24.902: Language and its structure II: Syntax

Syllabus

TODAY'S HANDOUT

Sept 7 Introduction: part one, part two
Sept 12 Phrase structure, and more phrase structure.
Sept 14 Even more phrase structure. (Handout) (and the Passamaquoddy handout)
Sept 19 Selection. Problem Set 1, due Sept 26 at midnight.
Sept 21 EPP and movement.
Sept 26 A-movement and the Case Filter. Problem Set 2, due Oct 3 at midnight.
Sept 28 Unaccusatives.
Oct 3 More on A-movement: VP-internal subjects, raising.
Oct 5 Morphological case and agreement. (Handout)
Oct 10 Columbus Day holiday
Oct 12 More on Case. (Handout)
Oct 17 Binding theory. Problem Set 3, due October 24 at midnight.
Oct 19 Control.
Oct 24 More on agreement. (Handout)
Oct 26 midterm. Some things you might want to review (not necessarily an exhaustive list).
Oct 31 More control: evidence for vP. (Handout)
Nov 2 Double Object constructions; applicatives. (Handout)
Nov 7 wh-movement.
Nov 9 Islands. (Handout)
Nov 14 Covert movement. (Handout)
Nov 16 no class. squib topic due.
Nov 21 head-movement.
Nov 22 drop date
Nov 23 Thanksgiving holiday
Nov 28 Why is some movement overt?
Nov 30 Reconstruction
Dec 5 QR, ACD
Dec 7 Phase theory
Dec 12 Scrambling. Squib due.

Some useful links:
Creating graphics of syntax trees that you can paste into homework assignments and papers
And another way of doing the same thing
Drawing trees in LaTeX
LingBuzz, an online archive for articles in Generative Linguistics
Useful Syntax hand signals, available as an attractive poster here.