ABSTRACT
As we explained in Chapter 1, we take a descriptive view of grammar in this book. This means we suggest looking at examples in use from a corpus or corpora and then commenting on aspects such as rules and the frequency of patterns, rather than providing rules and then trying to find examples to fit them. The examples we have used so far also show the importance of context (either spoken or written) and looking beyond an isolated single sentence example when making statements about grammar. Although we do look at grammar in sentences in this book, we aim to also look at these in wider contexts of use, whether written or spoken. Also, although grammar allows us to create an infinite number of possible sentences, we are more interested, in this book, in what Lewis (1993, 1997) described as language that is probable; that is, the patterns that most commonly occur in corpora. To illustrate these points, we begin this chapter with a brief exploration of a prescriptive view of grammar contrasted with a descriptive, corpus-informed one. We then move on to giving a definition of ‘grammar’, which we explain with the help of exercises and examples. Finally, we demonstrate what we believe to be the benefits of analysing grammar with the aid of a corpus before briefly outlining the analysis covered in Part 2 of this book.
