One Language, Two Grammars?
Cambridge University Press, 12/16/2010
EAN 9780521183963, ISBN10: 0521183960
Paperback, 486 pages, 22.9 x 15.2 x 2.5 cm
Language: English
It is well known that British and American English differ substantially in their pronunciation and vocabulary - but differences in their grammar have largely been underestimated. This volume focuses on British–American differences in the structure of words and sentences and supports them with computer-aided studies of large text collections. Present-day as well as earlier forms of the two varieties are included in the analyses. This makes it the first book-length treatment of British and American English grammar in contrast, with topics ranging from compound verbs to word order differences and tag questions. The authors explore some of the better-known contrasts, as well as a great variety of innovative themes that have so far received little or no consideration. Bringing together the work of a team of leading scholars in the field, this book will be of interest to those working within the fields of English historical linguistics, language variation and change, and dialectology.
Introduction Günter Rohdenburg and Julia Schlüter
1. Colonial lag, colonial innovation or simply language change? Marianne Hundt
2. Compound verbs Peter Erdmann
3. The formation of the preterite and the past participle Magnus Levin
4. Comparatives Britta Mondorf
5. Phonology and grammar Julia Schlüter
6. Prepositions and postpositions Eva Berlage
7. Argument structure David Denison
8. Reflexive structures Günter Rohdenburg
9. Noun phrase modification Douglas Biber, Jack Grieve and Gina Iberri-Shea
10. Nominal complements Günter Rohdenburg
11. Non-finite complements Uwe Vosberg
12. The present perfect and the preterite Johan Elsness
13. The revived subjunctive Göran Kjellmer
14. The mandative subjunctive William J. Crawford
15. The conditional subjunctive Julia Schlüter
16. Tag questions D. J. Allerton
17. The pragmatics of adverbs Karin Aijmer
18. How different are American and British grammar? And how are they different? Gunnel Tottie
19. New departures Günter Rohdenburg and Julia Schlüter.
Review of the hardback: '...an important book ...' Journal of English Language & Linguistics