English Syntax and Syntactic Theory Fall Semester 2013 ENGL 512 / LING 521 MWF 11:30-12:20, Heav 110

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1 English Syntax and Syntactic Theory Fall Semester 2013 ENGL 512 / LING 521 MWF 11:30-12:20, Heav 110 Dr. Elaine Francis, instructor Office: Heav 408 Office hours: Mon and Wed, 10:00-11:00am and 3:30-4:00pm, or by appointment ejfranci@purdue.edu Ms. Xiao Yang, teaching assistant Office hour: to be announced yang599@purdue.edu Description This course investigates the workings of English grammar from the perspective of modern syntactic theory. We will explore the underlying principles by which the speakers of a language are able to generate a potentially infinite number of sentences, each expressing a new idea. Topics will include categories and features, phrase structure representations, structural relations, movement operations, and argument structure. We will work through Andrew Radford s 2009 textbook, using a version of Chomsky s minimalist theory. Other current theoretical approaches will also be considered. Aims and Objectives To learn how to observe, describe, and explain patterns of grammatical structure in an explicit way. To explore key structural patterns in (varieties of) the English language. To understand and apply basic principles of syntactic theory and syntactic argumentation. To investigate the relationships between structure and meaning. To prepare you for further graduate-level work involving grammatical description, syntactic analysis and syntactic theory. Course Textbook Radford, Andrew Analysing English Sentences. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press The textbook is available for purchase at Follett s and University Bookstore. Other suggested texts (not required): Carnie, Andrew Syntax: A Generative Introduction, 3rd edition. Malden, MA: Blackwell. (a textbook similar to Radford 2009, but somewhat less detailed and with exercises from diverse languages)

2 Class Format This course will use both lectures and class activities. The lectures are designed to reinforce and augment the material presented in the readings. Class activities will include review and practice, problem solving, and discussion. Activities will usually be done in groups. Most lectures will be given on Mondays and Wednesdays. Fridays will be reserved for discussion of homework and other activities. Assessment Written assignments (3) 30% / 300 points (100 points each) Three written assignments will be taken from the practice exercises at the end of the chapters (or something similar). Tests (2) 40% / 400 points (200 points each) Two in-class (50-minute) tests will cover material similar to that in the practice exercises. They will be open book, open notes. There will be NO final exam for this course. Essay (1) 20% / 200 points You will choose a topic covered in the textbook and apply the textbook s theory in one of two ways: (1) compare and contrast the textbook s treatment of your topic with that of another author using either a different theory or a different analysis within the same theory; (2) attempt to apply the textbook s treatment of your topic to a language other than English, or to a variety of English that differs significantly from Standard English, and discuss to what extent the analysis is successful for your language. Details to be provided on a separate document. Weekly Homework / Participation (10) 10% / 100 points (10 points each) You will be assigned homework to prepare for 12 Friday classes (see timetable). You must write up the homework before the class begins and be prepared to discuss it in your groups and present your answers to the class. Homework assignments are usually from the textbook. Check the assignments folder in Blackboard for a listing of the homework problems for each week. 2

3 Weekly homework is for practice and is part of class participation. It will not be graded for correctness. We will go over the homework in class and you will correct your own papers. You must type or write your homework in black ink (pencil is okay too) and use a different colored pen to correct your paper. We will take up the papers at the end of class and will assign 10 completion points if your paper is completed and corrected appropriately. Incomplete or non-corrected papers will receive partial credit. No credit will be given for non-serious answers or answers that bear no relation to the question asked. Weekly homework is part of class participation. It must be completed before class and corrected during class and cannot be made up if you miss class. Please do not submit homework by . I do not accept submissions. Please do not send your homework with a friend. You must be in class to correct your own homework. No exceptions. We will drop the two lowest homework grades, so that only the top 10 grades out of 12 will be included. This allows for two Friday absences with no penalty, but please save these in case of illness or emergency! Blackboard Learn The Blackboard Learn course web pages will be used to distribute lecture notes, assignments, handouts, and supplemental readings and to post grades and other important course information and announcements. To access Blackboard go to: Click on the link to Blackboard Learn and enter your career account login and password. General Policies Grading A+ = 970 and above; A = ; A- = ; B+ = ; B = ; B- = ; C + = ; C = ; C- = ; D+ = ; D = ; D- = ; F = below 600 Assignments Assignments should be completed before the beginning of the class in which they are due. All assignments should be either typed using a word processing program or neatly handwritten. Please staple or clip the pages together. If you use a computer to prepare your assignments, be sure to make regular backups of your work. submissions are NOT accepted. 3

