Most Popular Books by Ian RobertS

A coherent introduction to generative syntax by a leader in the field, this textbook leads students through the theory from the very beginning, assuming no prior knowledge. Introducing the central concepts in a systematic and engaging way, it covers the goals of generative grammar, tacit native-speaker knowledge, categories and constituents, phrase structure, movement, binding, syntax beyond English, and the architecture of grammar. The theory is built slowly, showing in a step-by-step fashion how different versions of generative theory relate to one-another. Examples are carefully chosen to be easily understood, and a comprehensive glossary provides clear definitions of all the key terms introduced. With end of chapter exercises, broader discussion questions, and annotated further reading lists, ''Beginning Syntax'' is the ideal resource for instructors and beginning undergraduate students of syntax alike. Two further textbooks by Ian Roberts, ''Continuing Syntax'' and ''Comparing Syntax'', will take students to intermediate and advanced level.

The phenomenon of grammaticalization - the historical process whereby new grammatical material is created - has attracted a great deal of attention within linguistics. This is an attempt to provide a general account of this phenomenon in terms of a formal theory of syntax. Using Chomsky''s Minimalist Program for linguistic theory, Roberts and Roussou show how this approach gives rise to a number of important conceptual and theoretical issues concerning the nature of functional categories and the form of parameters, as well as the relation of both of these to language change. Drawing on examples from a wide range of languages, they construct a general account of grammaticalization with implications for linguistic theory and language acquisition.

Create Better Compositions by Design The path to better painting begins with Mastering Composition. This effective guide blends clear, visual instruction with 5 step-by-step demonstrations to show you how to plan and paint your best work yet. Composition is the key, and here you''ll learn to design paintings with new skill and confidence. It all begins with the armature or structure of the picture plane. Every great painting has one, and you''ll see through several famous examples exactly how the Old Masters used armatures to create movement, narrative, harmony and fluidity. Based on these examples, you''ll practice what you''ve learned following a series of hands-on demonstrations. Once you understand the basic principles of design, you''ll be amazed at how quickly and effectively your compositions come together. Soon you will be painting more boldly and confidently than ever before with less reworking and overworking. Whether you''re a beginner looking for basic instruction or a more advanced painter troubleshooting a specific problem, the proven methods in this book will work for you. Ideal for all mediums, Mastering Composition gives you the knowledge you need to create powerful paintings out of every subject.

This second edition of Diachronic Syntax has been fully revised and updated throughout to cover the multiple developments in the area in the last decade. Written by one of the leading scholars in the field and including a glossary and suggestions for further reading, it will be an ideal textbook for undergraduate students of historical linguistics.

This gripping story of adventure and courage is set in a magnificent wilderness with the French, English, Iroquois, and Wendat just starting to do battle for what would become the US and Canada. The novel begins with the English pitted against the French, both aggressively claiming the land and resources of North America for themselves. The Iroquois align with the English, the Wendat with the French. The warring conflict between Iroquois and Wendat goes back generations, but exists in an uneasy balance until the English sell guns to the Iroquois. Etienne Brulé, a historical character, has lived with the Wendat for 25 years. He knows even if he can get guns for the Wendat, the price everyone will pay in the end will be way too much.

An examination of the evidence for and the theoretical implications of a universal word order constraint, with data from a wide range of languages. This book presents evidence for a universal word order constraint, the Final-over-Final Condition (FOFC), and discusses the theoretical implications of this phenomenon. FOFC is a syntactic condition that disallows structures where a head-initial phrase is contained in a head-final phrase in the same extended projection/domain. The authors argue that FOFC is a linguistic universal, not just a strong tendency, and not a constraint on processing. They discuss the effects of the universal in various domains, including the noun phrase, the adjective phrase, the verb phrase, and the clause. The book draws on data from a wide range of languages, including Hindi, Turkish, Basque, Finnish, Afrikaans, German, Hungarian, French, English, Italian, Romanian, Arabic, Hebrew, Mandarin, Pontic Greek, Bagirmi, Dholuo, and Thai. FOFC, the authors argue, is important because it is the only known example of a word order asymmetry pertaining to the order of heads. As such, it has significant repercussions for theories connecting the narrow syntax to linear order.

