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(i) provide specialized knowledge and insight in (formal) syntactic theory; (ii) train students in syntactic research methodologies.
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This course provides an introduction into the theory of syntax; its aim is to teach those generalizations, concepts, and theories in syntax that every working linguist should know about and be able to work with. The theoretical perspective is that of mainstream formal grammar, as it has developed since the late 1950s based on the works of Noam Chomsky and many others. The descriptive focus will be on major generalizations concerning core syntactic domains such as phrase structure, argument structure, case, agreement, displacement (phrasal movement and head movement), and control. Besides learning the theoretical notions, rule systems and linguistic principles that have been proposed for these domains, you will learn to apply your theoretical knowledge to constructions and phenomena from your own language but also from other languages. The course further intends to provide some historical perspective, with a brief outline of pre-1980s work, and a thorough discussion of the 1980s (Government Binding) perspective, followed by an outline of some relevant work in the Minimalist Program.
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