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--- studies:graduation:thesis:topics:linguistics [2019-11-30 11:19] – [linguistics] Péter Szigetvári
+++ studies:graduation:thesis:topics:linguistics [2019-11-30 12:55] (current) – [Irina Burukina, Marcel den Dikken, Mark Newson, Krisztina Szécsényi] Péter Szigetvári
@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 = linguistics
-These topics are suggested by DELG staff.  They only serve as an appetizer.  You may come up with any other topic and convince a member of DELG to supervise you and that topic.  You may also select a supervisor different from the one offering your topic.
+These topics are suggested by DELG staff to students planning to write their BA thesis in linguistics.  They only serve as an appetizer.  You may come up with any other topic and convince a member of DELG to supervise you and that topic.  You may also select a supervisor different from the one offering your topic.
 == Irina Burukina, Marcel den Dikken, Mark Newson, Krisztina Szécsényi
@@ Line 13: / Line 13: @@
 # The distribution of the quantifiers //some// and //any// in negative and non-negative clauses: syntax and semantics (//I don't want to talk to somebody/anybody; If somebody/anybody tries to take my place; I wonder if somebody/anybody could help me//).
 # The status of //that// in restrictive relatives: relative pronoun or complementiser (//the man who/that I saw//, //the man to who(m)/*to that I spoke, *the man who that I saw//)?
-# The status of //if// and //whether//: complementiser or something else (//I am wondering// {//whether/*if//} //to go//, //It depends on// {//whether/*if//} //he's there//, {//Whether/*if//} //or not he did it remains an open question//)?
+# The status of //if// and //whether//: complementiser or something else (//I am wondering// //{whether/*if} to go, It depends on {whether/*if} he's there, {Whether/*if} or not he did it remains an open question//)?
 # Sentential //vs// constituent negation: How does the distinction manifest itself, in English and other languages? Is the distinction syntactically real, and, if so, how is it represented in syntax?
 # The English determiner system: How many different types of determiners can be distinguished? Are these all treatable in syntax as representatives of the category D (for 'determiner')? If not, what would be the most appropriate treatment(s) of determiner-like elements that are not exponents of the head D?
 # Inversion of the subject and the finite verb occurs in a variety of different contexts in English: root interrogatives (//Have you eaten yet?//, //What are you eating?//); root- and non-root clauses featuring fronting of a negative constituent (//Under no circumstances would they accept this; It is reported that under no circumstances would they accept this//) sentences; conditionals (//Had you been more diligent, you would have been more successful//); locative inversion (//On this wall hung a picture of the president//). Discuss the syntax of inversion in English in as comprehensive a way as possible.
 # Typical errors made by non-native learners of English: (a) the use of English articles (//He became pilot, I love the music// (as a generic statement about music in general), //Budapest of my youth//); (b) English word-order (//Who did take my pen?, Why you are doing this?, *Near Budapest have they a house//). What can the theory of syntax take away from or contribute to an understanding of these errors?
-# The English genitive: Are //'s// and //of// exponents of the same syntactic category or not? How to analyse the co-occurrence of //'s// and //of// in expressions such as //a friend of John's//? What should the syntax say about special uses of //'s// and //of// in constructions such as //men's room, a city of great beauty, that jewel of a city, the City of London//.
+# The English genitive: Are //’s// and //of// exponents of the same syntactic category or not? How to analyse the co-occurrence of //’s// and //of// in expressions such as //a friend of John's//? What should the syntax say about special uses of //’s// and //of// in constructions such as //men's room, a city of great beauty, that jewel of a city, the City of London//.
 # Light verbs (//__make__ a turn, __take__ a walk//): How are these best represented in syntax? Do they have meaning?  If so, is their meaning constant or variable?
 # Different ways of expressing causation in English (lexical causatives, morphological causatives, //make// causatives, //have// causatives, //cause+to// causatives): What are the syntactic differences and similarities between them?