Herb,
Thank you so much for your suggestions and descriptions of the reference
books for English grammar.
--
Christine Reintjes Martin
[log in to unmask]
>From: "Stahlke, Herbert F.W." <[log in to unmask]>
>>Subject: Re: Competence, performance & grammaticality
>Date: Thu, 13 May 2004 10:16:18 -0500
>
>Christine,
>
>
>
>Having librarians on your side is very smart. Four major reference
>grammars have been published since 1985, so they are all current. They
>differ in approach and scope, as well as price, so I've added a couple
>of comments on each. Undergraduates taking English grammar courses
>should gain familiarity with one or another of these. All of them
>distinguish to some degree between British and American usage.
>
>
>
>Huddleston, Rodney, and Geoffrey K. Pullum. 2002. The Cambridge
>Grammar of the English Language. Cambridge: Cambridge University
>Press. 1842pp.
>
>
>
>This is in most ways the best of the reference grammars now available.
>The 20 chapters are co-authored by the principal authors and 13 other
>specialists. The analyses are sometimes controversial but are clear,
>thorough, and detailed. The extent of detail may well be daunting to
>the average composition student and some of the sections make modest
>theoretical demands, but the student in a UG grammar class could handle
>selected sections.
>
>
>
>Biber, Douglas, Stig Johansson, Geoffrey Leech, Susan Conrad, and Edward
>Finegan. 1999. The Longman Grammar of Spoken and Written English.
>Harlow: Pearson Education Ltd. 1204pp.
>
>
>
>Following the tradition of corpus-based linguistics that all five
>authors have worked in, this is a thoroughly corpus-based grammar,
>meaning that all examples are real and are classified into four
>registers: Conversation, Fiction, News, and Academic Prose. All
>analyses include breakdowns showing how variants are used in the
>different registers. This is an extremely valuable tool for showing
>students that there is an alternative to correctness-based grammar.
>
>
>
>Quirk, Randolph, Sidney Greenbaum, Geoffrey Leech, and Jan Svartvik.
>1985. A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language. Harlow:
>Longman Group Lt. 1779pp.
>
>
>
>The classic of modern grammars. The theory involved is straight-forward
>and similar to much of what is found in non-formalist grammar texts,
>although with a bit of a Hallidayan influence. The work draws on the
>Survey of English Usage but is not fully corpus-based. Generally easy
>to work with, although moderately difficult at times. Most UG grammar
>students could handle selections.
>
>
>
>Greenbaum, Sidney. 1996. The Oxford English Grammar. Oxford: Oxford
>University Press. 652pp.
>
>
>
>Clearly the shortest of the four, and the most affordable, at $49.95,
>the OEG is also the most accessible, easiest to use. It is thoroughly
>corpus based, all examples are real, and the descriptions are
>well-written and readable. It is, of course, less comprehensive than
>the other three and will, to the practicing grammarian, frequently seem
>to stop short of the depth a topic requires, but UG grammar students
>handle it well. I use it as the text in my grammar class, and students
>have responded favorably to it. Many of them tell me they hang on to it
>afterwards.
>
>
>
>I hope these are useful. I'd be interested to see suggestions from
>others on the list.
>
>By the way, I left out my favorite, Jespersen's seven-volume A Modern
>English Grammar on Historical Principles. I use it extensively, but
>it's a scholar's, not a student's grammar. I have some of my more
>advanced students use it, but such assignments have to be carefully
>tailored.
>
>
>
>Herb
>
>
>Dear Group,
>
>
>
>I teach English at two community colleges in eastern NC. I want to
>suggest
>
>that our librarians purchase books related to Standard English grammar,
>as
>
>well as books that address dialects and variations of English in this
>
>country and throughout the world.
>
>
>
>Please give me some suggestions. What English grammar reference books
>are
>
>most useful to members of this list?>
>
>Christine Reintjes Martin
>
>[log in to unmask]
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
_________________________________________________________________
Getting married? Find tips, tools and the latest trends at MSN Life Events.
http://lifeevents.msn.com/category.aspx?cid=married
To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at:
http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html
and select "Join or leave the list"
Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/
|
