A New Form-Function Grammar of English

Book excerpt: This book approaches the structure of English from a form-function perspective that is both theoretical and practical. It asks learners to consider meaning, structure and use, in contrast to many grammars that focus on structure, sometimes to the exclusion of use and even meaning. The book presents an extended introduction to areas of grammar that many would see as indispensable, such as participial and infinitive phrases. The analysis is largely achieved through form-function tree diagramming and extends the structure to include finite and nonfinite predicates.