The Ideas of English Grammar

In this groundbreaking book, independent language researcher and teacher trainer Robert Buckmaster tackles the problems of English pedagogical grammar by re-imagining English grammar as a system of distance, meaning and conventions: G[DMC]. Current pedagogical grammar is marred by exceptions and special uses: past forms are used in present time; short cut rules avoid focusing on word and form meaning; and grammar rules are imprecise and difficult to operationalize. It is a retrospective grammar of language analysis, not one of language in use. Learners struggle to understand the complexities of English grammar and fail to use the language to the full potential. The usual excuse has been that the forms (e.g. the present perfect) are difficult and need to be taught and retaught. But what if the interpretation of grammar which has been taught is at fault? What if we have, in fact, made the task difficult because of the analysis which is presented to learners? What if there were a different, more internally consistent view of English grammar which could be taught instead?In fact there is: it is a prospective grammar to use to understand language as it happens. This new grammar sees tense as not being about time but about distance: time distance, reality distance and formality distance. All words have meanings but some also have form meanings, and these form meanings combine and add to our understanding of speaker meaning. And language conventions govern much of English grammar - like word order and collocations. The Ideas of English Grammar introduces the five key distance ideas, eight form meanings, the key modal/modifying verb meanings, the concepts of distance between words and in sentences and utterances, the conventional pathways of verbs and nouns, the conventions of questions and time phrases, and includes an analysis of conditionals (seven of them) and reported speech. The book also touches on a new model of language - the Associative Model - and considers some key principles from that model: the Placement and Start Here principles. All this is supported by hundreds of clear example sentences, tables and diagrams.This is a completely new, wholly coherent and internally consistent, and teachable system of English grammar which avoids the problems and pitfalls of traditional grammar. All teachers, trainers and coursebook writers will benefit from re-examining English grammar with the help of this re-imagining of English grammar.