A Critical Introduction to Syntax

Description

This book introduces major areas of debate within the field of syntax: constructions, grammar and semantics, configurationality, usage-based grammar, complexity, language acquisition. It highlights the application of the same concepts across different models of grammar. Real examples from spoken and written language and standard and non-standard language demonstrate how difficult it is to apply the concept of grammaticality and to provide reliable analyses, especially for spoken language. Comprehensive, accessible and challenging, this book is essential reading for students taking introductory courses in syntax and syntactic theory, both at undergraduate and postgraduate level.

Jim Miller is Professor Emeritus at the University of Edinburgh (formerly Professor of Linguistics and Spoken Language at Edinburgh and Professor of Cognitive Linguistics at the University of Auckland, New Zealand).

An exploration of the syntax of real language, both spoken and written, which unearths fascinating examples, showing just how different the two can be -- and how challenging they are for linguists of different persuasions. -- Greville Corbett, Distinguished Professor of Linguistics, University of Surrey, UK