This module introduces you to the study of the structure of words and sentences within a theoretical framework of generative syntax. You will learn how to analyse structure using syntactic tests that show how words group together and how to represent structure by drawing labelled trees, which are a visual representation of word and sentence structure.
Occurrence | Teaching period |
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A | Semester 2 2023-24 |
This module introduces you to the study of the syntactic subcomponent of the language faculty. Specifically, you will study the general principles underlying word and sentence structure. You will work towards learning a theory of grammar, which represents the knowledge that native speakers have about the structure of their language. You will learn how to analyse structure through the use of syntactic tests and diagnostics and how to represent structure by drawing labelled trees. You will develop core analytical skills in solving linguistic problems and learn to communicate your solutions effectively and succinctly.
Select and apply appropriate syntactic diagnostics to a wide range of novel constructions
Synthesise different aspects of your knowledge about structural properties to propose basic analyses for syntactic constructions
Identify key patterns in data sets and express their distribution in terms of key syntactic concepts
Formulate and explicitly state simple theoretical generalisations about syntactic phenomena
Systematically apply the tools you’ve learnt to represent the syntactic structure
By the end of the module students will be able to do the following:
Identify the lexical category of English words
Apply syntactic tests for constituency
Identify clause boundaries in complex sentences
Identify different types of verbal category
Identify grammatical functions, such as subjects and objects
Draw trees and labelled brackets for basic English sentences
Identify major clause types: passive, relatives, interrogatives etc.
We aim to cover the following topics in this module:
The scientific study of linguistic structure
Hierarchical structure
Constituency tests
Heads and phrases
Lexical vs functional categories
Functional categories within TP, VP, DP
Syntactic movement
Task | % of module mark |
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Essay/coursework | 40 |
Online Exam -less than 24hrs (Centrally scheduled) | 60 |
None
Task | % of module mark |
---|---|
Online Exam -less than 24hrs (Centrally scheduled) | 100 |
Every week, you will do exercises and receive in-class oral feedback.
For submitted assessments, you will receive individual written feedback within the university mandated time limit.
TBA