Grammar as Science : The MIT Press - Richard K. Larson

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Grammar as Science

By: Richard K. Larson

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Paperback | 5 February 2010

At a Glance

Paperback
456 Pages

Age
18+

Dimensions(cm)
22.8 x 17.8 x 2.2

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$160.99

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An introduction to the study of syntax that also introduces students to the principles of scientific theorizing.

This introductory text takes a novel approach to the study of syntax. Grammar as Science offers an introduction to syntax as an exercise in scientific theory construction. Syntax provides an excellent instrument for introducing students from a wide variety of backgrounds to the principles of scientific theorizing and scientific thought; it engages general intellectual themes present in all scientific theorizing as well as those arising specifically within the modern cognitive sciences. The book is intended for students majoring in linguistics as well as non-linguistics majors who are taking the course to fulfill undergraduate requirements. Grammar as Science covers such core topics in syntax as phrase structure, constituency, the lexicon, inaudible elements, movement rules, and transformational constraints, while emphasizing scientific reasoning skills. The individual units are organized thematically into sections that highlight important components of this enterprise, including choosing between theories, constructing explicit arguments for hypotheses, and the conflicting demands that push us toward expanding our technical toolkit on the one hand and constraining it on the other.

Grammar as Science is constructed as a “laboratory science” course in which students actively experiment with linguistic data. Syntactica, a software application tool that allows students to create and explore simple grammars in a graphical, interactive way, is available online in conjunction with the book. Students are encouraged to “try the rules out,” and build grammars rule-by-rule, checking the consequences at each stage.

Industry Reviews

"Grammar as Science is an excellent textbook for an introductory syntax course, serving both intended linguistics majors and the general education population equally well. There isn't anything quite like it in the market. If I ever use a textbook, I would use this one."--Jorge Hankamer, Department of Linguistics, University of California, Santa Cruz

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You Can Find This Book In

Non-Fiction Language & Linguistics Linguistics Grammar, Syntax & Morphology Reference, Information & Interdisciplinary Subjects Encyclopaedias & Reference Works Language Learning & Teaching Language Teaching & Learning Material & Coursework Grammar, Vocabulary & Pronunciation

Preface for Teachers	p. xiii
Acknowledgements	p. xvii
Setting Out	p. 1
Language as a Natural Object	p. 4
The Terrain Ahead	p. 6
What Is Linguistics?
Leading Questions	p. 9
Studying Knowledge of Language	p. 11
A Talking Analogy	p. 13
Universal Grammar	p. 17
What Is Syntax About?
Review	p. 21
Dividing Up the Problem Area	p. 22
Internal Structure	p. 30
Exercises	p. 33
Grammars as Theories
Introducing Phrase Structure Rules
Review	p. 41
Generating Sentences	p. 41
Phrase Structure Rules	p. 44
Tree Diagrams and Derivations	p. 44
Grammars
Review	p. 53
Grammars as Theories	p. 54
The Data of Syntax	p. 55
Formulating a Grammar	p. 60
Working with Grammars
Review	p. 65
Testing a Grammar	p. 66
Revising a Grammar	p. 68
Extending a Grammar	p. 70
Exercises	p. 73
Choosing between Theories
Comparing Rules and Theories
Review	p. 83
Comparing Alternative Rules	p. 84
Equivalent Theories	p. 92
Comparing Equivalent Theories	p. 94
Constituency and Constituency Tests
Review	p. 99
More on Conjunction	p. 100
Other Constituency Tests	p. 104
Trees and Tree Relations
Review	p. 115
More about Trees	p. 115
Some Distributional Facts	p. 119
C-Command Phenomena as Constituency Tests	p. 125
Determining Category
Review	p. 127
Determining Category	p. 127
The Category of Words	p. 128
The Category of Phrases	p. 131
Revising, Refining, and Reconsidering
Review	p. 135
Interpreting Test Results	p. 135
More on Revising Grammars	p. 140
Exercises	p. 155
Arguing for a Theory
Constructing Arguments I
Review	p. 169
Giving an Argument	p. 169
Four Steps of an Argument and Their Relations	p. 171
Convergent Evidence	p. 172
Nonconvergent Evidence	p. 173
Coming Up With the Parts of an Argument	p. 175
Constructing Arguments II
Review	p. 179
Choosing between Alternative Structures	p. 179
Missing Principle	p. 180
Missing Data Summary and Principle	p. 182
Missing Data Summary, Principle, and Conclusion I	p. 184
Missing Data Summary, Principle, and Conclusion II	p. 186
Exercises	p. 191
Searching for Explanation
Structural Formulas	p. 198
Explaining Phrase Markers?	p. 199
Introducing the Lexicon
Review	p. 201
Categories and Subcategories	p. 201
The Lexicon	p. 207
Features, Heads, and Phrases
Review	p. 213
Expanding Our Feature Set	p. 214
Where Does a Phrase Get Its Features?	p. 218
Heads and Phrases	p. 222
Verbal Complements and Adjuncts
Review	p. 227
Complements	p. 227
Adjuncts	p. 231
Distinguishing Complements and Adjuncts
Review	p. 235
Complement or Adjunct?	p. 235
Three Diagnostics	p. 236
Attaching Complements
Review	p. 247
Complements and Constituency	p. 247
A Locality Constraint	p. 254
Attaching Adjuncts
Review	p. 259
An Apparent Contradiction	p. 259
Adjunction of Modifiers	p. 263
Exercises	p. 269
Following the Consequences
Complement Sentences I
Review	p. 283
Sentence Forms	p. 283
Sentences inside Sentences	p. 258
Selection for Sentence Type	p. 288
Complement Sentences II
Review	p. 297
Finite versus Nonfinite Clauses	p. 298
Selection for Finiteness	p. 300
Invisible Lexical Items
Review	p. 309
Subjectless Infinitives and PRO	p. 309
“Invisible Elements”: Expect versus Persuade	p. 314
Summing Up	p. 324
NP Structure
Review	p. 327
Sentencelike NPs	p. 328
Complements of N	p. 329
Adjuncts in NP	p. 335
PRO in NP	p. 339
X-Bar Theory
Review	p. 343
More on NP - TP	p. 343
The Structure of PP	p. 345
Abstracting a Common Shape	p. 348
Powerful Implications!	p. 349
Simple Rules versus Complex Structures	p. 353
Exercises	p. 355
Expanding and Constraining the Theory
Interrogatives and Movement
Review	p. 369
The Problem of Constituent Interrogatives	p. 369
Wh -Movement	p. 373
Further Evidence for Movement	p. 375
More on Wh -Movement
Review	p. 383
Movement in General	p. 383
Movement in CP	p. 387
Matrix Interrogatives	p. 392
Constraints on Movement I
Review	p. 395
“Long-Distance” Movement	p. 395
Stepwise Movement	p. 400
The Principle of the Strict Cycle	p. 403
Constraints on Movement II
Review	p. 405
NP Domains	p. 406
Movement and Complete Sentences	p. 406
Movement and Nominals	p. 409
The Phase Principle	p. 410
Parametric Variation
Review	p. 413
Crosslinguistic Variation in Movement	p. 413
“Parameterizing” Principles	p. 415
Exercises	p. 423
Reference	p. 427
Index	p. 429
Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.

Grammar as Science

At a Glance

Paperback

Industry Reviews

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