An Introduction to English Sentence Structure

Author: Andrew Radford

Edition: First

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Pages: 456

Price: £55.00 and £19.99

ISBN 9780521516938 and 731904

This is the "lite" (don't you hate that word?) version of Analysing English Sentences (see below), and has exactly the same strengths, weaknesses and coverage but 84 fewer pages. The chapter titles are identical: the difference is that this book is aimed at students whose first language is not English or who are taking linguistics as a minor subject rather than a major course. Publishing two parallel textbooks (as Radford did previously in 2004) raises some intriguing questions. Did he write the big one first and then trim it down, or did he start with the easier one and then add harder stuff for true devotees? In reality, is the longer one the Russell Group version, and the other one for everyone else? I think we should be told.

Who is it for? Students who want a less demanding introductory course in generative grammar.

Presentation: It has all the vigour and conviction of the longer book.

Would you recommend it? Yes - although if you were keen enough to work through all 456 pages, wouldn't you be miffed not to have been offered the full version?