What do speakers of a language have to know, and what can they 'figure out' on the basis of that knowledge, in order for them to use their language successfully? This is the question at the heart of Construction Grammar, an approach to the study of language that views all dimensions of language as equal contributors to shaping linguistic expressions. The trademark characteristic of Construction Grammar is the insight that language is a repertoire of more or less complex patterns - constructions - that integrate form and meaning. This textbook shows how a Construction Grammar approach can be used to analyse the English language, offering explanations for language acquisition, variation and change. It covers all levels of syntactic description, from word-formation and inflectional morphology to phrasal and clausal phenomena and information-structure constructions. Each chapter includes exercises and further readings, making it an accessible introduction for undergraduate students of linguistics and English language.

A comprehensive cognitive account of English morphology and syntax that covers topics such as language acquisition and variation and change.

About the Author
Thomas Hoffmann is Professor and Chair of English Language and Linguistics at the Catholic University Eichstatt-Ingolstadt as well as Furong Scholar Distinguished Chair Professor of Hunan Normal University. Notable publications include Preposition Placement in English (CUP, 2011), English Comparative Correlatives Interface (CUP, 2019) and The Oxford Handbook of Construction Grammar (co-edited with Trousdale, OUP).


Book Information
ISBN 9781107013490
Author Thomas Hoffmann
Format Hardback
Page Count 350
Imprint Cambridge University Press
Publisher Cambridge University Press
Weight(grams) 750g
Dimensions(mm) 250mm * 175mm * 22mm