4 Late assignments will not be accepted without prior arrangement. If you must be absent on the day that an assignment is due, you are still responsible for submitting it on time (or early). Although the above policies are firm, special arrangements can be made in cases of illness or emergency. If an emergency situation occurs, please notify me as soon as it is reasonable to do so. Plagiarism and Cheating You are encouraged to work together with your classmates on the written assignments. However, you should write up each assignment on your own. Please include on your assignment the names of anyone it has been discussed with. Copying answers from classmates, allowing others to copy your answers, copying from a book or article without proper citation, and all other forms of plagiarism and cheating as given in the University s guidelines will result in a zero grade for the relevant tests or assignments and may be reported to the Dean of Students office for disciplinary action. To avoid any possibility of cheating, DO NOT give any other student a copy of your assignment in either written or electronic form. The University s guidelines on plagiarism and cheating are listed in the brochure Academic Integrity: A Guide for Students, which is available online at: Classroom atmosphere Feel free to share your ideas and opinions about the course material, and don t be shy about asking questions. Please help maintain an atmosphere that is both friendly and professional. Getting Help If you have any questions about the course material or are having any kind of problems in the course, feel free to come discuss it. If you cannot make it to office hours, you can set up an appointment at a different time. If you need any kind of special accommodation for a disability, medical condition, or other situation, please contact the Dean of Students Office ( ) to develop an official arrangement for accommodations in all of your classes. Please meet with me as soon as possible (no later than third week of class) to discuss your accommodation. 4

5 Course Evaluations During the last two weeks of the semester, you will be provided an opportunity to evaluate this course and your instructor. On Monday of the fifteenth week of classes, you will receive an official from evaluation administrators with a link to the online evaluation site. You will have two weeks to complete this evaluation. Your participation in this evaluation is an integral part of this course. Your feedback is vital to improving education at Purdue University. I strongly urge you to participate in the evaluation system. In Case of Major Campus Emergency In the event of a major campus emergency, course requirements, deadlines and grading percentages are subject to changes that may be necessitated by a revised semester calendar or other circumstances. In the event of emergency, I would first send announcements to the Blackboard web page. You could also contact me by (ejfranci@purdue.edu), or by phone to the English Department main office ( ). 5

6 ENGL 512 / LING 521: Fall 2013 Timetable Note: This is a preliminary schedule subject to change. WA = written assignment; RT = Radford textbook Dates Lecture topics Readings Due Dates and Tests 1 Aug The Language Faculty Pinker 1994, ch. 4 (in Blackboard); 2 Aug Categories and Features 3 Sept 2-6 Categories and Features, cont. RT ch. 1 Radford 2004, ch. 2 (in Blackboard) No class Mon. Sept 2, Labor Day 4 Sept 9-13 Constituent Structure RT. ch. 2 WA #1: Wed. Sept Sept Constituent Structure, cont. 6 Sept Null Constituents RT ch. 3 7 Sept 30-Oct 4 Null Constituents 8 Oct 7-11 Review and Test # No Class Mon. Oct 7: Fall Break Test #1: Fri Oct 11 Oct Head Movement RT ch. 4 WA #2: Oct Wh-Movement RT ch. 5 Wed. Oct 23 Essay topic Oct 28-Nov 1 Wh-Movement proposal: Wed. Oct 30 A movement RT ch. 6 WA #3: Nov 4-8 Wed. Nov. 6 A movement and Fri Nov 15, Nov test review discussion of practice Nov Alternative theories of syntax readings to be announced test Test #2: Mon, Nov Nov Dec Dec 9-14 Finals week Alternative theories, cont. Alternative theories, cont. No classes. No final exam. No class Nov : Thanksgiving Break Essay due: Mon. Dec. 9 6