This book develops a minimalist approach to cross-linguistic morphosyntactic variation. Ian Roberts argues that the essential insight of the principles-and-parameters approach to variation can be maintained - albeit in a somewhat different guise - in the context of the minimalist programme for linguistic theory. The central idea is to organize the parameters of Universal Grammar (UG) into hierarchies that define the ways in which properties of individually variant categories and features may act in concert. A further leading idea, which is consistent with the overall goal of the minimalist programme to reduce the content of UG, is that the parameter hierarchies are not directly determined by UG, and are instead emergent properties stemming from the interaction of the three factors in language design. Cross-linguistic variation in word order, null subjects, incorporation, verb-movement, case/alignment, wh-movement, and negation are all analysed in the light of this approach. This book represents a significant new contribution to the formal study of cross-linguistic morphosyntactic variation on both the empirical and theoretical levels, and will appeal to researchers and students in all areas of theoretical linguistics and comparative syntax.

Ian Roberts offers a stimulating introduction to our greatest gift as a species: our capacity for articulate language. We are mostly as blissfully unaware of the intricacies of the structure of language as fish are of the water they swim in. We live in a mental ocean of nouns, verbs, quantifiers, morphemes, vowels and other rich, strange and deeply fascinating linguistic objects. This book introduces the reader to this amazing world. Offering a thought-provoking and accessible introduction to the main discoveries and theories about language, the book is aimed at general readers and undergraduates who are curious about linguistics and language. Written in a lively and direct style, technical terms are carefully introduced and explained and the book includes a full glossary. The book covers all the central areas of linguistics, including phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics and pragmatics, as well as historical linguistics, sociolinguistics and psycholinguistics.

Is this the right course for me? Essential German Verbs is the course for you if you need help with your study of German. This fully revised edition of our best-selling course contains plenty of hints on how to learn verbs effectively. The aim of this book is to help you improve your command of German by focusing on one aspect of language learning that invariably causes difficulties - verbs and the way they behave. Whether you are a complete beginner or a relatively advanced learner, you can consult the book when you need to know the form of a verb quickly. The introductory section gives you a complete overview of German verbs and how they work in the various tenses. Essential German Verbs contains: - full coverage of the main tenses for 200 frequently used German verbs arranged alphabetically for quick and easy reference - examples of the verbs in everyday use, with colloquial expressions and words sharing the same origin - a German-English verb list of approximately 3000 verbs with details of the patterns they follow - an English-German verb list giving the most frequently used English verbs in German with details of the patterns they follow Learn effortlessly with a new, easy-to-read page design: Author insights Lots of instant help with common problems and quick tips for success, based on the author''s many years of experience. Useful vocabulary Easy to find and learn, to build a solid foundation for speaking. Download our free app, Teach Yourself Library, from the App Store or Google Play to access the free audio.

Serious working artists are the intended audience of this collection of short essays that clarify common expressive and personal problems that many artists encounter, including the fear of being clichéd, the desire to convey truth in art, and the frustration behind trying to find an authentic voice. These crippling fears are laid to rest through insightful discussions of personal experiences, the struggles of famous artists, and the rewards of producing art that comes from an authentic creative core. Providing sensitive reassurances that these struggles are normal, these essays encourage artists to focus on the development of their crafts and find inspiration to work through self-doubt.

World-wide, over a billion adults are overweight and 300 million are officially ''obese'', more than 3,000 people die every day on the world''s roads and global warming and war threaten our survival as a species. The Energy Glut tells the story of energy and how our abuse of fossil fuel energy links all of these public issues as manifestations of the same fundamental planetary malaise. This exciting new book argues that the pulse of fossil fuel energy released from the ground after the discovery of oil not only started the process of catastrophic climate change, but also propelled the average human weight distribution upwards. The author presents a frightening vision of humans besieged by a food industry that uses sophisticated marketing techniques to sell mountains of energy-dense food to those who are ''functionally paralysed'', with fewer opportunities to move our bodies than ever before. We see why the accumulation of body fat is a political, not a personal, problem. This insightful new work offers and appraises for the reader a set of personal and political de-carbonising strategies, but to ''tread more lightly on our world'' we first need to make sense of the systemic processes, and The Energy Glut takes expert first steps in this direction.

