOI logo
[no author supplied]
2014. 3. Before Old English. In A History of the English Language,  pp. 33 ff. DOI logo
[no author supplied]
2014. 5. From Old to Middle English. In A History of the English Language,  pp. 95 ff. DOI logo
[no author supplied]
2014. References. In A History of the English Language,  pp. 321 ff. DOI logo
[no author supplied]
2014. List of tables. In A History of the English Language,  pp. xvi ff. DOI logo
[no author supplied]
2014. 1. The English language. In A History of the English Language,  pp. 1 ff. DOI logo
[no author supplied]
2014. Appendix I: Possible answers to the exercises and some additional information on in-text questions. In A History of the English Language,  pp. 295 ff. DOI logo
[no author supplied]
2014. Preface to the first edition (2006). In A History of the English Language,  pp. ix ff. DOI logo
[no author supplied]
2014. Appendix III: Chronology of historical events. In A History of the English Language,  pp. 315 ff. DOI logo
[no author supplied]
2014. 7. Early Modern English. In A History of the English Language,  pp. 159 ff. DOI logo
[no author supplied]
2014. 9. English around the world. In A History of the English Language,  pp. 251 ff. DOI logo
[no author supplied]
2014. 2. English spelling, sounds, and grammar. In A History of the English Language,  pp. 15 ff. DOI logo
[no author supplied]
2014. 4. Old English. In A History of the English Language,  pp. 51 ff. DOI logo
[no author supplied]
2014. Notes to the user and abbreviations. In A History of the English Language,  pp. xiv ff. DOI logo
[no author supplied]
2014. Index. In A History of the English Language,  pp. 335 ff. DOI logo
[no author supplied]
2014. List of figures. In A History of the English Language,  pp. xix ff. DOI logo

This list is based on CrossRef data as of 19 march 2024. Please note that it may not be complete. Sources presented here have been supplied by the respective publishers. Any errors therein should be reported to them.

Erratum

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Subjects

Main BIC Subject

CF: Linguistics

Main BISAC Subject

LAN009000: LANGUAGE ARTS & DISCIPLINES / Linguistics / General
ONIX Metadata
ONIX 2.1
ONIX 3.0
U.S. Library of Congress Control Number:  2002021580 | Marc record