LINGUIST List 10.472

Tue Mar 30 1999

Books: Syntax

Editor for this issue: Scott Fults <scottlinguistlist.org>

Directory

1. milly.neate, Syntax Textbooks

Professor Robert Borsley (Department of Linguistics, University of
Wales, Bangor, UK) Syntactic Theory: A Unified Approach 2nd Edition
Publication April 1999 c.288pp PB 0 340 70610 4 c.15.99/US$24.95
Arnold Publishers (American edition is published in association with
OUP)

Borsley has given us a new kind of book: one that combines the best
features of other introductory texts on syntax with serious discussion
of alternatives to transformational grammar. Maybe we can at last hope
for a generation of linguists trained to live in the real world of
many theories.
Richard Hudson, Professor of Linguistics, University College, London, UK

This innovative book introduces the ideas which underlie most
approaches to syntax and shows how they have been developed within two
broad frameworks: Principles and Parameters Theory and Phrase
Structure Grammar. While other texts either concentrate on one theory
or treat them as totally separate, here both approaches are introduced
together, highlighting the similarities as well as the
differences. Thoroughly updated in the light of major recent
developments, this 2nd edition includes expanded explanations of the
main characteristics of the two theories, summaries of the main
features, exercises reinforcing key points and suggestions for further
investigation.

Contents: Preliminaries / Constituent structure / Syntactic rules /
Syntactic categories / Heads and complements / Subjects and predicates
/ Anaphora / Noncanonical complements and subjects / Grammatical
functions / Passives / Raising sentences / Control / Wh-dependencies /
Island constraints.

Readership: 2nd and 3rd year undergraduates and beginning postgraduate
linguistics students, particularly those taking graduate courses in
computational linguistics, artificial intelligence and cognitive
science.

Available on inspection for lecturers (quote LLB)
Tel: +44 (0) 171 873 6355
Fax: +44 (0) 171 873 6325
E-mail: milly.neatehodder.co.uk
Visit Arnold on the web: www.arnoldpublishers.com
 ---------------------------


Jamal Ouhalla (Queen Mary and Westfield College, London, UK)
Introducing Transformational Grammar: From Principles and Parameters
to Minimalism 2nd Edition Publication April 1999 496pp PB 0 340 74036
1 17.99/US$24.95 Arnold Publishers (American edition is published in
association with OUP)

The 1st edition of this book rapidly established itself as one of the
clearest and most readable introductions to generative
grammar. Together with a complete introduction to the principles of
Universal grammar, it traced the major shifts of perspective which
have influenced the development of the theory over the last forty
years. This revised and expanded new edition introduces students with
no previous training in syntax to Transformational Grammar. It is also
suitable for intermediate and advanced students of syntax. The text
covers the framework known as Principles and Parameters, and the more
recent framework known as Minimalism. With a wide range of new,
additional exercises, the book is ideal for students approaching
generative linguistics for the first time.

Contents: Language and linguistics theory / Part I: Phrase structure,
lexicon and transformations / Phrase structure / Lexicon /
Transformations I: phrasal categories / Transformations II: terminal
categories / Part II: Principles and parameters / X-bar theory / Theta
theory / Case theory / Binding theory and control / Movement Theory /
Part III: Language Variation / Head-complement order, bounding nodes,
and wh-in-situ / Null subjects and objects / Verb second, VSO and NSO
/ Incorporation phenomena / Clitics and Cliticisation / I-lowering
versus V-raising / Part IV: Minimalism / The Minimalist Programme /
Copy theory of movement and binding / Checking Theory and language
variation / Base phrase structure and antisymmetry.

Readership: Undergraduate students of linguistics.

Available on inspection for lecturers (quote LLO)
Tel: +44 (0) 171 873 6355
Fax: +44 (0) 171 873 6325
E-mail: milly.neatehodder.co.uk
Visit Arnold on the web: www.arnoldpublishers.com

The following contributing LINGUIST publishers have made their backlists available on the World Wide Web:

1998 Contributors