Publisher's Synopsis
In An Introduction to English Syntax, Jim Miller discusses the central concepts of syntax which are applied in a wide range of university courses, in business, in teaching and in speech therapy. The book deals with traditional concepts which have been greatly refined and extended over the past thirty years: what nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs are and how they can be recognised; what a subordinate clause is and how different types of subordinate clause can be recognised; what subjects and objects are. The book draws out the connections between syntax and meaning; in particular, two chapters focus on topics such as tense, mood and voice which are central to the use of language and are of major importance in second language learning. They are also areas where meaning and grammar interconnect very closely. There is a final chapter on how sentences are combined in the creation of texts and on the role of various syntactic constructions in texts.* Coverage of central themes with a wide application outside the study of syntax* Explains basic concepts, supported by a glossary of technical terms* Exercises and sources for further reading provided
