Short description:

This is a comprehensive introduction to the grammar and vocabulary of contemporary English covering core areas and providing classic readings by key names in the discipline.

Long description:

Routledge English Language Introductions cover core areas of language study and are one-stop resources for students.
Assuming no prior knowledge, these books offer an accessible overview of the subject, with activities, study questions, sample analyses, commentaries and key readings ? all in the same volume. The innovative and flexible 'two-dimensional' structure is built around four sections ? introduction, development, exploration and extension ? which offer self-contained stages for study. Each topic can also be read across these sections, enabling the reader to build gradually on the knowledge gained.
Grammar and Vocabulary:

• covers the core areas of the subject: words and sentences, word classes, word structure, slots and fillers, sentence patterns, clause and phrase, grammar rules, and vocabularies


• draws on a wide range of real texts from newspaper articles, adverts, poems, and websites


• provides classic readings by key names in the discipline, such as Halliday, Quirk, Ayto, and Trudgill.

This is an accessible and user-friendly textbook for all students of English language and linguistics.

The accompanying website to this book can be found at http://www.routledge.com/textbooks/041523171X/

Table of Contents:

Acknowledgements How to use this book A. Introduction: Key Concepts in Grammar and Vocabulary: A.1 Words and sentences A.2 Word classes A.3 Word structure A.4 Slots and fillers A.5 Sentence patterns A.6 Clause and phrase A.7 Grammar rules A.8 Vocabularies B. Development: Further Concepts in Grammar and Vocabulary: B.1 Types of sentence B.2 Noun and verb B.3 Making new words B.4 Subject and Object B.5 Noun phrase and verb phrase B.6 Main and subordinate B.7 Breaking rules B.8 'Jargon' C. Exploration: Aspects of Investigation: C.1 Sentence types in use C.1.1 Declaratives C.1.2 Interrogatives C.1.3 Imperatives C.2 Classes of words C.2.1 Nouns and pronouns C.2.2 Adjectives C.2.3 Adverbs and prepositions C.3 Types of word structure C.3.1 Compounds C.3.2 Derivations C.3.3 Multi-word items C.4 Types of slot C.4.1 Object and Complement C.4.2 Object and Adverbial C.4.3 More on Subjects C.5 Components of phrases C.5.1 Modifying nouns C.5.2 Tense, aspect and modality C.5.3 Adjective phrase C.6 Types of clause C.6.1 Noun clauses C.6.2 Adjective clauses C.6.3 Adverbial clauses C.7 Grammatical rules in context C.7.1 Spoken grammar C.7.2 Creative grammar C.7.3 Humour and ambiguity C.8 Word-choice in use C.8.1 Dialect C.8.2 Topic C.8.3 Formality D. Extension: Readings in Grammar and Vocabulary: D.1 Linguistic Units and the Sentence (Aarts and Aarts) D.2 Grammatical Class; The Problem of Labelling (Allerton) D.3 Lexicalization (Quirk, Greenbaum, Leech and Svartvik) D.4 Valency Theory (Herbst) D.5 Pattern and Meaning (Hunston and Francis) D.6 The Clause Complex (Halliday) D.7 Standard English (Trudgill) D.8 Introduction to 20th Century Words (Ayto) Further Reading References Glossary of terms and index