Advanced English Syntax (P01374)

? Credit Points : 20 ? SCQF Level : 11 ? Acronym : PPL-P-AES-EL

The course explores in depth the structure of English passive clauses, the structure of relative and interrogative clauses, and the distribution of reflexives in order to address a range of currently open theoretical questions and to introduce the main schools of contemporary syntactic theorising, including derivational theories such as minimalism, and lexicalist models such as lexical-functional grammar and head-driven phrase structure grammar, which do not permit movement. Topics may include: formal models and the syntax/lexicon distribution of labour; the morphosyntactic feature system of English; distribution of participles; argument movement; the passive lexical rule; status of 'argument structure'; long distance dependencies & gaps; distribution of interrogative and relative clauses; features on wh-words; 'enlightened self-interest' and 'shortest move'; island constraints; co-reference; disjoint reference; c-command and binding; feature accounts of binding; semantic approaches to binding.

Entry Requirements

none

Subject Areas

Home subject area

Language Sciences, (School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences, Schedule I)

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : Postgraduate

? Delivery Period : Not being delivered

? Contact Teaching Time : 3 hour(s) per week for 9 weeks

All of the following classes

Type	Day	Start	End	Area
Lecture	Monday	11:10	12:00	Central
Lecture	Wednesday	11:10	12:00	Central
Lecture	Thursday	11:10	12:00	Central

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

This course aims to deepen students' understanding of central syntactic phenomena; develop students' understanding of how syntactic theory has developed and why, and to prepare motivated graduates for further study in the subject.