The Frameworks of English: Introducing Language Structures

✍ Scribed by Kim Ballard

• Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic
• Year: 2022
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 579
• Edition: 4
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

How does English work? What are the different elements? How do they all fit together?

The fourth edition of this popular textbook takes the reader on a step-by-step journey through the various levels of language, covering all the linguistic frameworks in a single volume. Beginning with words as the building blocks of language, Ballard investigates their internal structure before moving on to larger and larger units, from phrases to sentences and beyond. The sound system of English is also explored in detail, from individual segments to connected speech. Lastly, some broader perspectives are offered, looking at regional, global and historical variation in English.

Fully revised and refreshed, this edition includes an engaging new chapter exploring how the frameworks of the language have changed over time, from Old English to the present day, provides a selection of exercises at the end of every chapter allowing readers to consolidate and develop their understanding, and introduces 'point of comparison' boxes offering opportunities to compare features of English with those found in other languages. Supported by plenty of examples, helpful cross-referencing and a detailed glossary, The Frameworks of English is the perfect reader-friendly guide for all students of English language and linguistics.

Accompanying online resources for this title can be found at bloomsbury.pub/frameworks-of-english. These resources are designed to support learning when using this textbook and are available at no extra cost.

✦ Table of Contents

Title Page
Dedication
Contents
List of Tables
List of Figures
List of Points of Comparison
Acknowledgements
Part I Introduction
1 Introduction
1.1 A voyage around the English language
1.2 Frameworks and levels
1.3 Meaning
1.4 Speech and writing
1.5 Which English?
1.6 A descriptive approach
1.7 Using this book
Part II Lexical Frameworks
2 Word Classes
2.1 Words: the building blocks of language
2.2 Defining English words
2.3 Lexemes and lexis
2.4 Word classes
2.5 Open and closed classes of words
2.6 Nouns
2.7 Lexical verbs
2.8 Adjectives
2.9 Adverbs
2.10 Pronouns: primary pronouns
2.11 Pronouns: other pronoun types
2.12 Determiners
2.13 Auxiliary verbs
2.14 Prepositions
2.15 Conjunctions
2.16 Wh-words
Exercises
3 Word Formation
3.1 Simple and complex words
3.2 Morphemes and allomorphs
3.3 Word-formation strategies
3.4 Affixation
3.5 Compounding
3.6 Combining forms
3.7 Multi-word verbs
3.8 Conversion
3.9 Other word-formation strategies
3.10 Word meanings: derived words, compound words
3.11 Word meanings: meaning relations
3.12 Word meanings: polysemy
Exercises
Lexical frameworks: suggestions for further reading and research
Part III Grammatical Frameworks
4 Inflections
4.1 Inflections as an aspect of grammar
4.2 Inflections in Present-Day English
4.3 Noun inflections: number
4.4 Noun inflections: possession
4.5 Verb inflections: regular forms
4.6 Verb inflections: irregular forms
4.7 Adjective and adverb inflections
4.8 Pronoun inflections and forms
Exercises
5 Phrases
5.1 What is a phrase?
5.2 Noun phrases: internal structure
5.3 Noun phrases: pre-and postmodification
5.4 Verb phrases: internal structure
5.5 Verb phrases: tense
5.6 Verb phrases: auxiliaries and aspects
5.7 Verb phrases: voice
5.8 Verb phrases: finite and non-finite verb phrases
5.9 Adjective and adverb phrases
5.10 Prepositional phrases
5.11 Embedding
5.12 Coordination and apposition of phrases
Exercises
6 Clauses
6.1 What is a clause?
6.2 The five clause elements
6.3 Subject element
6.4 Verb element
6.5 Object element
6.6 Complement element
6.7 Adverbial element
6.8 Clause structures
6.9 Active and passive clauses
6.10 Non-finite clauses
6.11 Main and subordinate clauses
6.12 Clauses as clause elements
6.13 Clauses within phrases
6.14 Relative clauses
6.15 Nominal relative clauses
6.16 Negative clauses
6.17 Verbless clauses
Exercises
7 Sentences
7.1 What is a sentence?
7.2 Sentence types
7.3 Declarative sentences
7.4 Interrogative sentences
7.5 Imperative sentences
7.6 Exclamative sentences
7.7 Simple sentences
7.8 Compound sentences
7.9 Complex sentences
7.10 Adverbial clauses
7.11 Structural variation: fronting and end-shift
7.12 Structural variation: extraposition
7.13 Structural variation: existential there
Exercises
Grammatical frameworks: suggestions for further reading and research
Part IV Discourse Frameworks
8 Beyond Sentences
8.1 Discourse
8.2 Text and context
8.3 Spoken and written discourse
8.4 Lexical cohesion
8.5 Repetition
8.6 Reference
8.7 Ellipsis
8.8 Cohesion in interactional discourse
8.9 Structure in interactional discourse
8.10 Discourse markers
8.11 Register
8.12 Electronically-mediated discourse
Exercises
Discourse frameworks: suggestions for further reading and research
Part V Phonological Frameworks
9 Phonetics and Phonemes
9.1 Phonetics and phonology
9.2 A representative accent
9.3 Phonemes
9.4 The International Phonetic Alphabet
9.5 The vocal tract
9.6 The consonants of English
9.7 Classifying consonants: place of articulation
9.8 Classifying consonants: manner of articulation
9.9 Classifying consonants: voicing
9.10 The vowels of English
9.11 Classifying vowels: length
9.12 Classifying vowels: tongue position, lip shape
9.13 RP vowels in relation to cardinal vowels
9.14 RP diphthongs
9.15 Phonetic transcriptions
Exercises
10 Segmental Phonology
10.1 What is segmental phonology?
10.2 The distribution of consonants
10.3 The distribution of vowels
10.4 Consonant and vowel allophones
10.5 Consonant clusters and syllable structure
10.6 The syllable template
10.7 Connected speech
Exercises
11 Suprasegmental phonology
11.1 What is suprasegmental phonology?
11.2 Word stress
11.3 Word stress: polysyllabic and compound words
11.4 Word stress and word class
11.5 Rhythm
11.6 Strong and weak forms
11.7 Intonation and tones
11.8 Tone units
11.9 Semantic and discourse functions of intonation
11.10 Grammatical functions of intonation
11.11 Other suprasegmental features
Exercises
Phonological frameworks: suggestions for further reading and research
Part VI Broader Perspectives
12 Variation in Present-Day English
12.1 Beyond RP and Standard British English
12.2 Variation in Present-Day English: an overview
12.3 Studying and analysing variation in Present-Day English
12.4 Lexical variation
12.5 Grammatical variation: inflections
12.6 Grammatical variation: phrase structure
12.7 Grammatical variation: clauses and sentences
12.8 Variation in discourse
12.9 Phonological variation: consonants
12.10 Phonological variation: vowels
12.11 Phonological variation: prosodic features
12.12 An example from London
Exercises
13 Historical English
13.1 A historical perspective
13.2 The beginnings of English
13.3 The phases of historical English
13.4 External causes of historical change
13.5 Studying and analysing historical English
13.6 Historical writing, printing and spelling
13.7 Lexical change
13.8 Historical word formation
13.9 Semantic change
13.10 Grammatical change: inflections
13.11 Grammatical change: personal pronouns
13.12 Grammatical change: phrases, clauses and sentences
13.13 Historical discourse
13.14 Phonological change: consonants
13.15 Phonological change: vowels
Exercises
Broader perspectives: suggestions for further reading and research
Phonetic and other symbols
Glossary
Index
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