The Frameworks of English : Introducing Language Structures

by Ballard K.

This clear but detailed survey on the structures of contemporary English is a useful introduction for students and non-specialists alike. Chapter by chapter it reveals the extraordinary complexity of the language, showing how that complexity is all the more fascinating when considered as knowledge which all speakers unconsciously share. The book begins with words as the building blocks of language and explores the internal structure of words before moving on to see how words can be combined into larger units, from phrases to sentences and beyond. In addition, three chapters are devoted to the sound system of the language, showing how we produce individual sounds as well as looking at syllable structure and other features of speech such as stress and intonation.

Genres: Linguistics, Academic, Nonfiction, Language

320 pages, Paperback

First published May 25, 2001

Reviews

[cukrkandl]

def not gonna be a favorite of this year... please pray for me so i get an A and pass my exam lol

[Grace · Rating 2 out of 5]

There doesn't seem to be a single grammatical concept this book does not cover. However, it is written in the most fast-paced, informational way that it does not leave room for comprehension as one goes. I found the chapters about context and larger bodies of text like conversations and paragraphs towards the end easier to follow along with than the earlier ones that are sentence example after sentence example. This functions best as a grammatical dictionary of sorts and not just another informative linguistics read. I had to really focus to pull through it and obviously did not pick up even half of everything that was mentioned. Even though as a native English speaker it covers things I already know, it adds labels to them and defines them in new ways that I am not used to and will take repetition to become familiar with, of course. For me, the glossary was of the greatest value and teaches terms more clearly than the example situations found in the rest of the book.

[Fernando · Rating 5 out of 5]

A comprehensive, very well written linguistics book.