This comprehensive introduction presents the basic goals and tools of syntactic analysis. The conceptual framework is theory-neutral, presenting a scientific introduction to the field. The chapters in the first half of the book present a detailed introduction to synchronic description. The second half of the book examines variation and change, syntactic typology, and language acquisition, and possible explanations from structural, evolutionary and functional perspectives. The book includes student-friendly features, such as chapter summaries, suggestions for further reading, exercises, and a glossary of terms. This is essential reading for undergraduate students, whether encountering syntax for the first time, or studying it at a more advanced level.