I am a professor of English Language and Linguistics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where I teach courses on English syntax and morphology and the theory of grammar. Additionally, I am affiliated with the German Department. I am also one of the book review editors for the Linguist List.

In my research and teaching I explore the regularity of structure (grammar) and the quirkiness of individual words. The "temper" of English verbs – the relationship between their meaning and their behavior in syntax and morphology – is the focus of my research. Other research areas include the history of scientific writing and genres of internet communication. My most recent book publications are Deconstructing the English Passive (2009) and Syntactic Variation and Genre (2010), both published by Mouton de Gruyter. I am currently working on a textbook on English words (how they are structured, how they change over time, and how they are represented in the mind).