Syntax : a minimalist introduction

Radford is well known for his comprehensible textbooks of generative syntax. This book is very helpful for beginners to get access to Chomsky's revolutionary ideas in his minimalist program (MP), which is radically different from his previous versions of grammar. What is the particular of this book is that the reader does not need to learn Chomsky's arguments starting from his early works. The book leads the reader to the MP in a straightforward way. The book first reviews Chomksy's philosophy of language, and then demonstrates the operation of the principles and parameters in the framework by using the examples which can explain our intuition of English. To reduce the burden of the reader, as he did in his other books, the author uses vivid analogies to illustrate some critical concepts. There are also excises attached to each chaper. Besides, the book includes a glossary of the terms which appear in the book. If you want to learn about the MP or to read Chomksy's latest works, or if you want to find a textbook for your students in the course of generative syntax, this book,I believe, as a warm-up candidate, should be under your consideration. Syntax : a minimalist introduction. This textbook provides a concise, readable introduction to contemporary work in syntactic theory, particularly to key concepts of Chomsky's minimalist programme. Andrew Radford gives a general overview of the main theoretical concepts and descriptive devices used in 1990s work. The discussion is largely based on data from a range of varieties of English (not only Modern Standard, but also Belfast English, Shakespearean English, Jamaican Creole, etc.) and does not presuppose any prior knowledge of syntax. There are exercises and a substantial glossary. This is an abridged version of Radford's major new textbook Syntactic Theory and the Structure of English: A Minimalist Approach (published simultaneously by Cambridge University Press), and will be welcomed as a short introduction to current syntactic theory. The textbook is designed as a self-contained introduction to English syntax, providing an overview of key theoretical concepts and descriptive devices used in contemporary linguistic work rather than a historical perspective and using varieties of English from around the world rather than other languages for illustration. Chapter topics include: principles of grammar; grammatical categories; syntactic structure; empty categories within syntactic structures; head movement; operator movement; subjects; the A movement operation; verb phrase shells; and agreement projections. Each chapter ends with a substantial workbook section containing exercises and material for classroom discussion, independent study, or course assignments, cross-referenced to textbook sections. A glossary is included. Contains 96 references. (MSE) Grammar is traditionally subdivided into two different but inter-related areas of study-morphology and syntax.