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Understanding Syntax

by: Tallerman, Maggie

Understanding Syntax

by: Tallerman, Maggie

ISBN 13:
9780340700006
ISBN 10:
0340700009
Format: Hardcover
Copyright: 12/03/1998
Publisher: Hodder Education Publishers
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Summary

This text provides a complete introduction to the syntax of human languages. Assuming no prior knowledge of linguistics, the book discusses and illustrates all of the major terms and concepts essential to the study of sentence structure. While drawing initial illustrations primarily from English, the book presents extensive additional materiaL from several dozen other languages. Written in an accessible style with many examples and interactive exercises, this book is the perfect choice for anyone approaching this subject for the first time.

Acknowledgements

(1)

Note to the reader

xii

(2)

List of abbreviations used in examples

xiv

1 What is syntax?

(28)

1.1 Some concepts and misconceptions

(10)

1.1.1 What is the study of syntax about?

(7)

1.1.2 Language change

(3)

1.2 Use of linguistic examples

(7)

1.2.1 Why not just use examples from English?

(2)

1.2.2 How to read linguistic examples

(5)

1.3 Why do languages have syntax?

(7)

1.3.1 Word order

(2)

1.3.2 Promotion and demotion processes

(1)

1.3.3 All languages have structure

(3)

Further reading

(1)

Exercises

(4)

2 Words belong to different classes

(34)

2.1 Identifying word classes

(6)

2.1.1 How can we tell that words belong to different classes?

(1)

2.1.2 Some ways to identify word classes

(2)

2.1.3 An illustration: How do speakers of a language identify word classes?

(3)

2.2 Syntax of the major word classes

(14)

2.2.1 An introduction to verb classes

(2)

2.2.2 The noun phrase

(6)

2.2.3 The adjective phrase

(2)

2.2.4 The preposition phrase

(2)

2.2.5 Adverbs

(2)

2.2.6 Conclusion

(1)

2.3 Grammatical categories

(10)

2.3.1 Introduction

(1)

2.3.2 An overview of the major grammatical categories

(8)

2.4 Summary

(1)

Further reading

(1)

Exercises

(4)

3 Looking inside sentences

(27)

3.1 Simple sentences and finiteness

(8)

3.1.1 The clause and the simple sentence

(2)

3.1.2 Finiteness and auxiliaries

(3)

3.1.3 Non-finite verbs

(2)

3.1.4 Summary

(1)

3.2 Introduction to complex sentences

(5)

3.2.1 Definitions and examples

(2)

3.2.2 Distinguishing English main and subordinate clauses

(3)

3.3 Cross-linguistic variation in clause types

(6)

3.3.1 Languages without infinitival clauses

(1)

3.3.2 Inflected infinitival clauses

(1)

3.3.3 The co-ordination strategy

(1)

3.3.4 Nominalization

(1)

3.3.5 Serial verbs

(2)

3.3.6 Summary

(1)

3.4 Relative clauses

(4)

3.4.1 Examples and definitions

(2)

3.4.2 Cross-linguistic variation in relative clauses

(2)

3.5 Summary

(1)

Further reading

(1)

Exercises

(4)

4 Head words and phrases

(26)

4.1 Heads and their dependents

(13)

4.1.1 Properties of heads

(3)

4.1.2 More about dependents

(7)

4.1.3 Where does the head occur in a phrase?

100

(3)

4.2 Head-marking and dependent-marking languages

103

(9)

4.2.1 Definitions and illustrations

103

(7)

4.2.2 Some typological distinctions between languages

110

(2)

4.2.3 Summary

112

(1)

Further reading

112

(1)

Exercises

113

(3)

5 How do we identify constituents?

116

(30)

5.1 Discovering the structure of sentences

116

(10)

5.1.1 Evidence of structure in sentences

116

(2)

5.1.2 Some syntactic tests for constituent structure

118

(4)

5.1.3 Constituent structure trees

122

(3)

5.1.4 Summary

125

(1)

5.2 Labelled tree diagrams and relationships within the tree

126

(3)

5.3 Developing detailed tree diagrams

129

(13)

5.3.1 Applying some constituent structure tests

129

(6)

5.3.2 The co-ordination test for constituency

135

(3)

5.3.3 Do all languages have the same constituents?

138

(1)

5.3.4 An introduction to the bar notation

138

(4)

5.4 Summary

142

(1)

Further reading

142

(1)

Exercises

142

(4)

6 Relationships within the clause

146

(32)

6.1 Introduction

146

(1)

6.2 Order of phrases within the clause

147

(4)

6.2.1 Basic and marked orders

147

(2)

6.2.2 Variations of order

149

(1)

6.2.3 Statistical patterns

149

(2)

6.3 Case systems

151

(7)

6.3.1 Ways of dividing core arguments

151

(2)

6.3.2 Illustration of the main case systems

153

(5)

6.4 Agreement

158

(5)

6.5 Grammatical relations

163

(9)

6.5.1 Introduction

163

(1)

6.5.2 Subjects

163

(8)

6.5.3 Objects

171

(1)

6.6 Summary

172

(1)

Further reading

173

(1)

Exercises

173

(5)

7 Syntactic processes

178

(30)

7.1 Passives and antipassives

178

(13)

7.1.1 The passive construction and transitive verbs

178

(6)

7.1.2 The passive construction and intransitive verbs

184

(1)

7.1.3 The antipassive

185

(6)

7.2 Other processes that change grammatical relations

191

(9)

7.2.1 The applicative construction

191

(4)

7.2.2 The causative construction

195

(5)

7.3 Syntactic processes that don't change grammatical relations

200

(2)

7.3.1 WH-questions

200

(1)

7.3.2 Other fronting constructions

201

(1)

7.4 Syntactic processes and constituent structure

202

(1)

Further reading

203

(1)

Exercises

203

(5)

8 Conclusion

208

(3)

Sources of data used in examples

211

(3)

References

214

(6)

Language index

220

(2)

Subject index

222

Amazon no longer offers textbook rentals. We do!

Understanding Syntax

Understanding Syntax

9780340700006

0340700009

Summary

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials

Write a Review

Amazon no longer offers textbook rentals. We do!

Understanding Syntax

Understanding Syntax

9780340700006

0340700009

Summary

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials

Write a Review

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