The book offers a basic introduction to the theory of Cognitive Grammar, which claims that meaning resides in conceptualization, and that grammar is inherently meaningful, residing in the structuring and symbolization of conceptual content.

Ronald Langacker, Ph.D. (1966), University of Illinois, was Professor of Linguistics at the University of California, San Diego, until his retirement in 2003. He has published extensively in cognitive linguists and formulated the theory known as Cognitive Grammar.