Meaning and the English Verb

By Geoffrey N. Leech

Book Overview

Every language has its peculiar problems of meaning for the foreign learner. In the English language, some of the biggest yet most fascinating problems are concentrated in the area of the finite verb phrase: in particular, tense, aspect, mood and modality.

Meaning and the English Verb describes these fields in detail for teachers and advanced students of English as a foreign or second language. This new third edition uses up-to-date examples to show differences and similarities between American and British english, reflecting a great deal of recent research in this area. It also takes account of the subtle changes which are taking place in the language today.

In print for over 30 years, Meaning and the English Verb has established itself as a recognised authority on the meaning and use of verb constructions in English. This updated third edition will ensure that it remains an invaluable text for teachers and students of English worldwide.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0582784573
• ISBN13: 9780582784574
• Release Date: September 2004
• Publisher: Routledge
• Length: 152 Pages
• Weight: 0.52 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 6.6" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

Excellent presentation, manageable length

Geoffrey Leech's book is an excellent reference tool that is concise and intelligently organized. It covers material you won't find in most style and usage guides. There's just enough information on each topic to make the coverage throrough but not overly complex. Difficult subjects, such as backshift, the subjunctive, and modality, are covered with clarity and sufficient detail. Whether you agree with every position or not, you'll find the treatment informative and useful. This book should be on the desk of anyone who wants to understand tense, mood, aspect, and the breadth of expression accessible through the use of English verbs.

simply good

Exhaustive and inspiring, this is a monumental descriptive study on English verbs and their semantic aspects. For non-native English learners who have trouble understanding the bahaviors of English verbs, no other book could be more useful. The author, Geoffrey Leech, says in Introduction that one of the main causes that make English a difficult-to-learn lanaguge for non-natives is somewhat elusive behaviors of its verbs(or especially auxilialiy verbs), and my own experience(I am a non-native learner of English) strongly bolsters this view, because notwithstanding the fact that I have spent many years learning the language, I cannot comprehend the behaviors of many ordinary English verbs, far less those of auxiliary ones, and this to such a degree that still now, I cannot write a brief passage confidently without having it proofread by native speakers. Hence it is that this book, which analyzes closesly and elucidates exaustively the semantic aspects of basic English verbs, is a must for non-native learners-at least if they are to learn grammatically correct English.

An insightful descriptive study

This is a book that looks a grammar book about verbs but actually a significant study about verbal "semantics" and aspects of words. So it is somewhat technical and it could be difficult to read it quickly. Nevertheless the descriptions of verbal usages are so suggestive for ordinary people, not students on linguistics, as to understand the correct way of speaking and writing the English words, which have a lot of difficult faces. I expect other books concerning verbs to be as descriptive as this work by Professor Leech.