Radford's new textbook is primarily for students with little or no background in syntax who need a lively and up-to-date introduction to contemporary work on transformational grammar. It covers four main topics: the goals of linguistic theory, syntactic structure, the nature and role of the lexicon, and the function and operations of transformations. The general framework considers major works, such as Chomsky's Knowledge of Language and Barriers , written since the publication of Radford's widely acclaimed Transformational Syntax in 1981. The present book uses a more recent theoretical construction and also covers a wider range of frameworks at the descriptive level than its predecessor. Radford is well known for his effective teaching approaches and this current volume demonstrates his talent by giving a concise, non-technical introduction to the field. At each chapter's end are exercises that reinforce the text, allowing students to apply the various concepts discussed and encouraging them to look more critically at some of the assumptions and analyses presented. Radford provides a useful, detailed bibliography of primary source material.
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"...it desrves full recognition for its clarity and excellent layout. ...this appears to be one of the pedagogically soundest introductions to transformational grammer on the market, and we can but recommend it." The Journal of Indo-European Studies
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Intended primarily for students lacking background in syntax, this introduction covers the goals of linguistic theory, syntactic structure, the nature and role of the lexicon, and the function and operations of transformations.
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16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Step by Step: Learning Generative Grammar,
This review is from: Transformational Grammar: A First Course (Cambridge Textbooks in Linguistics) (Paperback)
This book has 10 chapters: 1)Goal; 2)Structure; 3)Phrase-markers; 4)Nonu Phrases; 5)Other Phrases; 6)Clauses; 7)The Lexicon; 8)Transformations; 9)WH movement; 10)Alpha Movement. The book has been considered one of the best introductory textbooks of generative grammar. Radford leads the reader to go through the field step by step. He shows the reader the test and evidence of such categories as NP, VP, AP, PP as well as X', which is very useful to the new hand in the study. After each chapter, there are some interesting and challenging excercises for the reader to think about. The book is a basic reading for readers who first come across the GB theory or the MP theory. The book is never too old to be consulted.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
A classic but dated,
By Alexvanw1 (Boston) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Transformational Grammar: A First Course (Cambridge Textbooks in Linguistics) (Paperback)
This book is certainly the gold standard in syntax books, but it's pretty dated. For example, the discussion of specifiers is way out of date (nowadays, specifiers are for subject positions), it's discussion of movement is also bound up in early GB theory, which is difficult. Radford's more recent textbooks are much more up to date.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An effective pedagogical approach,
This review is from: Transformational Grammar: A First Course (Cambridge Textbooks in Linguistics) (Paperback)
The introductory student of linguistics may be intimidated by the size of this book (over 600 pages) and the small font (probably 9 point). But within a few pages, their fears will almost certainly give way to relief and ultimately satisfaction with the book. Radford has the rare ability to build complex explanations gradually, using just the right balance of supporting quotes (from Chomsky, for example), real-world examples, and visual aids. The reader is carried through a broad range of subject matter by a book that is written in a refreshing and enlightening style. As the other reviewer mentioned, the book never reads as "dated" or "stodgy" - a real accomplishment given the task at hand.
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
The aim of this chapter is to give you some idea of the goals of linguistic theory, and to introduce you to some simple concepts which will be used throughout the rest of the book. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
categorial constituent structure, endocentricity constraint, endocentricity condition, maximally constrained theory, pronominalisation facts, shared constituent coordination, subcategorisation features, systematic complementary distribution, only full phrases, knjigu danas, vodka into the drink, endocentricity requirement, subcategorisation restrictions, vocalic contraction, italicised sequence, subcategorisation properties, subcategorisation information, constituent structure tests, subcategorisation frame, bracketed complement, italicised expressions, superficial syntactic structure, student with long hair, phrasal expansions, clausemate antecedent Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Noun Phrase, Small Clauses, Ordinary Clauses, Categorial Rules, Exceptional Clauses, Verb Phrase, Prepositional Phrase, Volume Two, Adjectival Phrase, Attribute Rule, Determiner Rule, Relative Clause, Categorial Component, Phrasal Verb, Nonauxiliary Verbs, Lexicalisation Principle, Adverbial Phrase, Aspectual Auxiliaries, Theory of Grammar, Predicate Nominal, Predicate Phrase, Prepositional Verbs, Subject Selection, Cambridge Physics, Prime Minister New!
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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
The aim of this chapter is to give you some idea of the goals of linguistic theory, and to introduce you to some simple concepts which will be used throughout the rest of the book. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
categorial constituent structure, endocentricity constraint, endocentricity condition, maximally constrained theory, pronominalisation facts, shared constituent coordination, subcategorisation features, systematic complementary distribution, only full phrases, knjigu danas, vodka into the drink, endocentricity requirement, subcategorisation restrictions, vocalic contraction, italicised sequence, subcategorisation properties, subcategorisation information, constituent structure tests, subcategorisation frame, bracketed complement, italicised expressions, superficial syntactic structure, student with long hair, phrasal expansions, clausemate antecedent Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Noun Phrase, Small Clauses, Ordinary Clauses, Categorial Rules, Exceptional Clauses, Verb Phrase, Prepositional Phrase, Volume Two, Adjectival Phrase, Attribute Rule, Determiner Rule, Relative Clause, Categorial Component, Phrasal Verb, Nonauxiliary Verbs, Lexicalisation Principle, Adverbial Phrase, Aspectual Auxiliaries, Theory of Grammar, Predicate Nominal, Predicate Phrase, Prepositional Verbs, Subject Selection, Cambridge Physics, Prime Minister New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 95
books:
See all 95 books this book cites
33
books
cite this book:
See all 33 books citing this book
- Language and Mind by Noam Chomsky on 10 pages
- Formal Syntax by Culicover on 7 pages
- Syntactic Structures (2nd Edition) by Noam Chomsky on 5 pages
- Transformational Syntax (Cambridge Textbooks in Linguistics) by Andrew Radford on 4 pages
- Verb Second Phenomena in Germanic Languages by H. Haider on 4 pages
See all 95 books this book cites
- Syntax: A Generative Introduction (Introducing Linguistics) by Andrew Carnie on 5 pages
- An Introduction to Language Processing with Perl and Prolog: An Outline of Theories, Implementation, and Application with Special Consideration of English, French, and German (Cognitive Technologies) by Pierre M. Nugues in Back Matter
- Breaking the Rules: Liberating Writers Through Innovative Grammar Instruction by Edgar H. Schuster in Back Matter
- The Handbook of Japanese Linguistics (Blackwell Handbooks in Linguistics) by Natsuko Tsujimura in Back Matter
- Optimality Theory: An Overview (Explaining Linguistics) by Diana Archangeli in Back Matter
See all 33 books citing this book
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