Purpose and Pattern

Purpose and Pattern is a response to the need expressed by a great many teachers and students for a description of the English language that explains how contemporary English is spoken and written and why it is spoken and written in this way. The text is descriptive rather than prescriptivein its approach; that is, it presents the English language as it is currently being used rather than as a set of ironclad rules.The text moves forward through the function of words as parts of our speech to their patterns in sentences, paragraphs, and essays. As the students' knowledge of the patterns of the English language develops, so do the choices available to them for the expression of their ideas and emotions.Those who study this text will discover the freedom that comes with an understanding of how language can serve their needs for expression.