Principles and Parameters: An Introduction to Syntactic Theory

By Syed V. Ahamed

This authoritative survey shows readers how specific methodological assumptions underlie the core analyses on which syntactic theory is based. The author, an internationally respected figure in the field, gives extensive treatment of Government and Binding (GB) theory and summarizes the major proposals and results of Case theory, Theta theory, X' theory, Binding theory, the theory of A- and A' movement, locality conditions, and the theory of Logical Form (LF). He also provides an up-to-date introduction to a number of more recent proposals, including Chomsky's Minminalist Program, Larsonian Shells, and Kaynes's Antisymmetry theory. The most coherent and organized account of syntactic theory currently available, this volume is enhanced by carefully selected and extensive sets of exercises, annotated suggestions for further reading at the end of each chapter, and a comprehensive glossary of technical terms.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0198700148
• ISBN13: 9780198700142
• Release Date: February 1997
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
• Length: 460 Pages
• Weight: 1.54 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.1" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

A book review

I have used this book, along with other similar sources, for writing a parametric grammar of Persian.The book is coherently organized into ten chapters: 1.Foundations Methods,Arguments,2.Government and Case, 3.Binding Theory,4.A-Movement,5.X'-Theory,6.A'-Movement,7.Barriers,8.LF Representation,9.Binding and Logical Form.10.Head Movement and Minimalism.Beginning with the second chapter the author picks up a syntactic problem...

A Critical Introduction to the GB Theory

Since Chomsky established the GB model in the early 1980's, many introductory books have been published. Culicover's book came out by the end of the GB fashion when most people were attracted by Chomsky's new ideas of the minimalist program (MP). However, this book is not out of date at all, since Culicover illustrated the GB theory in a very critical way providing with quite a number of problems which cannot be solved...