Meeting Time: Tuesdays and Thursdays 10:30-12:20

Location: HGT DS005           

            

Instructor: Barbara Citko

Instructor’s Office: Padelford A210D

Office Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays Tuesday 9-10am, Thursday 2-3pm

Email: bcitko@u.washington.edu

 

This course is an introduction to syntax; the study of sentence structure.  Through regular problem sets and class discussions, we will gain more experience with rigorous scientific argumentation and reasoning, and develop a working knowledge of generative syntax.  Our primary focus will be the syntactic analysis of English; however, we will also look at the syntax of other languages and compare them to English. 

 

Prerequisites: LING 200 or LING 400 or the equivalent (my permission required)

 

Textbook: Carnie, Andrew. 2007. Syntax: A Generative Introduction (Second Edition).  If you have the first edition, please get the second one.

 

Requirements and Grading Policies: see the syllabus

 

Course Outline:

 

LING 461: Syntax I

Week

Date

Topic

Readings ( to be completed before class)

Hw

(due in class)

I

Tue 01/08

Introductions

Course Overview

Diagnostic Quiz

 

 

 

 

Thu 01/10

Syntax as Science

Nature of Syntactic Rules

 

Lecture Notes

Handout

 

Chapter 1

 

 II

Tue 01/15

Parts of Speech

 

Lecture Notes

Handout

 

Chapter 2

 

 

Thu 01/17

Rules and Trees: NPs, AdjP, PPs, VPs

 

Lecture Notes

Handout

 

Chapter 3, pp. 63-73

Hw 1 Due:

Ex 1 & 2, pp. 31-32

Ex 7, pp. 59-60

Ex. 2, p. 60

 III

Tue 01/22

Rules and Trees: Clauses

How to draw trees?

How to analyze foreign languages examples?

 

Lecture Notes

Handout

 

Chapter 3, pp. 74-86

Appendix: How to Do Foreign Language PSR Problems?

 

 

Thu 01/24

Structural Ambiguity, Constituency Tests

 

Lecture Notes

 

 

Chapter 3, pp. 87-91

 

IV 

Tue 01/29

Quiz

Structural Relations

 

Handout

 

Chapter 4

 

 

Thu 01/31

Problem Solving Session: trees, rules, constituency tests, structural relations

 

Online Quiz 2 (due Tuesday Feb 5)

Problems 13 and 14

Hw 2 Due:

Ex 7, pp. 99-100

Ex 4, pp. 97-98 (examples e, m, o)

Extra Credit: example r  from Ex 4 on page 98.

 

Tue 02/05

Review for Midterm

 

Sample Midterm

 

 

 

 

Thu 02/07

Review for Midterm Continued

                                        

 

 

VI 

Tue 02/12

 

MIDTERM

 

Chapters 1-4

 

 

 

Thu 02/14

Binding

 

Lecture Notes

 

Chapter 5

 

VII 

Tue 02/19

X-bar theory: evidence for X’ levels; complements, adjuncts, specifiers

 

Lecture Notes

 

Handout

 

Chapter 6, pp. 153-174

 

 

Thu 02/21

Word Order Parameters

Drawing trees in X-bar notation

 

Lecture Notes

 

Drawing Trees in X-bar Theory

 

 

Chapter 6, pp. 174-189

 

VIII 

Tue 02/26

Extending X-bar theory: Clause Types

 

Lecture Notes

Chapter 7, pp. 201-206

 Hw 3 Due:

Ex 4, pp. 148-149

Ex 4, p. 192

Ex 7, pp. 193-194 (examples b, e, i)

 

Thu 02/28

Extending X-bar theory: TPs, CPs, DPs

 

Lecture Notes

 

Chapter 7, pp. 197-212

 

IX 

Tue 03/04

Problem Solving Session: functional categories

 

Quiz # 4

 

Chapter 7, pp. 206-214

 

 

Thu 03/06

Constraining X-bar theory: theta roles and thematic relations

 

 

Chapter 8, pp. 219-228

 

Tue 03/11

Constraining X-bar theory: expletives, EPP

Chapter 8, pp. 228-240

 Hw 4 Due:

Ex. 2, pp. 214-215

Ex. 4, p. 215 (examples e, f, g, h)

Ex. 2, p. 217

 

Thu 03/13

Wrap-Up and Review for Final

 

 

 

Monday, 03/17

10:30-12:20 

Final Exam (HGT DS005)