This course is the first part of the introductory module in English linguistics. Starting out from a survey of the most important features of human language in general, it will introduce the students to crucial aspects of the structure of the English language in particular.
We will study the properties of the major and minor word classes of English as well as the ways in which the smallest, meaningful building blocks of language (morphemes) can be combined in order to create specific grammatical word forms (inflectional morphology) or new words (derivational morphology and word formation).
We will secondly get to know the ways in which the syntax of English builds progressively more complex structures by combining words into phrases, and phrases into various kinds of clauses and sentences. |