LINGUIST List 5.505

Mon 02 May 1994

Sum: Syntax books

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Message 1: Summary: Syntax Books

Date: Sat, 30 Apr 1994 20:21:16 Summary: Syntax Books
From: Ali Aghbar <AAGHBARgrove.iup.edu>
Subject: Summary: Syntax Books

About a month ago, I sent out a request for recommendations for an introductionn to English syntax for ESL teachers in training. I added that the book did not necessarily have to be for ESL teachers, but provided the following wish list:

1. Be based on some of the most recent discoveries about the syntactic structure of English (no commitment to a particular school of linguistics required)

2. But at the same time introduce some of the significant categories and relations of traditional grammar

3. Be understandable by graduate students with little or no background in syntax

4. Encourage discovery and problem solving

5. Use tree diagramming

6. Have plenty of exercises

7. Have discussions on function as well as form

8. Generate an appreciation for the intricacies of the English language

9. Have discussions of interest for ESL teachers.

Thanks to all who responded. Below, I will list the references I have received. The numbers in parentheses refer to the above features, which I have included only when recommenders had explicitly mentioned them or I had first-hand knowledge myself. I welcome additinal comments and suggestions.

Alexander, L. G. (1988) LONGMAN ENGLISH GRAMMAR. Longman. (2) Additional comment: Is presented as a handbook.

Baker, C. L. (1989) ENGLISH SYNTAX. MIT Press. (1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8) Additional comment: Watch out for typos.

Burton-Roberts, Noel (1986) ANALYSING SENTENCES: AN INTRODUCTION TO ENGLISH SYNTAX. London/New York: Longman. (1, 2, 3, 5, 6)

Celce-Murcia, Marianne and Diane Larsen-Freeman. (1983) THE GRAMMAR BOOK: AN ESL/EFL TEACHER'S COURSE Newbury House. (1, 2, 3. 5, 7, 8, 9) Additional comment: This text is unique in that it has been written with primarily with ESL/EFL teachers in mind though it is useful with Native speakers as well. many of the linguistic discussions are based on discourse data analysis. Expect a 1995 edition of this book. If you are interested in piloting some pre-publication portions of the text, contact David Lee (Editorial Director) at Heinle and Heinle: David_LeeHeinle.com

Crystal, David. (1988) REDISCOVER GRAMMAR. Longman. (2, 3) Additional comment: It is organized and presented like a brief handbook.

Napoli, Donna Jo. (1993) SYNTAX: THEORY AND PROBLEMS. Oxford U. Press. (1, 4, 5, 8) Additional comment: Based on government and binding theory, this text embodies and exemplifies methodology of scientific linguist inquiry. It is said to be comprehensive but accessible. Paperback, $35.

Fradkin, Bob. (1991) STALKING THE WILD VERB PHRASE A SELF-PACED, SELF-CORRECTING ADVENTURE INTO THE GRAMMAR OF ENGLISH FOR ENGLISH SPEAKERS LEARNING OTHER LANGUAGES. University Press of America. Additional comment: It is not a study in English syntax, per se. Is designed as an out-of-class exercise book in linguistic sensitivity for college students who don't know what subordinate clauses are or why it would be useful to know them, and for L-2 teachers who either don't know how to talk about these things are don't believe L-2 class should be the place for it.

Greenbaum and Quirk (199?) A STUDENT'S GRAMMAR OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE (Longman, ?)

Kaplan, Jeffrey P. (1989) ENGLISH GRAMMAR: PRINCIPLES AND FACTS. Prentice-Hall. (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8) Additional comment: Has chapters on phonology and morphology as well.

Klammer and Schulz. (1992) ANALYZING ENGLISH GRAMMAR. Allyn and Bacon.

Kolln, Martha. 1994. UNDERSTANDING ENGLISH GRAMMAR (4th Edition). Macmillan. (2, 3, 4, 6) Additional comment: Has a section on rhetorical grammar. Has a useful glossary of grammatical terms and two appendices on phonology and transformational grammar.

Leech. AN A-Z OF ENGLISH GRAMMAR.

Malmstrom, Jean and Constance Weaver (1973) TRANSGRAMMAR: ENGLISH STRUCTURE, STYLE, AND DIALECTS. Scott, Foresman. Additional comment: Chapter 1, "Grammatical Definitions," has been found useful.

Master, Peter (Due to be released late 1994 or early 1995) SYSTEMS IN ENGLISH GRAMMAR. Prentice-Hall. It is designed for people who are new to English grammar while still embracing most of the complexities. However, it leaves out all uses of trees as the author has found they often intimidate students who are still unsure what a noun or a verb is.

Odlin, Terence (ed.) (1994) PERSPECTIVES ON PEDAGOGICAL GRAMMAR. Cambridge University Press. Additional comment: It looks very promising for a course on "pedagogical grammar" although it could be too theoretical... depends on what is needed. Just to give a few titles of articles in that book: ==> Universal Grammar and the learning and teaching of second languages / Non-transformational theories of grammar: Implications for language teaching / Rules and pedagogical grammar / Grammatical consciousness-raising and learnability / Functional grammars, pedagogical grammars, and communicative language teaching / linguistic theory and pedagogic practice etc.

Quirk and Greenbaum. (1973) A CONCISE GRAMMAR OF CONTEMPORARY ENGLISH (Harcourt, Brace, 1973).

Sedley, D. (1990). ANATOMY OF ENGLISH: AN INTRODUCTION TO THE STRUCTURE OF STANDARD AMERICAN ENGLISH. St. Martin's Press. (2, 3, 4, 6) Additional comment: The approach is good but it is poorly written after the third chapter.

Silva, Marilyn (To be published December 1994) GRAMMAR IN MANY VOICES. Lincolnwood IL.: National Textbook Company. (1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8) Additional comment: Takes examples from actual discourse; hence, the many voices. (Marilyn Silva's e-mail and address: msilvas1.csuhayward.edu Department of English, California State University, Hayward CA 94542)

Tescher, Richard and Evans, Eston. (199?). ANALYZING THE GRAMMAR OF ENGLISH: A BRIEF UNDERGRADUATE TEXTBOOK. Baltimore, MD: Georgetown University Press. (2, 3) Additional comment: The publisher states,"This comprehensive textbook presents a descriptive analysis of the indispensible elements of English grammar.... Written for prospective teachers of ESOL, upper-division undergraduates in linguistics, and advanced ESOL students..." However, an examination of the text revealed it was not sophisticated enough for a graduate course.

Thomas, Linda. (1993) BEGINNING SYNTAX. Oxford UK/Cambridge USA: Blackwell

Veit, Richard (1986) DISCOVERING ENGLISH GRAMMAR. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8)