{"product_id":"the-syntax-construction-kit-paperback","title":"The Syntax Construction Kit - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eMark Rosenfelder\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAn accessible but incisive introduction to modern syntax and generative grammar, for conlangers and anyone interested in languages or linguistics.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSyntax can be frustrating, because there are multiple schools that seem to fight over inessential things. I hope I can show you that this is normal for a new field, and that it actually makes syntax \u003cb\u003efun\u003c\/b\u003e. New discoveries are being made, and you can participate- something that's a lot harder to do in, say, quantum mechanics. The emphasis here is on \u003cb\u003edoing syntax\u003c\/b\u003e-- learning how to make and how to evaluate syntactic arguments.What's in it?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAn introduction to the Chomsky Hierarchy, a classification of grammars that's used both in linguistics and computer science, as well as a comparison to other generative techniques, such as Markov text generators.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA tour of Chomsky's methods- production rules and transformations- with overnight stays in the \u003ci\u003eSyntactic Structures\u003c\/i\u003e, X-bar, and Minimalist stages in his thought.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA leisurely stroll through interesting bits of syntax: the English verbal complex, pronouns and other anaphors, relative clauses, quantifiers and more. The emphasis is on \u003cb\u003edoing syntax\u003c\/b\u003e- not just learning rules and drawing trees, but learning how syntactic arguments are made.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAn overview of \u003cb\u003ealternatives\u003c\/b\u003e to Chomsky's approach: generative syntax, cognitive linguistics, relational grammars, word grammar, construction grammar, Jackendoff's Simpler Syntax, and Comrie's universals.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA chapter on \u003cb\u003eproduction\u003c\/b\u003e which asks, how real are these grammars? Do we really have syntactic categories and transformations in the brain, or in the genome?\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA chapter on how you can apply all this to your conlangs.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe Syntactic Bestiary- an annotated list of transformations and constraints, which you can think about for conlanging, or use to evaluate syntactic theories.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003ePlus, unlike most syntax textbooks, this one comes with a set of \u003cb\u003eweb toys\u003c\/b\u003e so you can see the rules in action and write your own. It makes the ideas come alive much more than mere diagrams can.\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 342\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.71 x 9 x 6 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e November 01, 2018\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42713395626047,"sku":"9781729647363","price":20.59,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0105\/8226\/1823\/files\/18647e8d7246e38845fb5f1b731a89c8.webp?v=1765064517","url":"https:\/\/dhl-adrianne.myshopify.com\/products\/the-syntax-construction-kit-paperback","provider":"BBB","version":"1.0","type":"link"}