"This first volume in the Collected Works of M. A. K. Halliday series contains fifteen papers, with the addition of a new piece entitled ''A personal perspective'' as the introduction. The papers are pieced together chronologically according to topic, and divided into 3 sections. The whole volume is oriented towards his comprehensive depiction of language, that is, the systemic functional grammar (SFG)." -Linguist List, April 2006
A wonderful collection of work by Michael Halliday, undoubtedly one of the most original and influential linguists of the twentieth century. This volume illustrates the astonishing breadth and depth of his thinking about language structure, often challenging and always interesting - for example, his view of language as "an infinite system that generates only a finite body of texts" or "a system of meanings, with forms attached to express them". This collection ranges from details of English clause structure, through his classic "Spoken and written modes of meaning", to the influence of language on thought.
Richard A Hudson, Emeritus Professor, University College London, UK