Actor and musician Ian Roberts is something of a South African icon, renowned for his roles as the rugged Boer fighter Sloet Steenkamp in the TV series Arende and as Boet in the immortal and immensely popular Castrol advertisements. Ian had an unconventional youth, running wild on his family''s citrus farm in the Eastern Cape. There he grew a love of nature and first learnt the art of communicating with an audience through song and story. A master storyteller with a wicked sense of humour, Ian offers a highly entertaining glimpse of how actors make the magic happen, whether on a theatre stage or before the TV cameras. Drawing on a career that runs from Long Street to Los Angeles, and from Shakespeare to Tsotsi, Ian provides a masterclass on the art of acting, making his life story a vital guide to aspiring actors. His no-nonsense and fearless approach to life means he has never hesitated to tackle challenging roles and to do things in his own, unconventional way. Today, as frontman for Die Radio Kalahari Orkes, he continues to follow his heart.

The demand for information about effective special education programs in public and private educational institutions continues to grow. There is an increase in the alarming statistics surrounding the impact of the negative effects that failing special education programs; particularly those that are focused on placing students in exclusion and self- contained environments. Prisoners or Presidents: How and Why Inclusion Determines The Future of Students With Special Needs offers a comprehensive discussion of special education and inclusion. This book provides insight into the wonderful things that can happen to students when the two are merged. This book is written for every educator, parent, policy maker and child who has or has ever had a special need. In addition, this book provides a comprehensive overview about the history of special education, legislation, policy, and practices from the 1800s to Contemporary America.

If know-how is knowing what to do to make change happen, do-how is doing what needs to be done - there''s a big difference. Everybody knows that change can be difficult. Sometimes you feel yourself stuck going round in circles as you revisit the same challenges again and again. But there is a way to change things and it doesn''t have to be complicated. In this highly practical book, Dave Corbet and Ian Roberts show just how quickly you can move forward once you recognize that the key to change is not your know-how - understanding how to make change happen in theory - but your do-how - the shifts in behavior that will deliver the changes you want, whether this be at home or work. Dispensing with academic jargon, and illustrated throughout with real-life examples and case studies, the book draws together diverse aspects of change into one simple, tried-and-tested roadmap, allowing you to develop the do-how you need to achieve breakthrough change: change that sticks, and delivers results. - Transform the culture of your organization - Proactively manage an underperforming team member - Reignite and develop your career - Improve relationships with partners or children - Learn to say no

With the end of America’s wars in the Middle East, charismatic expat James Reso returns home to a deeply polarized country. Detesting President Dennis Ward''s cynical authoritarianism, James and his friends create the political party Nos Populus: “We The People.” Using mass protests and audacious theatrics, Nos Populus becomes the de facto opposition to the Wardists, while James rockets to celebrity. But when a protest ends horrifically, a depressed and frustrated James becomes easy prey for his own party''s most extreme elements. And after unleashing his seething obsessions about Ward, it may become a matter of ‘when,’ rather than ‘if,’ James’ long threadbare sanity finally surrenders. NOS POPULUS is a unique blend of political satire and psychological thriller about good intentions gone very awry.

Parametric variation in linguistic theory refers to the systematic grammatical variation permitted by the human language faculty. Although still widely assumed, the parametric theory of variation has in recent years been subject to re-evaluation and critique. The Null Subject Parameter, which determines among other things whether or not a language allows the suppression of subject pronouns, is one of the best-known and most widely discussed examples of a parameter. Nevertheless its status in current syntactic theory is highly controversial. This book is a defence of the parametric approach to linguistic variation, set within the framework of the Minimalist Program. It discusses syntactic variation in the light of recent developments in linguistic theory, focusing on issues such as the formal nature of minimalist parameters, the typology of null-subject language systems and the way in which parametric choices can be seen to underlie the synchronic and diachronic patterns observed in natural languages.