LINGUIST List 8.588

Fri Apr 25 1997

Sum: 'Fundamentals of Grammar' texts

Editor for this issue: Anthony Rodrigues Aristar <aristarlinguistlist.org>

Directory

1. Frederick Newmeyer, 'Fundamentals of Grammar' text

A few days ago I asked for suggestions for texts to use in a class
directed to first-year undergraduates on basic grammatical concepts and
terminology -- texts that are not overly biased toward English grammar. I
received helpful responses from David Redknap, John Verhaar, Alan Smith,
Billy Clark, Britta Zawada, Doug Walker, Michael Newman, Robert F. Kemp,
Patricia Kilroe, and Jeff Siegel. Here are the suggestions:

1. Several books published by Olivia and Hill Press in Ann Arbor,
Michigan, entitled "English Grammar for Students of French", "English
Grammar for Students of Spanish", "...of German", "...of Italian", and
"...of Latin". 

2. Either Bernard Comrie's_Language universals and linguistic typology_
(2nd ed.), or William Croft's _Typology and universals_ (though 'difficult
for beginners').

3. John Verhaar's _Asas-asas linguistik umum_ ['Principlesof General
Linguistics'] (Gadjah Mada University Press, Yogyakarta, Indonesia,1996)
(but in Indonesian).

4. Foundations of French Syntax by Michael Allan Jones. Cambridge
University Press, 1996.

5. Jim Hurford's "Grammar: A Student's Guide" (Cambridge University
Press).

6. Langacker's (1972) Fundamentals of linguistic analysis.

7. T. Crowley, J. Lynch, J. Siegel & Julie Piau (1995). The design of
language: an introduction to descriptive linguistics. Auckland: Longman
Paul. It emphasizes a wide range of aspects of grammar found in a variety
of languages--mainly non-European.


- fritz newmeyer