The frameworks of English

Main points of linguistica inglese

The frameworks of English

Introduction

The aim of this book is to make a travel around the English language. Human language is as complex in its own way as any of the bio-chemical and anatomical functions of the human body. All native English speakers have no difficulty in reorganizing words into meaningful sentences. They not only employ knowledge about rules and word order, they are also using knowledge about meanings. The knowledge is the aim of this book is to help you make your knowledge – in other words, to explain what exactly the nature of that knowledge is.

Frameworks is a structure which holds something together. This book is subdivided so that each part deals with a different aspect of the frameworks of English. However, it would be a mistake to think that these levels are completely separate.

Part 2. Lexical frameworks

The words of the language: we will look at ways of dividing all the words into family groups or word classes.

Part 3. Grammatical frameworks

Considers the ways in which words can be combined. The range of inflections and the principles of word order or syntax are together covered by grammar.

Part IV. Discourse frameworks

Gives an overview of some of the ways in which we combine sentences into what is known as text or discourse.

Part V. Phonological frameworks

Looks at the English language by considering the sound system of the language.

Which English?

This question implies that there is more than one. English can take many different forms. For example, the English spoken in America is different from the English spoken in Britain. And within Britain, there are many regional variations in the pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar. In this book, Standard British English is used.

Part II Lexical frameworks

2. Word classes

Most of us perceive words as the building blocks of language. Of course, there is much more to studying a language than simply studying it on a lexical (or “word”) level, but words are a very good place to start when studying a language and this is where we will begin.

2.1 Words

There are compound words (e.g., world-class; world-war) and multi-word verbs, which consist of more than one element (e.g., put off and take on).

Idioms are little groups of words whose meaning is not retrievable from the individual parts which make up the idiom. A clear example is the expression "to pay through the nose." This does not really mean that money passed down the nostrils when paying. It is possible for a speaker to deduce that it means “to pay an excessive amount.”

A word can typically occur as a minimal free form.