THE CLAUSE IN ENGLISH

The Clause in English
Download the entire file discussing the clause in English, or use the indexed sections below to explore parts of the file.
The Clause: An Introduction
An introduction to the study of grammar and, more specifically to the study of the clause in English.
The Clause: Form and Function
Some exploration into the dual nature of grammatical structure — how language can be studied from the viewpoint of both form and function.
Subjects
A discussion of the subject function in the clause.
Verbs
A discussion of the verb function in the clause.
Direct Objects
A review of the function of direct objects in the clause.
Indirect Object
A review of the indirect object function in the clause.
Object Complement
An exploration into one of the lesser known constituents of the clause — object complements.
Subject Complements
A study of the function of subject complement, also known as the predicate nominal or predicate adjective.
Adverbials and Adverbial Complements
A look at two functions that are commonly overlooked.
Grammatical Ambiguity
Learn how grammatical structures are often open to multiple interpretations.
References
A list of references for the clause pages.

The Phrase in English
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The Noun Phrase
A discussion of the forms and functions in the noun phrase.
The Verb Phrase
A discussion of the forms and functions in the verb phrase.
The Adjective Phrase
A review of the forms and functions in the adjective phrase.
The Adverb Phrase
A review of the forms and functions in the adverb phrase.
The Prepositional Phrase
A look at the forms and functions in the prepositional phrase.
References
A list of references for the phrase pages.
The Structure of Words and Word Classes in English
Download the entire file discussing the structure of words in English, or use the indexed sections below to explore parts of the file.
The Word Rank: An Introduction
A discussion of the structures within and constituents of the word.
Word Classes
A discussion of the two primary properties of language that allow us to recognize word classes — word endings and word context.
Coordination and Subordination
Download the entire file on compound and complex structures in English, or use the index below to explore parts of the file.
On the Concept of Clause and Sentence
Introducing the basic concepts of coordination and subordination, and discussing how those concepts force to re-evaluate the ideas of clause and sentence.
Forms of the Subordinate Clause
A taxonomy of the forms of subordination in English.
Functions of the Subordinate Clause
A discussion of the many grammatical functions served by subordination in English.
References
A list of references for the coordination and subordination pages.
The Grammatical Foundation of Style
Download the entire file on the grammatical structures that contribute to a clear, coherent, concise writing style in English, or use the index below to explore parts of the file.
The Foundations of Style
Introducing the concept of metafunction, the central idea in understanding style in language.
Coherence
A discussion of the grammatical properties that create coherent writing.
Final Matters
Metaphor, Indeterminacy, and Gradience
References
A list of references for the style pages.

Linguistic Stylistics
Download a few of my papers applying linguistics and grammatical analyses to literary art. Some of these are published; some are forthcoming.
Joseph Conrad’s Style in Heart of Darkness: A Linguistic Analysis
A study of lexical and grammatical patterns in Conrad's novella.
Three Principles Underlying Iconicity in Literature: The Poetics of Nonsense in Children's and General Literature
By examining phonetic and syntactic iconicity (onomatopoeia) and by studying the underlying principles governing iconicity, one can see a direct relationship between the linguistic/semiotic codes in language and the readers' responses to both children's and general literature.
The Uses of Passivity: Suppressing Agency in Nineteen Eighty-Four
A study of how George Orwell controls theme and mood through a carefully constructed grammatical pattern controlling the semantic property of agency.
Making Meaning through Grammar: "This Bread I Break" by Dylan Thomas
A study of how grammar and lexis combine to make meaning in Dylan Thomas' poem.
The Representation of Speech and Thought in Literature
Notes on how writers use grammatical patterns to create a gradient of narrative styles in literature.
Miscellanea
The Major Principles of Syntax
Exploring the functions of the lexicon, morphology, and word order in helping humans recognize constituency and grammatical structure.
Usage Issues in Modern English Grammar (in development)
Describing and explaining some of the common grammar and usage "problems," including punctuation, agreement, case errors, sentence structure errors, and more, with advice for finding, editing, and preventing "errors."
Evaluating Grammar Checkers
Comparing the grammar checking abilities of two popular word processors — Corel's WordPerfect and Microsoft's Word. Can those programs find twenty common usage errors?
Indeterminacy in Sentence Structure
A study of the discourse functions served by thematic organization and information focus in the prose of college writers, originally published in Linguistics and Education 2, 231-258 (1990)
Adverbial but
A study of the syntactic and semantic changes in the usage of the word. A study in gradience, originally published in The Twentieth LACUS Forum 1993, Lake Bluff, IL: Jupiter Press, 1994, pp. 315-332.
Hearing Voices: On the Mismatch between Perception and Reality in U.S. Attitudes Toward English as a Global Language
A paper originally presented as a plenary lecture for the International TESOL-ELT Conference at Moscow City Pedagogical University, Samara, Russia, 6 May 2002.
The Ebonics Debate
Read what professional linguists and educators are saying about this latest version of an old debate.
What Should English Teachers Teach and Why?
Several professors of English discuss, quite specifically, the issues surrounding the teaching of English grammar: what should be taught, why and how. An interesting informal discussion from the Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar email list.
Language Development in Children
Originally published in 1991 in an introductory linguistics textbook, my chapter on child language acquisition presents an overview of language development from the cradle to adulthood. I present this here since many students of modern English grammar are also interested in questions about the development of grammatical structures. Although now out of date, this chapter may still provide some background to this area of study.
Tools for Text Analysis
Find and Replace Text
This tool will allow you to search for and replace any letter, word, or phrase in a sample of text that you supply. Such a tool can help you discover how changes in the lexicon or even punctuation can influence style. Suggestions for use are presented.
Concordancer
A concordance program can be a handy tool for you to learn about the patterns of vocabulary, grammar, and style in your work or the work of others. This concordancer allows you to search a text file for a "key word in context." You must upload your file to the Papyr.com server first. An easy file upload utility is ready for you with the Concordancer. Sample texts and suggested exercises are presented as well.
Some Examples of Student Work
A Handbook of Selected Punctuation Marks
An online reference work by Doug Nygren and Sandra Penrose.
English Grammar Resources on the Internet
An annotated bibliography by Cheryl Clark.