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