This page intentionally left blank Modern Syntax This practical coursebook introduces all the basics of modern syntactic analysis in a simple step-by-step fashion. Each unit is constructed so that the reader discovers new ideas, formulates hypotheses and practices fundamentals. The reader is presented with short sections of explanation with examples, followed by practice exercises. Feedback and comment sections follow to enable students to monitor their progress. No previous background in syntax is assumed. Students move through all the key topics in the field including features, rules of combination and displacement, empty categories, and subcategorization. The theoretical perspective in this work is unique, drawing together the best ideas from three major syntactic frameworks (Minimalism, HPSG and LFG). Students using this book will learn fundamentals in such a way that they can easily go on to pursue further study in any of these frameworks. ANDREW CARNIE is Professor of Linguistics at the University of Arizona, where he teaches syntactic theory and Celtic linguistics. His previous publications include Constituent Structure, second edition (2010), Irish Nouns (2008) and Syntax: A Generative Introduction, second edition (2006). Modern Syntax: A Coursebook ANDREW CARNIE University of Arizona cambridge university press Cambridge, New York, Melbourne, Madrid, Cape Town, Singapore, São Paulo, Delhi, Dubai, Tokyo, Mexico City Cambridge University Press Th e Edinburgh Building, Cambridge CB2 8RU, UK Published in the United States of America by Cambridge University Press, New York www.cambridge.org Information on this title: www.cambridge.org/9780521682046 © Andrew Carnie 2011 Th is publication is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the provisions of relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place without the written permission of Cambridge University Press. First published 2011 Printed in the United Kingdom at the University Press, Cambridge A catalogue record for this publication is available from the British Library ISBN 978-0-521-86335-3 Hardback ISBN 978-0-521-68204-6 Paperback Cambridge University Press has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of URLs for external or third-party internet websites referred to in this publication, and does not guarantee that any content on such websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate. For my mother, Jean CONTENTS Acknowledgments ix How to use this book x A note on the theoretical perspective of this book xii 1 Some basic ideas in syntax UNIT 1 Defining syntax 3 UNIT 2 Syntactic data 9 UNIT 3 Hypotheses 19 Group 1 Review 29 2 Categories and subcategories UNIT 4 Parts of speech and lexical categories 33 UNIT 5 Functional categories 42 UNIT 6 Subcategories 1: pronouns 49 UNIT 7 Subcategories 2: other subcategories of nouns 61 UNIT 8 Subcategories 3: transitivity 70 UNIT 9 Tangent: tense, aspect, voice and mood 81 UNIT 10 Subcategories of auxiliaries 93 Group 2 Review 108 3 Constituents, MERGE and trees UNIT 11 Constituency 111 UNIT 12 C-m erge: complements 119 UNIT 13 Complements: a case study 135 UNIT 14 Specifiers: VP and TP 156 UNIT 15 Specifiers: NP and DP 170 UNIT 16 Tagging 179 UNIT 17 Merge: adjuncts 192 UNIT 18 Drawing trees 210 Group 3 Review 226 vii Contents 4 Movement and control UNIT 19 Passives 231 UNIT 20 Non-f inite clauses 1: control constructions 242 UNIT 21 Non-f inite clauses 2: raising sentences 262 UNIT 22 Head-t o-h ead movement 1: auxiliaries 279 UNIT 23 Head-t o-h ead movement 2: main verbs 290 UNIT 24 Wh- questions 302 Group 4 Review 314 5 Conclusions UNIT 25 Evaluating our progress 319 UNIT 26 The next steps 327 Appendix 1 Glossary, symbols and abbreviations 333 Appendix 2 Features and their values 346 Appendix 3 Rules, constraints and principles 349 References 351 Index 356 viii