Basic concepts in grammar. The structural approach to linguistic analysis. The parts of speech. Verbs and verb phrases. The structure of kernel clauses. Nouns and noun phrases. Pronoums. Adjectives and adjective phrases. Verbs, nouns and adjectives: the boundaries between them. Adverbs, prepositions and conjunctions. Clauses type. Coordination and subordination. Negation. Thematic systems of the clause.

This textbook provides a thorough and precise account of all the major areas of English grammar. For practical reasons the autor concentrates on Standard English and only selected aspects of its regional variation. The book is written for students who may have no previous knowledge of linguistics and little famialirity with "traditional" grammar. All grammatical terms, whether traditional or more recent,are therefore carefully explained, and in the first three chapters the student is introduced to the theoritical concepts and methological principles needed to follow the later descriptive chapters.