Preface
Author's Introduction
SECTION I
Survey
1 What is grammar?
What is grammar for?
Language without grammar
Problems
Solving the problems
2 From simplicity to complexity: word classes and structures
Word classes
Code and message: from words to phrases
Clauses
Subjects and objects
Mood
Analysing phrases and clauses
Clauses inside clauses
The units of language
3 Grammar In the world's languages
Word classes
Structural types
Morphological complexity
Agreement
Meanings
Why is everything so complicated ?
4 Grammar and vocabulary
How different are grammar and vocabulary?
The grammar of words
On the frontier
Language in use: chunking
A continuum
5 Grammar In spoken and written text
Speech and writing
Building phrases, clauses, and utterances
Reference and context
'Given' and 'new': information flow and topic-maintenance
Text structuring
Face
Formal and informal language
Special kinds of text
6 Grammar and language change
1,ooo years of change in English
Mechanisms of change
Analogy
Phonetic erosion
Grammaticalization
Speed of change
How did it all start?
7 Grammar in society: 'correctness' and standardization
Language under attack
What do we mean by 'incorrect'?
Mistakes
Variation
Dialect forms
Alternative usage
Authorities: descriptive and prescriptive rules
Problems with prescriptive rules
Ripples on the ocean
The desire for standardization
The price of standardization
8 Grammar In the head
Investigating language
From outside to inside
Learnability and universal grammar
Problems with the innatist view
Usage-based associative learning
Modularity: grammar in the brain
SECTION 2
Readings
SECTION 3
References
SECTION 4
Glossary
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
