English Sentence Analysis (review)

Intended for university students at entry level, this excellent introduction to the analysis of English sentences follows a very well-organized progression in difficulty and shows special care in pedagogical suitability. The book is accompanied by a CD with a computer program for Windows in which students can practice with examples what they have learned in the book. It is organized around the eight chapters of the book, and we can find in it multiple-choice, drag-and-drop, and fill-in-the-blank exercises. The students can consult the target answer or a theory module at any time, and there is also a score screen in which they can keep track of their scores.

The first two chapters deal with the different types of sentences. First we have an explanation of communicative functions and typical patterns (Ch. 1); after that, the reader is shown the distinction between simple, compound, and complex sentences (Ch. 2). The next two chapters deal with the verb. There is an introduction to the distinctions between simple and complex verb phrases, as well as between lexical and auxiliary verbs, followed by sections dealing with finite vs. non–finite verb forms and auxiliary verbs (Ch. 3). Ch. 4 discusses subtypes of lexical verbs, subtypes of transitive verbs, direct object forms, passive constructions, and multiword verbs. Ch. 5 deals with word classes: nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, pronouns, numerals, articles, connectors, and interjections. In Ch. 6 we have all the different types of phrases available: noun phrases, verb phrases, adjective phrases, adverb phrases, prepositional phrases. Subordination is dealt with in Ch. 7, where there is an account of the different possibilities of sentence constituents realized as clauses. Finally, Ch. 8 gives practical advice about how to analyze sentences at all levels and with any kind of complexity.

All the chapters use a step-by-step approach, with very little specialized terminology, which, as mentioned above, makes the book most suitable for students at entry level. Each chapter has exercises with an answer key at the end of the book, and the student can also find a summary in each chapter for easy recall. There is also a user’s guide for the computer program at the end of the book.