English Grammar

English Grammar is a concise introductory reader designed to give students a short authoritative account of the major structures of contemporary English.
The descriptive approach adopted is influenced primarily by the work of Rodney Huddleston, but it also draws upon the work of Randolph Quirk.
Wherever possible, the categories and terms of traditional grammar are retained, since many readers will have some familiarity with these.

Preface
Symbols and conventions
1 Introduction
1.1            Definitions
1.2            Prototypes
1.3            Constituent structure
1.4            Classes and functions
1.5            Descriptive and prescriptive grammar
1.6            Grammar and the components of a linguistic description
Exercises
2 Words: the parts of speech
2.1        The parts of speech
2.2        Word class properties
2.3        Nouns
2.3.1     General properties
2.3.2     Common nouns
2.3.3     Proper nouns
2.3.4     Pronouns
2.4        Verbs
2.4.1     General properties
2.4.2     Verb inflection
2.4.3     The tensed forms
2.4.4     The non-tensed forms
2.4.5     Auxiliary verbs
2.4.6     Operators
2.5        Adjectives
2.5.1     General properties
2.5.2     Attributive and predicative adjectives
2.5.3     Adjective gradability and comparison
2.6        Adverbs
2.6.1     General properties
2.6.2     Adverb functions
2.6.3     Adverb gradability and comparison
2.7        The closed classes
2.7.1     Determinatives
2.7.2     Prepositions
2.7.3     Subordinators
2.7.4     Coordinators
Exercises
3 Phrases
3.1        Heads and dependents
3.2        Relator-axis constructions
3.3        Noun phrases
3.3.1     Pre-head dependents
3.3.2     Post-head dependents
3.4        Verb phrases
3.4.1     Tense
3.4.2     Modality
3.4.3     Aspect
3.4.4     Passive voice
3.4.5     Verb phrase structure
3.5        Adjective phrases
3.6        Adverb phrases
3.7        Prepositional phrases
Exercises
4 Clauses
4.1        Basic clauses
4.1.1     Subject and predicate
4.1.2     Complements and adjuncts
4.1.3     Object and predicative complement
4.1.4     Direct and indirect object
4.1.5     Subjective and objective predicatives
4.1.6     Attributive and identifying predicatives
4.2        Patterns of complementation
4.3       Other complements
4.3.1     Locative and temporal complements
4.3.2     PP-complements of prepositional verbs
4.3.3     Particles as complement of phrasal verbs
4.3.4     Non-finite complements of "catenative" verbs
4.4        Adjuncts
4.5        Mood
4.5.1     Declarative clauses
4.5.2     Interrogative clauses
4.5.3     Imperative clauses
4.5.4     Exclamative clauses
4.6        Negation
Exercises
5 Subordination and coordination
5.1        Sentences and clauses
5.2        Subordination and coordination
5.3        Subordinate clauses
5.3.1     Noun clauses
5.3.2     Adverbial clauses
5.3.3     Relative clauses
5.3.4     Comparative clauses
5.4        Non-finite clauses
5.5        Verbless clauses
5.6        Coordination
Exercises
6 Information packaging and texts
6.1        Information packaging
6.1.1     Topic
6.1.2     Focus
6.1.3     Weight
6.2        Voice
6.3        Cleft sentences
6.4        Extraposition
6.5        Existential sentences
6.6        Linear reordering
6.6.1     Subject-complement reversal
6.6.2     Topicalisation
6.6.3     Locative inversion
6.6.4     Dislocation
6.6.5     Dative movement
6.6.6     Extraposition from NP
6.7        Sentences and texts
6.7.1     Coreference
6.7.2     Ellipsis
6.7.3     Substitution
Exercises
Answers to exercises
Some useful references
Glossary of key grammatical terms

• Presents a concise and contemporary introduction to English grammar.
• Suitable for students who wish to orientate themselves with the basic tenements of English grammar. It is also a useful guide for students whom English is their second language.
• The book incorporates interesting and practical exercises at the end of each chapter for students to test their skills and knowledge. Answers to the exercises are provided at the end of the book.
• The text contains an excellent glossary of key grammatical terms, as well as extensive references for further reading.

• Associate Professor Peter Collins is the Director of the Linguistics Unit in the School of Modern Language Studies at the University of New South Wales. He is the successful co-author of an introductory linguistics text and has published in numerous journals.