Syntactic Theory

The first seven chapters present the reader with a slightly modified version of the theory of Noam Chomsky's Aspects of the Theory of Syntax (1965) and give some practice in working within that framework. I have tried to think through the basic questions that arise in justifying that framework and to write about them without glossing over the difficulties. Chapter 8 is a kind of interlude about mathematical linguistics, which is necessary for some of the later sections. The last three chapters deal mostly with modifications in the theory that have arisen in the last few years or are going on at present - excerpt from Preface