Growing Trees - An Informal Introduction to Formal Syntax
Fridays | 11:15 – 12:45 | Room 108 | Anglistisches Seminar | Heidelberg University
This is the course site for my PS I based on Radford's (2009) An Introduction to English Sentence Structure. Please check back on a regular basis in order to keep yourself up-to-date.
- [12/07]: Don't forget: EXAM on Wed., 15th July, room 108!
- [07/07]: Half of ch. 4 on head movement; session #12 last one, remainder of ch. 4; final exam on Wednesday, 15th July; went through the core aspects we've come across last session – this'll have you prepared for the exam...
- [21/06]: We're done with ch. 3 on null constituents. We're now assuming that all sentences are CPs that only differ in the composition of certain categories (basically, T, C). This is what gives rise to differences on the surface. We agreed on writing an exam instead of term papers. This is why we'll spending next session (#10) with exercises and reviews. The schedule has been updated accordingly, so stay tuned for a mail!
- [06/06]: The methods workshop was fun! A shame that not all could come! For those of you who couldn't, please go through the slides (cf. syllabus below), and email me (or (one of) the three guys, who were there...) with any questions! You can get the software package from me (or the guys) on request. For next session (#08), prepare 3.1 – 3.4 incl. ex. 3.1!
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[24/05]: Ok, the first trees... Yay! Learnt about VPs, TPs, and CPs; about Specifiers and heads; about Subjects; and about tests how to determine phrase structure; please read the rest of ch. 2 as well as the first two sections of ch. 3 by next Friday; we still need to fix a date for the subsitute session; which I'll be using as a methods workshop... Stay tuned & critical...
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[13/05]: Last session (#04), we finally dealt with the first chunks of generative syntax: locality, principles, parameters, parameter-setting, the language faculty. Next session (#05, May 22th!!!), we'll start constructing trees and have a look at phrase structure... Please read the first half of ch. 2 (2.1-2.5 "Testing Structure"), and dedicate yourselves to exercise 2.1!
- [24/04]: Finally, traditional grammar is behind us! So next session (#04, May 8th) we're going to go in medias res (the rest of ch. 1). And: don't forget the exercises! Check out the squib I wrote on Reichenbach's Tense Logic.
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[17/04]: I didn't succeed in going through my notes on Traditional Grammar covering 1.1 – 1.3; this means we're going to continue with that next session, and do some exercises for practice; for those of you who couldn't come, you can download the notes and a squib on Tense/Aspect/Mood (which we didn't go through) below; note: just so you know now already, I'd really like to get into the second chapter in session #04 (May 1st is cancelled!); you'll have three weeks for that, which should be ok
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[04/04]: the slides and the (organisational) notes of session #01 are online; in addition, you'll find the course participant list (in case you need the email address of one of your co-participants); next session will be on April 17th, and will cover chs 1.1 – 1.4 (pp.1 –19);
I'll maybe send around a short exercise sheet, since those of the book only cover chs 1.5 – 1.9! - [31/03]: check the downloads section!
- check out the promotional poster, and the official course description
- Radford (2009: chs. 1-6)
- participant list