Principles of Argument Structure

A Merge-Based Approach

Chris Collins

$69.99

Paperback

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English

MIT Press
15 October 2024

Language: reference & general

A new theory of argument structure, based on the syntactic operation Merge and presented through an in-depth analysis of properties of the English passive construction.

A new theory of argument structure, based on the syntactic operation Merge and presented through an in-depth analysis of properties of the English passive construction.

In Principles of Argument Structure, Chris Collins investigates principles of argument structure in minimalist syntax through an in-depth analysis of properties of the English passive construction. He formulates a new theory of argument structure based on the only structure-building operation in minimalist syntax, Merge, which puts together two syntactic objects to form a larger one. This new theory should give rise to detailed cross-linguistic work on the syntactic and semantic properties of implicit arguments.

Collins presents an update and defense of his influential 2005 theory of the passive, including a completely original theory of implicit arguments. He makes a direct empirical argument for the Theta-Criterion against various claims that it should be eliminated. He also discusses the conception of voice in syntactic theory, arguing that VoiceP does not introduce external arguments, a position otherwise widely accepted in the field. He shows how the ""smuggling"" approach to the passive extends naturally to the dative alternation accounting for a number of striking c-command asymmetries. He compares syntactic and semantic approaches to argument structure, outlining conceptual problems with adopting formal semantics as the basis for a theory of argument structure.

The book will be of interest not only to syntacticians and semanticists, but also to typologists investigating the cross-linguistic properties of the passive, psycholinguists and computer scientists working on natural language understanding, and philosophers thinking about the issue of ""implicit content."" It includes an appendix that provides common-sense guidelines for doing syntactic research using internet data.

By: Chris Collins
Imprint: MIT Press
Country of Publication: United States
Volume: 87
Dimensions: Height: 229mm, Width: 152mm,
Weight: 369g
ISBN: 9780262548274
ISBN 10: 0262548275
Pages: 210
Publication Date: 15 October 2024
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Contents Acknowledgments 1 A Merge-Based Approach to Argument Structure 2 The Phi-Features of the Implicit Argument 3 Secondary Predicates and the Implicit Argument 4 A Theory of Implicit Arguments 5 Out of Africa 6 by-Phrases 7 Derivations 8 Two Conceptions of VoiceP 9 The Dative Alternation 10 On the Tension with Formal Semantics 11 Conclusion Appendix: Internet Searches as a Tool in Syntactic Research References

Chris Collins is Professor of Linguistics at New York University. His research focuses on syntactic theory, the syntax-semantics interface, and African languages. When not in Africa, he and his wife live in New York City.

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Principles of Argument Structure

A Merge-Based Approach

Chris Collins

$69.99

Paperback

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