Aspects of the Theory of Syntax

Noam Chomsky

MIT Press, Mar 15, 1969 - Language Arts & Disciplines - 251 pages

Chomsky proposes a reformulation of the theory of transformational generative grammar that takes recent developments in the descriptive analysis of particular languages into account.

Beginning in the mid-fifties and emanating largely form MIT, an approach was developed to linguistic theory and to the study of the structure of particular languages that diverges in many respects from modern linguistics. Although this approach is connected to the traditional study of languages, it differs enough in its specific conclusions about the structure and in its specific conclusions about the structure of language to warrant a name, "generative grammar." Various deficiencies have been discovered in the first attempts to formulate a theory of transformational generative grammar and in the descriptive analysis of particular languages that motivated these formulations. At the same time, it has become apparent that these formulations can be extended and deepened.The major purpose of this book is to review these developments and to propose a reformulation of the theory of transformational generative grammar that takes them into account. The emphasis in this study is syntax; semantic and phonological aspects of the language structure are discussed only insofar as they bear on syntactic theory.

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User Review  - quaintlittlehead - LibraryThing

I have a Ph.D. in linguistics, but I have never been particularly comfortable with syntax, especially Chomsky's minimalist programme and transformational grammar, which I'm not sure I theoretically ...

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User Review  - echaika - LibraryThing

Groundbreaking book explaining transformational-generative grammar. Very exciting, albeit difficult, read early in my grad school years. As much as I came to disagree with Chomskyan theory, he really ...

Contents

• Preface: 3
• Categories and Relations in Syntactic Theory: 63
• Deep Structures and Grammatical: 128
• Some Residual Problems: 148
• Notes: 193
• Bibliography: 237
• Index: 247

About the author

Noam Chomsky is Institute Professor and Professor of Linguistics (Emeritus) at MIT and the author of many influential books on linguistics, including Aspects of the Theory of Syntax and The Minimalist Program, both published by the MIT Press.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Aspects of the Theory of Syntax; The MIT Press
• Author: Noam Chomsky
• Publisher: MIT Press, 1969
• ISBN: 0262260506, 9780262260503
• Length: 251 pages
• Subjects: Language Arts & Disciplines / Linguistics / General