ABSTRACT
The concept of “pattern” is prevalent in corpus linguistics, and the term is used with a variety of meanings. This chapter explores that variety and then focuses on the specific topic of pattern grammar as applied to English. It explains how observations of concordance lines lead to a comprehensive inventory of patterns relating particularly to adjectives, nouns and verbs. Examples of patterns are given and their variation across varieties of English is exemplified. The chapter discusses how the concept of pattern may be used to investigate learner language and how pattern grammar may be used in English language teaching to expand learners’ repertoire of language. Finally, the contribution of pattern grammar to theories of language is discussed and a case made for the compatibility of pattern grammar and construction grammar.
