The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language

There is nothing to dislike about this book. Anyone who wants to have a clear concept of English grammar should keep this book and consult it every day. The book is truly "a labour of love" from some of the greatest grammarians of this century. We, the readers, are truly blessed to have such a treasure.

Chronologically the 2nd most influential modern English grammar book...1) comprehensive grammar of the English language: 1985 2) cambridge grammar of the English language: 2002...the best of all...if you have this book,you don't need any other grammar books ....

Too costly to buy!! Publisher and the authours are requested to come with alternative editions at reasonable cost for countries like India where the production cost could be very low.

This book must be published in South Asian Edition so that we Indian students may make advance study.

Price is not reasonable for South Asian students....Can i not get the the south Asian edition of this book at a reasonable cost?

I was return the product last two months still I am not getting refund amount.

Received on time, at advertised,

An uncomfortable and frustrating read: Algebraic symbols abound coupled with baffling new terminology and bizarre analyses ..... this book certainly contains a great wealth of information ( almost 2,000 pages ) yet I can't help but conclude that <more> amounts to <less> on this occasion. Less enjoyment certainly and less understanding on the part of any reader who is trained only in the methods and concepts of Traditional grammar that is. Modern linguistics demands so much attention and application of the reader .... and at the end of the day seems to be saying very little indeed that is profitable beyond the abstractions of pure theory and innovation for innovation's sake. And because of the neologisms and freshly-minted descriptions it is often virtually impossible to locate in the index the actual problem you want addressing or resolving. A great shame - and I am Not singling this particular volume out for my criticism - not at all - since virtually all contemporary works of this nature are as equally interested in structuralism, psychology, logic and neuroscience as in conventional grammatical arguments. We can blame Saussure and Chomsky for starters for this legacy! It all seems an arid academic game where the old and established procedures are ruthlessly rejected and alternative new insights and interpretations are forever sought after - whatever may be their pragmatic use to the general reader. Design-wise, however, a well-made and attractive book that is not cheap. But potential readers beware, if they want to buy a traditional grammar of the English language as they may well be very disappointed in my view with this.

Un'eccellente grammatica, che coniuga alla sistematicità e al rigore scientifico la semplicità espositiva. Chiunque voglia avere un quadro dell'inglese contemporaneo deve far i conti con questo testo. Per dirla ancor più chiaramente: il Serianni della lingua inglese (mi riferisco all'eccellente e insuperabile grammatica di Luca Serianni, pubblicata dalla UTET).

Absolut tolles Buch

This excellent descriptive grammar is currently the most comprehensive and up-to-date account of English grammar available. For someone familiar with an older generation of English grammars, even grammars written by linguists, this work represents a significant rethinking of they way English is described. It incorporates a large body of research that has occurred since the last major grammar of English, A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language by Quirk et al. Unlike that earlier book, Huddleston and Pullum are more explicitly theoretical, but they are not wedded to any particular school of syntax and the writing is always accessible to the interested non-specialist. You don't need advanced training in linguistics to understand what the authors are saying. Their analysis explicitly challenges many older ideas about English grammar, and in almost every case they provide clearly reasoned arguments in favor of their position. For example, they argue that many words which have traditionally been understood as adverbs or subordinating conjunctions are better explained as prepositions. The most detailed arguments, intended for specialists, are clearly set off in blue boxes, so you can avoid the minutiae unless you're interested. I have noticed a handful of cases where the analysis or terminology seems arbitrary, but in these cases, the authors' decisions are internally consistent. There is only a problem if you are comparing this work to other grammars. For example, Huddleston and Pullum use the terms "determiner" and "determinative" in exactly the opposite way that Quirk et al. do, and do not give any reasons for their switch. Similarly, they treat the perfect as a secondary tense rather than an aspect (the approach taken in many earlier linguistically-based grammars) without explaining why one should prefer one analysis to another. But such problems are minor in comparison to the vast insight that the work brings to the structure of English. Even if you think you have a good understanding of English grammar, this work will likely open your eyes. I highly recommend this work if you need a thorough reference grammar and can afford the price. Indeed, if you plan to write a textbook on English, this work is required reading. If you are a student looking for a good introduction, I instead recommend A Student's Introduction to English Grammar by the same authors.