How English Works: A Linguistic Introduction [Paperback]

Anne Curzan (Author), Michael P. Adams (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0321121880 | ISBN-13: 978-0321121882 | Publication Date: October 15, 2005

This accessible introduction to the structure of English, general theories in linguistics, and important issues in sociolinguistics, is the first text written specifically for English and Education majors. This engaging introductory language/linguistics textbook provides more extensive coverage of issues of particular interest to English majors and future English instructors. It invites all students to connect academic linguistics to the everyday use of the English language around them. The book’s approach taps students’ natural curiosity about the English language. Through exercises and discussion questions about ongoing changes in English, How English Works asks students to become active participants in the construction of linguistic knowledge.

Product Details

• Paperback: 592 pages
• Publisher: Longman (October 15, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0321121880
• ISBN-13: 978-0321121882
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #214,905 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great book if you ignore the annoying style., January 24, 2008

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Superbug Safety "Full-Throttle Metabolism" (Salt Lake City, UT) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How English Works: A Linguistic Introduction (Paperback)

This was the required text for an English/Linguistics class that I took, and it's fantastic as an introduction or refresher. It surveys the most important fields in linguistics and gives equal time to each subfield, even going into traditionally ignored areas like Stylistics. The layout makes everything clear, there are plenty of charts, and there's a helpful glossary in the back for quick reference. It helps to reread some areas, specifically those on syntax, but it's worth the effort. There are also mini-profiles on selected linguistics who have made an impact in the field, and this helps to put a face on what at first seem like cold, technical theories. Linguistics is a great field, and this book does much to pique the reader's interest in it. I would highly recommend this book to any English student who's interested in the structure of English and is considering getting into Linguistics. The information in it is that good.

While the information is fantastic, the tone of the book is a bit too college-y for my taste. I realize that this text is for college students, but frequent references to dorms rooms scattered with pizza boxes and staying out late with "bros" can get annoying. Also, the authors can get too clever at times, like when they explain how nouns work by using the noun "noun" as the example. Cute, but likely to confuse the dickens out of someone who's not used to the subject.

That's a minor quibble with an otherwise fantastic book. For those who question it's use as an introductory text for future linguistics students, I can only suggest that by becoming intimately familiar with how your own language works, you will be better prepared to tackle something as complicated as Tsez or Hadza. This text keeps the examples in familiar territory, and once someone is comfortable enough they can then use what they know to pick apart something unfamiliar. After this text, something like Ladefoged's "Course In Phonetics" may be the next logical step.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book if you're interested in English, July 12, 2009

By 

T. Barr "Wayfaring Gypsy" (Ohio) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: How English Works: A Linguistic Introduction (Paperback)

I was assigned this book for a class I was taking, Modern English Grammer, and to be honest, as much as I enjoy English I was not looking forward to reading a book about how it works! This one, however, is written in an informitive, yet readable format. Meaning - it teaches and breaks down what it needs to, but there are interesting stories and tidbits to explain, apply, etc. All in all, I thought it was a really good book for this field and if you're interested in English as a teacher or student this is a good book to add to your bookshelf.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent introduction to English linguistics for undergraduates, March 4, 2007

By 

John S. Fry (Eagle, ID USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: How English Works: A Linguistic Introduction (Paperback)

This book is an excellent introduction to English linguistics for undergraduates majoring in English or education in the United States. The selection of topics and the level of detail at which they are presented are just right. The writing is lively and engaging and somehow stays coherent despite the astonishing breadth of material covered.

Because the book focuses on American English, it is arguably not appropriate for linguistics majors, who need to be exposed to lots of languages, and who need more detail. Still, I'm considering adopting this book, supplemented with extra material and problem sets, for my introduction to linguistics course, because it's so much better than existing linguistics textbooks. My only complaint is the hefty price tag.