As an undergraduate, I decided that I wanted to write my one grammar book one day. After years of study, note making, and blog posts, I began writing the book on April 5, 2019. I am now excited to announce that A Form-Function Description of the Grammar of the Modern English Language is finally available for purchase on Amazon.
The print version is available in two books (Book 1 (Level 7) and Book 2 (Level 8)) at $29.99 each for a total of $59.98. Book 1 (Level 7) covers the introduction and chapters 1 to 11. Book 2 (Level 8) covers chapters 12 to 18 and the conclusion. The included workbook contains questions and answers for each chapter in the textbook including the introduction. The glossary in Book 2 provides an alphabetical list of the definitions of the bold terms throughout the textbook. The appendices in Book 2 offer quick references on English forms and functions, strong verbs, adjective phrase complements, prepositional verbs, catenative verbs, and phrasal verbs.
The Kindle version includes the full text of the print version for $39.99. The glossary provides an alphabetical list of the definitions of the bold terms throughout the textbook. The appendices offer quick references on English forms and functions, strong verbs, adjective phrase complements, prepositional verbs, catenative verbs, and phrasal verbs. All images have alt text descriptions. The Kindle ebook version excludes the workbook questions and answers.
A Form-Function Description of the Grammar of the Modern English Language: Workbook is an essential companion to the textbook (Kindle ebook version). The accompanying workbook contains questions and answers for each chapter in the textbook including the introduction. The workbook is $19.99.
You can also learn more about the grammar program at Form-Function Grammar or follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
Description
What is grammar? Grammar refers to the structural rules that govern the formation of words, phrases, and clauses in a language. Grammar encompasses morphology and syntax. A Form-Function Description of the Grammar of the Modern English Language is a descriptive grammar that strives to provide an objective description of English as used without value judgements. This grammar book approaches the description of English morphology and syntax through two frameworks: the Form-Function Method and Construction Grammar.
The Form-Function Method of grammar is based on four principal tenets:
(1) Languages contain a finite number of grammatical forms.
(2) Languages contain a finite number of grammatical functions.
(3) Grammatical forms perform one or more grammatical functions.
(4) Grammatical functions can be performed by one or more grammatical forms.
The Construction Grammar framework approaches language as consisting of grammatical constructions that form the basic units of language. Construction Grammar analyzes language as expressed, positing no underlying form.
Written for students in junior high, this grammar begins by describing the grammatical forms possible in English. The word classes in English are nouns, pronouns, adjectives, determiners, verbs, adverbs, prepositions, postpositions, p-words, conjunctions, adverbializers, relativizers, complementizers, and interjections. The phrases in English are noun phrases, adjective phrases, determiner phrases, verb phrases, adverb phrases, prepositional phrases, and postpositional phrases. The clauses in English are independent clauses, adjective clauses, noun clauses, and adverb clauses. This grammar also describes the grammatical functions that words, phrases, and clauses can perform.
Purchase
A Form-Function Description of the Grammar of the Modern English Language is available for purchase on Amazon.
