24.902:
Introduction to Syntax
instructor: Norvin Richards (32-D868) "norvin" "at" "mit" "dot" "edu"
office hours: Thursdays 11-12 (or by appointment)
TA: Jessica Coon (32-D866): "jcoon" "at" "mit" "dot" "edu"
office hours: by appointment (see below)
website: http://lingphil080.dlp.mit.edu/~norvin/24.902/home.html
space/time coordinates: 8-205, MW 9:30-11
This course will acquaint you with some of the important results and ideas of
the last half-century of research in syntax. We will explore a large number of
issues and a large amount of data so that you can learn something of what this
field is all about. The class will emphasize ideas and arguments for these
ideas in addition to the details of particular analyses. At the same time, you
will learn the mechanics of one particular approach (sometimes called Minimalist
syntax).
The class assumes some familiarity with basic concepts of theoretical linguistics, of the sort you could acquire in 24.900.
Readings and attendance: There is no textbook for this class. Readings will appear on the webpage, linked to the relevant days on the course schedule. Some of the readings will be optional, and these will be clearly marked.
It is strongly recommended that you do the reading, which is provided to help you understand the material. Your primary source of information, however, should be the class itself. If you find discrepancies between what is said in class and what you find in the readings, please do tell us about them; when in doubt, however, you should believe us, and not the readings.
Therefore: Attendance and participation in all classes is obligatory. You must come to class and you must participate.
Section: Jessica Coon will run a section on Tuesdays at 10:00 and at 3:00, or by appointment. It will be a wonderful section, full of the joy of intellectual discovery. You are strongly encouraged to attend.
Problem sets: There will be problem sets every week or two.
Problem sets are due one week after they are handed out.
New and improved late policy: In general, late problem sets will not be accepted except by e-mailed permission of the instructor requested before the due date.
Permission, if granted, will be granted in two categories. For illness and similar emergencies, you will not be penalized for handing in the problem set late. If we decide that your excuse does not involve an emergency, then you will be given permission to hand in the problem set late, but your grade on the problem set will go down by one letter grade for every day it is late.
You are encouraged to discuss the class with your classmates, and general discussion of the problem sets is fine — even encouraged. But make sure you arrive at the solution yourself, and write your own answers.
Paper: You will also write a short paper (5-10p) on a syntax topic. The paper can be of several possible types. One option is to write a review paper of one of the optional readings (or of some other relevant paper; feel free to talk with us about other papers you might write about), clearly describing its claims and argumentation and offering your opinion (with arguments!) of how well justified these claims are. Another would be what linguists call a squib. A squib is a pattern of facts that you find interesting along with an exploration of their possible significance. You might discover these facts yourself, as you sit in class, talk with friends, or read the newspaper -- or you might read them in a reference grammar or linguistics book. The paper should contain an organized description of the phenomenon, explain its interest and significance, and suggest how you might analyze it. For an entire professional journal devoted to squibs, see http://www.ledonline.it/snippets/. Another place to look for syntax papers is the online archive LingBuzz.
The paper will be due on Friday December 7, but you should settle on a topic (and notify me of it) no later than November 21. Please discuss your topic with me in advance of the due date in person. If you think you have difficulty in finding a topic, please come see me and we will find something appropriate together.
Mid-term: In the middle of the term (hence the name) there will be a test covering the material we have studied up to that point. For purposes of computing your grade, it will count as much as one problem set.
Final exam: There will be no final exam.
Grade
computation:
problem sets/midterm quiz: 70%
paper: 20%
attendance/participation: 10%
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Sept 5 |
W |
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Sept 10 |
M |
Phrase Structure, and more Phrase Structure |
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Sept 12 |
W |
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Sept 17 |
M |
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Sept 19 |
W |
EPP, case, and movement: Problem Set (due Sept 26) |
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Sept 24 |
|
Student Holiday--no classes |
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Sept 26 |
W |
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Oct 1 |
M |
A-movement; VP-internal subjects; raising handout |
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Oct 3 |
W |
A-movement, continued; handout; Problem Set (due Oct 10) |
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Oct 8 |
|
Columbus Day--vacation |
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Oct 10 |
W |
Morphological Case and agreement; handout |
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Oct 15 |
M |
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Oct 17 |
W |
Binding theory, continued |
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Oct 22 |
M |
Control; lecture notes |
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Oct 24 |
W |
Control; Problem Set (due Oct 31) |
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Oct 29 |
M |
Double Object constructions; applicatives |
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Oct 31 |
W |
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Nov 5 |
M |
Head-movement; do-support. Midterm. |
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Nov 7 |
W |
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Nov 12 |
|
Veteran's Day--holiday |
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Nov 14 |
W |
More on wh-movement; islands. Handout. Problem Set (due Nov 21) |
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Nov 19 |
M |
Even more on islands. Handout. |
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Nov 21 |
W |
Covert movement. Handout. |
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Nov 26 |
M |
Why is some movement covert? Handout. |
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Nov 28 |
W |
Reconstruction. Problem Set. (due Thursday, Dec. 6) |
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Dec 3 |
M |
QR, ACD. Handout. |
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Dec 5 |
W |
Phase theory. Handout. |
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Dec 10 |
M |
Ellipsis, Sluicing |
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Dec 12 |
W |
Scrambling |