Change in contemporary English : a grammatical study /

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Bibliographic Details
Author / Creator:Leech, Geoffrey N.
Imprint:Cambridge, UK ; New York : Cambridge University Press, 2009.
Description:xxviii, 341 p. : ill. ; 24 cm.
Language:English
Series:Studies in English language
Studies in English language.
Subject:
Format: Print Book
URL for this record:http://pi.lib.uchicago.edu/1001/cat/bib/7902941
Hidden Bibliographic Details
ISBN:9780521867221
0521867223
Notes:Includes bibliographical references and index.
Description
Summary:Based on the systematic analysis of large amounts of computer-readable text, this book shows how the English language has been changing in the recent past, often in unexpected and previously undocumented ways. The study is based on a group of matching corpora, known as the 'Brown family' of corpora, supplemented by a range of other corpus materials, both written and spoken, drawn mainly from the later twentieth century. Among the matters receiving particular attention are the influence of American English on British English, the role of the press, the 'colloquialization' of written English, and a wide range of grammatical topics, including the modal auxiliaries, progressive, subjunctive, passive, genitive and relative clauses. These subjects build an overall picture of how English grammar is changing, and the linguistic and social factors that are contributing to this process.
Physical Description:xxviii, 341 p. : ill. ; 24 cm.
Bibliography:Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN:9780521867221
0521867223