Course goals

This course involves an examination of the methods and argumentation used in syntactic analysis, both from a general point of view and from the perspective of generative grammar. Emphasis is placed on analyzing language data, on constructing and evaluating syntactic argumentation, and, to some extent, on understanding the Principles & Parameters approach to the study of sentence structure, although I hope to expose you to a variety of ways to approach syntactic questions. Linguistic data will be drawn from English and many other languages. Grades are based on exams and frequent homework problems in syntactic analysis.

Assignments:

There will be one assignment every 1-2 weeks. These assignments give you the opportunity to work through language data and further explore the topics discussed in class.

Readings:

There is a main required textbook we will use:

• Carnie, Andrew (2007). Syntax: A Generative Introduction. (2nd edition) Blackwell.

Some additional resources (posted on Oncourse as PDF/MS-Word files):

• Borsley, Robert (1999). Syntactic Theory: A Unified Approach. Oxford University Press.
• Huang, C.-T. James (1996). Introductory Syntax: Lecture Notes. Ms. Harvard University.
• Radford, Andrew (1988). Transformational Grammar: A First Course. Cambridge University Press.
• Sag, Ivan A., Thomas Wasow, and Emily M. Bender (2003). Syntactic Theory: A Formal Introduction. CSLI Publications.
• Tallerman, Maggie (2005). Understanding Syntax. (2nd edition). Hodder Arnold.

Grading:

Grades will be based on:

• Assignments are due by the beginning of each class (9:05am)--you may hand them in or e-mail them to me.
• If you feel that I have graded anything improperly, please contact me outside of class. I will be happy to address your concerns.

Participation

This course is structured like a lecture & lab course. After short and sometimes rather technical reading assignments are given in advance, in-class discussion will center on a brief lecture followed by working through problems together. Since these activities will be closely related with solving your take-home problem sets and taking in-class exams, regular attendance and participation are crucial to the success of the class.

Midterm & Final Exams

The two exams for this course will be comprehensive. They will be in-class exams, and the format will be similar to that of the problem sets. A review session will be offered for each exam.

Problem Sets

You will be given eight problem sets throughout the semester, which will count for 40% of the course grade. (Tentative) due dates of the problem sets are given in the Schedule below. A hardcopy version of the problem set must be handed in to me in the class when it is due. Unnotified/unjustified late problem sets and electronic versions will not be accepted. You are welcomed to consult with me before an assignment is due if you have any problem/question concerning the problem sets. You are also encouraged to work in groups as long as you write up your answers in your own words. Typing is preferred, though it is not required. If you handwrite, you need to make it legible.

Course administration:

For now, I plan on making the course notes/slides available on Oncourse, as well as problem sets and the additional readings. Look under Resources.

Academic Misconduct:

Academic misconduct is not allowed in this course. The Indiana University Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct (http://dsa.indiana.edu/Code/) defines academic misconduct as ``any activity that tends to undermine the academic integrity of the institution . . . Academic misconduct may involve human, hard-copy, or electronic resources . . . Academic misconduct includes, but is not limited to . . . cheating, fabrication, plagiarism, interference, violation of course rules, and facilitating academic misconduct'' (II. G.1-6).

Students with Disabilities:

Students who need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact me to arrange an appointment as soon as possible to discuss the course format, to anticipate needs, and to explore potential accommodations.

I rely on Disability Services for Students for assistance in verifying the need for accommodations and developing accommodation strategies. Students who have not previously contacted Disability Services are encouraged to do so (812-855-7578; http://www.indiana.edu/~iubdss/).

(Tentative) Schedule

Disclaimer