English Grammar for Today A New Introduction, Second Edition

by Leech, Geoffrey; Deuchar, Margaret; Hoogenraad, Robert

• ISBN13: 9781403916426
• ISBN10: 140391642X
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-12-16
• Publisher: Red Globe Pr

Summary

Written by a team led by a world authority in English grammar, English Grammar for Today has established itself as a rich educational experience for both native- and non-native-speaking students. This engaging and stimulating text enables students to learn grammar not just for its own sake, but also for the pleasure of exploring, appreciating and understanding the way language communicates in written text and spoken discourse. Throughout, the emphasis is on using grammar in present-day English.After an introduction placing grammar in its educational and cultural context, the authors present a toolkit for analyzing sentences. The second part of the book demonstrates how to apply this toolkit to spoken and written language, using a wide range of real textual materials. Each chapter ends with a set of carefully-designed exercises and tasks to aid understanding, with answers provided at the end of the volume.Now thoroughly revised and updated to meet the needs of today's students, this new edition features: A new Foreword by the English Association An additional introductory chapter, "Getting Started with Grammar", which introduces the subject for those with no prior knowledge Improved and extended diagrams, exercises and answers Up-to-date textual passages and examplesLively and approachable, this indispensable guide is ideal for both students and teachers who are looking for their first serious engagement with - or wishing to rediscover- English grammar.

Author Biography

Geoffrey Leech is Emeritus Professor of English Linguistics in the Department of English Linguistics, Lancaster University. Margaret Deuchar is Reader in Linguistics at the University of Wales, Bangor. Robert Hoogenraad is Language Region Project Officer, Indigenous Education Division, NT Department of Education, Employment and Training, Australia.

Table of Contents

Foreword	ix
Preface	x
Symbols and conventions	xiv
Acknowledgements	xvii
Part A Introduction	1	(30)
What Grammar Is and Is Not	3	(14)
Grammar and its role in language	3	(2)
`Good' and `bad' grammar	5	(1)
Variation in language	6	(4)
English and other languages	10	(2)
Grammar and effective communication	12	(2)
Conclusion	14	(3)
Exercises	14	(3)
Getting Started with Grammar	17	(14)
Grammar in prose literature	17	(2)
Grammar in poetry	19	(1)
A taste of morphology: the structure of words	20	(1)
Simple and complex words	20	(4)
Derivational and inflectional suffixes	24	(1)
Summary: the main points of English morphology	25	(6)
Exercises	26	(5)
Part B Analysis	31	(108)
Sentences and Their Parts	33	(16)
Prologue: parts of speech	33	(3)
The hierarchy of units	36	(2)
Grammatical notations	38	(2)
Using tests	40	(2)
Form and function	42	(4)
Summary	46	(3)
Exercises	46	(3)
Words	49	(17)
Open and closed word classes	49	(2)
The open classes	51	(8)
Closed word classes	59	(4)
Summary	63	(3)
Exercises	63	(3)
Phrases	66	(19)
Classes of phrase	66	(1)
Main and subordinate phrases	67	(3)
Noun phrases and related phrase classes	70	(5)
The adjective phrase and the adverb phrase	75	(2)
The verb phrase (VP)	77	(3)
Summary	80	(5)
Exercises	81	(4)
Clauses	85	(19)
Elements of the clause	85	(2)
Complex sentences	87	(2)
Tensed and tenseless clauses	89	(1)
Declarative, interrogative and imperative clauses	90	(3)
Active and passive clauses	93	(1)
More on clause structure	93	(1)
Clause patterns	94	(3)
The structure of tenseless clauses	97	(1)
Parsing a simple sentence	97	(4)
Summary	101	(3)
Exercises	101	(3)
Subordination and Coordination	104	(19)
Subordinate clauses (SCI)	105	(2)
Tensed subordinate clauses	107	(4)
The functions of subordinate clauses	111	(1)
Tenseless subordinate clauses	112	(2)
Direct and indirect subordination	114	(1)
Skeleton analysis	115	(2)
Coordination	117	(3)
Summary and conclusion	120	(3)
Exercises	121	(2)
Basic and Derived Structures	123	(16)
Constituent structure grammar	123	(1)
Basic and derived structures	124	(2)
`Missing' elements	126	(3)
Split constituents	129	(1)
`Double analysis'	130	(3)
Back to parsing	133	(1)
Style and structure-changing rules	134	(3)
Summary and conclusion	137	(2)
Exercises	137	(2)
Part C Applications	139	(70)
Working with Discourse: Speech and Writing	141	(15)
Introduction	141	(1)
Speech and writing: which comes first?	141	(1)
Functions of writing and speech	142	(1)
The form of speech and writing	143	(1)
Linguistic characteristics of speech and writing	144	(7)
An analysis of spoken and written discourse	151	(3)
Conclusion	154	(2)
Exercises	154	(2)
Working with Discourse: Tenor and Domain	156	(16)
Introduction	156	(1)
Tenor	156	(3)
Tenor and discourse	159	(3)
Domain	162	(2)
Domain and discourse	164	(2)
Combining categories of use	166	(6)
Exercises	168	(4)
Working with Literacy Discourse	172	(12)
How to analyse style	172	(7)
Illustrative extract	179	(1)
Outline analysis (with questions for further study)	180	(1)
Further illustrative extracts for discussion	181	(3)
Exercises	182	(2)
Grammar and Problems of Usage	184	(12)
Opinions about grammar	184	(1)
Prescriptive `rules'	185	(1)
The priests of usage	186	(1)
Problems of personal pronouns	187	(3)
The problem of number concord	190	(1)
The problem of the generic masculine	191	(1)
Problems of ellipsis	191	(1)
Dangling tenseless clauses	192	(2)
Conclusion	194	(2)
Exercises	194	(2)
Grammar and composition	196	(13)
Grammar and writing	196	(1)
`Make your language easy to follow'	196	(5)
`Be clear'	201	(1)
`Be economical'	202	(1)
`Be clear but concise': clarity versus economy	203	(2)
`Be effective'	205	(4)
Exercises	206	(3)
Answers to Exercises	209	(19)
Notes	228	(2)
Further Reading	230	(3)
Index	233