I am an Associate 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. Please note that I will not be teaching any courses throughout 2007-08 due to a research sabbatical.

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. Currently, I am finishing a book on the English passive (to be published by Mouton de Grutyer in 2008) and I am preparing an edited collection on syntactic variation and genre.