Grammatical Analysis I (Assignment 2)(Spring 2025)

 Here is my second assignment for the undergraduate introduction to syntax.

Chris

Assignment 2

Principles of Argument Structure: A Merge-Based Approach (Concept Map)

 This is my first attempt to display the connection between the various concepts in my recent MIT Press monograph. Let me know what you think!

Basic Skills (A versus A'-Movement)

Syntax II Spring 2025

Week 2: Basic Skills: A versus A’-Movement

By the end of the semester, a student taking Syntax II (graduate level) should have the following basic skills. 

1.

Be able to argue whether or not there is a movement relationship between two positions X and Y.

2.

Be able to define A-position and A’-position. 

3.

Be able to give a wide range of example sentences illustrating A-movement and A’-movement in English. The student should be able to draw plausible tree diagrams for each of these examples (e.g., tough-movement).

See Class Exercise

4.

For any particular example of movement, the student should be able to argue (using various diagnostics) that it is A or A’-movement.

5.

Be able to list the main properties distinguishing A-movement and A’-movement (e.g., binding, reconstruction, parasitic gaps, improper movement, weak crossover, etc.). The student should be able to define all the relevant principles that enter into these properties (e.g., they should be able to define weak crossover, they should know about the copy theory of movement).

6.

For each property in (5), the student should be able to give example sentences illustrating that property. For example, the student should be able to show that A-movement does not show Weak Crossover Effects. Likewise, the student should be able to show that A-movement does not give rise to condition C reconstruction effects.

Schoolhouse Rock Videos

I grew up watching these videos all the time. The tunes are very catchy and they are a pretty good popular source of information on basic grammatical categories. I have no idea whether people outside the US know of them.

Last week, in my undergraduate syntax class, I recommended to the students that they watch them. We don't literally follow the definitions in the videos, but they are an entertaining way to review.

Schoolhouse Rock (Grammar Rock) Videos

A Noun is a Person Place or Thing

Busy Prepositions

Conjunction Junction

Interjections

Lolly Lolly Lolly Get Your Adverbs Here

Rufus Xavier Sarsaparilla

The Tale of Mr. Morton

Unpack Your Adjectives

Verb That’s What’s Happening

Grammatical Analysis I (Assignment 1)(Spring 2025)

Here is my first assignment for undergraduate syntax. It is all about the internet.

I am trying to keep up with the times.

GA I Assignment 1

LSA 2025 Workshop: Foundations of Minimalist Syntax (videos)

 Here are the videos from the LSA workshop.

You have to download them.

Video: Parts I and II 

(Part II for Chris Collins starts at around 17:20)

Video: Part III

Grammatical Analysis I (Spring 2025)

This is the syllabus for the first semester of undergraduate syntax at NYU.

I would be happy to discuss it with people who are interested. I have two

main guidelines:

a. I try to use Merge as a pedagogical tool throughout the semester.

b. I try to make the course as hands-on as possible, with in-class activities.

Syllabus: Grammatical Analysis I (Spring 2025)

Eliminating Agree

Abstract: I argue for eliminating the operation of Agree. Agreement in natural language is instead analyzed in terms external Merge of agreement morphemes and the theory of copies and repetitions developed in Chomsky 2024.

Keywords: Agree, Merge, copies, repetitions

Paper: Eliminating Agree

LSA 2025 Workshop: Foundations of Minimalist Syntax (Handouts)

LSA 2025 Workshop

Foundations of Minimalist Syntax: Steps Toward the Miracle Creed

Organizers: Andreas Blümel (Universität Göttingen/Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, andreas.bluemel@hu-berlin.de) and Chris Collins (New York University, cc116@nyu.edu)

Sunday January 12, 2025    (Salon G: 10:15am to 1:30pm)

Handout: Part I (Andreas)

Handout: Part II (Chris)

Handout: Part III (Andreas)

Papers Cited