LIN 204:             Introduction to Syntax

meeting times       tba

office                    A512

tel                         0805-174-0201

email                    oladiipo@yahoo.com

Course Description:      

This course examines the principal units involved in grammatical descriptions: morpheme, word, phrase, clause and sentence; word order and the role of elements of the sentence: subject, predicate (verb, complement, object and adjunct)

Syllabus

1.     Syntax as a knowledge of sentence structure

2.     Parts of speech

a.     Traditional approach

b.     Descriptive approach

c.      Functional approach

3.     Constituents and constituent structures

4.     Word order typology

a.     Strict word order languages and different word order

b.     Free word order languages

5.     Linear Order and Hierarchical Structure

6.     Sentence structure

7.     Sentence types

a.     Sentence classification according to structure

b.     Sentence classification according to function

required texts        1. Roberts, Ian. 1997. Comparative Syntax London: Arnold

                             2. Ouhalla, Jamal. 1994. Introducing Transformational Grammar. Routledge, Great Britain. Chapter 4.

recommended text          1. Haegeman, Liliane. 1994. Introduction to Government & Binding Theory, 2^nd Edition. Oxford: Blackwell

                             2. Yusuf, Ọrẹ (ed.) 2007. Basic Linguistics for Nigerian Languages Teachers. M&J Grand Orbit, Port-Harcourt.

                             3. Yusuf, Ọrẹ (ed.). 1999. Introduction to Linguistics. Shebotimo Publications, Ijebu Ode

                             4. Language Files. The Ohio University. Fourth Edition 1988.