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Grammatical Theory

Its Limits and Possibilities

Paperback

Published: 15th September 1983
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Newmeyer persuasively defends the controversial theory of transformational generative grammar. "Grammatical Theory" is for every linguist, philosopher, or psychologist who is skeptical of generative grammar and wants to learn more about it.
Newmeyer's formidable scholarship raises the level of debate on transformational generative grammar. He stresses the central importance of an autonomous formal grammar, discusses the limitations of "discourse-based" approaches to syntax, cites support for generativist theory in recent research, and clarifies misunderstood concepts associated with generative grammar.

Preface
The Generativist Approach to Linguistic Analysis
Introduction
On the Autonomy of Grammar and the Modular Conception of Language
Some Evidence for the Autonomy of Formal Grammar
Grammatical Evidence
Evidence from Language Acquisition
Neurological Evidence
Some Modular Accounts of Linguistic Phenomena
Multiply Center-Embedded Constructions
Tag Questions
Indirect Speech Acts
The Interpretation of Anaphoric Elements
Some Troublesome Concepts
Competence and Performance
Linguistic Universals
Simplicity and Evaluation
Psychological Reality
The Data Base of Grammatical Theory
The Value of Introspective Data
Conflicting Analyses, Not Conflicting Judgments
Grammaticality and Acceptability
Unclear Cases: Letting the Grammar Decide
The Problem of Context
Some Alleged Data Disagreements
Introspective and Nonintrospective Data
On Investigating Acceptability Experimentally
The Studies "Disconfirming" Introspective Data
The Validity Problem
Is Grammatical Theory English-Oriented?
Grammatical Theory and Language Variation
Introduction
On the "Ideal Speaker-Listener"
Optional Rules and Free Variation
On Variable Rules
Some Contributions of Grammatical Theory to the Understanding of Variation
Pidgins and Creoles
Casual Speech Phenomenon
Dialect Differences
Speech Errors
Language Play
Bilingual Code Switching
Formal Grammar and Extragrammatical Principles
Introduction
Three Popular Beliefs about Language
First Belief: The Function of Language Is Communication
Second Belief: Grammatical Form Is Derivable from Extragrammatical Principles
Third Belief: Communicative Function Explains Linguistic Form
Two Discourse-Oriented Approaches to Grammar
Bolinger's Meaning and Form
Givón's On Understanding Grammar
The Applicability of Grammatical Theory
Introduction
Three Reasons for the Disillusionment with Generativist Theory
The Unrealistic Expectations of Many Applied Linguists
Unsuccessful Applications of the Theory
The Supposed Indifference of Generativists to Applied Concerns
Some Implications and Applications of Grammatical Theory
Second Language Learning
Natural Language Processing
Linguistics and Literature
Linguistics as the Core of a Science Curriculum
Grammatical Theory and Nonstandard Dialects
Conclusion
References
Name Index
Subject Index
Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.

ISBN: 9780226577197
ISBN-10: 0226577198
Audience: Professional
Format: Paperback
Language: English
Number Of Pages: 208
Published: 15th September 1983
Dimensions (cm): 23.0 x 15.2  x 1.2
Weight (kg): 0.268