English 324: The Structure of English

In this course we discuss the fundamentals of the syntactic structure of English sentences . Our approach is that grammar is not something scary "out there" -- it's part of every speaker's intuitive knowledge of language and we aim at making this knowledge visible through linguistic analysis. This course will provide you with basic tools of sentence analysis and will enable you to describe and analyze English sentences on your own. You will learn to classify words (nouns, verbs, determiners, adverbs etc.) and phrases (Noun Phrases, Verb Phrases etc.) and to give visual representations of the structure of clauses (so-called "tree diagrams"). You will learn about functions in the clause (subjects, objects, predicates, etc.) and about syntactic operations that target specific functions (e.g., passivization, question formation, focalization). One of the main points will be to develop an understanding of the relationship between word order, structure, and meaning in English. In a group project of your choice you will have the opportunity to explore a common myth about language, such as the belief that babies acquire language by imitation or that English spelling is "kattastroffik". The methods of analysis you acquire in this class will be applicable in a variety of ways in your study of literature, creative writing, English education, English as a second language, and further studies in Linguistics.

English 329: Introduction to English Syntax

This class is a twofold extension of "The Structure of English" (English 324): We will combine the analysis of sentences with an in-depth exploration of a particular theoretical framework, the Principles & Parameters approach to syntactic analysis, introduced by Noam Chomsky. Both data and analysis will be more complex than in the basic "Structure of English" course. For instance, we will look at infinitives (how do you know that in "He promised her to leave" he is the one who is leaving and that in "He persuaded her to leave" she is the one who's leaving?), relative clauses, resultatives and particle verbs, and will contrast the generative approach with a traditional, more descriptively oriented analysis. One of the questions to be pursued is why certain structures are acceptable (grammatical) in English, while others - which look very similar on the surface - are not, compare "It was expected that he would leave" vs. *"It was expected him to leave". Each student will write a report-like paper on one particular construction, the so-called "construction portrait".

The core assumption of generative grammar theory is that an infinite set of syntactially well-formed (grammatical) sentences can be produced (generated) on the basis of a finite set of principles, which are universal (valid in every language) and which may not be violated because they are an integral part of the human language faculty. Towards the end of the semester we will discuss the relevance of these principles to issues in first and second language acquisition.

English 338 (Topics Course): The Study of Words in English

Words – arbitrary pairs of form (sound, gesture, writing) and meaning – and rules of combination (syntax) are the two structural building blocks of language. This course looks at the category "word" in English from different linguistic perspectives: While syntax is mainly concerned with words as parts of speech, morphology analyzes the internal structure of words (stems and affixes) and processes of word formation (derivation, inflection, compounding). We will study why some forms are impossible ("hopefulness" vs. *"hopenessful") and others irregular (is the plural of computer mouse "mouses" or "mice"?). From a psycholinguistic perspective we will examine what the difference between regular forms and irregular forms means for the acquisition and processing of words and how words are stored in the mental dictionary. We will also look at historical and current influences on English vocabulary and spelling and at dictionaries as a source of standardization. We will have our own "a word a day" newsletter in this class, in which you can share linguistic facts about your favorite quirky words with others.

English 708: Advanced English Syntax

This class familiarizes students with competing approaches to syntactic phenomena in English. It discusses developments in representing syntactic structures, which include the rise of functional categories, the relationship between morphology and syntax, the "linking" or "mapping" of lexical information onto syntax, and the relevance of "constructions" and construction-specific rules. The focus of this class is on syntactic argumentation and on comparing different approaches to the same question. Readings include classic as well as more recent articles from scholarly journals.

English 906 (Topics Seminar): The English Language

English Verbs and their Arguments

f the sentence is a play, its script is written by the verb. It is the verb that tells us what sort of event is going to be staged on the syntactic scene and how many players (arguments) are needed, and in which position they will make their appearance. The syntactically relevant features of a verb, specifically its argument structure, are part of the verb's lexical entry, and they are projected onto syntax in line with such mapping criteria as the Theta-Criterion. But where does argument structure come from? How is the verb's actual meaning reflected in argument structure? Some verbs express states, others denote actions, some events are inherently bounded, while others are infinite. And if the verb's syntactic distribution follows from its meaning, how can we account for a certain syntactic "elasticity" in the realization of the verb's arguments? Why can we use intransitive verbs transitively (smile one's approval) and transitive verbs intransitively (he is eating)? And what is the place of argument alternation patterns, such as the passive (Sally was/got promoted) and the middle construction (This shirt irons easily), in which the affected object is realized in the position of the subject? Aren’t these constructions costly, in that they seem to violate the correspondence between syntactic position (subject) and semantic interpretation (theme)? And if so, for what reason would these constructions be used? These are some of the questions that we explore in this seminar, which is centered around critical discussions of classic and current readings, moderated by student participants. At the end of the course, we will have a conference with each student giving a 20min presentation on a specific argument alternation construction.

The Passive in English

This seminar offers the opportunity to examine one prominent construction in English in depth and from different linguistic angles: structural (syntax of the passive), theoretical (status of the passive in linguistic theory), comparative (putting the English passive into perspective), psycholinguistic (acquisition of the passive), and functional (use of the passive). The seminar is centered around critical discussions of classic and current articles. Students will learn to put these articles in context and to compare and evaluate different analyses for the same construction. At the end of the semester, there will be a colloquium, for which each student will prepare a conference-like presentation on one aspect of the passive.

The focus of this course is on understanding the complexity of a construction (the passive) by approaching it from different linguistic perspectives and on gaining insights into different linguistic perspectives (theoretical, functional, applied...) by comparing how they approach the same syntactic phenomenon. We will pursue these goals largely through close readings and critical discussions of selected articles. Everyone will specialize in one area and will serve as an expert for one particular set of questions associated with the passive. That way, we will explore selected aspects the passive in depth, without losing track of its broader description, its particularities in English, its function in discourse and rhetorics, and any difficulties it may pose for language learners. A second major goal is to familiarize students with genres and practices in academic discourse: writing a literature review, leading a discussion, summarizing an article, writing a project proposal, writing an abstract, giving an oral presentation, surviving a Q&A session, writing a research paper, revising a draft.

Dissertations I have directed or co-directed

• Panida Aue-Apaikul (2006): Transitivized Intransitives in English: Syntactic, Semantic and Constructional Issues
• Nirada Simargool (2005): Historical Development of the English Middle Construction
• SoYoung Kim (2006): Null Arguments and Topics in the Acquisition of English by Korean Speakers

Dissertation Committees

Gwan-Rak Son (Linguistics, 2001)
William Crawford (English, 2002)
Dukkyo Jung (Linguistics, 2003)
Hassan Belhiah (English, 2004)
Hugh Bishop (English, 2004)
Kimberly Miller (German, 2004)
Carrie Fisher (German, 2004)
San Geung Lee (Linguistics, 2005
Hongkyu Song (Linguistics, 2005)
Kemtong Singsuwat (English, 2005)
Kirk Martinson (German, 2007)
Yasuhiro Sasahira (Linguistics, 2007)