Construction Grammar and Its Application to English - (Edinburgh Textbooks on the English Language - Advanced) 2nd Edition by Martin Hilpert

About the Book

Construction Grammar explains how knowledge of language is organized in speakers' minds. The central and radical claim of Construction Grammar is that linguistic knowledge can be fully described as knowledge of constructions, which are defined as symbolic units that connect a linguistic form with meaning.

Book Synopsis

Books in this series provide readers with a detailed description and explanation of key areas of English Language study. The authors presuppose a basic working knowledge of the topic and explore aspects of the linguistics of English for an intermediate or advanced student readership.

From the Back Cover

Headline: An introduction to Construction Grammar, as applied to English Martin Hilpert introduces the central concepts of Construction Grammar, as applied to English constructions. In the process, he lays out how the theory of Construction Grammar relates to the issues of language processing, language acquisition, and language variation and change. Since the first edition of this book came out, Construction Grammar has gained in popularity, and it has undergone a number of significant theoretical and methodological developments. The new edition captures these developments and presents an updated, more comprehensive view of Construction Grammar. Key features of the new edition include: - A new chapter on constructions in spoken language (chapter 9) - A new chapter on constructions across grammar which explores issues of bilingualism, language contact and second language acquisition (chapter 10) - Updates throughout the other chapters reflect recent developments and new ideas in constructional research. - Exercises, discussion questions and suggestions for further reading at the end of each chapter encourage reflection and further study - A series of ten video lectures accompanying the book are available via YouTube

Review Quotes

An accessible introduction to the principles of CxG.-- "The Year's Work in English Studies"

Hilpert's arguments are thoroughly convincing and I find it hard to see that anyone can doubt the power of Construction Grammar and not become a construction grammarian after having read his book.--Jan-Ola Östman, University of Helsinki and Dalarna University "Review of Cognitive Linguistics"

Hilpert's book is the first and only introductory textbook on Construction Grammar. It manages to convey the insights and complexities of the framework with impressive breadth, all in a very readable and engaging way.-- "Adele E. Goldberg, Princeton University"

Hilpert's book delivers on its promise to be an introduction to CxG and its application to various linguistic subdisciplines... At the end of each chapter there are a number of study questions, suggestions for further reading, and exercises. In addition, a series of video lectures accompanies the book. An accessible textbook with a few more technical chapters, such as the one of information packaging, it will make a great introductory text for undergraduate students interested in Construction Grammar and its application to English.--Lieselotte brems, University of Liege

About the Author

Martin Hilpert works as Assistant Professor of English Linguistics at the Université de Neuchâtel. Besides Construction Grammar, his research interests include corpus linguistics, language variation and change, and cognitive linguistics. He is the author of Germanic Future Constructions (2008, John Benjamins) and Constructional Change in English (2013, Cambridge University Press).