Discourse Syntax

Using corpus data and insights from current research, this book introduces students to syntactic patterns motivated by discourse and genre.

Using data from linguistic corpora, this book is a comprehensive guide to the fast-moving field of Discourse Syntax, the study of syntax in the context of discourse. Geared towards intermediate to advanced students of English linguistics, it is also essential reading for researchers in the field.Discourse Syntax is the study of syntax that requires an understanding of the surrounding text and the overall discourse situation, including considerations of genre and modality. Using corpus data and insights from current research, this book is a comprehensive guide to this fast-developing field. It takes the reader 'beyond the sentence' to study grammatical phenomena, like word order variation, connectives, ellipsis, and complexity. It introduces core concepts of Discourse Syntax, integrating insights from corpus-based research and inviting the reader to reflect on research design decisions. Each chapter begins with a definition of learning outcomes, provides results from empirical articles, and enables readers to critically assess data visualization. Complete with helpful further reading recommendations as well as a range of exercises, it is geared towards intermediate to advanced students of English linguistics and it is also essential reading for anyone interested in this exciting, fast-moving discipline.