English Syntax: A Minimalist Account of Structure and Variation

This textbook introduces the main aspects of Minimalist syntax through the use of data from a number of varieties of English. In doing so it equips you with a firm grounding in tools of syntactic analysis while demonstrating the potential for variationist linguistics and theoretical syntax to feed into each other. By working through the range of examples and exercises you will be able to see that all varieties of language are rule-based and can be observed and described systematically, regardless of how Standard or socially valued they are. Each chapter explores examples of puzzling syntactic phenomena in varieties of English. Through analysis of the given constructions, and comparison to similar structures, it will introduce you to the relevant concepts in Minimalist syntax.