{"id":563,"date":"2010-06-13T10:00:26","date_gmt":"2010-06-13T08:00:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/elanguage.net\/blogs\/booknotices\/?p=563"},"modified":"2010-04-07T10:52:37","modified_gmt":"2010-04-07T08:52:37","slug":"syntax-a-generative-introduction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/journals.linguisticsociety.org\/booknotices\/?p=563","title":{"rendered":"Syntax: A generative introduction"},"content":{"rendered":"
Syntax: <\/strong>A generative introduction. 2nd edn. By Andrew Carnie<\/strong>. Oxford: Blackwell, 2007. Pp. xviii, 489. ISBN 9781405133845<\/a>. $57.95.<\/div>\n

Reviewed by Dinha T. Gorgis<\/strong>, Jadara University<\/em><\/p>\n

This volume discusses generative syntax as a cognitive science. Most of the seventeen chapters end with a summary followed by a glossary of the terms and technical expressions introduced in the chapter. Additionally, Andrew Carnie includes a section of further readings as well as exercises that range from general to challenging. Ch. 1 introduces generative syntax, which \u2018assumes that a certain amount of grammar is built in and the rest is acquired\u2019 (26).<\/p>\n

Ch. 2 explores the parts of speech (also known as syntactic categories or word classes) whose functional identities are uncovered through morphological and syntactic distributional tests. Building upon this knowledge of words and their subcategorization, in Ch. 3, C moves to the technical workings of generative syntax. The concept of structure is demonstrated through constituency relations represented as trees. As with words, larger structures are tested for their constituency.<\/p>\n

Ch. 4 is more technical in that it relies on mathematical reasoning and formal logic. Here, C explores domination, precedence, and c-command. He makes it clear that \u2018grammatical relations are not structural relations\u2019 (118). Building upon these structural relations, Ch. 5 offers a set of principles that \u2018governs the distribution of [noun phrases] NPs\u2019 (144).<\/p>\n

Part 2 is exclusively devoted to X-bar theory, its extension, and the constraints imposed upon it. Ch. 6 deals with intermediate structures that earlier versions of the phrase structure rules (PSRs) could not account for. X-bar theory suggests options for speakers of different languages: parameterization is a key concept. More refinement of the already revised PSRs is introduced in Ch. 7, and a new category, determiner phrase (DP), is also proposed. Of interest is C\u2019s observation that the main clause in Peter thinks that Cathy loves him<\/em>, is not Peter thinks<\/em>, because this string is not a constituent. Rather, it is \u2018everything <\/span>under the root [tense phrase] TP node\u2019 (202).<\/p>\n

Despite the revisions and extensions, which could account nicely for constituency and cross-categorial issues across languages, X-bar theory is constrained in Ch. 8 by appealing to lexical information, preventing the generation of ungrammatical sentences.<\/p>\n

Part 3 is devoted to movement: \u2018Head-to-head movement\u2019, \u2018DP movement,\u2019 \u2018Wh-movement\u2019, and \u2018A unified theory of movement\u2019. Among the phenomena covered are subject-auxiliary inversion, word order differences among languages, do<\/em>-support, case, movement locality, and universal semantics. In sum, \u2018movement can both be overt (before SPELLOUT) and covert (after SPELLOUT)\u2019 (368).<\/p>\n

The \u2018Advanced topics\u2019 in Part 4 move away from the generally agreed upon principles and parameters framework. Ch. 13 tackles the problem of ditransitive verbs. Ch. 14 sketches control theory and the question of null subject categories, and Ch. 15 elaborates on binding theory, which was first presented in Ch. 5.<\/p>\n

Part 5 is a brief overview of two formal alternatives to the Chomskyan principles and parameters approach (and its descendent, minimalism): lexical-functional grammar (Ch. 16) and head-driven phrase structure grammar (Ch. 17). C assumes that newcomers to syntactic theory will be able to further investigate these theories on their own elsewhere.<\/p>\n

The problem sets are one of the best features of this book: they can provide an excellent platform for peer work inside the class but are also highly understandable on an individual basis. Those who use Radford\u2019s Transformational grammar <\/em>(Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1988)\u2014an excellent introduction indeed\u2014are advised to gain new insights from C\u2019s equally excellent book.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Syntax: A generative introduction. 2nd edn. By Andrew Carnie. Oxford: Blackwell, 2007. Pp. xviii, 489. ISBN 9781405133845. $57.95. Reviewed by Dinha T. Gorgis, Jadara University This volume discusses generative syntax as a cognitive science. Most of the seventeen chapters end with a summary followed by a glossary of the terms and technical expressions introduced in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/journals.linguisticsociety.org\/booknotices\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/563"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/journals.linguisticsociety.org\/booknotices\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/journals.linguisticsociety.org\/booknotices\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/journals.linguisticsociety.org\/booknotices\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/journals.linguisticsociety.org\/booknotices\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=563"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/journals.linguisticsociety.org\/booknotices\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/563\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":564,"href":"https:\/\/journals.linguisticsociety.org\/booknotices\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/563\/revisions\/564"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/journals.linguisticsociety.org\/booknotices\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=563"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/journals.linguisticsociety.org\/booknotices\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=563"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/journals.linguisticsociety.org\/booknotices\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=563"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}