ADVANCED SYNTAX
- Arts
- 800 level
- 3 credit units
- 128 pages
- 12 units
This course explores advanced syntax, focusing on recent innovations in generative syntax and the role of meaning in syntactic computation. It comprises twelve study units divided into four modules. The course enhances students' understanding of interfaces in syntax, exposing them to meaning treatment within transformational generative grammar. Students will explore morphological and syntactic concepts, relating them to meaning-making through grammatical judgment and critical analysis of sentences.
About this course
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Study hours
- 156 hours
- Maths
- None
- Content
- Theoretical
- Practical work
- No
- Undergraduate degree in Linguistics or related field
- Basic knowledge of syntax and semantics
- Assignments
- Tutor marked assessments
- Final examination
What you'll read
The real module and unit structure of ENG821, taken from the course material NOUN publishes.
One paragraph, so you can see how it reads
ENG821 · UNIT 1 FORM-MEANING RELATIONSHIP
Nonetheless, I need to mention that the policy in the University now is that there must be a minimum of 50 students for there to be any face-to-face facilitation, the major means of interacting with students presently is through the online facilitation platform. You should explore this forum to the full.
What you should be able to do
- Explain concepts central to syntax and semantics
- Discuss the interface between syntax and semantics
- Engage in grammatical judgment of sentences
- Argue for/against the autonomy of syntax and semantics
- Analyze syntactic structures using minimalist principles
What it prepares you for
- Linguist
- Syntax Researcher
- Semantic Analyst
- Computational Linguist
- Language Teacher
- Natural Language Processing
- Artificial Intelligence
- Speech Recognition
- Machine Translation
- Linguistic Research
Where it gets hard
The units students slow down on, and what makes each one heavy.
- Module 2: Morphology-Syntax Interface
Unit 3: Feature Valuation in Computation
Feature valuation requires a solid understanding of both morphosyntactic and semantic features, demanding a strong grasp of linguistic theory.
- Module 3: Interpreting Syntactic Constituents
Unit 3: Null Constituents in the Minimalist Program
Understanding null constituents requires grasping abstract syntactic concepts and their semantic implications, which can be challenging for students new to minimalist syntax.
A suggested way through it
13 weeks, about 109 hours in total. Yours will differ.
- Week 1Module 1: Structure and Meaning
Unit 1: Form-Meaning Relationship · 7 hours
Read Unit 1: Understanding the distinction between lexical and functional categories.. Analyze examples of determiners, inflections, and complementizers.. Complete Tutor-Marked Assignment questions..
- Week 2Module 1: Structure and Meaning
Unit 2: Sentence, Utterance and Proposition · 7 hours
Differentiate between sentence, utterance, and proposition.. Identify underlying propositions in sentences.. Complete Tutor-Marked Assignment questions..
- Week 3Module 2: Morphology-Syntax Interface
Unit 1: Morphosyntax · 5 hours
Discuss the concept of morphosyntax.. Identify the relationship between morphology and syntax.. Analyze how morphological and syntactic features cooperate in structure computation..
Unit 2: The Primitives of Syntax · 5 hours
Discuss the primitives of syntax, including abstract and root morphemes.. Explain the roles of functional heads in syntactic derivation.. Analyze how morphology supplies phonological features to abstract morphemes..
- Week 4Module 2: Morphology-Syntax Interface
Unit 3: Feature Valuation in Computation · 10 hours
Identify the processes of human language computation.. Discuss the importance of grammatical and phonetic features.. Explain the role of meaning in the Principle of Full Interpretation (PFI)..
- Week 5Module 3: Interpreting Syntactic Constituents
Unit 1: Semantic Roles in Syntactic Structures · 7 hours
Examine the relationship between syntax and meaning.. Identify the difference between theta role and semantic role.. Distinguish between D-Structure and S-structure..
- Week 6Module 3: Interpreting Syntactic Constituents
Unit 2: Logical Form · 7 hours
Define logical form.. Explain how meaning is treated in different models of transformational grammar.. Discuss the emergence of Logical Form and its place in syntax..
- Week 7Module 3: Interpreting Syntactic Constituents
Unit 3: Null Constituents in the Minimalist Program · 10 hours
Identify null elements in minimalist syntax.. Discuss the nature and types of null constituents in English.. Analyze examples of null subjects, auxiliaries, and complements..
- Week 8Module 3: Interpreting Syntactic Constituents
Unit 4: Binding Relations in the Minimalist Program · 10 hours
Explain the phenomenon of binding.. Discuss the place of binding theory in the Minimalist Program.. State the conditions for binding in the Minimalist Program..
- Week 9Module 4: Syntactic and Semantic Scope
Unit 1: Scope and Anaphora in Minimalist Program · 7 hours
Define anaphora and scope.. Identify scope-bearing elements.. Account for possible interpretations of ambiguous sentences..
- Week 10Module 4: Syntactic and Semantic Scope
Unit 2: Scope Ambiguity · 10 hours
Distinguish between types of ambiguity.. Understand the concept of semantic scope and c-command in relation to ambiguity.. Analyze ambiguous structures perfectly..
- Week 11Module 4: Syntactic and Semantic Scope
Unit 3: Semantic Scope of Determiner Phrases · 10 hours
Understand the concept of Determiner Phrases (DPs).. Identify the possible elements in the modification of DPs.. Explain quantificational DPs and their semantic scope..
- Week 12Revision
Review: Modules 1 & 2 · 7 hours
Review key concepts from Modules 1 and 2.. Practice grammatical judgment of sentences.. Prepare for Tutor-Marked Assignments..
- Week 13Revision
Review: Modules 3 & 4 · 7 hours
Review key concepts from Modules 3 and 4.. Practice sentence generation and analysis.. Final preparation for examinations..
Preparing for the exam
- Create concept maps linking modules and units.
- Practice sentence generation and analysis.
- Review key concepts and definitions.
- Focus on understanding the relationships between syntax and semantics.
- Practice identifying scope-bearing elements and resolving ambiguities.
Questions students ask about this course
What is ENG821 about?
This course explores advanced syntax, focusing on recent innovations in generative syntax and the role of meaning in syntactic computation. It comprises twelve study units divided into four modules. The course enhances students' understanding of interfaces in syntax, exposing them to meaning treatment within transformational generative grammar. Students will explore morphological and syntactic concepts, relating them to meaning-making through grammatical judgment and critical analysis of sentences.
How many units does ENG821 have?
ENG821, ADVANCED SYNTAX, has 12 units across 4 modules, over 128 pages of course material. You can read it one unit at a time.
How many credit units is ENG821?
ENG821 carries 3 credit units, at 800 level in Arts.
Is ENG821 hard?
ENG821 is rated advanced level, with no mathematical content. It is mostly theoretical work.
How long does ENG821 take to study?
About 156 hours of study, spread across its 12 units.
How is ENG821 assessed?
ENG821 is assessed by assignments, tutor marked assessments and final examination.
What do I need before starting ENG821?
Undergraduate degree in Linguistics or related field Basic knowledge of syntax and semantics
What can I do with ENG821?
Linguist, Syntax Researcher, Semantic Analyst, Computational Linguist and Language Teacher.