1st Edition

Essentials of English Grammar 25th impression, 1987

By Otto Jespersen Copyright 2004

    First Published in 2004. A classic of English grammar, Essentials of English Grammar provides a common ground for the traditionalist and the structural or descriptive linguist. Jespersen's work provides insight into the fundamental concepts that underlie the linguistic approach, but at the same time the foundation of the traditional approach is retained. grammar, giving the student a real insight into the structure of the language. Grammatical rules are laid out in a clear, concise way and are illustrated with carefully selected examples.

    I. INTRODUCTORY II. SOUNDS III. EVOLUTION OF THE SOUND-SYSTEM IV. EVOLUTION OF THE SOUND-SYSTEM V. EVOLUTION OF THE SOUND-SYSTEM VI. SPELLING VII. WORD-CLASSES VIII. THE THREE RANKS IX. JUNCTION AND NEXUS X. SENTENCE-STRUCTURE XI. RELATIONS OF VERB TO SUBJECT AND OBJECT XII. PASSIVE XIII. PREDICATIVES XIV. CASE XV. PERSON XVI. DEFINITE PRONOUNS XVII. INDEFINITE PRONOUNS XVIII. PRONOUNS OF TOTALITY XIX. GENDER XX. NUMBER XXI. NUMBER XXII. DEGREE XXIII. TENSE XXIV. TENSE XXV. WILL AND SHALL XXVI. WOULD AND SHOULD XXVII. MOOD XXVIII. AFFIRMATION, NEGATION, QUESTION XXIX. DEPENDENT NEXUS XXX. NEXUS-SUBSTANTIVES XXXI. THE GERUND XXXII. THE INFINITIVE XXXIII. CLAUSES AS PRIMARIES XXXIV. CLAUSES AS SECONDARIES XXXV. CLAUSES AS TERTIARIES XXXVI. RETROSPECT

    Biography

    Otto Jespersen

    `All readers will find in the work a masterly exposition of the combination of life and logic in the grammar of a living tongue.' - Schoolmaster