Exploring English Grammar: From formal to functional

by Caroline Coffin, Jim Donohue, Sarah North

This engaging textbook bridges the gap between traditional and functional grammar. Starting with a traditional approach, students will develop a firm grasp of traditional tools for analysis and learn how SFG (Systemic Functional Grammar) can be used to enrich the traditional formal approach. Using a problem-solving approach, readers explore how grammatical structures function in different contexts by using a wide variety of thought-provoking and motivating texts including advertisements, cartoons, phone calls and chatroom dialogue. Each chapter focuses on a real world issue or problem that can be investigated linguistically, such as "mis"-translation or problems arising from a communication disorder. By working on these problems, students will become equipped to understand and analyze formal and functional grammar in different genres and styles. With usable and accessible activities throughout, Exploring English Grammar is ideal for upper undergraduate and postgraduate students of English language and linguistics.

464 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2009

Reviews

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's nothing so practical as a good theory, says Michael Fullan and here we have a very practical approach to a very good theory. Coffin, Donohue & North have started with the practical situation that most people interested in grammar are likely to have already experienced formal or communicative descriptions. They proceed to take these people - who are more often than not going to be language teachers - and introduce a model of language (Systemic Functional Grammar) which is likely to be of great benefit to them. Throughout, the approach is a very practical one.

This is an unusual book. It is not a grammar resource book - such as Swan's Practical English Usage - or a comprehensive grammar of English - such as Introduction to Functional Grammar. Instead it is a book about grammar - what it is, why we have it and how we can use it. Unusual as this may be, it is very - yes, you guessed it - practical. Most grammar resource books assume that you know what a grammar is for, and you just want answers to specific questions, while comprehensive grammars rarely have time to look at how you might apply a grammatical explanation or category to a real situation. This book admirably bridges these two needs, so being unusual is not a bad thing here.

Coffin & her colleagues from the Open University introduce the concepts behind grammar through example. They take the reader from an understanding that they already know something about formal grammar, through descriptions of how communicative grammars compensate for the impractical nature of formal grammars, to explaining how a functional grammar - in this case systemic functional grammar - can combine the practicality of a communicative grammar with the theoretical rigour and the explanatory demands of a formal grammar. All of this is done through clear text, highly practical examples of grammatical rules (that I fully endorse), plenty of real-life texts to illustrate, entertain and illuminate, and short exercises to drive the message home.

[Marc Kohlman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I used this book for my English 231 class and the text was a huge aid in understanding the forms and functions that make up the structure of the English language. The exercises in it were very helpful in gaining a grasp on this approach to language and were good tools for studying. For higher undergraduate and postgraduate students in English and linguistics, this is a book I would highly recommend they read, use, and study.