Introduction to syntax

This course is part of the programme
Doctoral study programme Cognitive Science of Language

Objectives and competences

The course provides an overview of the linguistic theory in the domain of syntax. For students with a necessary background, the course serves to systematize their knowledge, for all others the course aims to establish a necessary level of knowledge in syntactic theory.

Competences:
• Ability to do independent research in syntactic theory
• Ability to identify interesting and theoretically significant problems in syntax

Prerequisites

A completed course at the level of the course “Introduction to Syntax” at the II. Degree Linguistics program at UNG.

Content

In this course the students will learn the fundamentals of syntactic theory, including:
• Case theory
• Binding theory
• Movement theory
• The syntax of noun phrase
• Wh-movement
• Quantifier raising
• Interclausal syntax

Intended learning outcomes

Knowledge and understanding:
• Knowledge of fundamentals of generative grammar including case theory, binding theory and theory of movement
• Understanding the differences in manifestation of the universal grammatical principles in a concrete language or language family

Readings

  • David Adger. 2003. Core Syntax. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Catalogue E-version
  • Norbert Hornstein, Jairo Nunes in Kleanthes K. Grohmann. 2005. Understanding Minimalism. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Catalogue E-version
  • Mark Baltin in Chris Collins (ur.). 2003. The Handbook of Contemporary Syntactic Theory. Oxford: Blackwell. Catalogue E-version
  • Olaf Koeneman & Hedde Zeijlstra. 2017. Introducing Syntax. Cambridge University Press Catalogue

Assessment

Homework assignments and final term paper (50% / 50%).

Lecturer's references

Full professor of Linguistics at the University of Gorica.

Bibliography:

  1. MARUŠIČ, Franc, SHEN, Zheng. Gender agreement with exclusive disjunction in Slovenian. Acta linguistica academica : an international journal of linguistics. 2021, vol. 68, iss. 4, str. 516–535, ilustr. ISSN 2559-8201. DOI: 10.1556/2062.2021.00443.
  2. MARUŠIČ, Franc, ŽAUCER, Rok, SAKSIDA, Amanda, SULLIVAN, Jessica, SKORDOS, Dimitrios, WANG, Yiqiao, BARNER, David. Do children derive exact meanings pragmatically? : evidence from a dual morphology language. Cognition. [Print ed.]. Feb. 2021, vol. 207, str. 1-12, ilustr. ISSN 0010-0277. DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2020.104527.
  3. ARSENIJEVIĆ, Boban, MARUŠIČ, Franc, MIŠMAŠ, Petra, et al. Elided clausal conjunction is not the only source of closest-conjunct agreement : a picture-matching study. Syntax. 2020, vol. 23, no. 1, str. 78-104, ilustr. ISSN 1368-0005. DOI: 10.1111/synt.12171.
  4. MARUŠIČ, Franc, ŽAUCER, Rok. Coordinate structure constraint : A-/A'- movement vs. clitic movement. Linguistica Brunensia. 2018, vol. 65, iss. 2, str. 69-85, ilustr. ISSN 1803-7410. http://hdl.handle.net/11222.digilib/137682.
  5. WILLER-GOLD, Jana, MARUŠIČ, Franc, ŠULIGOJ, Tina, et al. When linearity prevails over hierarchy in syntax. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. [Online ed.]. 2018, vol. 115, no. 3, str. 495-500, ilustr. ISSN 1091-6490. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1712729115.