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This is a series which aims to meet the need for books on modern
English that are both up-to-date and authoritative. The texts are
ideal for the scholar, the teacher, and the student, but especially
for English speaking students in overseas universities where
English is the language of instruction, or advanced specialist
students of English in foreign universities. Although English is
probably the most studied language in the world, this is one of the
first systematic comparisons of infinitives with and without the
use of "to". Patrick Duffley examines these uses adopting the
semantic approach, which shows that the two infinitive forms each
have a basic meaning which is capable of explaining all of their
particular uses. The author has carried out detailed research for
this book, examining over 24,000 occurences of the infinitive, as
well as taking into account the observations of previous
grammarians. The book challenges old assumptions that grammar is
independent of meaning and should be dealt with in purely formal
terms. It also fulfils a need for literature on an area of English
grammar which has sometimes been presumed to be chaotic and
unsystematic. The text is aimed specialists in linguistics and
advanced students of English as a second language.
This is a series which aims to meet the need for books on modern
English that are both up-to-date and authoritative. The texts are
ideal for the scholar, the teacher, and the student, but especially
for English speaking students in overseas universities where
English is the language of instruction, or advanced specialist
students of English in foreign universities. Although English is
probably the most studied language in the world, this is one of the
first systematic comparisons of infinitives with and without the
use of "to". Patrick Duffley examines these uses adopting the
semantic approach, which shows that the two infinitive forms each
have a basic meaning which is capable of explaining all of their
particular uses. The author has carried out detailed research for
this book, examining over 24,000 occurences of the infinitive, as
well as taking into account the observations of previous
grammarians. The book challenges old assumptions that grammar is
independent of meaning and should be dealt with in purely formal
terms. It also fulfils a need for literature on an area of English
grammar which has sometimes been presumed to be chaotic and
unsystematic. The text is aimed specialists in linguistics and
advanced students of English as a second language.
There is considerable confusion regarding the English suffix « ing,
which is usually treated as « progressive. The sentence « I regret
telling him shows, however, that this is not always the case. The
very same form can sometimes evoke an ongoing process and sometimes
a completed action. This book brings much-needed clarity to this
area of English grammar, proposing a simple coherent explanation
based on meaning. ESL teachers will find it a valuable contribution
to the « focus on form approach. It will also be of interest to
linguists as it addresses the problems of tense and control that
have been the object of considerable debate.
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