Benjamin Carmen - A New Reference Grammar of Modern Spanish

A New Reference

Grammar

of Modern

SPANISH

A New Reference Grammar of Modern Spanish is a comprehensive, cohesive and clear guide to the forms and structures of Spanish as it is written and spoken today in Spain and Latin America. It includes clear descriptions of all the main grammatical phenomena of Spanish, and their use, illustrated by numerous examples of contemporary Spanish, both Peninsular and Latin-American, formal and informal. Fully revised and updated, the sixth edition is even more relevant to students and teachers of Spanish.

The sixth edition includes:

new chapters, providing more detail and examples of key areas of Spanish grammar;

an increased number of Mexican examples to reflect the growing interest in this countrys variety of Spanish;

new information for readers studying Spanish and French together;

a glossary of grammatical terms including English translations of Spanish terms.

The combination of reference grammar and manual of current usage is invaluable for learners at level B2C2 of the Common European Framework for Languages, and Intermediate High-Advanced High on the ACTFL proficiency scales.

John Butt is Emeritus Professor of Hispanic Studies of Kings College London, UK. He studied Spanish, French and Portuguese at the University of Cambridge and went on to lecture in Spanish literature and language at Kings College London for 37 years.

Carmen Benjamin, a native speaker of Spanish, taught Spanish at Kings College London, UK.

Antonia Moreira Rodrguez, also a native speaker of Spanish, teaches Spanish language and linguistics in the Department of Spanish, Portuguese and Latin-American Studies of Kings College London, UK.

ROUTLEDGE REFERENCE GRAMMARS

A Reference Grammar of Modern Italian, Second Edition
Edited by Martin Maiden and Cecilia Robustelli

French Grammar and Usage, Fourth Edition
Edited by Roger Hawkins and Richard Towell

Hammers German Grammar and Usage, Sixth Edition
Martin Durrell

A New Reference Grammar of Modern Spanish, Sixth Edition
John B. Butt, Carmen Benjamin and Antonia Moreira-Rodrguez

For more information about the Routledge Reference Grammars series, please visit: www.routledge.com/Routledge-Reference-Grammars/book-series/RRG

Routledge Reference Grammars can be used alone or with companion workbooks from the Practising Grammar Workbooks series:

Practising Italian Grammar: A Workbook
Alessia Bianchi, Clelia Boscolo and Stephen Harrison

Practising Spanish Grammar, Third Edition
Angela Howkins, Christopher Pountain and Teresa de Carlos

Practising French Grammar: A Workbook, Fourth Edition
Roger Hawkins, Marie-Nolle Lamy and Richard Towell

Practising German Grammar, Fourth Edition
Martin Durrell, Katrin Kohl and Claudia Kaiser

For more information about the Practising Grammar Workbooks series, please visit:
https://www.routledge.com/Practising-Grammar-Workbooks/book-series/PGW

A New Reference

Grammar

of Modern

SPANISH

Sixth Edition

John Butt, Carmen Benjamin and Antonia Moreira Rodrguez

Sixth edition published 2019
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 4RN

and by Routledge
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017

Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business

2019 John Butt, Carmen Benjamin and Antonia Moreira Rodrguez

The right of John Butt, Carmen Benjamin and Antonia Moreira Rodrguez to be identified as authors of this work has been asserted by them in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.

Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe.

First edition published by E. Arnold 1988
Fifth edition published by Hodder Education 2011, Routledge 2013

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Butt, John, 1943- author. | Benjamin, Carmen, author. | Rodriguez, Antonia Moreira, author.
Title: A new reference grammar of modern Spanish / John Butt, Carmen Benjamin and Antonia Moreira Rodriguez.
Description: 6th edition. | London ; New York : Routledge, 2019. |
Series: Routledge Reference Grammars | Includes bibliographical references and indexes.
Identifiers: LCCN 2018023122| ISBN 9781138124004 (hbk) |
ISBN 9781138124011 (pbk) | ISBN 9781315648446 (ebk)
Subjects: LCSH: Spanish languageGrammar. | Spanish languageTextbooks for foreign speakers--English
Classification: LCC PC4112 .B88 2019 | DDC 468.2/421dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018023122

ISBN: 978-1-138-12400-4 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-315-64844-6 (ebk)

Typeset in Palatino Roman by
Servis Filmsetting Ltd, Stockport, Cheshire

This new edition of Butt and Benjamin, now Butt, Benjamin and Moreira, differs in several ways from earlier versions.

We have created some new chapters with the result that section numbers have changed and the Index has been re-written.

We have added a large number of Mexican examples since Mexico is by far the most populous Spanish-speaking country and its language is of special interest to North-American readers.

We have thoroughly revised the whole text, clarified it where we found it unclear, simplified it where it was complicated, re-written or expanded it where we had new ideas or new information, and corrected it where we thought the original was misleading or inaccurate.

We have included new information for readers who are studying Spanish and French together, this combination being especially widespread in the UK.

We have marked as Important points that in our experience cause problems for English-speaking students, but this does not mean that the other notes should be neglected.

The Glossary includes Spanish translations of grammatical terms.

Any grammar or dictionary of Spanish that aspires to be comprehensive must face the problem of the international variety of the language, a problem that is much less serious in other widely-studied European languages like French, German and Italian.

English has basically only two internationally recognized standards: American and received British. No one would or should suggest that the varieties of other places like Australia, New Zealand, South-Africa, the Caribbean or India are bad English, but there seems to be a more or less tacit agreement that foreigners should learn either American or received British usage (in practice the language of the middle and upper classes of south-east England and of those who speak like them). There are however no universally recognized international standards in Spanish, which differs in detail between the twenty-one countries where it is the official, or the main official, language. Despite the claims one hears to the contrary, none of these different varieties is accepted as a model to be followed by the others.