English Syntax and Argumentation

This book provides a complete and detailed overview of modern English syntax, and offers a thorough grounding in the essentials of sentence structure and syntactic argumentation. Clear, accessible and comprehensive, it contains a wealth of material to support readers in consolidating their learning and knowledge at every step, from basic concepts to more advanced topics. Now in its sixth edition, this textbook includes: - fully updated chapters - refreshed learning materials - a fully revised glossary, list of reference works, and bibliography Equipped with lists of key concept, exercises and further reading suggestions in each chapter, as well as a detailed answer key at the end of the book, this highly accessible, engaging and supportive text covers all the topics needed for a confident understanding of English syntax.

Bas Aarts is Professor of English Linguistics and Director of the Survey of English Usage at University College London, UK.

Preface to the Sixth Edition Part I: Grammatical Form and Grammatical Function 1. Introduction 2. Grammatical Form: Words, Word Classes and Phrases 3. Grammatical Function 4. More on Form: Clauses and Sentences 5. The Grammatical Form - Grammatical Function Interface Part II: Elaboration 6. Predicates, Arguments and Thematic Roles 7. Cross-categorial Generalisations: X-bar Syntax 8. More on Clauses 9. Movement 10. Tense, Aspect and Mood Part III: Argumentation 11. Syntactic Argumentation 12. Constituency: Movement and Substitution 13. Constituency: Some Additional Tests 14. Predicates and Arguments Revisited Part IV: Application 15. Information Packaging 16. Grammatical Indeterminacy 17. Case Studies Glossary Reference Works: Dictionaries, Encyclopedias, Grammars and Other Publications on the English Language Bibliography Answer Key for the Exercises Index