The Frameworks of English: Introducing Language Structures

by Kim Ballard

How does English work? What are the different elements? How do they all fit together?

The fourth edition of this popular textbook takes the reader on a step-by-step journey through the various levels of language, covering all the linguistic frameworks in a single volume. Beginning with words as the building blocks of language, Ballard investigates their internal structure before moving on to larger and larger units, from phrases to sentences and beyond. The sound system of English is also explored in detail, from individual segments to connected speech. Lastly, some broader perspectives are offered, looking at regional, global and historical variation in English.

Fully revised and refreshed, this edition includes an engaging new chapter exploring how the frameworks of the language have changed over time, from Old English to the present day, provides a selection of exercises at the end of every chapter allowing readers to consolidate and develop their understanding, and introduces 'point of comparison' boxes offering opportunities to compare features of English with those found in other languages. Supported by plenty of examples, helpful cross-referencing and a detailed glossary, The Frameworks of English is the perfect reader-friendly guide for all students of English language and linguistics.

Accompanying online resources for this title can be found at bloomsbury.pub/frameworks-of-english. These resources are designed to support learning when using this textbook and are available at no extra cost.

Genres: Linguistics, Academic, Nonfiction, Language

440 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.