Fundamentals of Syntax (360-0-20)

Meeting Info

Locy Hall 318: Tues, Thurs 12:30PM - 1:50PM

Overview of class

The course is a data-driven introduction to syntactic analysis. Through weekly writing assignments and in-class discussion, students will learn the analytical methods used in syntactic research: how to analyze syntactic data, how to formulate plausible hypotheses to explain the data, and how to compare and evaluate hypotheses. By the end of the course, students will have a fairly sophisticated knowledge of central properties of syntax. The course will introduce the students to and primarily operate within the mainstream minimalist framework of syntactic analysis, but we will cover alternative generative and non-generative approaches as well. Some of the specific topics covered by this course include phrase structure, head movement, A-movement, case and agreement, argument structure, binding, and locality constraints. Although the primary source of linguistic data will be English, examples will also be drawn from other languages both in class and on the writing assignments.

Registration Requirements

Pre-requisite: LING 260 or consent of the instructor.

Learning Objectives

This syntax course is geared toward fostering the acquisition of certain syntactic tools for analysis of complex linguistic patterns. Learning goals include: (1) Learning how to relate linguistic theory to natural language data; (2)Theory-building, starting with a limited set of assumptions and via analysis of complex linguistic patterns; (3)Figuring out and testing predictions of this theoretical system using analytical and experimental tools.

Class Materials (Required)

All readings will be made available on Canvas

Class Attributes

Formal Studies Distro Area

Enrollment Requirements

Enrollment Requirements: Prerequisite: Any 200 level course in linguistics