Core Syntax A Minimalist Approach

by Adger, David

• ISBN13: 9780199243709
• ISBN10: 0199243700
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2003-05-29
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

This is an introduction to the structure of sentences in human languages. It assumes no prior knowledge of linguistic theory and little of elementary grammar. It will suit students coming to syntactic theory for the first time either as graduates or undergraduates. It will also be useful for those in fields such as computational science, artificial intelligence, or cognitive psychology who need a sound knowledge of current syntactic theory.

Author Biography

David Adger is Reader in Linguistics at Queen Mary, University of London. He is the co-editor of Specifiers: Minimalist Perspective (OUP, 1999) and publishes widely in syntax and semantics. He is co-general editor of the series Oxford Studies in Theoretical Linguistics.

Table of Contents

Preface	xi
Core Concepts	1	(21)
What is a sentence?	1	(6)
Utterances, propositions, and sentences	1	(1)
Acceptability, grammaticality, and stars	2	(4)
Form and order	6	(1)
Tacit knowledge	7	(5)
Syntactic theories	12	(4)
Back to sentences	16	(3)
Summary	19	(3)
Further reading	20	(2)
Morphosyntactic Features	22	(40)
Introduction	22	(1)
Introducing features	22	(4)
What are features?	26	(7)
Feature systems	27	(4)
Interface rules	31	(2)
Motivating features	33	(19)
Major category features	33	(3)
More on the content of words	36	(6)
Some more minor features	42	(10)
Summary	52	(10)
Exercises	53	(7)
Further reading	60	(2)
Constituency and Theta Roles	62	(42)
Introduction	62	(1)
Constituents	62	(7)
Fundamental notions	69	(4)
Determining the head	73	(4)
Predicting the head---θ-roles and selectional features	77	(13)
θ-roles and the θ-criterion	78	(4)
Unassigned θ-roles	82	(1)
Selectional features and lexical representation	83	(4)
S-selectional features	87	(3)
Triggering Merge by feature checking	90	(6)
Summary	96	(8)
Exercises	97	(5)
Further reading	102	(2)
Representing Phrase Structure	104	(51)
Introduction	104	(1)
The structure of phrases	104	(12)
First Merge---Complements	105	(4)
Second Merge---Specifiers	109	(1)
Adjunction	110	(4)
The structure of the verb phrase	114	(1)
X-Theory	115	(1)
C-command	116	(6)
Defining the relation	117	(1)
Reflexive binding	118	(2)
Negative polarity items	120	(2)
Summary	122	(1)
Ditransitives	122	(14)
Three-argument predicates	122	(1)
Ternary or binary branching?	122	(4)
A binary alternative	126	(5)
Causatives and little v	131	(5)
Linking	136	(6)
The architecture of the system	142	(4)
Summary	146	(9)
Exercises	149	(3)
Further reading	152	(3)
Functional Categories I---TP	155	(49)
Introduction	155	(1)
Sentences are headed	156	(10)
Theoretical considerations	156	(1)
Empirical evidence	157	(8)
Cross-linguistic evidence	165	(1)
Tense marking	166	(9)
Tense on main verbs	166	(5)
Tense on auxiliaries	171	(4)
Head movement	175	(10)
The position of negation	176	(1)
Movement of Auxiliaries to T	177	(4)
V to T movement	181	(3)
Aux in situ	184	(1)
Do-support	185	(9)
Basic properties of do-support	185	(2)
Affixal negation	187	(1)
Affixal tense	188	(4)
Tense chains	192	(2)
Summary	194	(10)
Exercises	196	(6)
Further reading	202	(2)
Subjects and Objects	204	(40)
Introduction	204	(1)
Subject movement	205	(6)
Quantifier stranding	205	(4)
Expletive constructions	209	(2)
Case and EPP	211	(12)
Subjects and EPP features	211	(6)
Objects and locality of feature matching	217	(3)
Subject-verb agreement	220	(2)
Interim summary	222	(1)
Unaccusative subjects	223	(6)
Ne-cliticization	224	(3)
Possessor datives in Hebrew	227	(2)
Passives	229	(3)
Adverbs	232	(3)
Word order and movement	235	(3)
Summary	238	(6)
Exercises	240	(1)
Further reading	241	(3)
Functional Categories II---the DP	244	(45)
The category D	245	(5)
Types of D	245	(3)
The semantics of Ds	248	(2)
Ds as heads	250	(13)
Complementary distribution of Ds	250	(2)
Capturing the complementary distribution	252	(1)
Implications of this analysis	253	(2)
Further questions	255	(1)
Possessors---specifiers of DP	256	(2)
More null Ds	258	(5)
Θ-role assignment in DP	263	(3)
Little n and the low structure of DP	266	(9)
Motivation for little n	268	(2)
Case checking in DP	270	(4)
Possessors	274	(1)
AP modification in DP	275	(3)
Order and movement in DPs	278	(3)
Summary	281	(8)
Exercises	283	(4)
Further reading	287	(2)
Functional Categories III---CP	289	(52)
Complementizers	289	(13)
that	289	(3)
Declaratives and interrogatives	292	(5)
Subject clauses	297	(5)
Non-finite CP complementation	302	(25)
PRO and control clauses	304	(1)
ECM clauses	305	(1)
C in non-finite clauses	306	(3)
Null case and PRO	309	(2)
Cross-clausal case checking and ECM	311	(4)
Raising	315	(8)
Object control	323	(4)
Summary and further implications	327	(1)
Adjunct clauses	327	(2)
Cross-linguistic implications	329	(4)
Summary	333	(8)
Exercises	334	(5)
Further reading	339	(2)
Wh-movement	341	(35)
Introduction	341	(3)
Elements that undergo wh-movement	344	(5)
Wh-expressions	345	(3)
Interpretation of wh-questions	348	(1)
Mechanics of wh-movement	349	(9)
Checking wh-features	349	(4)
Refining the system	353	(3)
Other wh-movements	356	(1)
Embedded wh-questions	357	(1)
Subject wh-questions	358	(3)
Long-distance wh-movement	361	(3)
Wh-in situ	364	(1)
Superiority	365	(2)
Cross-linguistic variation in wh-constructions	367	(2)
Summary	369	(7)
Exercises	370	(4)
Further reading	374	(2)
Locality	376	(32)
Introduction	376	(1)
Empirical evidence for local movement	377	(7)
Floating quantifiers	377	(2)
Complementizer agreement again	379	(3)
Successive inversion phenomena	382	(2)
Ensuring successive wh-movement	384	(4)
Locality in feature matching	384	(2)
Solving an old puzzle	386	(2)
Island phenomena	388	(11)
Wh-islands	388	(3)
DP islands	391	(2)
Subject islands	393	(6)
Adjunct islands	399	(1)
Summary	399	(9)
Exercises	401	(5)
Further reading	406	(2)
Bibliography	408	(11)
Index	419