This volume offers qualitative as well as corpus-based quantitative studies on grammatical variation in the British Isles written from a typological perspective. All studies make use of the Freiburg English Dialect Corpus (FRED), a computerized corpus for predominantly British English dialects. Systematic comparative analyses of the following three domains of grammar form the backbone of the volume: relativization strategies in Scottish English, Northern Irish English, and in four major dialect areas in England (Hermann), the so-called Northern Subject Rule, a special agreement phenomenon known from Northern England, Scotland and Northern Ireland (Pietsch), and pronominal gender, with a special focus on the typologically rather unique semantic gender system in the dialects of Southwest England (Wagner).

Key Features: - It is the first book of its kind. It is rare already in its focus on the morphology and syntax of dialects. It is unique in its general orientation and data base. - The volume is bound to have a major impact on English dialectology and the study of the grammar of English.