Language and its Structure II: Syntax
Syntax gets a semester-long treatment from MIT's Linguistics and Philosophy department, covering roughly fifty years of research into how sentences are built. The course works through Principles and Parameters syntax as its central framework, using problem sets and data analysis to show how linguists argue for one structural account over another rather than just presenting conclusions. Topics include phrase structure, movement, binding, and case, with side discussions connecting syntactic theory to language acquisition and sentence processing. Materials include lecture notes, assignments, and readings drawn from primary syntax literature, following the OCW format of open course materials without registration or fees. The course assumes prior exposure to basic linguistic concepts, of the sort covered in an introductory theoretical linguistics course, and is aimed at students who want the mechanics of syntactic analysis alongside the reasoning behind it.