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--- studies:graduation:thesis:topics:linguistics [2019-11-30 11:20] – [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 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?