This study brings together many of the resources needed for the exploration of English historical syntax and deals with many of the important changes in English sentence structure from Old English to present. It also features a survey of published research from both classical and modern linguistic traditions, as well as new research by the author. Provides guidance on methodology, important reference materials, and the general history of the English language.

Preface

Part I: Groundwork
1. Introduction
2. Background
3. Nominal Morphology

Part II: Word Order
4. Word Order

Part III: Subject and Verb Phrase
5. Impersonals
6. Dative Movement and the Indirect Passive

Part IV: Complex Complementation
8. VOSI and V+I (control verbs)
9. Subject raising

Part V: Auxiliaries
10. Origins of Periphrastic DO
11. Modals and Related Auxiliaries
12. Perfect
13. Progressive
14. Passive
15. Multiple auxiliaries, regulation of DO

Part VI: Bibliography and Indexes
Abbreviations
16. Glossary of technical terms
17. Secondary sources
18. Primary sources
19. Index of verbs in examples