Understanding Syntax

by Maggie Tallerman

Book Overview

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,...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0340603771
• ISBN13: 9780340603772
• Release Date: December 1998
• Publisher: Hodder Education Publishers
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 1.00 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 9.1" x 6.1"

Customer Reviews

Great book for getting your feet wet!

If you're looking for a good introduction to syntax, this is a wonderful book for that purpose. Tallerman's prose is clear and understandable and the examples clearly explain the concepts. The book is organized well and both indices and contents pages do their jobs well, something I've found rare in many textbooks. The questions, however, can sometimes be quirky. The data can be minimal in the extreme and instead the question itself leads the student to the answer. This can make the questions seem just a rehash of the chapter instead of exercises that develop the student's skills. Depending on the professor, it can leave students unprepared for tests and quizzes. These quirks are rare, though, and most exercises help the student well enough.I'd recommend this book for those learning syntax on their own or for really basic courses in syntax. This isn't really a graduate level book by itself, although with supplements or another more advanced text it is a great way to introduce students to syntax before moving on to the harder stuff later on in the semester.